Bruce Anchor and other projects

I decide to check out anchoring with my new Bruce, so we depart the marina and it is a flooding tide, no wind, waves or rain. I select that nice little bight where I saw the doe and her twin fawns at the creek  last week.  I dropped the anchor in 20 feet of water and backed Shatoosh to 7 feet of water, cleated off the rode and the anchor dug right in.
While having a covered slip is nice in the rainy northwest, it is nice to hang out on the hook and get some fresh air. I take this time to play around with placement of my gifted new fish finder and depth sounder.
This spot looks good.

This sounder will go to 600 feet while my old one that came with Shatoosh only goes to 100 feet. While I don't need a fish finder, it might show those harbor seals swimming by which throws the depths to 3 feet out of the blue and causes my heart to pound. I'm really only interested in the first 10-20 feet of water, but this one will show contours which can be useful. Thanks, Too Tall, for your gift.

The day is overcast, but what the heck, I weigh anchor and head to McMicken Island for the night. I can always find something to eat out of the tin section of the pantry. That is why my stores have such items, so I can have dinner on my numerous, spur of the moment,  trips. No one is on the water, I call the Viking Star to see where they are and find them in the next inlet-Carr at Penrose State Park. I round the north west point of McMiken Island and there are 3 big sailboats on the buoys, but the one on the east side is empty, so swing back around and pick up the buoy. I have never buoyed up on this side, so will see how I ride tonight. I open the side flaps and leave them open, as it is not cold today, however I still have long pants and shirt on. I close my eyes and just listen to the sounds; crows-cawing, eagles- screaming, kids- yelling, harbor seals-splashing, gentle waves- washing ashore and the busy wing flapping of the Pigeon Guillemots as they take off and land near Shatoosh.

It is high tide, a few sun breaks appear and I settle down reading a 41 year old letter Ann Gash hand wrote to my twin, Jean, while sailing her 24 ft Folkboat,  Ilimo 2, on her Hawaii leg to San Francisco. Starting  place was Sydney, Australia. I recently got a letter from an Australian author who is writing a book on Ann Gash, The Sailing Granny of Australia. I thought this letter might hold some interesting tid-bits for him and I was not disappointed. Decifering her handwriting is challenging, but one has to remember it is hard to have a steady hand on a bouncing boat in the middle of an ocean. I have already made a list of 10 stories that Jean and I remember and this will definitely sweeten the pot. Chris, if you are reading this, Smile. I have found a gold mine of info, that you will love.

I, also began to look how an extra shelf could be put in the port cockpit  locker. I took measurements and will see if I can build it.This will provide for better organization of all the things I have stored there. There is a lot of wasted space.

I  found some clam chowder for dinner. I don't know why they put so much salt in canned soups but it was too much for me, so the remainder went over board this morning and the Pigeon Guillemots loved it. It was a calm night once the 10PM winds stopped. There was a minus tide at 0830 this morning and the giant erratic rock stood watch over Shatoosh.

The rain and fog continued, so in spite of it, I turned on the radar, unhooked my buoy line(which I switched to the starboard side yesterday) and headed on a track-back course on my gps. It is 6nm and a straight shot home. I didn't bring my net-book yesterday, so am without my chart plotter. I'll see if I can remember how to get home without all that fancy gadgetry. As I move towards Johnson Point the fog gets thicker and this will be the area of any boat traffic. So I need to be alert.
The view from the helm.

As I approach the channel marker this 40 footer is closing in on my port headed south to Olympia and there is also another vessel, small, fast 27 fter speeding up on my starboard side and zooms in and around the channel marker, neither, never slowing down. I juggle Shatoosh to take on all the converging waves. I'm glad I was alert and ready for boat traffic.

What a nice 24 hours it was. I got lots of things accomplished, had a lovely time on the water and will make some new changes on Shatoosh.  There might be a weather break on Monday. See ya then.

Lit'l Bit Lives On in Alaska

Johanna  used to own Lit'l Bit and kept her in Friday Harbor, Wa, while she lived in Hawaii. As the story went, I put information on the blog that Lit'l Bit was for sale. In the meantime, a couple from Alaska was looking for an Albin. The husband, Chris was in Anacortes looking at a boat and the wife saw the posting on the blog. She called him to tell him about reading Lit'l Bit was for sale and he would have time to catch the ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor. He went, found Lit'l Bit and the rest is history. They bought her and then later trucked her to Alaska.

