MAIDEN VOYAGE

Feb. 10.  Today is the day!  Our Maiden Voyage with Knot Dreamin’.  We are going to head to Sidney British Columbia which is on the island of Vancouver.  If the weather does not cooperate we will duck into a safe harbor probably on Stuart Island.  But we hope to make it the whole way.  We leave Anacortes at approximately 8:30 AT 5917.6 ENGINE HOURS.  Seas are calm and very little wind.  We successfully leave the dock, which involves more than one would think, untying lines, disconnecting power cord, checking out the engine room, making sure all doors and drawers are not just closed but latched.  So we finally head out of the marina.  The day is going great.  We go through Thatcher Pass which  is between Decatur and Blakely Island.  Then we round the top of Lopez Island and continue through Harney Channel which is between Shaw & Orcas Islands.  Then we maneuver through Wasp Passage which goes around several very small islands and finall head through Speiden Channel out to Haro Strait.  We are a little disappointed with ourselves because we had checked the tidal currents so that our trip would be easier.  But somehow we messed up and the currents were against us.  We only go about 5.5 or 6 knots and with a current of sometimes 2 knots against you, that is pretty slow going especially for a speed guy like Jerry.  By the time we get to Haro Strait the winds have picked up.  But once we get across the Strait we will again be in protected islands by the Canadian Gulf Islands.  Well we get about halfway into the Strait and only about an hour to get to Sidney.  The waters were kind of rough and the winds were around 25 mph.  We discussed if we should continue or turn back to Stuart Island which wasn’t far away.  We decided to continue on and see how the boat handled in these kinds of water.  But then the winds picked up to 38 miles per hour with 5 feet wind waves.  We have a mechanism on board that shows how many degrees you are leaning and we were leaning 30 degrees!  Dishes were breaking, things were flying off the counters, water came in the porthole window in the shower (which we should have closed but figured it wasn’t necessary).   At this point we looked at each other and said “it’s time to turn around and head for a safe spot”.   So about 45 minutes later we are comfortably settled at anchor in Reid Harbor on Stuart Island.  We successfully operated the windlass anchor and decide to sit back and enjoy the peaceful surrounds with a nice bottle of wine.  The sun is shining and the waters are calm.  Now this is the life!  We are feeling pretty good about now because we successfully operated the auto pilot and the windlass and piloted the boat in some very rough waters.  We decide to start the generator so we won’t be drawing on the house batteries while we enjoy the evening.  But for the generator to be successful it must synchronize with the inverter because it is the inverter that changes or inverts the power generated to ac power.  Well we couldn’t get the inverter to work.  We pushed buttons, we read manuals, we tried everything we could think of and no luck.  So what that means is that if we use any electricity we might not have enough power in the morning to raise the anchor.  So we decide to shut everything off (including the heat) and go to bed when it gets dark.  So 7:30 was pretty dark and very cold inside our vessel.  So we went to bed.  I can’t remember when the last time was that I went to bed so early.  But at least it was warm. 

Feb 11.                                               Reid Harbor to Sidney B.C.  8:41a.m.  5924.3 Engine Hours,

                                             32,325 miles.  Arrive at 10:30 a.m. 

It is hard to get out of  bed because it is so cold.  But we force ourselves out because we want to continue on our excursion.  The weather forecast for today is calm so we want to get started so we don’t encounter seas like we had yesterday.  So after a very quick breakfast we are ready to head out.  But nothing is so easy on this maiden  voyage.  The dedicated batteries for the starter is dead!  Luckily the house batteries were able to start the engine (good thing we didn’t use any electricity last night) and raise the anchor.  So now we are off.  And it is absolutely calm seas the entire crossing.  What a change from yesterday.  We are a little bummed out about the inverter and battery situation but we will talk to the repair guys when we get to Sidney and find out what is wrong (maybe it isn’t us this time!)  I call Customs to let them know we are coming and I use the VHF radio to call the marina people to get the okay to enter the marina and tie up at the docks.  After we get tied up I call Customs to get us cleared (luckily that went just fine) and we head to our assigned spot on the docks.  But we see no electricity for this part of the docks.  Now what – we don’t want to spend another cold night and yet we can’t leave until Wednesday because of the weather (we don’t want to venture across again in bad seas)  So we head to the office to see what can be done, when I notice a plug on the dock lamp.  Yep, it’s the electric outlet for our slip!  Sometimes we wonder how dense are we!   So after lunch in town we head back to the boat.  Jerry is poking around trying to see what we might have missed last night.  And what do you suppose – he sees a switch on the generator that is Off.  After talking to the repair guy, he turns the switch to On and we try the generator/invertor thing again.  It Works!!!!   So now we know another system. But the thing about the switch is that it is well hidden and was mistakenly turned OFF by the repair guys.  So it was really an intelligent thing that Jerry found the switch.  Now we just have to get the starting batteries to work. 

