Sticks and Stones

Reflections

 1-3 November 2011
Jean joins me again and while I am taking her to McMicken Island, I am hoping I can pull myself away long enough to circumnavigate Harstene Island.  Morning fog breaks for us as we set off  to see my favorite island in the sound. The next day we pick up a buoy in Jarrel's Cove on the west end and for both nights and days we have the whole places to our selves. There is something to be said about fall and winter cruising; it is quiet, serene, breath taking and solitude seeps deep within our skin.

Jean picks up the buoy at McMicken

Space Between The Reflection and The Image

Stairs to Where?

Barnacles High and Dry

Clean Docking Lines

Mosaic of Stones

Big Leaf Maple

A Curve of Time

Serene Anchorage

My Lips are Sealed.

Deer Tracks

X Marks The Spot

Y Knot

Shatoosh,  Jarrel's Cove, Harstene Island

Jean and P2- Getting to Know One Another

Jean, a happy boater.

Salmon-Feta-Spinach Pin Wheels

Orbs, Jarrel's Cove

More Orbs

Orbs

Morning, Jarrel's Cove

Sqauxin Island

Day 1-to McMicken

Day 2 to Jarrel's Cove

Day 3 Return to Zittel's Marina

Purple Jelly Fish Swimming Past Pashmina 2

Total Run: 26 nm

Hardtops

Shatoosh's hardtop was made while she was berthed in Sausalito, California by her previous owner. The company was Dolfin Details, and is still in business. If interested in inquiring, Shatoosh's previous owner, now deceased, was Ray Sarlin and the previous name was Rayanna. Many people have commented on how they like the design and some have actually made copies of it with modifications. Harmony's previous owner copied/modified  Shatoosh's hardtop and built it in his side yard in CA. I got to witness some of the construction. Harmony is now berthed on Orcas Island, WA.


I recently got a request from another Albin 25 owner who is interested in making a hardtop for his Ms. Bettencourt. We have emailed numerous times about boat projects and I mailed him a copy of my swim platform template when he was converting a used teak platform. While he is one of those FBR(faceless blog readers), I feel that we are kindred spirits and I seem to know him on some level. Aren't all Albin owners connected by some etheric web?

Several emails have passed between us this month and I have been taking measurements and photos of detailed aspects. I have detailed invoices of materials used, and sequences of fabrication. My friends, Conrad and Juanita and I fiberglassed the hardtop in 2001 and I have all the receipts and materials used to accomplish that project. Yesterday and today I have spent lots of time making a packet of all the photos and measurements and adding comments to them. It has turned out to be  27 pages with answered emails from to him.

The newly created packet will go in the mail to Georgia today with best wishes to John on his winter project.

Let us know when it is finished, and send photos and I will be happy to post them on the blog. I know you will love having this enclosure. Here in the northwest, it is a real treat to have a hardtop, which helps extend our cruising window. However, in the south, you might need opening side windows and an opening hatch at the helm station.

McMicken Island and Ann

25 October 2011 Tuesday
Ann joins me and the clouds, fog are lazy burning off but by the time we get to McMicken  Island, it is lovely and sunny. The tide has reached its ebb and more of the sandpit is showing itself. Ann rows us to shore and likes how P2 is performing. I bring some extra line with us but we don't have anything to tie to. I tried to move one of the smaller rocks, but it was way too heavy.

Ann gathers shells for her grand kids

 Today I want to walk the trail out to the point and see if we can see the eagle. From Shatoosh we heard them conversing and there are 2 of them, which we could see. We didn't see them while in the forest, but saw one return to the island once we had returned to Shatoosh.

Ann with bolders

I can always find trees to hug me.

We are welcomed by the cedar and the Douglas Fir.

The inner island trail is dark.
See orb on the right, it is blue.

All those tree rings

A wet mossy path.

A lush succulent meadow

We arrive back in time, but I will need to get an
anchoring stake.

Upon returning to P2, we row over to Harstene Island to see if we can find a County Park, but rather find a nice little babbling brook running into where the spit attaches to Harstene.

Babbling Brook

Nice fall colors

Hira rows Ann
We both agree P2 is a big improvement.

What a lovely day it has been. I have known Ann since the mid 60's and while we don't see much of each other on land, I do try to get her on board as much as I can. She is always fun and up for any challenge. Come again.

P2 riding well  tied to swim platform,
McMicken in the distance.

PS.. In an article by Jo Bailey in 48 Degrees North, she describes the McMicken Island sandspit as a "Tombolo".  see Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombolo. She also speaks about the presence of great shell deposits, which she believes is an Indian Midden, or garbage pit. This is evident along the south shore. 

In the book, South Puget Sound: Afoot and Afloat, by Marge and Ted Mueller, they refer to the boulder

(noted on the chart) on the north east side as, a large, rock erratic from the Pleistocene Glacier. An erratic is defined as, a rock fragment carried by glacial ice, or floating ice, deposited at some distance from the outcrop from which it was derived. Size ranges from pebble- to house-sized block. So this answers many of my questions about the South Sound's beautiful gem of an island. I shall think of her as my Treasure Island, as she offers us so many gifts, all on such a small island (11acres).