9 September 2008 Tuesday
The wind had really blown during the night, but has abated this morning. I leave my Waikiki Yacht Club burgee on the bow flagstick and if the wind is blowing I can hear the flag. This alerts me to check on the dock lines or if I need to add fenders, I can. If I am at anchor then I definitely get up and check my position. I'm on the downriver side of the dock on the inside which can be a little rolley, but much less than being on the outside. I undock and move the boat bow to the Columbia River so if the wind returns I will ride easier and the cockpit will be in the sun. I give the boys on the La Rondine some fishing lures and each a pumice stone found in the Martin Slough wing dam area on the Columbia. They had never been to Martin slough and I insisted they make it a cruising destination. Up from the galley is a bag of homemade cookies for me. Wow, how wonderful. A few years back a gal on a Columbia 30 had given me home made cookies here at Walker Island. The Cookie Dock! The La Rondine departs at 1230. What a nice family and a beautiful boat. I missed getting a photo of them or their names. Perhaps I will see them in Martin Slough some day.
Soon afterwards the wind begins to blow bad and the seas stack up in here. I decide to move Shatoosh farther down to the other end of the dock to get out of the wave pattern. In untying her I loose my stern line and the waves pitch Shatoosh's stern into the dock taking off a big piece of gelcoat. Ugh. I get her tied up and put 2 extra fenders out. Later in the day I put a cover patch of caulking on the wound to keep the moisture out and rx it with Reiki. I am glad that I had turned Shatoosh around earlier.
At dusk a lovely wood cruiser named the Klick Tat passes. I honk my horn and he returns a wave. In all this wind he anchors in the middle of the channel and puts down his dinghy and rows out to check the anchor and is not happy and he re-anchors. Another glass power boat approaches the dock. They have no fenders out or docklines ready. I get out to help them dock. They look as though they are going to dock down wind which is not a good idea. I wave them to dock on the inside but the Captian pulls alongside and tries to step off his boat. I ask if he is spending the night and suggest that he berth on the inside. His eyes are glazed over like he is drunk or high on drugs. There is a lady and a teenager with him. He almost falls and says yes it might be better on the inside so moves to the inside and up ahead of me. I have a feeling that this could be trouble, but the night was quiet on the dock and the wind and waves abated during the night.
The wind had really blown during the night, but has abated this morning. I leave my Waikiki Yacht Club burgee on the bow flagstick and if the wind is blowing I can hear the flag. This alerts me to check on the dock lines or if I need to add fenders, I can. If I am at anchor then I definitely get up and check my position. I'm on the downriver side of the dock on the inside which can be a little rolley, but much less than being on the outside. I undock and move the boat bow to the Columbia River so if the wind returns I will ride easier and the cockpit will be in the sun. I give the boys on the La Rondine some fishing lures and each a pumice stone found in the Martin Slough wing dam area on the Columbia. They had never been to Martin slough and I insisted they make it a cruising destination. Up from the galley is a bag of homemade cookies for me. Wow, how wonderful. A few years back a gal on a Columbia 30 had given me home made cookies here at Walker Island. The Cookie Dock! The La Rondine departs at 1230. What a nice family and a beautiful boat. I missed getting a photo of them or their names. Perhaps I will see them in Martin Slough some day.
Soon afterwards the wind begins to blow bad and the seas stack up in here. I decide to move Shatoosh farther down to the other end of the dock to get out of the wave pattern. In untying her I loose my stern line and the waves pitch Shatoosh's stern into the dock taking off a big piece of gelcoat. Ugh. I get her tied up and put 2 extra fenders out. Later in the day I put a cover patch of caulking on the wound to keep the moisture out and rx it with Reiki. I am glad that I had turned Shatoosh around earlier.
At dusk a lovely wood cruiser named the Klick Tat passes. I honk my horn and he returns a wave. In all this wind he anchors in the middle of the channel and puts down his dinghy and rows out to check the anchor and is not happy and he re-anchors. Another glass power boat approaches the dock. They have no fenders out or docklines ready. I get out to help them dock. They look as though they are going to dock down wind which is not a good idea. I wave them to dock on the inside but the Captian pulls alongside and tries to step off his boat. I ask if he is spending the night and suggest that he berth on the inside. His eyes are glazed over like he is drunk or high on drugs. There is a lady and a teenager with him. He almost falls and says yes it might be better on the inside so moves to the inside and up ahead of me. I have a feeling that this could be trouble, but the night was quiet on the dock and the wind and waves abated during the night.