Feb 12.  A quiet day in Sidney.  Laundry day.  I learn how to clean the shower filter so that has now become the job of the First Mate.  Jerry spends a lot of time working on the battery situation.  He has been talking to Granville Marine and also the previous owner to try to determine why the starting battery is not being charged.  Nothing definitive yet, we will see what happens in the morning.  We took Frank Dirkson, the boat broker, out to lunch as a thank you for all his hard work and then a walk around town.  I spend a few hours learning the computer navigation system “The Capn”   not too hard and it does a lot of good stuff.  It will be very helpful once we have that system mastered, and we are close to understanding it.

Feb. 13.                        Sidney to Anacortes   Leave dock at 9:06  Arrive at approx 4:00

                                             Sunny skies, Calm seas.  5927 hours     32,335 miles

Back to Anacortes today. The engine fires right up so we are happy but a bit confused as to what the problem was before.  We will find out when we get to Anacortes.   First we have to clear Customs at Friday Harbor so we cross Haro Strait in calm waters and the current is with us so we make pretty good time, Speiden Channel where the current is against us at a speed of 4.8 knots at times, then down the San Juan Channel into Friday Harbor.  No problem with Customs, they let us back in to the country with no problems!  A nice leisurely cruise back to Anacortes.  Just as we arrive at our slip, the repair guys from Granville Marine are just finishing up work on the boat in the neighboring slip.  So they come take a look at our boat and discover a loose wire from the Echo Charger to the starting battery.  That explains why the battery wasn’t charging.  So now all things working great and we are preparing to head to South Puget Sound for a few weeks.  A beautiful day, a calm cruise – what more could you ask for!

Feb. 14                     Anacortes to Langley on Whidbey Island   Leave  at 8:45 arrive at 3:30

                                   Engine Hours 5934   32377 miles   Sunny skies, calm seas

Had a little trouble starting the engine again this morning.  A sluggish start but it did start on the starting battery.  After pumping out we head towards the Swinomish Channel.  We studied the currents and tides last night so we feel pretty confident that the current will be with us down the narrow three mile channel.  But when we get there we are fighting the current the entire way.  I guess we were given faulty information.  The tide was an ebb tide flowing north out of the channel.  We were told an ebb tide was just the opposite.  So the trip was a little slow going but calm waters.  Just at the end of the channel while we were maneuvering through the part called Hole in the Wall we noticed a tug right on our tail.  Just after we passed through the narrow part he passes us – no signal like two blasts of the horn.  He just figured he was going faster than us and didn’t have to bother with “rules of the road”.  Oh well, I guess he had more important things to do.  The cruise was very pleasant passing Camino Island and part way down Whidbey Island.  We decided to moor at Langley on Whidbey Island.  There is a funky little marina there and the town is fun to wander through.  But the tide is pretty low when we arrive and we just aren’t sure about getting inside without hitting bottom and besides the manager of the marina never returned our call to acknowledge our arrival.  So after discussing whether we should continue on to Everett or stay here for the night, we decide to go ahead and anchor in the little cove where the Langley marina is located.  Anchoring is always so peaceful and the scenery is fantastic.  We were able to get the generator and inverter working just fine so we had heat and electricity and an enjoyable evening “on the hook”.

