Sunday, September 18, 2011

Spencer Spit Lopez Island

I have a nice morning and a good looking boat comes for a spell. The couple is nice so we end up chatting a while. The boat is an Acadia 25 built in Florida powered by a 4 cylinder Yanmar Diesel.
It has a small cabin and a large cockpit for fishing.
The first mate wants a hardtop extension.




I spend some more time adding some length of chain to my bow anchor. This way I can see how I do manually pulling up the added weight plus the anchor. I like getting the arm exercise and would try to avoid a windlass. I will have to try it out soon.

It is noon before I can blink an eye. There may be a window in the wind and it is sunny at Matia, so I depart for Clark to see what the wind is doing there. As I depart there are a couple of more sandstones that I take a picture of. One looks like a rabbit and the other a sea lion. I also see a pair of Wood Ducks. I thought I had seen the female on the first day I was here, but didn't see her again. It is so nice to see them as I think they are the most beautiful.

As I cruise by Clark it is actually do-able, but I'd rather see some other options. I troll for a little bit through a rip tide off of Point Lawarence on Orcas.
I stop in at Doe Island, but see the state dock and buoy is gone.









Obstruction Isl St Pk

My next option is questionable but I try buoying up at Obstruction Island State Park. I see the Coast Guard Cutter off in the distance and ever since I rounded Pt Lawrence the CG has been trying to track down an non responding "may-day". One person answered back that he had heard it, but no position or info was given. I had just taken off my life jacket and I see the coastees coming in their high speed rib with 4 guys aboard. They wanted to know if I had heard the may-day and from what direction had I come. They zoom, zoom away and in about 20 minutes a CG chopper is circling the area between Blakely, Lopez and Orcas islands.

I jig and get 3 hits and one cod, but throw it back.













Boy, the wakes here are terrible, so I depart and head over to Spencer Spit on Lopez island. For years as I passed this place and the buoys were always full, but today I have several choices. I eye one, but then see another Albin on a buoy. I alter course for him. We tie together and get to know each other. The Swedie berths on the hard at Dagmars near Everett, Wa. Dick has a cute little dog with him.  I pick up my buoy and fix dinner.  No wonder I am hungry, I missed lunch. The waters are calm here from any wind but a few wakes from the ferries sneak through. This has been another wonderful day.















Days run 18nm
total 294nm