Today I noticed a comment from him in the Stockholm Maritime Museum about the Albin25 being the perfect family boat. Take a look at their new blog and it looks as though the whole family is having fun.
What a great story. Thanks for sharing, Chris. We all will look forward to an Alaska blogger.

I have placed his link in the blog section at the end of my blog. But here is the site:
http://northernalbin25.weebly.com/

My Children's Book of Lt Puget's Exploration

Yesterday I started making my great nieces a book on Peter Puget. They are coming to the pacific northwest next month to visit their grandparents on Whidbey Island. Today, as a few minutes ago, I finished the whole book, including my illustrations. Wow, that was fast. Now all I have to do is take it to Office Max and get it bound.It is only 15 pages long, but suitable of 3-5 year olds. I am about on their age group of drawing so it all works well.

Albin 25 Stockholm Maritime Museum.

Recently,  I received an email from an Albin25 owner in Sweden and a friend had visited the Maritime Museum in Stockholm. He shares:
Hi Hira.

My good friend Stefan spent a couple of days in Stockholm and dropped by at the Maritime Museum. The Albin 25 is as years go by more and more considered to be The Classic family friendly motor boat and has earned a spot in the museum´s collection of Swedish boats. The pictures shows the exterior and interior of a 99% original Albin 25 – alongside with one of the Royal Swedish wooden-and-golden beauties.

Thought this might be something for your blog…

(Pictures: Stefan Jonsson)

With kind regards,

Bjørn Aadnøy

Thanks Bjorn for sharing. This is special to be able to see an older Albin 25, but to see how it is honored in Sweden.

Hope Island Again

20, 21June 2012 Wednesday/Thursday

The sun is shinning, summer is today and I return to do some cleaning on Shatoosh. I'm making headway on clean up duty and securing my new Bruce anchor Too Tall Tom gave me out of his truckload of goodies. I actually got 2 foot lockers full of things. Summer may last all day but Christmas is early.

As I left the marina and looked backwards to starboard, there she was...Mt Rainier. It always takes your breath away. The tide was flooding and I made the 8nm in 65 minutes.












Last summer the owners of MV Viking Star met me in Bellingham, Wa on the dock. They were FBR(faceless blog readers) and were living aboard full time and without a home, car and permanent marina. Al and Kristi have a blog about their cruising life style. see link below. I called them to see their location in the South Sound and found they were on Hope Island State Park, only 8 nm from me. In the afternoon I headed down and buoyed up next to them. We had a wonderful dinner and chat and caught up on lots of topics.

The night was calm, the morning was still in the 40's but sunny. Hum, 2 days of summer, so I bravely put on my shorts, but keep on my turtleneck long sleeved shirt. After coffee and almonds, I continue with cleaning chores and depart on the ebbing tide. I stop by the Viking Star to say goodbye.

Perfect timing; down sound with the flood, up sound with the ebb. With Pashmina in tow, we pull into the marina area in 1 hr. I want to investigate  a small inlet so come in close to 7 feet of water. While houses are on the high ridge there is a small canyon up the creek area without  homes. Out of the creek area a mother doe and twin fawns emerge, quietly and gently, as they explore the beach area. I get a call that a good friend has passed away. She was a great lover of nature, so I sat in this peaceful scene, just as my friend would have loved and said farewell.

Geoducks

Geoducks are mollusks. Big ones, the largest. The Indian tribes in Puget Sound make big money on them. Boats go out and divers dive and bring up many lbs. The boat we watched the other day went out for a half day, came in with 1600 lbs. They are shipped without refrigeration or water and they stay alive for the 18 hour flight from Seattle to China and are sold @$50.00/lb.Amazing.