Feb. 15.                     Langley to Shilshole Marina, Seattle     Leave at 7:15  Arrive at 11:40

                            Engine Hours   5941   32415 miles          Cloudy skies, calm seas

We prepare to leave while enjoying a beautiful sunrise.  When you see a sunrise like that it always seem to be special.  Mt Rainier was out and later on in the morning the Olympics were clear and beautiful as well.  This morning we had to use the house batteries to start the engine.  So Jerry has been talking with Larry Rick (previous owner) and Granville Marine to try to figure out the problem.  So while he was doing that I was driving for a while today.  But with automatic pilot it really isn’t too difficult.  And if things get touchy, I just call for the Captain to take over.  Another calm day of cruising.  We get settled in our slip at Shilshole Marina and meet up with the people who will be regalvanizing the “fish” part of our stabilizing system.  The boat will sure look good when that is completed.  We will pick them up on our return trip from South Puget Sound.  So then we walk around Ballard and watch the boats coming and going through the Ballard Locks.  It is quite an interesting procedure.  Perhaps we will attempt that on our return trip.  We would be entering from Puget Sound and ending up at Lake Washington.  That could be an interesting trip. 

PREPARING, PROVISIONING AND LOTS OF VISITING

 Feb 16.                             Shilshole Bay in Seattle  to Tacoma  Leave at 8:30 arrive 2:00

                                          Engine Hours 5946   32439 miles   Sunny and calm seas

Another gorgeous day for cruising.  Lots of boats out today since it is Saturday and beautiful weather.  Still having trouble with the starting battery but the house battery is working as a back up for starting.  We cross the shipping lanes twice and several ferry lanes in our journey south to Tacoma and saw many tugs pulling barges with various types of loads.   We had no problems at all.  It was an uneventful cruise which is just what we want to have.  When we were near Browns Point approaching Commencement Bay in Tacoma we encountered a school of porpoises  who decided to have some fun with us.  They were swimming around the bow of the boat and pushing off from it.  What a fun site to see.  Cruising through Commencement Bay was really fun for us as well.  Having grown up in the area we are very familiar with it but never have seen this part of Tacoma from this perspective.  Going under the 11^th Street Bridge was kind of neat, we have driven over it many times but never been under it.  The Dock Street Marina where we wanted to go was full so we are on the other side of the Thea Foss Waterway at Delin Marina.  A very nice facility with a community room which has a big screen tv, nice showers and laundry facilities.  In fact the showers are free as well as cable tv hookups.  After we get settled and Jerry rinses off the boat we call Bud & Jo Ann and they come over to see Knot Dreamin’ for the first time.  It is a warm afternoon and a great day for them to get to enjoy relaxing on the boat. 

Feb 17.  Just staying in the slip today.  After doing some laundry and general clean up Bud & Jo Ann, Judy, Glen & Donna come over so Judy, Glen & Donna can check out the boat.  It is another sunny day so it was fun to sit around a visit with them.  After they all leave Jerry and I go for a long walk along Ruston Way.  Things have really changed there with the removal of Asarco which was an old metal refinery plant.  The city has made a nice waterfront walkway and it is obviously a favorite place of many local residents.  There are also many mooring buoys that look like a nice place to cruise to and spend the night.  We might have to do that when we leave the downtown marina.

