Dateline: San Luis Obispo Bay, October 31, 2012

While Kalliope spends over a month in Monterey Harbor her owners visit Palo Alto, New York and San Diego to visit family and friends.Between travels ashore we enjoy Monterey where we find a small town with good public transportation, good health care and free wi-fi provided by the city.

There is also abundant wildlife in the harbor.  Recently a large school of sardines entered the harbor and were unable to find their way out.  The resident California Sea Lions patrol the harbor in packs of six to sixteen and aggressively hunt the remaining sardines.Following the sardines are cormorants, gulls, herons and pelicans.  The pelicans circle overhead and, when they spot a careless fish, fold their wings and dive violently into the water.  I found this quite unnerving when one hit the water close enough to splash me as I walked by on the float.  The sea lions come to the surface, take a quick breath, roll on their side, lift one flipper in the air and dive for another tasty morsel.  As I walk down the float toward shore a single fish, apparently pursued by the sea lions, jumps out of the water and lands on the walkway.  It has time to flop only once before one of the waiting gulls grabs and swallows it a split second before other gulls converge to steal it from the lucky one.  The fish was large relative to the size of the gull, so it seems quite remarkable that the bird was able to swallow it at all.
 

Birds on float in Monterey wait for hapless sardine.


The Gull catches one.



The others try to steal it from him/her.

The regal heron is above the fray . . .

 

but the sea lions are in the thick of it.

 

Awaking at anchor in the calm water of Morro Bay’s small boat harbor, we grab a quick bite, launch the tender and paddle a short way to a public float provided for folks like us. Then we walk the other half of town, the half we didn’t walk yesterday evening. The town is in the shadow of a“volcanic plug” which rises from the surf to a height of 580 feet with very steep sides and a roughly circular footprint. The surrounding sea, land and beach are relatively flat in contrast. Our morning walk takes us along a park-like footpath past commercial fishing boats, restaurants, a large electric power generation plant and a small Coast Guard station to an undeveloped area that includes a beach and this big rock known as Morro Rock. A busy parking lot serves the adjacent beach where lots of surfers suit up for the adventure. I comment that this may be the most surfers I’ve ever seen in one place. Though it is a relatively calm day, there is still a respectable swell breaking on the beach and we enjoy watching the athletes ride wave after wave.

Throughout our walk we occasionally ask each other if we want to take the short sail from here to San Luis Obispo or wait one more day. Mexico is calling Gregg and he finally decides he wants to get another 20 miles closer. We walk back to the tender, paddle to Kalliope, stow the gear, crank the engine, pull the anchor and move on out to sea. As the wind is calm, we motor to the south, eventually, in a show of optimism, unfurling the big jib sail. Our course leads close to shore and we enjoy the unfolding view of beach, dunes and eventually bluffs rising from the water. As is often the case, the wind picks up in the afternoon and the sail pulls well. We give the engine a rest.

October 30, 2012

Approaching San Simeon in the dark and fog, it occurs to me that a few months ago we would heave-to and wait for daylight to make this approach but increasing confidence allows us to anchor up in this secure shelter and get a good rest before pushing on. A wise old man once told me serious boating accidents happen mostly to people who get over-confident, so we are being very careful.

We are equipped with good charts and multiple GPS devices. By carefully monitoring both, we can know where we are and the direction to the desired anchorage. We even know when an unlighted black hulk looms out of the fog that it is the pier shown on the chart. We don’t know, except by direct observation that the one bright light visible is a commercial fishing boat at anchor and it is a good reference point for our anchorage. As we set the anchor, we hear the surf on the beach just to the north. The next morning the fog clears somewhat and we can see the beach and gentle surf.

Gregg thinkd this is a vulture circling

over the barrier island at Morro Bay.

 

We clear the buoy marking the shoals off Point Buchon and see an apparition in the distance.  There are two huge domes, each somewhat like Morro Rock, (remember Morro Rock?)  But, they are too regular to be anything but man-made.  They are marked on the chart simply as “domes” but a security zone is also noted on the chart.  By hauling out the pilot book, a NOAA publication which provides some narrative on coastal features, I learned that boats are not allowed within 2,000 yards of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.  My ignorance on this topic is now slightly reduced.  We probably would have seen this huge installation from 20 miles away if we approached from the west.  It looks very vulnerable from a 21^st century perspective.

