Pashmina: A New Beginning

12 October 2011 Wednesday

Today marks the new beginnings. Pashmina 2 goes to Shatoosh and Pashmina, my faithful Zodiac comes home with me to be transferred to her new owner this weekend. After a summer of garage heat, a few additions of boat hardware, Pashmina 2 is ready to be transported to Shatoosh. Linda, my friend with a van arrives, and we load P2 up in it. Boy, not an inch to spare.

An Exciting Day

I'm ready

 Off we go to the slip

Just Strap Her On

Day's run: 2 docks over.

Total Run: Infinite Possibilities.

Day 3 Jean's Trip

9 October 2011 Sunday

The rains came during the night and I have been sleeping in the aft cabin or Crew Quarters, so Jean could have the fore cabin. After starting the hot water and making coffee, I bring my bedroll forward and cover up again for a warm chat with Jean.

We have a wet ride home from Eagle Island. The rain stops as we dock. What a wonderful trip with Jean. It was great having her back on board. Come again, Jean.
Day's run: 5nm
Total 45nm.

Day 2 of Jean's Trip

8 October Saturday
When I was cruising in the San Juan Islands, I posted several photos of the Adventuress as she cruised past Matia Island. She looked as though she was being gobbled up and spit out from the rocky outcroppings of the islands. I thought that the crew might like to see those photos so with a stack of Shatoosh cards, I ventured down the dock to say hi. They welcomed the information and then 2 separate young men stated they were twins themselves.

A Nice Reflection

The Adventuress hails from Port Townsend and offers sail training and adventure tours/charters. Today they are giving an open house and going out for public sailing. Lots of kids are gathering on the dock, but one catches our eye. Even Tigger wears a life jacket when he is on board.














We depart before The Adventuress leaves port to catch the flooding tide. The low tide reveals the large sand spit at the entrance as well as Mt Rainier appears through the morning clouds.

Our route will take us past the Narrows into Hale Passage and under the Fox Island Bridge and over to Penrose State Park on the Key Peninsula  where we pick up a buoy on the outer side of the harbor, have lunch and bird watch and jig for bottom fish. We see lots of birds, but I have great fortune to spot a single male Harlequin duck, red necked grebes, murres, murrlelts, surf scooters, loons and hundreds of gulls. I showed Jean how I use my new buoy line and she was impressed.

Port and starboard views of thunder clouds

We listen to Jean's I-Touch

Next we venture through Pitt Passage where we have to be careful to keep us off the shoals and rocks around Pitt and McNeil Islands. We cruise through Filucy Bay and Longbranch Marina to show Jean some houses and boats. Then our final leg of the day is back to Eagle Island  where we get a buoy on the east side so we can catch glimpses of Mt Rainier. Jean has a spot of tea while warm in the forecabin.

During the night at low tide we could hear all the seals back on shore and splashing at the water's edge. I open the hatch and there is quite the ruckus going on. The wonderful sounds of nature. It is so comforting knowing that this is a safe haven for such a large population of seals. We share the sanctuary with gratitude and feel blessed for this wonderful time on the sacred waters of the Salish Sea.

Days run 22nm
Total 41nm

Jean Joins Hira on Shatoosh

Zittel's Marina to Gig Harbor

 7 October 2011 Friday

Hira welcomes her twin, Jean onboard to cruise for a few days. The log book states her last crew time was April 2006. This makes her 6th trip on Shatoosh. While it has been a while since she has been on board, she quickly remembers her boating skills. After all, she once had a Captain's License, was a Yacht Broker, sailed Sabra with me to the mainland from Hawaii, chartered numerous boats and owned several sailboats. Her favorite was Namaste, a Gulf 32 in which she lived aboard in Hawaii. Ah, the sweet life of years gone by.







