Hanging Out On Hope

13 May 2012: Mother's Day
What a day! My serenity tank is full, everyone passing by in kayaks are greeting me with Happy Mother's Day. This is a happy day for all mothers and mothers are always filled with Hope.  What better place to be, but on Hope Island, especially after days of stretching and reaching on those islands it makes room for hope to seep into all the new cracks and crevices of our being.

Across the way is Squaxin Island, an Indian Island and no one can  come ashore. There is a large inlet named Palela Bay, near Potlatch Point. A sailboat is anchored at the entrance. I gather all my exploring items, water, binocs, waterproof container with a few tools, sunscreen, camera, some nibbles and I am off in Pashmina.

I am anchored at red dot and my course is the red one.
The blue line is from yesterday.
The red circle is a buoy that I tie up to later in the day.

I am in the lagoon looking out toward Hope Island, the sailboat is anchored and the tiny white speck across the way is Shatoosh. I come across a derelict boat tied to shore( there seems to be many of these). There are many old fishing nets lying on the bottom with years of growth on them. The bottom photo is the thumb part of the lagoon as it looks like a mitten on the chart. The tide is ebbing and the water tables barely allow me to skim over the bar and out. I stop and talk with the sailor anchored and he shares info about this area and anchoring. He comes here often.

Later in the afternoon a buoy opens up and I grab it.  At 1700 hrs, I reboard Pashmina and circumnavigate the island, stopping from time to time to walk on the beach. I return at 1850hrs. and fix dinner. I'm seeing lots of raccoons, eagles, kayakers and seals. In fact one popped up behind Pashmina about 10 feet away and startled both of us.

Mt Rainier in the distance

A great Douglas Fir Tree

It is tall as can be

A gnarly mess of wood 

Shatoosh on her mooring buoy awaits our return.

Lots of raccoons on the island. I have seen as many as 7
feeding at the  shoreline in the morning hours.

What a wonderful day. Hope Island is delightful. I had been here once before on a rainy, cold May day on a friend's boat, but I am loving it today.

A Day of Exploration: McLane Cove/Stretch/Hope

Being tucked in Jarrell's Cove and tied to a dock for the night, I never once heard the north wind howling. I don't think it did. This is a wonderful state park and a favorite of many boaters. Again, I have it all to myself and take a leisurely morning watching the swallows flit back and forth to their houses on pilings, the Great Blue Heron taking note of all activity and the kingfishers chattering away. Its 1030 hrs and I slowly move from the main dock to the pump out dock at the entrance. This has got to be the most efficient pump out that I have ever used. Impressive, indeed.

I'm off headed back up Pickering Passage to check out some areas I noted in traveling down yesterday and from previous passages through these waters. My first stop is McLane Cove. The chart shows a nice indentation with room to dinghy under a bridge. There are several boats on private mooring buoys as housing is along all of the shoreline. The tide was ebbing and I  decided to save  anchoring here for another trip. I move on over to the big, unnamed bay between Stretch Island and the mainland.

This one had been sunk and tied to a tree

I anchor easily in 24 feet of water and spot a lagoon behind a large beach. It seems to extend quite a bit farther, so this is my cue to do some rowing. The water is crystal clear and we slip into a nice well hidden salt water lagoon which provides a perfect swimming area for the homes on the hill. I turn Pashmina to starboard and continue down a long inlet. The oysters in the muddy bottom are longer than my hand and there are plenty of them here. 5 Hooded mergansers take flight and I see several raccoons along the shoreline. It is a lovely little ecosystem and I continue to row until Pashmina scrapes bottom at 4 inches of water.

Impressive Stone
A rock erratic from a pliestocene glacier

Entrance area off lagoon

I take a right hand turn around this sand point and am in the lagoon

The inner lagoon

Barnacle and Shell encrusted tree limbs

This peaceful lagoon touched my heart and by the time I had rowed down and back, I was moved to tears of joy bubbling up inside me. Nature really touches my heart, everything is in order; the sweet, innocent raccoons know how and when to dig for their food, the mergansers have nurtured their new family and oysters are growing in this safe haven. I wanted to leave it just as I found it, so life could go on forever.

1740 hrs I have made my way down Pickering Passage to Hope Island, which is a small state park with 5 buoys. I circle the island checking it out, only to find all the buoys taken. I anchor on the northwest side in 20 ft of water and savor the sunset.

Day's run: 17nm
Total: 40nm

Stretch and Reach

 10 May 2012

Its not long after I return form Paradise that the weekly forecast for the Pacific Northwest looks unusually promising. It takes me a flash to pack up my Blue Zeusmobile and head south to Zittles Marina. There floats Shatoosh and Pashmina, wondering where I have been for a month. Three hours pass of extreme boat washing and we are off on another adventure. The sky is blue and I am so happy to be back on the water. First stop is McMicken Island which is such a nice place to hang out but will be a short over nighter.

