Itchen Log July 25 - Aug 5, 2007

The Log of Itchen –

How we got here is a story (or two) in itself;

Wednesday, July 25, 2007; 15:45 - We departed Tyee Marina, Commencement Bay, Tacoma, WA. It was a warm afternoon and the wind was out of the North. We headed for Seattle to say our final good-byes to Chuck and Shirley. As we cast off , Julie looked up and asked “Is this it?” “Yup” I said , “This is it.” With that she kissed the ground, hauled herself and the dock lines onto the boat, and we gently backed out of the slip that had been Itchen’s home for the past year and one-half. No one was there to see us off, so as we left the harbor I made a few extra toots on the airhorn (not expecting anyone to hear us). Julie noticed two heads pop up from the aft end of a trawler. She hollered back to me “there’s the boys.” I looked over and saw Steve and Glenn (my two shipwrights) who helped me rebuild Itchen. They supervised my every step and wouldn’t let me back off on the quality. They turned out to be not only trusted advisors, but good friends. After a quick spin around and a few final words, we slipped out of the entrance, with only those two warm, smiling faces bidding us adieu. It was just perfect.

Out of Commencement Bay and up East Passage we motored to Seattle. We were supposed to meet Chuck and Shirley that evening, but as usual we were late and didn’t get into Shilshoal till about 20:30. Chuck called a little after we tied and up and we made arrangements to meet the next day. First night out, we could not use our reciprocal moorage so it cost us $40.00 for the night. We went to bed tied securely to the quay at Shilshoal hearing nothing but the waves gently caressing the hull.


Thursday, July 26th, 2007 – Arose late and Chuck called about 11:00. They’d be down shortly and we could go out for lunch. We had some pretty good fish and chips and came back to the boat. While we chatted, I went up the mast to fix the radar reflector. It was really rotating and working the backstay. I removed the 5/16” u-bolts and secured it with plastic ties (we’ll see if it holds). Julie hauled me up and I got to wear my new climbing harness (it is so cool and I feel so secure with it, I have no fear of going up the mast). After coming down, I tightened the throttle handle on the steering. We chatted some more and they gave us some parting gifts (a new logbook, reading light and voyaging book of a trip down the west coast a sailor had taken in 2000). We’ve used them all, thanks guys. The time came for us shove off. After a few final pictures, begrudgingly, they cast us off and let us go. Admonishing us to “be careful … have a good time … be safe … remember to wear your life jackets … check your charts … watch the tides … stop … go … wait … bye … bye …bye. One last wave and we were around the corner … good parting is nothing if not sweet sorrow.

20:30 - Arrived Port Townsend. While coming into port there was a coast guard emergency. As we were entering the harbor a CG small boat was coming in at light speed behind us. I circled to give them clear passage and then entered the harbor. We tied up and went to find a slip. Helped ‘Bob” tie up his Catalina 36. No reciprocals again, but the price is dropping ($33.00 tonight). After locating a spot, we went to pull out. The wind was blowing us into the docks and I knew I’d have trouble. I tried backing out, but that wasn’t working … I knew right away as I bumped into Bobs boat (fiberglass makes quite a distinctive sound as it compresses and then snaps under the strain that 1800 RPM full astern will do). Bob, being the grand fellow he is, came down and helped us out and was able to save his boat in the bargain. He stood patiently, guardedly, on the dock telling me how to turn the boat around, without taking out any other boats. My boat turning angel was obviously on a break, but came hustling back (in the form of Bob). I was bale to get of that mess without filing any insurance claims and was even able to help Bob tie up as he pulled into the slip next to us. We invited him over for dinner and found out he was sailing alone (he did often) and he was headed up to the San Juan’s for a couple of weeks … or months. He had quit his job and didn’t plan to return to work until this last episode of “sail-about” has cleared. We went to bed to the sound of a pretty good breeze racing thought the spreaders.

Friday, July 27th, 2007; 11:55 - Arose about 0800 and Bob was gone (I wondered if my guardian angel was too)? Departed Port Townsend to calm, clear ski, light breeze and a flood tide. Only did 2-3 knots around Point Wilson. Off Discovery Bay, Julie got frisky and took her first run around the boat … naked … well, she had her life vest on. It was dead calm, so I joined her (for those of you that know me … I want that image to stay with you the rest of your lives!)

