Thanksgiving 2010, Bell Harbor to Blake Island
Thanksgiving Holiday Cruise
Well, the weather did not cooperate for a gathering of tugs over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Monday saw high winds (60+ knots), snow, and then temperatures in the teens! Tuesday brought some relief to the snow and wind however the temperatures never went above 25 degrees! The water on the docks was frozen, power was out for 18 hours! Good thing we choose the generator option!
Wednesday brought frozen fairways! The ice was thick enough to be able to set a bottle of coke on it. The seagulls were actually walking on water (well, sort of).
I waited until the fairway thawed at around noon before departing for Bell Harbor. All went well until I turned into the main fairway. At that point, the water still had a thin layer of ice on it! I had no choice but to keep going. Once clear of the ice, I leaned over the side to check for damage. The only damage that was apparent was the fact that the bottom paint had been removed along the water line! Guess it is now time for a new coat of bottom paint!
The trip over to Bell was uneventful. Mild chop light breezes. I arrived at Bell at just past two. Again, no running water on the docks as all of the lines were still frozen. Since our tank was down to its last five gallons, I used my five gallon jugs to fill the tank! It only took seven trips!
Maureen arrived at nine from Vegas. Our first night in Bell once again found nighttime temps down into the 20's! Thanksgiving morning we awoke to a light snow falling. We sat and enjoyed the view while drinking our coffee in the warmth of Karma.
That afternoon we attended an impromptu Thanksgiving Feast with other boaters! The view was incredible! The food superb! The company outstanding! What a way to spend the holiday!
Friday we awoke to strong winds and lumpy seas. The decision was made we would spend one more night in Bell Harbor. After paying our moorage, we hiked up to the REI and then back through the market. What a great day! The winds in the city were quite a bit lighter thanks to the buildings.
We made it back to Karma just as the rain began to fall. It came down pretty good for a good two hours. Just as it let up, Bruce and Vickie showed up to join us for a cocktail. We had an enjoyable evening just sitting around in a great location.
Saturday morning brought flat seas with a light breeze. We were off for Blake Island. Upon arriving in Blake we found seven other hearty souls spending the weekend out on the island. The weather produced rain on and off throughout the day. We enjoyed the warmth of Karma while we watched the deer walk past the dock and the eagles soar overhead. Blake is an incredible place! Eight miles from Downtown Seattle yet right in the middle of the wilderness!
Tomorrow we will head back to Port Orchard. I will take Maureen to the airport so she can get back to Vegas and then, Monday morning Karma has an appointment to get her bottom all shined up!
Wednesday brought frozen fairways! The ice was thick enough to be able to set a bottle of coke on it. The seagulls were actually walking on water (well, sort of).
I waited until the fairway thawed at around noon before departing for Bell Harbor. All went well until I turned into the main fairway. At that point, the water still had a thin layer of ice on it! I had no choice but to keep going. Once clear of the ice, I leaned over the side to check for damage. The only damage that was apparent was the fact that the bottom paint had been removed along the water line! Guess it is now time for a new coat of bottom paint!
The trip over to Bell was uneventful. Mild chop light breezes. I arrived at Bell at just past two. Again, no running water on the docks as all of the lines were still frozen. Since our tank was down to its last five gallons, I used my five gallon jugs to fill the tank! It only took seven trips!
Maureen arrived at nine from Vegas. Our first night in Bell once again found nighttime temps down into the 20's! Thanksgiving morning we awoke to a light snow falling. We sat and enjoyed the view while drinking our coffee in the warmth of Karma.
That afternoon we attended an impromptu Thanksgiving Feast with other boaters! The view was incredible! The food superb! The company outstanding! What a way to spend the holiday!
Friday we awoke to strong winds and lumpy seas. The decision was made we would spend one more night in Bell Harbor. After paying our moorage, we hiked up to the REI and then back through the market. What a great day! The winds in the city were quite a bit lighter thanks to the buildings.