I am all alone for the rest of the afternoon and about sunset a sailboat comes in with his big jenny flapping in the breeze and instead of picking up a buoy, they begin to anchor downwind and with an incoming tide and that jenny flapping. When I see things like this, I don't like the looks, as disaster could be soon coming. That puts them just up wind of me. They put out little scope and are close to shore. They are also towing a canoe, which they immediately take to shore. After a short walk they return and tie up their canoe to the stern. At this point I am down below putting in new batteries to all my flashlights and I look up and here come the canoe floating by. The sailboat is in hot pursuit, but the canoe is being blown in close to shore and with a large draft on the sailboat I hail them to see if they want me to get the canoe. He says he can manage and by now the canoe is pasing me to starboard and he is cutting around me to port. He makes his catch and as he is tying up the canoe, no one is at the helm. He looks up as the shore is rapidly approaching. He yells to his crew(probably wife),"why aren't you at the helm". She gybes the boat which puts her closer to shore and and he wrestles the helm back but they are aground for a short time. With the flooding tide he is lucky and gets off with some reaving of the engine. I happily smile as they take off into the near darkness to the opposite shore to re anchor. Some how I sensed the possibility of trouble.

11 May 2012 The flooding light fills the cabin which wakes me. Aha, the sky is blue and today seems like a  Stretch and Reach day. No, I am not on a new exercise program, but I plan to go to Stretch and Reach Islands in the upper portion of Case Inlet.. This is all new territory for me, so can't wait to get going, but its 0515 hrs. Its cold still and in the highs 30's and low 40's, so I reach & stretch to pull the covers over my head for some more sleep. I'm not in that big of a hurry to get going! There was a north wind blowing and I was awake til midnight bouncing and rolling. We have had some extreme tides and as much as a minus 3.9 ft ebb the other day and a total range of >18 ft. The McMiken tombolo revealed the greatest part of her and made this a complete cove at low tide yesterday

Stretch and Reach are 2 small inhabited islands that have bridges going to them from the Pennisulas, and since they are both equally placed they have inner and outer harbors. However access under the bridges are mud flats at low or minus tides. There is a small, nice marina which is family owned. I met the owner when he was hauled out this spring at Zittels. There is a small state park with buoys on the northern point of Stretch that I plan to use, but if a north wind prevails I will have to look for another place to spend the night.

Stretch Island State Park with North wind

Fair Harbor Marina

nice pilot house sloop

Another one-- I like this one.

The wind dies so I decide to tie up and spend some time at Stretch Island

This point has steep shoreline so the buoy is in about 30 ft of water
Olympic Mountains in the background .
Shatoosh is pointing to Reach Island

The Northern Point of Stretch Island

That weathered north wind carves a nice photo

Pashmina's first trip with her new bow logos

The weather report calls for 25mph winds after midnight. That makes my decision for the night an easy one. I'm not hanging out here and bouncing all night. Pashmina is living up to her logo and carrying me to new places. I am really liking her ease in rowing and getting her up on the swim platform. Now for the next test: how does she tow? At first I put her out on a long towline and she is fish-tailing like crazy. That is not going to work so I snug her up closer and she holds steady with her bow on the first stern wake. Atta girl!

We are both happy with this.

Wow, look at those Olympic Mountains

I continue to poke my bow around Case Inlet, but then head back to Harstene Island and Jarrell's Cove for the night. I tie up to the dock and I am the only person here. Friday night, a beautiful day, so where are all the boaters?

My day and a half adventure: 23nm

Hawaiian Mele for Jean and HIra- A Final Tribute

As a tribute to Jean's and my birthday celebration in Hawaii, Lahela Igarta, a Hawaiian Kumu Hula(master teacher of Hula) and Hawaiian name giver, presented me with a Hawaiian name of Kahiau and composed a Hawaiian Mele(song) to honor both Jean and I, our family, Shatoosh and Reiki. Lahela is about to retire from teaching grade school and will be forming her Hula Halau or school of students. She comes from a long line of Kumu Hula- masters and chanters. To be honored by her amazing gift is very, very special. Jean and I are both very touched.

In this mele she sings He Kamaha'o No, which means, "So Wondrous Indeed".

A'ahu 'ia ka moku- Shawl(Shatoosh) embraced by the ship/family.

Kaimana-means diamond, as  Hira- is my spiritual name, in Sanskrit.
Kahiau, my new Hawaiian name means selfless giving. Jean's name is Kahaokeola and means breath that is transferred in Reiki Initiation by a Master.