The weather is very questionable, and when we arrive at the marina, there is fog and drizzle, but by the time we are ready to back out of the slip, the rain has stopped and the fog has lifted. With lifted spirits, we buck the tide and make our way over to Eagle Island where lots of Harbor Seals are pretending to be sun bathing. We are meeting several of our old Army PT/OT buddies in Gig Harbor. Jean was also in the Army as  a PT. We will have an early dinner and have some time to show Care and Jean the Gig Harbor Museum.

We hug the shoreline to get some lift of a counter current
at the Tacoma Narrows Bridges.

The radar shows off the shores and bridges.

Jean is happy to be back on the helm

The newer section is forward and the older section is behind.

The Adventuress is in Gig Harbor 

We have a wonderful time at the Museum and Mexican dinner with old friends. What a grand day. The Adventuress departed that evening for Tacoma, but returned the next morning.
Day's run 18.8nm

McMicken Island and Another Storm

30 September 2011 Friday

The sunrise was gorgeous and several orbs were present in the photos.

It is 1015 hrs when I depart and I slowly travel around the edge of the island, looking at flocks of birds. I see the weather is changing and fast, so throttle up and with the ebbing tide I am a Surf Scooter myself, moving along at 7.4 kts.

My timing is perfect. I tie Shatoosh up in her slip and the rains come with numerous thunder claps. The weather clears, I meet more new neighbors and finally I get to my list of chores; check engine/batteries, connections to espar heater--I tried to start it at Skagit Island and I had no power to it. I remembered that connector wire I had to re-swag, well it seems I re attached it to the wrong terminal. She runs like a charm when hooked up correctly. Then I got to cleaning the stove, vacuuming the carpets, washing the boat, and re stowing dock lines and fenders.

The good news is that during the rain storm I had cell coverage  in the slip.




Day's run: 7.1nm
Total 25.8

The Day Is Too Beautiful To Do Chores

29 September 2011 Thursday

I have a list of things to do that is in my pocket, but I arrive back at Zittel's Marina about 1100 hrs. I run into that man who has his portaboat strapped to his Sundowner Tug. We talk for a while and he visits Shatoosh to see her swim platform and he thinks I can do what he is doing. "Just Strap Her On." OK, that is where we will begin our journey.

I decide that  the weather is just too beautiful to do chores, so within minutes of coming on board, Shatoosh is heading out of her slip, the marina and on her way west; to visit some old favorites, Jarrel's Cove and McMickin Island. I am out about 30 minutes and I come across another partially submerged dinghy. The transom has eyebolts so I attach my buoy line and stern line to them and lift her up on the platform. We slowly cruise back to the marina and I hoist her up on the fuel dock. While I am there, I go ahead and top off my tank and the friendly marina help will take care of the dinghy.  I'm just happy to be a tug boat again.

I'm off again and cruise west along the Harstine Island shore and pass McMickin Island. I cruise into Jarrel's cove and check her out. There are lots of buoys and dock space. I slide up to the pumpout station and get rid of my waste. It is about 1700 hrs by the time I pick up a buoy at McMickin. Another small trawler comes in behind me and takes a buoy at the west end. There are lots of birds in the area and many I do not recognize.
I do see some Loons, Red Necked Grebs and Surf Scooters.

I have a very peaceful night.
Day's run: 19.7nm

Upgrades and Downgrades

Yesterday before I returned to Shatoosh I stopped by the Verizon store and upgraded my netbook to G4 status. This morning I am uploading photos with lightening speeds never before seen by this blogger. Hurray, hurray. I drive down to Zittel's Marina and unload all the clean linens, clothes and paper products. I happily set up my netbook to update my blog.

No cell phone or broadband coverage in the slip. I move throughout the marina after talking with staff and live aboards. Coverage is spotty to say the least and I am told internet is possible at high tide. I move over towards the haulout lift area and a phone call comes in and disappears just as a sea gull poops all over me. My newly introduced friends ask did you get it( meaning the call) and I reply, Yes, I got it, but it was a message from a sea gull and not the phone. I stand there covered in bird shit. This is not how I thought my day would go. Instead of spending the night, I return home and undress in front of the washing machine.