We made it back to Karma just as the rain began to fall. It came down pretty good for a good two hours. Just as it let up, Bruce and Vickie showed up to join us for a cocktail. We had an enjoyable evening just sitting around in a great location.
Saturday morning brought flat seas with a light breeze. We were off for Blake Island. Upon arriving in Blake we found seven other hearty souls spending the weekend out on the island. The weather produced rain on and off throughout the day. We enjoyed the warmth of Karma while we watched the deer walk past the dock and the eagles soar overhead. Blake is an incredible place! Eight miles from Downtown Seattle yet right in the middle of the wilderness!
Tomorrow we will head back to Port Orchard. I will take Maureen to the airport so she can get back to Vegas and then, Monday morning Karma has an appointment to get her bottom all shined up!
Above are the pictures of the ice that had formed overnight on the fairway within our marina. While this area had melted off by noon, on the main fairway, which is shaded by the boat sheds, the ice had not melted by the time I departed. The photos of Karma in the slings, show the damage done by the ice. Fortunately, it only took off the bottom paint at the water line.
The last two photos show Karma's bottom after the new paint went on as well as the zinc's that were placed on the swim platform struts.
The two photos of the damaged boat sheds is just some of the damage that occured from Monday nights storm.
The last two photos show Karma's bottom after the new paint went on as well as the zinc's that were placed on the swim platform struts.
The two photos of the damaged boat sheds is just some of the damage that occured from Monday nights storm.
Bell Harbor
Bell Harbor Marina, Downtown Seattle, January 2010
What an incredible place this is! A marina right in downtown Seattle. Two blocks from the famous Pikes Market! The skyline out your windshield is unbelievable! We love to come to Bell and hang out for a couple of days. You cannot ask for a better location offering up more amenities that this one does!
Bell Harbor for the Last Time (Not to Be!)
Since the decision to sell Karma, we have been busy with numerous items. Everything from a trip to Alaska that resulted in a torn ACL on my left knee, to looking for a new home in the Denver area.
Karma's last cruise in the PNW will take her to the Bell Harbor Marina. We will attend the Seattle Boat Show for it's opening weekend. This is where all that "Tuggin Stuff" began. Four years ago, we purchased Solitude, our stout little Ranger Tug 25. Our fun and enjoyment over two and a half years convinced us to move up to the R-29, Karma.
We will be joined by Bob and Nita aboard the Nellie Too, and John and Laurie aboard the Laurie Ann.
The weekend should prove to be an emotional one. We will be with friends for the last time as Tugnuts and then come Sunday, remove the remainder of our personal items from Karma. On Tuesday, January 25th, the Yacht Transport Company will arrive to take Karma on a road trip to Alameda California where she will be brokered by Farallone Yacht Sales.
We have mixed feeling about the impending sale. On one hand, we hope it goes quickly. On the other, we hope it takes a month or two. We would love to be able to get to explore a bit of the bay aboard her. Many years ago we used to sail the bay on our Catalina 22. It would be nice to do it from the warm confines of Karma's toasty cabin.
Karma's last cruise in the PNW will take her to the Bell Harbor Marina. We will attend the Seattle Boat Show for it's opening weekend. This is where all that "Tuggin Stuff" began. Four years ago, we purchased Solitude, our stout little Ranger Tug 25. Our fun and enjoyment over two and a half years convinced us to move up to the R-29, Karma.
We will be joined by Bob and Nita aboard the Nellie Too, and John and Laurie aboard the Laurie Ann.
The weekend should prove to be an emotional one. We will be with friends for the last time as Tugnuts and then come Sunday, remove the remainder of our personal items from Karma. On Tuesday, January 25th, the Yacht Transport Company will arrive to take Karma on a road trip to Alameda California where she will be brokered by Farallone Yacht Sales.
We have mixed feeling about the impending sale. On one hand, we hope it goes quickly. On the other, we hope it takes a month or two. We would love to be able to get to explore a bit of the bay aboard her. Many years ago we used to sail the bay on our Catalina 22. It would be nice to do it from the warm confines of Karma's toasty cabin.
