Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Stormy Lay Day at Walker Island Dock


9 September 2008 Tuesday

The wind had really blown during the night, but has abated this morning. I leave my Waikiki Yacht Club burgee on the bow flagstick and if the wind is blowing I can hear the flag. This alerts me to check on the dock lines or if I need to add fenders, I can. If I am at anchor then I definitely get up and check my position. I'm on the downriver side of the dock on the inside which can be a little rolley, but much less than being on the outside. I undock and move the boat bow to the Columbia River so if the wind returns I will ride easier and the cockpit will be in the sun. I give the boys on the La Rondine some fishing lures and each a pumice stone found in the Martin Slough wing dam area on the Columbia. They had never been to Martin slough and I insisted they make it a cruising destination. Up from the galley is a bag of homemade cookies for me. Wow, how wonderful. A few years back a gal on a Columbia 30 had given me home made cookies here at Walker Island. The Cookie Dock! The La Rondine departs at 1230. What a nice family and a beautiful boat. I missed getting a photo of them or their names. Perhaps I will see them in Martin Slough some day.

Soon afterwards the wind begins to blow bad and the seas stack up in here. I decide to move Shatoosh farther down to the other end of the dock to get out of the wave pattern. In untying her I loose my stern line and the waves pitch Shatoosh's stern into the dock taking off a big piece of gelcoat. Ugh. I get her tied up and put 2 extra fenders out. Later in the day I put a cover patch of caulking on the wound to keep the moisture out and rx it with Reiki. I am glad that I had turned Shatoosh around earlier.

At dusk a lovely wood cruiser named the Klick Tat passes. I honk my horn and he returns a wave. In all this wind he anchors in the middle of the channel and puts down his dinghy and rows out to check the anchor and is not happy and he re-anchors. Another glass power boat approaches the dock. They have no fenders out or docklines ready. I get out to help them dock. They look as though they are going to dock down wind which is not a good idea. I wave them to dock on the inside but the Captian pulls alongside and tries to step off his boat. I ask if he is spending the night and suggest that he berth on the inside. His eyes are glazed over like he is drunk or high on drugs. There is a lady and a teenager with him. He almost falls and says yes it might be better on the inside so moves to the inside and up ahead of me. I have a feeling that this could be trouble, but the night was quiet on the dock and the wind and waves abated during the night.