Feb 23-27.  Chillin’ out in Tacoma.  Got a lot of shopping done – 4 days worth.  We bought a new motor for the dinghy, two folding bicycles, a new GPS system, new navigation software, lots of nuts and bolts and screws, food to last us a long time in case we don’t catch any seafood, a new battery switch, and lots of general boat supply stuff.  Then comes the task of finding places to put it all.  We actually still have a few empty compartments so we could do more shopping but we have given Bud back his truck so for now the shopping is done. We have also been able to see lots of family while here.  Jerry’s parents, sister, brother and wife were here a few times.  My aunt, cousin and wife were here also.  Hopefully by the end of the week we will have been able to make a few more connections with family and friends before we head out.  Jerry successfully installed the new battery switch.  We will see if that is the solution when we leave the slip.  But the big installation was the GPS system.  Routing the wire was no small task.  We found how the ceiling was installed and behind the scenes of the instrument panels.  He did an excellent job just like an Old Salt!  He also installed the new navigation software.  We are excited about it, it has so many features that will come in handy such as daily tidal and current information.  So it has been a very busy time here in Tacoma.  We have been moored at Dock Street Marina which is located near a beautiful bridge and also right by the Glass Museum.  There is a walkway over the freeway from the Museum to downtown Tacoma which has some beautiful glass displayed in it and also the ceiling of the overpass is an enclosed glass sculpture.  Very impressive and just a sample of what is inside the museum. 

We had a visitor moor next to us one day.  Cabernet is the name of the 6.5 million dollar brand new  vessel which was just purchased by someone who owns a vineyard in California.    Now that is one big boat!

Feb. 28.                    Dock Street Marina, Tacoma to Quartermaster Harbor, Vashon Island

                                        Leave Tacoma  12:55pm   5953 hours,    Arrive Vashon Island 2:50 pm 

                                         Clear skies, calm seas

After spending the morning getting things done on the boat, we head out across Commencement Bay to Quartermaster Harbor on Vashon Island.  The engine starts right up so we figure the battery switch which Jerry replaced  was the starting problem.  It is good to know that one more thing has been taken care of.  This is just a short little cruise but we want to have a night on anchor.  The cruise is very short and uneventful but very pretty.  The water is like a lake and inside the Harbor area is really nice.  There are lots of houses lining the harbor area.  Again the area has become very populated since I was a kid and would come to Vashon for church camp in the summers.  Some of you who are reading this will remember how much fun we would have at Camp Burton.  Well we were anchored just around the spit from the Camp.  Couldn't see it but sure brought back a lot of memories of some fun times.  After we got the anchor down we decided it was time to try lowering the boom to get the dinghy in the water.  I thought this was going to be a strenuous and complicated job.  But we did it pretty well for the first time.  And after we have done it a few more times it will be really pretty easy.  Jerry took the dinghy for a spin to get the new motor broken in and I spent a few quiet moments on board the boat just enjoying the scenery.

Feb. 29.  It is always an enjoyable time when we anchor out.  It is so peaceful and quiet.  But the weather is changing and a storm is going to be coming in this afternoon so we are going to go back to Dock Street Marina for the weekend.  We have plans to visit Amy and Dan (cousins) on Saturday morning and Bill & Betsy (long time friends) on Saturday evening.  But the motor doesn’t start!  After jiggling the ignition it then started right up.  So it wasn’t the battery switch at all but the ignition switch, which Jerry thought it was all along.  So we head back across Commencement Bay to the Marina.   I drove the boat this time!  The Captain makes it look so easy but the First Mate shows that it is harder than it looks!  If only there wasn’t any wind it would have been easier.  But I did okay and will get better with practice.  But not to worry, when we got near to the marina,  the Captain took over and docked it so easily even in the wind.   Jerry talks to the parts department where Nordhavn is built.  They will be ordering a new switch for us and we will probably get it when we get to Seattle.   Bud & Jo Ann bring us some mail and we have dinner with them at Harmons Brew Pub.       

March 1.  Today is company day.  My cousins, Amy and Dan, arrive around 9.  We have a great visit and enjoy pictures of their new grandchild.  Then in the late afternoon our long time friends, Bill & Betsy Bailey come to see us and Knot Dreamin.  We got to see pictures of their new grandchild as well.  A great evening catching up with old friends.    Our time in Tacoma has been very productive in terms of stocking the boat and getting needed parts and getting much more familiar and comfortable with Knot Dreamin’.  But better than that it has given us the time to spend with many of our friends and family members that we don’t get to see very often.   We have had a great time visiting with all those we were able to see while in town.   We are truly blessed with so many wonderful people in our lives.  