Blake Island
Blake Island, State Marine Park, March 2011
Blake Island is one of our favorite places to spend a night or two. It is a state park that is located 8 miles west of Seattle. When the tide is high, you can see over the top of the break water and see the lights of Seattle.
They offer up four types of moorage at Blake. You can anchor, tie up in the marina, tie to a mooring ball, or tie to the mooring poles inside the marina.
There is a trail that is four miles long that goes around the island. On extreme low tides, you can just follow the beach all the way around.
The Island abounds with wildlife. Deer, Bald Eagles, Rabbits, and the Raccoons! Be careful when you go to bed at night. Don't leave any food in your cockpit, the raccoons will come a calling!
They offer up four types of moorage at Blake. You can anchor, tie up in the marina, tie to a mooring ball, or tie to the mooring poles inside the marina.
There is a trail that is four miles long that goes around the island. On extreme low tides, you can just follow the beach all the way around.
The Island abounds with wildlife. Deer, Bald Eagles, Rabbits, and the Raccoons! Be careful when you go to bed at night. Don't leave any food in your cockpit, the raccoons will come a calling!
Blakely Harbor, Bainbridge Island
Blakely Harbor
In her hey day, Blakely Harbor had one of the largest sawmill in the PNW. The sawmill was located at the back end of the harbor. Ships would sail from all over the world to load their bilges with lumber. Today Blakely Harbor is just another little enclave of million dollar homes on Bainbrige Island. The "Harbor" is surrounded with beautifull homes with yards studded by towering pines. A state park is located on the sight of the old sawmill. From Blakely you look west across Puget Sound into downtown Seattle.
Even with the homes surrounding the harbor, you can still find a quiet little corner of paradise where you don't feel you are in a fish bowl. We chose this location to be the first location to try out our anchoring skills on Karma.
Our first night of hanging on the hook on Karma went off without a hitch. For the majority of the day the breeze blew out of the east keeping our bow facing the city. We spent the entire afternoon sitting on the foredeck just admiring what has got to be one of the best views anywhere. Clear blue sky, blue water, and one of the mostbeautiful city skylines anywhere. And all this from the foredeck of Karma!
At about two we were suddenly overrun by pirates! Well maybe not real pirates but a large group of boaters (12 boats in all) with everyone dressed up as pirates. They came into Blakely Harbor and rafted for the afternoon. It was quite the sight to see! By five, all but two vessels had departed.
We had ten additional vessels overnight in the cove with us as well as a nesting pair of eagles. The eagles were visible for the majority of the day roosting in a large pine right at the waters edge. After dinner we went back up to the foredeck and watch the city transform into a whole different world as the sun set behind us. The skyscrapers all took on various hues of orange and red as the sun approached the western horizon. As night closed in, the lights of the city came on! What a sight!
I awoke this morning to the screech of one of the eagles along with foghorns...... it seems a fog bank had formed overnight! The cove takes on a whole new appearance with fog hanging overhead. It is still and quiet with barely a ripple on the water.
Anyone looking for a great spot to overnight or just hang on the hook for the afternoon, I would recommend giving Blakely Harbor a try!
Our first night of hanging on the hook on Karma went off without a hitch. For the majority of the day the breeze blew out of the east keeping our bow facing the city. We spent the entire afternoon sitting on the foredeck just admiring what has got to be one of the best views anywhere. Clear blue sky, blue water, and one of the most beautiful city skylines anywhere. And all this from the foredeck of Karma!
At about two we were suddenly overrun by pirates! Well maybe not real pirates but a large group of boaters (12 boats in all) with everyone dressed up as pirates. They came into Blakely Harbor and rafted for the afternoon. It was quite the sight to see! By five, all but two vessels had departed.