The wind continues to increase and the sun comes out as we turn to the east following the coast.  This gives us a more favorable angle to the wind improving our speed and soon we are in San Luis Obispo Bay, protected from the NE wind and swell.  What a great day!

West end of Anacapa Island near Santa Barbara. A funny thing happened here:

 

November 6, 2012  HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK! A loud horn wakes me from a deep sleep.  With my eyes open, I can see we are being swept with searchlights.  The time is 4:30 a.m.  I emerge from the hatch showing only head and shoulders.  “Come on out.” commands an authoritative amplified voice.  I emerge showing both hands and wearing socks, jockey shorts and a smile.  Have you ever seen a skinny wrinkled sixty-five year old man in shorts and a smile?  The approaching craft is easily recognized as a standard government issue U.S. Coast Guard motor lifeboat.  I run down a mental checklist.  We have  proper documents, proper lights are showing, life vests are within arm’s reach, I made no discharge of sewage or oil, the National Park Service specifically permitted us to anchor here at Anacapa Island; I have nothing to hide.

The voice asks “Is anyone else aboard?”  I tell them my wife is also aboard and, when asked, I deny having any weapons.  At this point they close to within two feet and two armed, uniformed men climb aboard Kalliope.  “I need to check the engine room.” the no-longer amplified voice states, starting down the companionway.  After a cursory look around the cabin, the man returns to the deck and the life boat moves farther away.  “We are sorry to bother you, but we got a report of suspicious activity out here-we have to check it out.  How long have you been here?  Have you seen any activity?”  I ramble on about the small boats that passed in the last two days.  There was also a Navy helicopter supporting yesterday’s live fire exercise to the south.  Of course he wants to see our identification and vessel documentation so we head below while Deb chats up the handsome young man on deck.  I pull on jeans and a shirt before pulling the requested documents and he copies down the data he requires.  Returning to the deck, they apologize again and return to their boat which steams off to the south.

I want to get an early start today in any event, so I enjoy my coffee and cereal while admiring the calm waters of the cove.  As planned, we are underway motoring east along the coast of the island well before daylight.  In the next cove, a catamaran is anchored close in under the cliff with no lights.  It looks much more suspicious than we do and I’ll bet we are the only boat the Coast Guard checked!



Middle of Anacapa Island

 

East end.  Nice place - not crowded - USCG a bit

of a nuisance. Just doing their job I guess.

While Deb took a nap, Gregg took the kayak around the marina for a few photos:

This beautiful 45 foot Hunter Legend is for sale . . .

This is Sisu of San Francisco, a lovely Hans Christian boat.

One of the interesting elements of life in Monterey is the Beach Gang.  This is a diverse group of people all fishing for sardines from the public wharf by the marina.  Two of them are 50 year old males with thick beards and a slightly unwashed look.  Near them you may recognize a whiff of Mary Jane, if you know what that’s like.  There is a 30 year old male, always alone and an independent thinker.  The others tend to bunch together at mid-wharf but this guy opts for the deeper water near the end and usually has it all to himself.  There are a couple of families that park cars on the pier.  Mom and one or two kids under the age of seven sit in the car while dad is a few steps away fishing from the rail. There are usually several tourists walking out or back with their cameras but they don’t stay long.  Some of the other characters spend long hours on the wharf every day.  The tourists speak Spanish, German, French or English.  The locals speak English, Spanish, Tagalog, Cantonese, Mandarin or Vietnamese.

Everyone fishes with light spinning tackle and the most popular lure is a series of about five light flies and a lead weight to make them easy to cast. I saw one lucky guy haul in three sardines on one cast.  Everyone gets a little agitated when a school of sardines passes by.  Sometimes there are half a dozen dolphins and flocks of pelicans and gulls in hot pursuit.  Sometimes half a dozen folks haul fish in at the same time.  Yes the fish are small compared to Alaska, but the weather is more pleasant in Monterey.

