Friday Harbor

December 31, 2013

With the weekend available for a trip on the boat, but the Espar diesel heater in the shop (again!) we decided to go to Friday Harbor where we could tie up to the dock and stay warm on the boat using the electric heater. It has been a challenge trying to figure out the Espar heater's intermittent problems. (Jenny Wren's original owner accumulated a pile of receipts for attempted repairs as well.) It is basically a simple system, but it does have fuel metering, electrical voltage,  and air flow/ducting sensitivities. And, of course there is the control box: the mysterious silver box, the size and shape of something that you'd find inside of a bomb, that is the brains of the unit. Hope springs eternal, and I'm optimistic that it will be up and running next week.

Wind on the quarter.

Winter in the San Juan Islands is a good time to sail. There is usually some South wind, moderate temperatures in the 40's, and very few boats on the water compared to the summer. With a North wind, clear conditions and cooler temperatures generally occur. We enjoyed some downwind sailing and favorable currents on the trip to Friday Harbor.  With a tidal range reaching 12' and more, there is a lot of water moving through the channels, passes, and straits during the maximum flood and ebb tides. We use the knot meter and the GPS to give us the boat's speed through the water and over the bottom respectively. The difference between the two is due to the effect of the current. Using the current tables (which show what the current is doing at any given time and place) can make a lot of difference in how the day goes - especially when a boat is only going 5 to 7 knots. Currents of 3 or 4 knots are common in many places, and twice that in some narrow passes. Going backwards, when all of the sails are up and drawing, is bad for morale.

Genoa is hard at work.

Whirlpools, tide rips, and overfalls can be dangerous to small craft and can skew a larger boat around unexpectedly. At times when a strong wind opposes an especially strong current, the tide rips can become very difficult to negotiate and should be approached with great caution or avoided altogether if possible. I have been surprised a number of times by the force of currents,  especially so when they are trying to pull the boat onto the rocks.

Our trip to Friday Harbor was free of such drama: just an easy downwind sail with a slight boost from the current. We stayed well clear of the fast moving and very large Washington State Ferries. They can make me nervous.

Percy is stowed.

And speaking of nervous, Percy, the cat, made her maiden voyage with us on this trip. Our thinking was that it was time to get her familiar with the boat.  Percy's thinking was that this was a lot worse than a trip to the vet. After finding a place where she felt safe from the constant motion, things were a little better. The engine, however, was another story. She really did not like the sound of the diesel engine. This is going to take some time.

Friday Harbor, WA

Friday Harbor is a boat friendly town. The main street through town begins at the ferry landing and the Port of Friday Harbor docks. Everything is within walking distance. The Cask and Schooner was doing a brisk lunchtime business, and the reason for its popularity became clear to us while we were enjoying our meal. Feeling a lot like tourists, we strolled around town and walked the docks looking at boats. It was a good weekend getaway, particularly with the quiet winter atmosphere.

Stuart Island

Headed up Tip Top.

December 2, 2013

One of our favorite local trips is to Stuart Island to explore the trails to the Turn Point Lighthouse, school, cemetery and the vistas from Tip Top. I go there often in the winter, when the island is free of the flood of visitors. The trip from Orcas Island generally takes 2 hours. Prevost Harbor is my preferred anchorage, offering good protection from winds from the North or the South.

The trails for hiking are extensive and I never tire of the glimpses that the island offers of its history and people back into the 1800's. The lifestyles of the earlier generations are maintained by a hearty group of year round residents, living off the grid without ferry service.

Stuart Island's one room schoolhouse.

Looking West to Vancouver Island

Carolyn and I enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with a group of friends from Orcas Island on Stuart this year. Ovens and stoves worked overtime to produce the spread of food that we enjoyed around the campfire. We took advantage of the reasonable weather and hiked the trails with leftovers in our packs. The 2 young girls added a rich element to the group. With their bows and arrows fashioned from driftwood from the beach, they ran ahead or lagged behind while working on the daunting task of creating and recording their own new language. Their carefully applied face paint completed the picture. It was wonderful to be in their company.

Jenny Wren, Sassafras, and Tomahawk.
Thanksgiving 2013

Port Townsend

September 10, 2013

We took Jenny Wren to Port Townsend for the 2013 Wooden Boat Festival. The trip from Orcas Island takes a good part of a day and there is benefit in planning around the currents. We had an early 0630 departure with low overcast conditions, but within 30 minutes, we were into thick fog.  Radar showed a line of 3 other boats spread out over 1 mile, all approaching Cattle Pass with us, all lined up on the screen like a row of ducks. Everyone maintained their speed and course and we went through like a well choreographed dance ensemble. Then we emerged into the Strait, still thoroughly shrouded in fog, the loud note of horns and the low growl of engines all around. Carolyn, at the helm, had to resist the temptation to steer us in the direction that she felt that we should be heading, relying instead on the compass and GPS. Thick fog with viritually no visibility is stressful and our shoulders loosened around Smith Island when conditions began to clear.

Crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca - in and out of  fog.

The Wooden Boat Festival - a visual treat of wonderful boats!

Sucia Island

Frozen Wave

September 3, 2013

Sucia a a geological playground. Formed independently from the rest of the San Juan Islands, it is unique to the area with its eroded sandstone formations and sculpted shorelines. Exploring the bluffs and coves while rowing or paddling at the water's edge is an ideal way to experience this treasure. A little more careful observation will unveil fossils - lots of them. The more shallow bays with sand beaches heat up nicely in the summer sun and give kids a rare opportunity to swim in the San Juans. The entire island is a Washington State Park.

Carolyn takes in Echo Bay, Sucia 

Summer brings waves of boaters. People love going to Sucia. However, once there, they can spread out and I don't feel like it becomes overly crowded. And unless the winds become too strong from the wrong direction, there is plenty of room for anchoring.

When my daughter, Melissa, her boyfriend Dan and their friend Hugh arrived for a visit it was quickly agreed that Sucia would be a great place to go. Having grown up sailing in the San Juans, Melissa has been on numerous trips there, but Dan and Hugh had never been. Carolyn is always up for a Sucia visit, so off we go.

Melissa loves the boat!

Melissa enjoying Jenny Wren

This was Melissa's first chance to see Jenny Wren.  ('Way to go, Dad!') Melissa grew up with and lived aboard a succession of boats and she quickly appreciated the Valiant's qualities. We set off from Cayou Quay Marina in Deer Harbor and once past Jones Island, the North wind filled in and we had a fantastic sail. Certainly a more agile sailer than the Westsail 32, Jenny Wren made good time on the run to Sucia, stretching her legs in the perfect wind and sunshine.

Hugh at the helm

Hugh, new to sailing, was smitten. With only a small amount of uncertainty, he took to the helm as a natural, steering with a big grin. With an engineer's mind, he had nonstop questions about the boat and how it worked. It was fun to look at the day through his eyes and marvel at the power of the wind, the sails, and the physics of sailing.

Preamble

Wow!

July 31, 2013

We have been taking the Westsail North into Canada every summer for quite few years. The trip provides endless islands, inlets and bays to explore for the first time, or to revisit again. This year's trip was the shake down voyage for Jenny Wren, which having just been purchased, arrived in Anacortes, WA from Ventura, CA via Dudley Yacht Transport. 60 knots to windward! The trip up I-5 went without a hitch. It was an amazing moment to see the truck and trailer roll into the yard. The boat looked great!

Lots to do.

And then the work began. The boat was packed like a 40' semi trailer with gear, spares, peripherals. Boat stuff. Carolyn and I unloaded and sorted and loaded up the pickup and the van. Several times. This marked the beginning of 3 weeks of work in the yard - projects needing to be done while the boat was out of the water.  I was pleased with Cap Sante Marine in Anacortes and the work that they did, and Northwest Rigging, who put the rig back together and made some changes. It was a big push: the lists kept getting longer before beginning to lessen. And then there was the drama in the final days before launch day with things coming together, only to go South at the last minute. My goal by then was only to try to remain flexible and to stay calm.

Launched!

Finally, just as I theoretically knew it inevitably would (but was beginning to think that it might not ever happen),  Jenny Wren was launched. Stepping aboard for the first time that day is a memory that I enjoy revisiting. Everything just felt 'right'.

Carolyn arrived the following day and her viewpoint was a little more realistic regarding the work yet to be done. She would simply ask, 'How does this (or that) work?' Typically, I would have to answer that I don't know yet. But we'll figure it out. Don't you worry.

With some stops along the way, we made the trip back to Cayou Quay Marina in Deer Harbor on Orcas Island. We were getting to know the boat as we went. With the deadline set for our departure for Canada, the clock began ticking. There were many things on the boat that needed to be completed before it was ready to go. There were many things that we had to figure out before we were ready to go.

After our regular work days, we headed to the boat for sessions of boat projects in the evenings - right up to our scheduled departure day. We were going to leave on the July 29th and we did, even though it was 7:30 PM by the time everything was ready and we headed over to the fuel dock before starting North.

As is our tradition, we headed to Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island, which makes for a good jumping off point for an early morning arrival at Canadian Customs at Bedwell Harbor on South Pender Island. We arrived at the anchorage after dark and we had to search to find the last available patch of water in which to anchor. The place was packed with boats. But it is done: the anchor chain had rattled out, the anchor was holding well, the engine was shut down. All was quiet. And good. Very good.

Having eaten dinner on the way over from Orcas, and after a very long day, Carolyn was tired and headed off to get some rest. I, on the other hand, found myself far too excited to sleep.  I was very content to just sit at the chart table, looking at the cabin glowing in flickering candle light, smiling while thinking about how much fun it has been getting Jenny Wren to this point, and what a wonderful boat she is. I sat there for a very long time, relishing the moment.