We had ten additional vessels overnight in the cove with us as well as a nesting pair of eagles. The eagles were visible for the majority of the day roosting in a large pine right at the waters edge. After dinner we went back up to the foredeck and watch the city transform into a whole different world as the sun set behind us. The skyscrapers all took on various hues of orange and red as the sun approached the western horizon. As night closed in, the lights of the city came on! What a sight!
I awoke this morning to the screech of one of the eagles along with foghorns...... it seems a fog bank had formed overnight! The cove takes on a whole new appearance with fog hanging overhead. It is still and quiet with barely a ripple on the water.
Anyone looking for a great spot to overnight or just hang on the hook for the afternoon, I would recommend giving Blakely Harbor a try!
Even with the homes surrounding the harbor, you can still find a quiet little corner of paradise where you don't feel you are in a fish bowl. We chose this location to be the first location to try out our anchoring skills on Karma.
Our first night of hanging on the hook on Karma went off without a hitch. For the majority of the day the breeze blew out of the east keeping our bow facing the city. We spent the entire afternoon sitting on the foredeck just admiring what has got to be one of the best views anywhere. Clear blue sky, blue water, and one of the mostbeautiful city skylines anywhere. And all this from the foredeck of Karma!
At about two we were suddenly overrun by pirates! Well maybe not real pirates but a large group of boaters (12 boats in all) with everyone dressed up as pirates. They came into Blakely Harbor and rafted for the afternoon. It was quite the sight to see! By five, all but two vessels had departed.
We had ten additional vessels overnight in the cove with us as well as a nesting pair of eagles. The eagles were visible for the majority of the day roosting in a large pine right at the waters edge. After dinner we went back up to the foredeck and watch the city transform into a whole different world as the sun set behind us. The skyscrapers all took on various hues of orange and red as the sun approached the western horizon. As night closed in, the lights of the city came on! What a sight!
I awoke this morning to the screech of one of the eagles along with foghorns...... it seems a fog bank had formed overnight! The cove takes on a whole new appearance with fog hanging overhead. It is still and quiet with barely a ripple on the water.
Anyone looking for a great spot to overnight or just hang on the hook for the afternoon, I would recommend giving Blakely Harbor a try!
Our first night of hanging on the hook on Karma went off without a hitch. For the majority of the day the breeze blew out of the east keeping our bow facing the city. We spent the entire afternoon sitting on the foredeck just admiring what has got to be one of the best views anywhere. Clear blue sky, blue water, and one of the most beautiful city skylines anywhere. And all this from the foredeck of Karma!
At about two we were suddenly overrun by pirates! Well maybe not real pirates but a large group of boaters (12 boats in all) with everyone dressed up as pirates. They came into Blakely Harbor and rafted for the afternoon. It was quite the sight to see! By five, all but two vessels had departed.
We had ten additional vessels overnight in the cove with us as well as a nesting pair of eagles. The eagles were visible for the majority of the day roosting in a large pine right at the waters edge. After dinner we went back up to the foredeck and watch the city transform into a whole different world as the sun set behind us. The skyscrapers all took on various hues of orange and red as the sun approached the western horizon. As night closed in, the lights of the city came on! What a sight!
I awoke this morning to the screech of one of the eagles along with foghorns...... it seems a fog bank had formed overnight! The cove takes on a whole new appearance with fog hanging overhead. It is still and quiet with barely a ripple on the water.
Anyone looking for a great spot to overnight or just hang on the hook for the afternoon, I would recommend giving Blakely Harbor a try!
Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor
Karma started her weekend by hanging on the hook on Thursday night in Lynnwood Cove. To those of you that do not know where this is at, this would be the cove just as you are entering Rich Passage from the east. It is at this point that the ferries make the sharp turn to port heading west. While you will get rocked by the ferry wake about every 40 minutes it is not bad. It is a nice quiet anchorage with great views of Mt Rainer to the south.