19:00 – Arrived Port Angeles. Wind picked up in the afternoon, maybe 15-20 knots … on the nose though. Pulled into the city dock (no reciprocals but quite a bargain at $10/night, no power though). Port Angeles had a party going on. They were celebrating Northwest Days (or something) and had multiple entertainers, a car show, artisan exhibits and a sand castle building contest (all were very ornate, detailed and huge). Julie was ready to go dancing. We walked through the exhibits and went up to the store for supplies. I needed to change the oil and I was pretty successful. My trouble came when I went to change the oil filter. Simple enough, right? I’ve changed it before (in fact I’ve changed hundreds of oil filters), but this time … this time, while changing the filter, I broke the oil sensor unit! $@#%$#%(&^$*$@&$#^*!!!!! (I think it’s because I ran around naked on the deck … and sinned). Who knew that little sensor was back there? My brand new anchor locker is leaking too. Oh well, jobs for tomorrow. Found a wi-fi site though. Bouncy night, but clear.

Saturday, July 28th, 2007. Called the mechanic in Tacoma and explained my dilemma. He told me to go to the local car parts store and use the sensor from a Toyota. I have a Yanmar diesel engine in my boat, not a Toyota gas engine. But after some research and a little help from the local auto parts store, we sorted it out. I installed it and it worked like a charm. Come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure the old sensor worked, but that doesn’t matter now, does it? We moved to the Port Angeles Yacht club; much more protected. Finally, we were able to use our reciprocals … sort of. We had to pay ($22/night) but we are to send in our receipts to PAYC and they will reimburse us … (we’ll see). Caulked up where I thought the leak was (around the toe rail, certainly not my finely crafted, heavily reinforced anchor locker). We did our laundry at a local hotel; Julie did it! She snuck in. We met our first Baja-er.

Sunday, July 29th, 2007 – Breakfast in uptown PA, across from the Goodwill. Not being able to pass up good shopping, we found a sewing machine for $7.50. It works better than the Pfaff 130 we bought off ebay, which we left behind because it wasn’t doing the job. We’re getting pretty used to walking. Fueled up (26.7 gallons) and filled the starboard water tank.

Tuesday, July 31th, 2007 – 0600- Departed PA in a heavy fog, cold and wet. 4-8 rollers lazily coming in with calm seas. Used my brand new radar. Headed for Neah Bay. 0800 went out on deck to whiz and noted a rapidly approaching powerboat. I thought I’d have time, but not wanting to be … interrupted, I paused and judgment being the better part of valor, waited. He was on me in a flash. It turned out to be a CG cutter. He pulled up right next to me. I thought we were about to be boarded, but he came over his loud speaker and instructed me to change course immediately, as I was operating in restricted waters. I did as he instructed, immediately, and looked at my chart plotter and saw I was outside the vessel traffic lanes. He spun around behind me and hung around until he was satisfied my intentions were clear and then he was gone. I scanned the horizon and with binoculars I saw a sub coming down the straights with what looked like tankers, fore and aft as escorts. Further back was another CG cutter bringing up the groups “six.” The skies cleared and we caught the outgoing tide and made 8-10 knots all the way to Neah Bay.
1300 - Arrive Neah Bay. V-Berth still leaking. Julie bought a fresh whole 15lb Tuna for $15.00. We split it with a couple from San Francisco, who were taking their boat {Evergreen} down from Friday Harbor. Dale, from Fish and Game, gutted and filet it for them (one filets a Tuna differently than a salmon). Julie marinated the Tuna in apple juice, wrapped it in bacon and fried it in lard. Yea … it was good. Duraglassed the anchor locker drain hole (we’ll see if this stops the leak).

