2 September 2011 Friday
The morning is beautiful with clear blue skies with a slight west wind. I have a very leisurely morning, but take the time to call West Sound Marina for guest moorage this weekend. I'll be meeting friends there and since it is Labor Day weekend I thought it might be wise. After securing that, I make my way to the cabin top to wash windows and get rid of the salt spray. I notice my Scottish flag has broken one of its electrical ties. I had planned to put my Albin Burgee up for the gathering, so replaced the flag there instead.
Last evening a salty fellow rowed over to see me. He tells me he has a friend who has an Albin. She lives on Bainbridge Island with a sailing rig. He wasn't sure she was coming to the Albin gathering, but they have attended many. He was in a small 20 + double ender sloop.
He lives on her in the summers up here and then lives aboard his 32 Cutter in Mexico in the winters. Right now his cutter is on the hard in San Carlos, north of Guyamas. That is where Storm Bay is located, while Chris and Margie are rving. I met them last year on the Columbia River while they were crossing the bar and I was coming out of Ilwaco. He did not know them. He also told me that the cutter is a new boat for him, as he lost his Cape George cutter when he failed to wake up one night while on a run. She sailed herself right up on the shore. He had lots of interesting stories. When I departed I cruised by his boat to talk some more, but his dinghy was on the shore. He certainly was an interesting fellow.
I cast off my buoy lines and pull out of the harbor at 1130. I pass Cone Islands to starboard and stay in close noting 3 small coves that are usable for anchorages, but without buoys. On Pelican Beach there are 5 buoys, but the shore is exposed to north and west winds, making today lumpy. I take the cut between Cypress and Towhead Island and a large Tolleycraft overtakes me on my starboard side and is about 80 feet away. His wake just barrels towards me. I have to say that Washington boaters are not very polite or considerate. I have to slow down and turn up to transient his huge wake. My speed, once back on my course, is 8.2k with the ebbing tide.
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| Pelican Beach Cypress Isl |
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| Towhead Island off Cypress |
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| Peavine Pass |
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| Blind Island |
I spot some jumping salmon, so throw out a lure and troll for about 30 minutes, but no action. At this point I am getting ready to enter Peavine Pass which is between Obstruction Island and Blakely Island. The currents are strong in this narrow pass and my speed kicks up to 9k. I have a nice run between Orcas Island and Shaw Island and slow Shatoosh to enter Blind Bay which is behind a small island. This is a State Park so I pick up another empty buoy. These waters are my old stomping grounds. I moored Sabra directly across the channel in Bay Head Marina next to the Orcas ferry landing and had dinghied over to Blind Island numerous times.
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| Cypress to Blind Bay |
I'm settled on my mooring buoy at 1330hrs and have a lovely afternoon tending to chores, watching boats and reading some magazines that I picked up at the Bellingham marina. Lots of kayakers come and go to the island, as do dinghies from the boats anchored deep into the bay. It is large and can hold hundreds of boats with good holding ground. An ole Soling sails by. There was a large fleet when I lived here in the 80's. It is good to see they are still around, and with new sails. They always hung out in West Sound, so I'm certain I will see them tomorrow.
Days run 12nm
Total of 160nm.