On Friday morning I took off and headed down to Des Moines where Maureen met up with me once she arrived from Vegas. We spent Friday night at Des Moines and then it was off to Gig Harbor where we met up with Gary and Rosalee who were terrific hosts and showed us a small part of their town. We enjoyed a visit to the newly opened Gig Harbor Musuem. If you get to Gig, we would strongly suggest you check it out.
Gary and Rosalee then were kind enough to invite us to their beautiful home for a glass of wine and some more good company! What fantastic views they have from their home overlooking Gig!
After returning to Karma, we pulled away from the city dock and headed out into the harbor to hang on the hook for the night. What a view you have, lights all around!
Today we will head back up to Port Orchard to head back off in seperate directions for another week of work! Come Thursday afternoon, the whole process will start again!
Thank you Gary and Rosalee for a great day in Gig!
On Friday morning I took off and headed down to Des Moines where Maureen met up with me once she arrived from Vegas. We spent Friday night at Des Moines and then it was off to Gig Harbor where we met up with Gary and Rosalee who were terrific hosts and showed us a small part of their town. We enjoyed a visit to the newly opened Gig Harbor Musuem. If you get to Gig, we would strongly suggest you check it out.
Gary and Rosalee then were kind enough to invite us to their beautiful home for a glass of wine and some more good company! What fantastic views they have from their home overlooking Gig!
After returning to Karma, we pulled away from the city dock and headed out into the harbor to hang on the hook for the night. What a view you have, lights all around!
Today we will head back up to Port Orchard to head back off in seperate directions for another week of work! Come Thursday afternoon, the whole process will start again!
Thank you Gary and Rosalee for a great day in Gig!
Kingston, (Didn't Happen....)
Kingston! (Didn't Happen) Poulsbo instead!
It seems Karma is not destined to make it to Kingston this year..... Plans have changed and we will not make it north this weekend. Currently I am sitting at the dinette watching the sun rise over the city skyline of Seattle. The weather appears that is it going to be another beautiful winter day in the PNW. We are planning to take a short stroll through the market and then head over to Blake for the night.
We are not sure of our plans for next weekend. It will be our last trip to the PNW for the remainder of 2010. With the holidays approaching and then a two week trip to Alaska planned, we will not return until the second weekend in January. We hope to get to Gig before Christmas but not sure if that is in the cards.
2010 has proved to be a wonderful year here in the PNW. We started it out with our holiday cruise last year to the San Juan Islands. Then it was off to the Gulf Islands in June, followed by a trip to Desolation Sound in August. In between we explored as many locations within a days cruise as we could.
We have crossed the Straits of Juan De Fuca five times now, the Straits of Georgia twice, been through Deception Pass and Dodd Narrows. We have locked through the Ballard locks four times. We have navigated in Fog, high winds, big waves, after dark, and of course in heavy rain. Karma has been graced with snow, wind, rain, fog, and sunshine!
Tugfest 2010 was a great success with 42 Ranger Tugs in attendance. What brings it all together though, are the people! We cannot count the number of great people we have met along the way. People from all walks of lives. People with different stories to tell.
2011 is going to bring new challenges, destinations and adventures. Hopefully we will see you all out there on the water in 2011!
With the weather forecast in mind, we departed Bell at 9:50 with Blake Island programed into the chart plotter as our destination. We were no more than a mile out of Bell when the wind kicked up good. Along with the wind came the waves. Three to four feet with an occasional one a bit larger. Since we were headed west and the wind was out of the north...... we began taking on some nasty beam seas. The decision was made to head to the northwest putting the seas on the forward starboard qtr. Once we had Blake Island at 90 degrees on the port side, we would turn and head southwest keeping the waves on the starboard aft qtr. Well, the best layed plans sometimes don't work out, the further west we went, the larger the waves became. Then they started to clock around to the North East. Once again we were in beam seas. We now altered our course running basically due north. The new plan and destination was now Poulsbo. Continue to head north into the waves at six knots until we reached Port Madison. At that point we would be in calmer waters. We would then set our course to take us through Agate Passage to Liberty Bay and into Poulsbo.
