Work Day and First Marina Overnighter

20 October 2011 Thursday

I'm back on Shatoosh taking care of loose ends. The marina doesn't have cleats on the docks, but I was told if you bought them, they would install them. I stopped by the office to get the details on the screw length and will go later to obtain them from Home Depot over on the interstate junction which is about 15 minutes.
After washing the boats, I go through all the previous dock lines from my marina in Oregon and get them attached to the uprights, while removing my cruising dock lines. The nightly visiting pack of otters did a number on my port line, so I soaked it in a bucket of Clorox and soapy water to kill the stench.Otter stench is enough to make you loose your appetite and it also left a horrible smell on my hands, even after rinsing the line off. I also put some Clorox water on the Sand Dollars to bleach them out. I affixed some hooks for the excess electrical cord and for stowage when Shatoosh is out of her slip. As soon as the cleats go in, I will be well established and situated in my new slip. I look forward to being settled in my new home port. I have met some other dock mates and I am amazed at the numbers of boaters who have cruised not once to Alaska, but 2 and 3 times, all in small boats.

I tidy up Shatoosh and head into the junction of Hawk's Prairie to get my screws, eat dinner and spot a Super Cuts, as I was turning back to the interstate.. I am about 3 weeks overdue on a haircut, so I take advantage of this opportunity. You know it is a bad hair day when you even wear your cap at night. This is the longest my hair has been since I had all my hair buzzed off for a charity event 3 years ago. Boy, does this feel good and I even look human. As I walk out of the salon. I see my reflection in the door. Well, maybe my nautical image of baggy jeans, hiking shoes and orange fleece pullover could use a little tweaking.

Tonight I am staying on board in the slip for the first time. When I return it is dark, so it is nice to see the dock light right at my slip. I wonder if the light attracts otters, like lights attracting insects? I would think they would prefer a dark, private dock. I'll see how my night reveals itself. I'm happy to see I have enough cell coverage to make some calls, but not enough to use the Internet. Booo!

P.S. No animals tonight, no noises, no people. It was calm, dead calm. Even all those sea anemones living on the sides of the dock were silent. I would have never known I was afloat in the Salish Sea.