Wednesday, August 1st, 2007.- 0605 – Depart Neah Bay, calm and sunny. We entered the Pacific Ocean at 0800. Heavy Fog and radar not working. It’s amazing the Pacific Ocean is 6,000 some odd miles across and extends from the North to the South Pole … lots of room. Out of the mist, 1000 yards off my port comes an old black and white hulled wooden fishing trawler. Very nicely aligned collision course. We watch each other, alter our courses respectively and slip silently past each other, each into our own pockets of fog. 1000 – raise the sails, winds out of the NE at 10-15 knots. Fiddled with the wind vane figuring out it’s idiosyncrasies. About 30 miles offshore, 4-8 foot swells, but doing about 8 knots SSW. 1400 changed course for La Push, due west. Crossed Evergreen and chatted on 68 for a few minutes. They are sailing on to San Francisco (crew of five aboard). Saw whales migrating north. Breeze freshens to 20-25 knots, wind vane working perfectly; still no radar. Navy probably jamming us as we were off restricted waters. We met a couple aboard “Invictus” in PA. He said his radar went out coming up from Astoria to Neah Bay, but was working again in PA.
1805 – Arrive La Push. Skinny water and narrow harbor entrance (no reciprocals, $22/night). Anchor locker still leaking. Determined leak is coming from near the port drain hole. I shoved a bunch of 5200 up there … we’ll see. La Push is and Indian Village and not many services available
Thursday, August 2st, 2007 – 0605 - Departed La Push; rally skinny water (at one point only 1.5 below the keel. In fact, we may have even bumped once or twice). Headed south about 13nm offshore. Following seas and winds, doing about 7-8 knots. Julie still seasick, but doing better.
1605 arrive Westport, Grays Harbor. No problem crossing the bar; very wide and well marked. Docked at the charter boat pier. No reciprocals, but only $13night. Anchor locker still leaking; smeared lifecaulk around the inside and coated the drain hole with lifecaulk … we’ll see. Stayed in Westport a few days. Not much of a town really, except for the charter boat tourism. Walked up to the grocery store and used the internet at the local library. Later we found a wi-fi site at the local laundry; used it and did our laundry as well. Found a pretty good marine store (Englunds Marine) and bought our fishing gear (tuna tackle – 65 ft of 200lb test line with a snubber that attaches to the stern rail, a luer with two huge hooks). Tried to rent a car to go to a shipmates promotion celebration, but none were available. Nice town, but not much going on. Filled starboard tank with water.

Sunday August 5th, 2007 – 0545 – Departed Grays Harbor … with the entire charter fleet. It looked like invasion forces … boats of all sizes, everywhere, screaming out to sea. Skies gray with 4-8ft swells. Learned for a local charter captain that the golden rule for the bars is never, ever go over the bar on an ebb tide (kind of the like Disney film where the characters say “… never go above the canopy.”) He gave us a chart that gave schedules for crossing the bars. It turns out it’s a combination of wind, swells and ebb current. Generally, if they are all low (below 3) the crossing will pretty smooth. Headed south now and crossed the Columbia Bar at noon. We went outside the bar but still the chop was significant (40 degree rolls). Saw a couple of sailboats coming out and passed one freighter going in. Calm seas after the bar. Motored all the way to Tillamook (Garibaldi).
1800 – arrived Tillamook. Another nice harbor with wide entrance. 25 ft of water beneath us. The Garmin chart plotter is great. Shows us exactly where the boat is in relation to the channel. Like flying with instruments only … I imagine. Even though the harbor is wide the channel is narrow (sounds kind of biblical doesn’t it). As we entered the channel and CG cutter came out and stood by in the shallows. I thought they were coming out to guide us in (they do that, you know) but after seeing we were navigating the channel correctly (or just noting my superior navigation skills) they poured the coals the engine and steamed on by (didn’t acknowledge us at all). Maybe they came out for another reason and just happen to stop in the shallows as part of the exercise they were conducting. Anyway, the CG is very active up here. The have been in every port we’ve stopped in and they’re presence is highly visible. The radio crackles constantly with bar updates and message traffic. Every once in a while, we’ll here a young CG’sman/woman come over the radio with zeal. It’s a nice change from the usual perfunctory drone one usually hears. Tillamook is a little skinny too and not much of a town by the marina, but they had what we needed. We met our second Baja-er in Tillamook. They were on a 38ft Wauquiz. Crew of five … now four. They had a death on board. They left Astoria and the crew member (a 54 year old male in apparently good shape) got seasick and went below to lay down. They checked on him periodically and he remained easily aroused and coherent. On one of the checks, a crew making food noted he didn’t look well. They could not arouse him and called the CG. I remember seeing the boat under sail just south of the bar and saw the CG helicopter fly overhead. The skipper told us the CG came out and dropped a diver in the water. The diver brought an AED aboard, but determined that the guy had been long gone. They took the body and flew back to Astoria. The deceased was single, no family and only a casual acquaintance of the skipper, but an enthusiastic sailor. He was looking forward to doing the Baja. One never knows the time or place … in most cases, it’s certainly not of our choosing. Two of the crew left at Newport (a sechduled departure) and the two remaining 75 year old salts were headed south to Baja with skipper to winter in Mexico. Good guys … we’ll see them again all the way down the coast.