The view from the wharf is a wide expanse of Monterey Bay.  I wrote a description of it twice and threw it out twice.  Then I noticed the following in “Cannery Row” by John Steinbeck: “There is a beautiful view from the Carmel grade, the curving bay with the waves creaming on the sand, the dune country around Seaside and right at the bottom of the hill, the warm intimacy of the town.”  Well done!

The cyst was removed without complications and Deb returned to the boat after two nights in hospital.  She is on light duty which includes a lot of walking and some sanding on the bow sprit.  She is not as perky as usual, but well on the way to recovery.

9/21/12  Deb’s abdominal pain is too bad to ignore any longer so we plan a bus ride from Moss landing to the hospital at Monterey.  A sympathetic stranger gives us a lift direct to the hospital in her car, a skilled physician diagnoses an ovarian cyst, and an OB/GYN doctor recommends removing the cyst sooner, not later.  Reality check time for the Burtons.

9/20/12  We‘ve a few days to kill before Gregg’s followup to a root canal so we go sailing.  Deb is under the weather and Gregg does the heavy lifting.  The noble Kalliope moves smartly with a double reefed main sail and a small scrap of jib exposed to the strong wind.  Arriving in Moss Landing Deb does her share by piloting Kalliope through the surf into the narrow channel.  We enjoy this harbor given more to commercial fishing than weekend sailors.  Additionally, sea lions are crowded on many of the floats at the marina making for good photos and an interesting walk from boat to shore.  Can you imagine having your sleep interrupted by the barking of nearby sea lions competing for float space?

 

 

9/19/12  Some passer-by invites Gregg to dinner at the Monterrey Yacht Club, saying it’s the best deal in town.  True!  We enjoy a delicious meal and good company.  We get some great tips about boat maintenance and favorite ports of call.

9/18/12  Deb and Gregg stroll along the coastal trail of Monterrey. This is a wide sidewalk with access to the shoreline and good views of the harbor.  We see seals balanced on rocks in the shallow water and pelicans, cormorants and egrets sunning themselves.  Gregg’s municipal bureaucrat experience leads to a conclusion that this community provides good infrastructure promoting tourism and quality of life.

 

 

 

9/16/12  This is a warm sunny day ashore in the college town of Santa Cruz.  We wander through the beachfront amusement park, the downtown commercial district and we find a Greek festival. From a café table in a parking lot, we enjoy a bouzouki band with a great Greek vocalist followed by teenage Greek dancers in traditional costume. Next we stroll through a maritime educational facility, wrap up the day with a good Mexican meal and paddle the dinghy back to where Kalliope is anchored.

 

9/15/12  Gregg hauls anchor in Half Moon Bay while Deb sleeps.  We sail all day in view of the coastline showing cliffs carved out by the pounding surf.  Just north of Santa Cruz we pass and photograph a beautiful lighthouse with a traditional white tower streaked by rust and silhouetted against the arid hills beyond.  Our preference is to show you the picture but we can’t figure out how to shrink it down to a suitable size.

 

9/8/12  During a visit with family in Palo Alto, we take time for a day sail on San Francisco Bay.  Victoria probably enjoys it best, but we hope everyone at least takes a story home to tell friends.  Gregg and Victoria in disguise below:

 

David retreats from the bow to the relative warmth of the cockpit, and Cathy does her share of the chores with lines and winch handles.

First Offshore Passage

August 18, 2012. We are moored safely in Noyo Harbor, Mendocino County, CA, USA.  When we caught up on sleep we had a discussion about how many weeks we were at sea.  We had enough info to nail down the number accurately and found it was six nights/seven days.  We had a watch system of four hours on and four hours off.  Miss Debby now plans short hops that can be done in less than 12 hours for the next leg of our journey.

Noyo Harbor is just south of Ft. Bragg, a town not a military base.  We have not explored the town, but there are restaurants and a small shopping center near the harbor.  Our contacts are mostly commercial fishermen, all of whom have interesting stories.  They are trolling for salmon and tuna and long-lining for black cod right here in California!  Today for the first time in my life, I heard a fisherman say the fishing is good.  Sorry Fritz, Terry and Andy DeV.