Once we reached Port Madison, the seas did indeed flatten out. We made the turn to the west and ran with the tide through Agate Passage. Entered the passage at 7 knots, came out on the other side at 10.5 knots! Got to love that favorable current!
Once Karma was secure in Poulsbo, it was time to give her a bath to rid her of all of the salt she gathered on her crossing.
The weather in Poulsbo was incredible. Sunny, light winds, blue sky. We strolled through town and then headed back to Karma. We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on Karma giving tours to the other boaters that continued to stop by and admire our little tug.
Tomorrow, it is back to Port Orchard, tuck Karma in for another week and head off to the airport.
Ah yes, boating in the PNW in the winter can be incredible.....
We are not sure of our plans for next weekend. It will be our last trip to the PNW for the remainder of 2010. With the holidays approaching and then a two week trip to Alaska planned, we will not return until the second weekend in January. We hope to get to Gig before Christmas but not sure if that is in the cards.
2010 has proved to be a wonderful year here in the PNW. We started it out with our holiday cruise last year to the San Juan Islands. Then it was off to the Gulf Islands in June, followed by a trip to Desolation Sound in August. In between we explored as many locations within a days cruise as we could.
We have crossed the Straits of Juan De Fuca five times now, the Straits of Georgia twice, been through Deception Pass and Dodd Narrows. We have locked through the Ballard locks four times. We have navigated in Fog, high winds, big waves, after dark, and of course in heavy rain. Karma has been graced with snow, wind, rain, fog, and sunshine!
Tugfest 2010 was a great success with 42 Ranger Tugs in attendance. What brings it all together though, are the people! We cannot count the number of great people we have met along the way. People from all walks of lives. People with different stories to tell.
2011 is going to bring new challenges, destinations and adventures. Hopefully we will see you all out there on the water in 2011!
With the weather forecast in mind, we departed Bell at 9:50 with Blake Island programed into the chart plotter as our destination. We were no more than a mile out of Bell when the wind kicked up good. Along with the wind came the waves. Three to four feet with an occasional one a bit larger. Since we were headed west and the wind was out of the north...... we began taking on some nasty beam seas. The decision was made to head to the northwest putting the seas on the forward starboard qtr. Once we had Blake Island at 90 degrees on the port side, we would turn and head southwest keeping the waves on the starboard aft qtr. Well, the best layed plans sometimes don't work out, the further west we went, the larger the waves became. Then they started to clock around to the North East. Once again we were in beam seas. We now altered our course running basically due north. The new plan and destination was now Poulsbo. Continue to head north into the waves at six knots until we reached Port Madison. At that point we would be in calmer waters. We would then set our course to take us through Agate Passage to Liberty Bay and into Poulsbo.
Once we reached Port Madison, the seas did indeed flatten out. We made the turn to the west and ran with the tide through Agate Passage. Entered the passage at 7 knots, came out on the other side at 10.5 knots! Got to love that favorable current!
Once Karma was secure in Poulsbo, it was time to give her a bath to rid her of all of the salt she gathered on her crossing.
The weather in Poulsbo was incredible. Sunny, light winds, blue sky. We strolled through town and then headed back to Karma. We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on Karma giving tours to the other boaters that continued to stop by and admire our little tug.
Tomorrow, it is back to Port Orchard, tuck Karma in for another week and head off to the airport.
Ah yes, boating in the PNW in the winter can be incredible.....
Lake Union, November 2010
Des Moines to Lake Union
We headed out of Des Moines at 9:30 on Saturday morning bound for Gig Harbor but........ when we listened to the weather report, it came back with rain and fog with less than a 1/2 mile visibility in Gig. That was all we needed to hear, it was decided we would head north to Lake Union. We motored along at seven knots in water that was flat calm. It seemed as if it was meant to be that we went to Lake Union. We had two ferry crossings to cross. At no point did we have to alter course or speed for the ferries. They either passed ahead of us or astern. Our timing was perfect.