Jean's daughter, Erin as the Mother whose children; Maile and Ilima are entwined in the forever cherished lei.
‘Au loa i na wai la ‘iku-traveling on gentle waters

Click on for a brief portion of the Mele

He Kamaha’o No
By
Lahela Igarta
May 2012
For Jean Kahaokeola Ferris and Hira Kahiau Reid

‘A ‘ahu ‘ia ka moku
E ka ha o ke ola
Me ka wahine kaimana ea ea
Wili ‘ia ka ‘ilima me ka maile
Ku no i ka makuahine
Na kama na lei pulama mau ea ea
‘Au loa i na wai la ‘iku
Kuano ‘o o ka hana kahiau
Na hana ku I ke aloha ea ea

Embraced by the ship
By the breath of life
Together with the diamond
Entwined with ‘ilima and maile
Like the beauty of the mother
The children, the lei forever cherished
Sail far on the gentle waters
Always thinking of the selfless giving
The works imbued with love.

Chorus
Touched by the hands
Ka mehana (warmth)
Touched by the hands
Ke aloha(love)
Touched by the hands
Ke ola e(the extraordinary healing)
He kama ‘o no ea ea(So wondrous indeed)

Lahela, thank you for this loving gift.

Hawaii, thank you for all the beautiful aloha shared by friends and family.

I return to Washington and blue skies.

Shatoosh and Pashmina, as ever faithful companions of the way, await another adventure.

Mahalo and Aloha Oi.

Sail and Sushi Day

I have tried several times to make a reservation on the Makani, a day sail Catamaran, so we go out Friday afternoon for a nice 2 hour sail out past Diamond Head and back to Kewalo Basin. This is a great sailing Cat. We were in 25mph trades and out past Diamond Head Lighthouse, with reefed main. With a 32 ft beam she handled really nicely and could tack into the wind easily without the jib out. She carries 80 people but today was sweet with only about 20 people. Not good for business but great for us. We knew lots of people the Captain knew, so Jean and I got some helm time.

Makani

Makani Info

We ran 3 lines but no strikes
KoKo Head in the background

Hira and helm time

After sailing we went for early dinner at the Ginki Sushi, which is an automated sushi place where the sushi comes around the tables on an automated track, so you just pull off what you want to eat. The prices are according to picking a red, green or yellow colored plates. How simple is this concept.

Yummy Yummy

Jean selects a sushi roll of spicy tuna

Buddha and the Bodhi Tree

A few days ago we stopped by a Buddhist temple in Nuuanu which is near the house where we are staying.
Buddha achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and while this one is not a descendant of the original tree, there is another Bodhi tree in Foster Gardens, Honolulu which is descendant of the original tree.

Bodhi Tree Foster Gardens

The mahabodhi tree is in Bhodaya, India

Hawaii Odds and Ends

Mud Pie at Charthouse

We have been busy as usual; more friends, Hawaiian music, marinas, and looking at boats. We met friends at the Charthouse at the Ali Wai  Boat Harbor, Honolulu for sunset, drinks, heavy pupus and if that wasn't enough, look what we shared for dessert.
The music was great.One of the ladies had come up to the house and trimmed all the yard, manicuring it
so it would look nice for the owners when they returned. This is just one of the fabulous gestures of aloha of the people here. All ethnic groups coming together to love and support each other. We have been gifted with so many leis, so much food and good times while we visit this beautiful island.










Yesterday was Lei Day in Hawaii so we made a quick trip to Kapiolani Park where beautiful items were for sale, music and food.Then we drove to the western shore to Wainae and Pokai Bay where friends were spending the week at the Army Recreation  area.  They have small cabins on the beach that active duty and retired can rent. For you history buffs, this is ocean side of the infamous Kole Kole pass where the Japanese flew through to surprise the sleeping navy in Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec 1941. On the mountain side  of Kole Kole is Scoffield Barracks which is a big Army post. I dropped in to check out the Wainae boat harbor. The winds come down from the pass and the surge is heavy in the marina. Today was no exception. Many side piers are destroyed from the tsunami and slowly some have been repaired.    
                                                                                       

Queen Kapiolani

Shell Leis

He is making a lei from this fruit, his lei is a fresh one and the one on the table is dried.

I'm not a dress person, but this one caught my eye

yarn leis

So beautiful

northern section of bay

Southern section of bay

No one has attempted to retrieve this one from its slip

This one at least made it to shore.

I found another Gulf 32, and it wasn't Jean's boat...but I did find Uncle Mikie's Cal 29. He is our friend who sailed from Hawaii to Washington with us, so all was not lost. I thanked Mystique and Mike for being in my life and realized the marina gate was closed and I was locked in. Therefore, no picture, but I did find a way out. Ho, hum, another day in paradise.