Some of the docks in Noyo Harbor were destroyed in the Tsunami generated by the earthquake in Japan in 2011.  Several boats were sunk and some of the floating docks are gone.  What is still here?  Pelicans, seals, sea lions, otters, ducks, gulls, raptors-possibly osprey and crusty old fishermen.

August 16, 2012. As we approach the California coast in very light wind at 2:00 a.m. I notice sparkles I think are a reflection of Kalliope’s navigation lights on the waves.  There is another possibility, so I check it out by dousing all the lights on the boat.  What a beautiful sight, they are still there, just like fire flies only under the water.  They seem to be triggered by the passage of the boat, flashing a pale green just for a second.

August 15, 2012. We are at sea off Cape Mendocino, CA, USA on our first offshore passage.  We last saw land August 9 when we sailed into the fog at Neah Bay, WA.  It has been a real learning experience, including difficulty moving safely around the boat when the waves are big and how difficult it is to cook, even heat water with that kind of motion.  Cpt. Gregg was reluctant to approach shore with winds at 25 knots so we passed by our first planned stop at Crescent City, CA. We were sailing south at 4 knots for days with no sails up.  (sailing under bare poles)  Even then it became apparent we would be well past our next waypoint before the wind abated, so we stopped the boat using a technique called “heaving to.”  This made the motion much more comfortable, though it was a bit unnerving when the breaking waves threw heavy spray across the deck.

Eventually the wind lets up and we enjoy the quiet and the relatively calm seas.  When I say I am relieved the storm is over my lovely wife says “Don’t be silly, THAT wasn’t a storm.”  In my own defense I will say I stood in the cockpit, reached out with a hand held anemometer, waited for the boat to come up out of the trough of the wave and watched the dial crank up to 35 knots in the gusts.  Just the facts, ma’m.  There were days in there where we said separately and in harmony: “I’m not having fun,” but when I ask my lovely wife if that means she is getting off at the next port, never to return, she said something like “Give it a couple of years.” and “I am sure going to arrange those noisy dishes and cans differently for our next passage.”

It may be because wildlife sightings were scarce, but the highlight of the past week came while looking around for passing ships.  Just ahead of the bow, three dolphins popped high into the air, arched over in perfect synchrony and dove headfirst back into the sea.  What I sight!  I wondered if they did it to get a better look at Kalliope.

Gregg developed a fascination with . . .

boats backsides, sterns, transoms . . .

admiring the humor, art and creativity found there.

Settling In

March 25, 2012

Kalliope is in Port Townsend, WA for a few weeks to have chainplates replaced by Port Townsend Rigging.  The backstay and both aft lower chainplates are out of the boat.  The mast is supported by running backstays, two halyards, a wing and a prayer.  The notes that follow are gathered from the activities of the week.
Another gorgeous day in Port Townsend starts out slowly.  I tidy up the boat as much as possible with all cushions removed to the foc’sle and three chainplates exposed.  From the interior the chainplates are accessible through cabinets, so doors and shelves are removed along with contents of the cabinets.
I watch the haulout of two boats and launch of one.  Kalliope’s berth is between two travel-lift ramps.  The road and the Marina Café occupy one side and on the fourth side the harbor slips are full of beautiful wooden sail boats and a few that might be described as ‘rough.’  I interrupt my ‘work’ to observe the launch of “Adventuress” a 1913 schooner, 101 feet on deck and easily 30 feet longer overall as both bowsprit and boom overhang the ends considerably.  One deckhand volunteers that he drove 1,000 miles for the opportunity to help other volunteers completely re-rig her.  A new main sail was built by a professional sail maker and a group of students, who were certified as sailmakers at the completion of the project.  Apparently the boat is sailed mostly by teens who provide the considerable power needed to raise and trim the sails, sheets and anchor chain.  “Adventuress” is owned by a foundation called “Sound Adventure” which has a web site with more details of their message and how they are making it work.
On Sunday, I did some chores for life and for Kalliope.  Yes, dear reader, it is trivia, but might provide some insight into living aboard:
•        Glued skeg on inflatable dingy
•        Adjusted fenders to keep the hull from grinding on the floating dock
•        Noted we have only five fenders.  I am sure there were seven last week.
•        Washed much of the salt off the port side of hull from waterline to rub rail, see one scratch
•        Tried to replace the cotter pin on the autopilot, but what I have is too big
•        Reinstalled the hatch cover for the emergency steering tiller
•        Put duct tape on rub rail at the new location for a fender – no other protection there for wood
•        Sweep out cockpit which had abundant metal filings and dust balls
•        Fixed cotter pin on new chain snubber – nearly lost clevis pin because I forgot to do it earlier!
•        Brought in two cockpit cushions preparing for the rain to come tomorrow
•        Checked for electrolysis on prop and shaft; it is all good
•        Washed and dried clothes and towels, except galley which are fine.

