Blake Island to Gig Harbor with Tillicum Village

Yesterday evening Joyce saw a raccoon  coming down the ramp on the far dock. She asks,"do the coons ever get on the boats?" I replied I'm sure, particularly, if people have left dog food out in the cockpit, etc. Just then  the coon continued down the dock climbed out on a boat, crossed over to the large rafted 40 footer, and then proceeded to climb the ladder to the fly bridge. He hung around up there and finally left. Later the park ranger came around and said that we should tie our coolers closed with rope or bungees as they might make their way into the cockpit. We followed his instruction, battened down the cockpit tight and went to bed. Joyce was awakened during the night with one walking on the aft cabin top. She knocked on the cabin top and it scurried away.

Today is our big day, we are visiting the Tillicum Village on Blake with a big salmon feast and holographic show about the Salish Sea and its people, dance and beliefs. We depart at 0930 and head for a launching ramp 2 miles away to Manchester to pick up my Salish Land team member, Linda who has helped me so much on this trip. We swing in and she  hops on and back we go to Blake. The camp host can't hold dock space for us, but as usual, we are lucky and a new spot has been freeded up for us. We are nestled very tightly between 2 big large boats with little wiggle room.

The Argosy ship comes from Seattle and brings 130 + the 3 of us makes for a great group. We are served delicious calm nectar and are asked to drop our empty shells on the path and crush them. The salmon are cooking in the traditional north west Indian style, there are beautiful items to shop for and ancient Indian carved head/masks and totems to view. it is such a lovely venue and well orchestrated program. This is such a final touch to honor our voyage and to begin the new Adventures of Shatoosh and Pashmina.

Afterwards we walk some on the island and see majestic cedar trees and then take Linda back to Manchester and start our Colvos Passage leg to Gig Harbor. It is 1745 hrs when we arrive and the harbor is bustling with activity. We tie up and walk down to Tides Tavern for a celebration dinner. We top off the dinner with hot mixed berry cobbler and 2 scoops of ice cream. It is just hitting me that I am in the Tacoma area, my backyard, and Shatoosh and Pashmina are with me and our voyage is coming to a close. We have made it and accomplished my goal of cruising the Pacific ocean, entering the Salish Sea and coming home with my favorite little boats. How spectacular is that? Shatoosh's Oregon registration number is ABL 123.
I have always said she is ABLE to accomplish anything that I have asked her to do and we start out by saying 123 GO.
Day's run: 24nm
Total: 460nm