As we approached the locks, they had just opened the downstream side and had started to fill for the lift up into Lake Union. We simply motored in, got secured to the wall, they closed the doors behind us, and up we went. Once out of the lock, we proceeded down the ship channel until we reached Lake Union. We made a slow circle around the lake and then pulled into Roanoke Reef Marina to "try on" a new slip for the night. We are currently considering taking Karma to the fresh waters of Lake Union for a couple of months. The slip we "tried on" has a beautiful view of the Space Needle as well as the north side of Seattle. From this location we could watch the seaplanes from Kenmore Air take off and land all day as well as all of the boats plying Lake Union.
While the sun was still out, we decided to take a walk through the neighborhood. On one side of the street you have your normal homes. On the other, it is the famous floating homes of Seattle. We spied a for sale sign with fliers in it so we grab one! How much could they really cost! Well this one was a steal! With 679 square feet of living space, two bedrooms, a 3/4 bath, all floating on Lake Union! You can have it all for the mere sum of $595,000! Boy at that price I would think you would be wise to pick up two!
We returned back to Karma just before the rain finally began to fall. We settled into the two best seats in the house. I took the helm seat, Maureen took the Navigator’s seat. We sat and watched the comings and goings on Lake Union for the rest of the afternoon. As darkness fell, the lights of the city began to come on. What an incredible view!
Just as darkness fell, Lyman and Janeane stopped over for a drink and conversation. As usual, the conversation drifted in the direction of what the “next” boats will be…… Always planning for the future!
Sunday morning we awoke before the sun began to shine its light over the eastern horizon. Sitting in the best seats again, we watched as the sun rose in the east and lit the skyline of Seattle ablaze with a beautiful orange glow. The lake was a beehive of activity already as the rowing clubs had a very large regatta. There had to be 30 to 40 crew boats out on the lake! We sat and drank our coffee and again admired the view and all of the boats.
We slipped the lines at 10:00 to start our trip back to Port Orchard. On the way down the ship canal we pulled into Nickerson Marina where Lyman and Janeane currently have Zuma moored. We attempted to slip a boat with ten foot of beam into a slip with 10 ½ feet of beam…… Well you can imagine, with the fenders out, we basically only got the bow in. No worries, it was the end of the fairway so we simply tied her off walked to the bow and stepped off!
Once back on the water we headed to the locks. Again, after a very short wait, into the small locks we went. Once we were secured, the doors closed behind us and down we went. When the doors opened, it was back into the salt waters of Puget Sound. The wind was blowing at 17 to 20 knots out of the south but, the sun was shining! Thankfully though, the tide was going out so it did not build into the nasty chop that it could have. We headed northwest for Agate Passage. Once we cleared Agate, it was south down Port Orchard and into the Sinclair Inlet. The wind was still blowing quite hard however the waters here are much more protected so there was only a very small chop and the sun was still shining!
Rounding the bend into the Sinclair Inlet, we spied another Ranger Tug. It was Bill out for a Sunday cruise on his R-25 “Odd Duck”. We passed close enough to get pictures of both vessels.
As we pulled into our slip at Port Orchard, our hour meter hit the magic 300 hours mark! Checking the trip screen on the Garmin, we noted that we have now traveled just over 2,195 miles and burned 1019 gallons of fuel. (Let’s see, at $3.00 a gallon average……) Not bad, that is an average burn rate of 3.39 gallons per hour.
What an incredible day and weekend! Sunny skies when we needed them, great friends and great boats!
Next week, it’s off to Bell Harbor to Celebrate Karma’s first birthday and our 30th wedding anniversary!
As we approached the locks, they had just opened the downstream side and had started to fill for the lift up into Lake Union. We simply motored in, got secured to the wall, they closed the doors behind us, and up we went. Once out of the lock, we proceeded down the ship channel until we reached Lake Union. We made a slow circle around the lake and then pulled into Roanoke Reef Marina to "try on" a new slip for the night. We are currently considering taking Karma to the fresh waters of Lake Union for a couple of months. The slip we "tried on" has a beautiful view of the Space Needle as well as the north side of Seattle. From this location we could watch the seaplanes from Kenmore Air take off and land all day as well as all of the boats plying Lake Union.
