Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Final Curtain and More

I awake early and get started right away on the last 2 curtains. It takes me about 2 1/2 hours to do them. Finally, the curtains are done. My dock mates rise slowly this morning, but they begin to muster and all say farewell around noon. I certainly enjoyed their company. The connection for all these people is they all live on floating homes. The other big boats leave as well. I walk back to Shatoosh, it is quiet and I am alone again. I dearly love the time spent with company and I cherish time alone. It is the perfect balance for me. Now, let me finish that list.


Niko departs us.


















Stella turns to say good bye



















Kiddo uses his bow thruster to shove off from the dock. Too much.


























Remember those speakers I bought from the marine exchange. I took them home to make little boxes for them. One is installed in the main cabin and the other is in the cockpit. They certainly have de-cluttered the space. I LIKE IT.

The rest of the afternoon is nice but wind and rollers persisted. About 1600 hrs, it begins to get flat and a trace of wind blows down the empty dock. I eat an early dinner and watch the young fledgling ospreys practice flying and the parents bring in another meal. A Newport sailboat comes in about 1800 hrs and has trouble docking downwind, so I venture out to assist. In a few more minutes a very large schooner, White Eagle, a commercial fishing boat which I see often in Scappoose comes in and he also tries to dock down wind and flood tide and he has to circle back around for a second try. They are just in from Astoria. I get an invite aboard which I dearly love. The skipper has the most elaborate electronic systems I have seen on board a vessel. This is an ocean going vessel and he showed me some of his charting systems on board. He is another "Back Up Billy" guy with repeating systems down below in the chart house. The Newport sailboat just came to have dinner at Walker island and they left just before dark returning to Longview.


The evening sets in fast with White Eagle and Shatoosh sharing dock space for the night.