1330 hrs- I departed the fuel dock, the pump-out dock and headed to Shaw Island with it's Parks Bay. I didn't have far to go as it was only 3nm away. Several boats were anchored so I went to the head of the bay and dropped my hook in 27 feet of beautiful , clear, green water. the anchor did not set, so I hauled her all back in and chose another spot with a good set on the anchor. By sunset we had 6 boats anchored and the sunset was great.
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Yesterday was laundry day on Shatoosh and I used the wash water to clean Pashmina. I threw the bucket of clorox water into her and climbed down and scrubbed her good and clean. Then scooped out all the water. and after lunch we went for a row around the bay. This is a marine preserve so no one is allowed on shore. There are lots of eagles, osprey, madrona trees. It is peaceful and beautiful. I was gone for about 2 hours. Pashmina is such an easy boat to row. She glides so nicely. When I returned the laundry was dry.
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| Nothing like a clean Dinghy |
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| A fortified niche |
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| Nice Starfish |
Just as I was about to retire to my bunk, a storm blow up from the west and sheets of gusty wind and rain were plummeting us. I checked my gps for latitude, flashed my light on the UW Lab Dock reflector triangle which was to my stern. I grabbed my fleece hat, bedroll and sat in the cockpit til midnight, when a magic switch was turned off, the rain and wind ceased, the moon came out and I could see my anchor had held and my latitude the same. Down I went to my berth and fell asleep. The boat floated quietly as though nothing had happened. At 0400 hrs I awoke to total stillness, got up and turned the anchor light off as the morning had already begun. I returned to bed and slept til 0700hrs.
My day was catching up; the dinghy full of fresh rainwater required a hand pump to empty it, the waterline was dirty again, the windows needed wiping, more cleaning around the roof top coaming, answering emails and phone calls. My evening warm water shower came in time as 3 boats entered the bay for, of course close anchoring. the weather is not predicting a night time storm which is good as they are aft my stern.
The Waldron Albin owners of the Tern II have notified the Vashon Tug owners about me owning their boat. Perhaps a trip to Waldron could be planned. At noon a large cruiser was pulling in towards me waving. I thought maybe they wanted to ask me something. It turned out it was Jim and Patty on a friend's boat from Orcas Island. Jim tells me he has already made my lift for Pashmina. We had planned for me to be in West Sound this Saturday to have it installed. He was picking up the paint and pulleys in Friday Harbor after they had lunch. What a guy he is.
Patty sent me this photo of us.
Another serendipitous event took place today: Last week Joyce picked up a BC boating magazine and today I was flipping through it when an article about The Queen Charlotte Islands, now called Haida Gwaii, caught my eye. It was written by Charlotte Whitney, now aged 27. She and a college friend were revisiting the islands that she grew up in. She was sailing her 25 ft Hunter. Her parents ran a charter boat and for the first 6 years of her life she was raised on the Darwin Sound, a 71 ft Ketch in the Queen Charlotte Island. Wait a minute, I am saying to myself....Charlotte, Darwin Sound, Whitney, charter, Queen Charlotte Islands. I was on the Darwin Sound with the Whitneys when their little baby girl, Charlotte was was a toddler....I believe it was 1986. Wow, she is 27 and living her dream of returning to her native cruising grounds. You go girl. I will have to write the Editor and see if I can make contact with sweet, baby Charlotte with the curly blonde hair. The circle of life. Click to read more
Charlotte Whitney
It is 2130hrs, the sun has set but there is still plenty of light, an amazing day today. Solitude and laying low on the hook has been much needed to replenish myself. Resting, reading, taking care of myself and my boats. I do like a slower pace of cruising but with Joyce's short schedule we had to press on each day. Now, I can meander and take it slower. Tomorrow I will move to a new location.