While the sun was still out, we decided to take a walk through the neighborhood. On one side of the street you have your normal homes. On the other, it is the famous floating homes of Seattle. We spied a for sale sign with fliers in it so we grab one! How much could they really cost! Well this one was a steal! With 679 square feet of living space, two bedrooms, a 3/4 bath, all floating on Lake Union! You can have it all for the mere sum of $595,000! Boy at that price I would think you would be wise to pick up two!
We returned back to Karma just before the rain finally began to fall. We settled into the two best seats in the house. I took the helm seat, Maureen took the Navigator’s seat. We sat and watched the comings and goings on Lake Union for the rest of the afternoon. As darkness fell, the lights of the city began to come on. What an incredible view!
Just as darkness fell, Lyman and Janeane stopped over for a drink and conversation. As usual, the conversation drifted in the direction of what the “next” boats will be…… Always planning for the future!
Sunday morning we awoke before the sun began to shine its light over the eastern horizon. Sitting in the best seats again, we watched as the sun rose in the east and lit the skyline of Seattle ablaze with a beautiful orange glow. The lake was a beehive of activity already as the rowing clubs had a very large regatta. There had to be 30 to 40 crew boats out on the lake! We sat and drank our coffee and again admired the view and all of the boats.
We slipped the lines at 10:00 to start our trip back to Port Orchard. On the way down the ship canal we pulled into Nickerson Marina where Lyman and Janeane currently have Zuma moored. We attempted to slip a boat with ten foot of beam into a slip with 10 ½ feet of beam…… Well you can imagine, with the fenders out, we basically only got the bow in. No worries, it was the end of the fairway so we simply tied her off walked to the bow and stepped off!
Once back on the water we headed to the locks. Again, after a very short wait, into the small locks we went. Once we were secured, the doors closed behind us and down we went. When the doors opened, it was back into the salt waters of Puget Sound. The wind was blowing at 17 to 20 knots out of the south but, the sun was shining! Thankfully though, the tide was going out so it did not build into the nasty chop that it could have. We headed northwest for Agate Passage. Once we cleared Agate, it was south down Port Orchard and into the Sinclair Inlet. The wind was still blowing quite hard however the waters here are much more protected so there was only a very small chop and the sun was still shining!
Rounding the bend into the Sinclair Inlet, we spied another Ranger Tug. It was Bill out for a Sunday cruise on his R-25 “Odd Duck”. We passed close enough to get pictures of both vessels.
As we pulled into our slip at Port Orchard, our hour meter hit the magic 300 hours mark! Checking the trip screen on the Garmin, we noted that we have now traveled just over 2,195 miles and burned 1019 gallons of fuel. (Let’s see, at $3.00 a gallon average……) Not bad, that is an average burn rate of 3.39 gallons per hour.
What an incredible day and weekend! Sunny skies when we needed them, great friends and great boats!
Next week, it’s off to Bell Harbor to Celebrate Karma’s first birthday and our 30th wedding anniversary!
Poulsbo
Poulsbo, Liberty Bay Spring of 2011
Back in the seventies, the town fathers decided to model the town after a Norwegian village. It worked. It draws visitors from all over the globe! The town features numerous bakeries, cafes, and restaurants. Along with the variety of places to refill "your tank", there are also numerous antique shops, marine supply stores, a marine exchange store (consignment), and just fun places to stroll through.
The marina is a great place to spend the evening however, if it is full, just anchor out. Do not anchor too far north of the marina as it will get quite shallow on low tides.....
The marina is a great place to spend the evening however, if it is full, just anchor out. Do not anchor too far north of the marina as it will get quite shallow on low tides.....
