Pashmina goes to her winter home

The last two posts have been from my blogger app. I'm trying it out as it is easier to post iPhone photos and simple posts 

After my return from Blake Island this weekend I decided to go ahead and put Pashmina on the hardtop for her winter stay. I motored into the Foss Waterway to Johnnies Seafood dock which was empty. I placed Pashmina onto to the dock and used my hoist to get her top sides. This was the first time for me to do this single-handed. Even though there was a breeze over the stern I managed the task rather easily. 

Blake Island State Park

  Peggy a new crew member joined me for 3 days at Blake. She had been 10 years ago but never attended the salmon bake and program. Now there is so much more, a bistro, gift shop, museum, word carver and book store. Every time I go something new has been added. We had a delightful time and it is always fun to take someone new to share in our adventures. Thanks Peggy for coming along. Here is your Haiku:

Peggy goes to Blake

A trip which is long overdue

The raccoon is bold. 

A Dinner Cruise

Visitors from Palm Desert boarded Shatoosh after

dinner at Johnnies Seafood,  a cruise out the Foss Waterway into Commencement Bay and over to Browns Point Lighthouse and back. The sun setting westward to the Olympics and eastward to Mt Rainier was spectacular and the city became a cascade of lights as we docked and celebrated the wonderful evening and company with champagne. It was very dark when I get Shatoosh secured in her slip. 

Somethings You can Never Plan On

I saunter down the dock to Shatoosh to spend the afternoon and night. After getting on board and putting things away, I notice pieces of blue foam on the Aft cabin and then on the roof. It seems as though the sea gulls have been pecking away at the foam noodles I use to support Pashmina when she is on the hardtop.

I quickly clean up the mess and remove the noodles, stowing them in the aft cabin.

This seems worthy of a Haiku.

A visit to the boat.

Sea Gulls peck my noodles.

Sea Gull noodle soup.

A friend of mine joins me for dinner at a local seafood place. No Gull served here, so I had a crab and artichoke melt. Later I had a nice, cool evening row in the Foss Harbor Waterway in Pashmina. Perfect and pleasant.

A Quick Getaway Gig Harbor>McMickin>Eagle>Foss Harbor Marina

25 July 2014 Friday

I plan a quick getaway on the notion I will have a nice break in my routine and see some of my favorite destinations. It has been  a year since I was in the South Sound or Puget's Sound. I arrive at Gig Harbor at 3 PM and have dinner with friends at Anthony's. I have enough trout for tomorrow's meal along with fresh made lumpia from family on Whidbey island. We are in the minus tides and a big cabin cruiser goes aground at the dock. Woops. I run across Yankee, a Ranger 38 anchored in the harbor. I catch-up with them after meeting them 2 years ago on hope Island and Jarrels Cove.

I make the flooding tide thru the Narrows on Saturday and tie up to one of the new State Buoys on McMickin Island State Park. The old ones are easier to hook my snap shackle to the ring. I have to use my boat hook to grab the ring as it is in the bottom of a bowl. Booo..who designed these?

In my  attempt to row around the island, I miss timed the tide, so am left with a small portage across the tombolo.
I see an inside buoy that has opened up, so complete my row back to Shatoosh and move her quickly to get an inside buoy.

Too Tall is in the flatlands of Nebraska and writes a Haiku for my trip. How special, thanks Too Tall.

"Portage Pashmina
Shortest in her history.
Voyage Continues "

 Numerous Sand Dollars sparkle like gold in the sun.
Sound like another Haiku

"My favorite place
Sand Dollars sparkle like gold
A Gift From The Sea"

  Large sizes, small sizes, live and dead.

I stop at Eagle Island State Park and have an early lunch. Newborn Harbor Seal pups sun next to mothers on the beach.

 Time the Narrows perfectly again on the ebbing minus tide and make a respectable 7.9 k.

I return from McMickin to Foss Harbor Marina on Monday at 3 PM, just in time to clean Shatoosh and Pashmina and get home in time for my webinar class.

It was a long way for 60nm but well worth the trip. Getting to be on Shatoosh and row Pashmina at some of my favorite destinations has refreshed me. Hitting the tides  and jumping at the possibility made running into numerous old friends and meeting new ones a nice recipe to savor the islands of the southern waters.

Day 7: Gig Harbor to the Foss Harbor Marina

We hang out til 1430 hrs, before we depart. These Haiku poems are capturing our attention.

Raccoon the bandit
His home is under the dock
Don't steal my apples.

We are homeward bound
After days of boating fun
Soulful therapy.

What a great trip a total of 146 nm of sun and fun.
Thanks Too Tall for coming along and making the trip funny as usual.

Here are some extra photos that I wanted to put in from yesterday.

Day 6: Gig Harbor

6 July 2014: Sunday

We depart at 0900 hrs and pump out the toilet and head over to the other nook and cranny I want to explore. In Ann and Laurence's book they describe a small cove behind 2 little islands called Twin Islands. The cove behind it is called locally, Inner Harbor. This cove is much smaller that Mats Mats Bay and has a very shallow entrance at low tide. We are leaving at low tide so we will see if Shatoosh can get in without touching bottom.
Hira's Haiku

Hidden Twin Islands
Secret hide-away awaits
My new favorite place.

Twin Islands

Inside Cove

Inside cove

Our Route into cove

Agate Pass behind Bainbridge Island to Brownsville marina

Rich Passage around Blake to Gig Harbor

We stop at Brownsville Marina and get fuel, and an ice cream. Then on to Blake but the place was filled to the brim. We decided to push on to Gig Harbor, as Too Tall likes docks, rather than anchoring. We arrive at 1900hrs. and have Mexican food across the street from the guest dock.

Total  miles: 137 nm