On our trip we saw lots of barges with bags of PVC pipes about a foot in length. These provide protective nurseries for the new seedling to grow.
see wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoduck

Skol, 16 foot Arima Sea Chaser For Sale

This is not just any ordinary Arima, this is the famous Skol who came down the Snake and Columbia Rivers with Hira, Shatoosh and Pashmina. Take Advantage of this Unbelievable Offer
$18,500
Gig Harbor Yacht Sales www.1gigharbor.com
Wayne Gilham cp 253-851-2674

Boat:  2003 Arima Sea Chaser 16, with outboard counter top, fish tray insert, boat cover (all three from Arima), Garlick kicker motor mount (quick removable type), vertical curtain, camper top and sides, Bruce and Danforth anchors and  and spare anchors, battery switch, VHF, fish finder, CD stereo.

Motors:  2003 Honda 50 hp, 4 stroke, recent service, spare propeller, about 100 hours.  2008 Honda 5 hp, 4 stroke kicker, matching cowling, gas tank and hose, recent service, about 2 hours.

Trailer:  2005 galvanized Load Rite trailer, surge brakes, winch, tires and spare are newer, H/D oversize boat guide-on, special tie down rings on frame.

Always kept in covered storage, professionally serviced, many extras included (new canvas pieces, rode, anchors, fish pole holders, and much more).  This is an excellent package and pride of ownership shows. John Elmore, owner, aka, Too Tall Tom  

Gig Harbor to Zittel's Marina My Final Leg

17 June 2012 Sunday
I've had some to time to visit with friends in Gig Harbor and run across some boats I have met in other places. A long cruise a home was docked in front of me and was departing ahead of me. So I had moved Shatoosh farther down the dock to give him more room. There were about 5 people helping the older man and his wife. He would have to exit and turn the boat around in a narrow area and I wanted to be there as it looked as if problems would arise with the breeze blowing. I was right. The skipper put the boat in forwards then proceeded to be looking down and apparently not aware that he was in gear and headed straight for Shatoosh. The line handlers, and 5 people including myself were yelling as loud as we could, telling him to stop. Finally in the nik of time he looked up and shocked to see what was about to happen he got the boat in neutral before hitting Shatoosh. That was close.

I pumped out the head and was on my way at 1030 to get to the Narrows in time for the tide to change to flood. The south westerly wind would be on my nose, I was towing Pashmina and she was riding well. Off Fox Island we hit some pretty big tidal rips which got me to a standing position for a few minutes.

A coast guard Rib came flying past me, but didn't board me and later off Anderson Island he boarded a 45 footer heading north and then flew past me again. I was happy as I didn't want to be boarded in this wind. I have only been boarded once by the CG, and stopped last year by Customs.

I tied up in my slip at 1330hrs. Put Pashmina on the swim platform and continued to ponder a way to keep her secure on it. Of course, the ideal solution is to attach weaver davits, however with her flexible sides I do not think that would be possible.With Pashmina the Zodiac, my motto was always Stow Rather Than Tow and now with Pashmina 2, my motto is Tow Rather than Stow.

Day's run 18nm
Total Trip: 230nm

Day 1 Blake to Penrose

Day 2 Penrose to Cutts, Alarm Bay to Penrose

Day 3 Penrose to Jarrell's Cove

Day 4 Jarrel's Cove thru Totten, Eld and Budd inlets

Day 5 Budd inlet to Blake via Restoration Point

Continuation of Day 5

Day 6 Blake to Gig Harbor

Day 7 Gig to Zittel's Marina Johnson Point

16 June 2012 Gig Harbor:Shatoosh and Hira Get Dressed Up for the Dock Walkers

Too Tall Greets me as I arrive in Gig Harbor

I see Too Tall on the dock and he says Lt Puget and I respond, Mr. Whidbey. He has brought Skol over to Gig to be sold at Gig Harbor Yacht Sales.

I am in Gig Harbor soaking up some long overdue sun. It is so beautiful here when the sun is out. I took Pashmina out for a ride this morning along the back sides of all the docks, poking her bow into some some small spaces to see starfish and jelly fish. I stop at my old marina, Lucca's Landing and recall the fun times of having Sabra in her special slip on the end of the pier. Easy in and easy out.

One sees all kinds of dock walkers, but I had to take a photo of this ? walker. She was in her kayak and later I helped her out of her boat. I have seen a parked wheel chair on the dock when a person with paraplegia was out kayaking. Items left on the dock does make one stop and ponder the situation. Then you have the many who walk by and never take notice.