March 2.   10:10 leave Tacoma  5958 Hours   32488 miles

                   2:22  arrive Blakely Harabor.    Clear skies, calm seas, slight breeze

 Leaving Tacoma.  We decided rather than go straight to Shilshole Bay we will spend the night “on the hook” in Blakely Harbor on Bainbridge Island.  The cruise from Tacoma to the harbor is only a couple of hours.  The waters are calm and it is a sunny day.  We see several fisherman out trying to catch salmon but didn’t see any being caught.  We head up Colvos Passage which is an nice cruise between Vashon Island and the Peninsula of Washington near Port Orchard.  We take turns driving today because I’m not too comfortable weaving through the fishing boats.  Blakely Harbor once was a booming sawmill that during the 1880’s was claimed to be the largest in the world.  Today it is just a quiet little harbor that provides a great anchorage.  Very nice homes surround the inlet which  is directly across East Passage (a major shipping lane) from Elliott Bay in Seattle.  We can see the lights of Seattle and it is a beautiful sight, too bad the pictures I took didn’t turn out.

March 3.    9:45 leave Blakely Harbor   5962 hours  

                    11:30 arrive Shilshole Marina, Seattle   overcast, windy, 2 foot seas

The crossing of East Passage was a little rocky but nothing really bad.  So here we are back at Shilshole Marina.  After we get settled we take out to get the ignition switch.  It is about a 3 mile walk round trip which felt good since we havn’t been getting much exercise lately.  Got a few more supplies at West Marine, Happy Hour at Anthony’s Home Port, then get the laundry done.  A pretty quiet afternoon.  Made arrangements with Tom and Janine for tomorrow to go through the Ballard Lock.  I am a little apprehensive about that but having Tom along will help because he has been through them before and of course the Captain thinks it will be fun.  I think I will appoint Tom First Mate for this voyage and just sit back and watch. 

March 5.     Lake Union  depart 7:02   5966 hours  32524 miles

Lake Washington, Andrew Bay   arrive 9:30  calm water, slight  breeze , some clear skies some foggy skies near Mercer Island

An early departure.  The lake is calm. 

we pass by Gas Works Park, a popular park in Seattle. and then through the Montlake Cut which is a pretty narrow channel connecting Lake Union to Lake Washington.  We pass through U of W territory and we encounter several canoes on the lake several of which are the rowing team practicing.  We pass under the 520 bridge and the I 90 bridge.  It is kind of strange going under all these bridges that we have driven on many times.  We decide to stay the night in Andrews Bay which is right by Steward Park.  We dinghy in to shore with our new folding bikes.  Tom is there to guide us through the park.  Our bikes unfold very easily and the ride through the park is a nice way to break them in.  The wheels are smaller than a normal bike and they handle a little differently but we think they will work just fine and they are easy to get on and off the boat.  Steward Park is a popular Seattle Park.  In the summertime the bay we are anchored in is full of boats.  But today we are the only ones.  It is a beautiful spot.  After our bike ride we return to the boat and prepare for our evening with my nephew Jason.  He is bringing pizza for dinner and also his girlfriend and her daughter which we are excited to get to meet.  Jerry takes the dinghy to shore to taxi them to the boat.  We have a nice visit in a beautiful setting.  Jason told us that from his office on the 37^th floor of one of the skyscrapers in downtown Seattle he was able to see our boat on the lake – it looked like a very small white dot from that distance!

March 6.     Andrews Bay Lake Washington  depart 9;57  5968 hrs. 32,533 miles

                      Coulon Park Lake Washington arrive  11:22

We enjoyed the lake so much yesterday that we decided to extend our stay on the lake another day, this time at Coulon Park in Renton.  I drove the whole way here (which really wasn’t so far).  The view of Mt. Rainier is gorgeous and today we even say the Olympics for a short time.  After we arrive we set the anchor then go to shore to walk through the park.  Another beautiful park on the lake.  Some of the homes on the lake are spectalor and gigantic.  We meet up with Tom and Janine for dinner at Ivar’s and then back to the boat by dinghy.  The lights on the lake are really pretty.