Sometime during all of this, I popped my head over the lifeline to see if the fenders were really gone and startled a river otter right there.  I got a very good view because he dove immediately, but swam on past me as he made his escape.  Someone advised that they climb on the docks and boats leaving scat behind and possibly damaging mooring lines.  The heron returned to his usual feeding spot.  When I observed him at high tide, he sat with belly feathers touching the water and head and neck retracted.  He was fishing though and successfully.  Other than that I saw a lone goose on the wing and a small raven on a nearby boat gonging as though to warn me away from his territory.

You want ME to go there?

Deb, the proud new owner

I manage to be on the dock when they raise Adventuress’ new gaff rigged main sail for the first time and they need every hand available.  So came the very great privilege of joining in the song sung by seamen for hundreds of years (though only 99 years on the Adventuress): “six, eight, heave; six, eight, heave as one seaman hauls down on the peak (or throat) halyard which then turns through a block and runs aft where eight more hardy souls including me, haul with all their might while watching the hands of the lead and singing out “heave.”  Note that this effort is raising the mainsail and the gaff at the top of the sail which is basically a small tree weighing about 350 lbs.  Yes there is mechanical advantage far up the main mast where the halyard runs through a couple of double blocks.  This was a mixed gender crew ranging in age from 20 to 70 with the eldest explaining that he and the rest of the rigging volunteers have to be off the boat tomorrow when the “regular” crew arrives.

February 20, 2012

Open skiff on Nushagak River, Alaska, USA

Deb and Gregg lived 16 years in Dillingham on Bristol Bay in Western Alaska.  During the summers they fished and camped on the lakes, rivers and the Nushagak estuary using an open skiff.  They also had several opportunities to cruise the Alaska coast on friends’ power boats.   When the time seemed right, they retired and bought a 25 year old Tayana 37 cutter planning to make some upgrades, take a few months to get familiar with the boat and head for Mexico and points south.  Gregg describes himself as a “pretty good dingy sailor.”  Reasonable people ask:  “What makes them think they can handle that boat in those places?”  They respond it they will figure out pretty quick if they can handle it or not.  This is their story.

We bought Kalliope in Bellingham, WA in December 2011, hoping to get some sailing in during breaks in the mild winter weather.  Very little sailing happened as the weather wasn’t as mild as expected.  Bellingham proved to be a pleasant place to pass the time and there were decisions to make.  What sails to take, where to store them, where to store food and spares, what tools to take, what electronics are needed, what to do for a tender, etc.

For the landlubbers, a tender is a small boat to take to shore when the sailboat is anchored out in the bay.  They are often used to haul water, groceries and laundry and occasionally used as tugboats to move or steer the larger vessel.  The most popular choice is a ten foot rigid inflatable boat with a 10 horsepower outboard motor.  We took a chance and acquired an inflatable “kayak” which is just a small open boat with no power other than paddles.  This boat will do some, but not all of the tasks just described.  In time, we will refine our opinion about what is needed.

We learned from word of mouth and on-line sources to suspect weakness at the anchor points connecting the hull with the mast through stays.  We found a rigger in Port Townsend to help evaluate and, if necessary, replace these anchor points.  At the appointed date we motored down Rosario Strait and across the extreme eastern limit of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Port Townsend and began the work with the riggers.

5/4/12 

Gregg turns 65 this month.  This should be an easy way to remember when we began this phase of our lives.  I say began because we left Bellingham on the 2^nd and except for a car, we’ve no ties to any land.  We have now begun our adventure.

Upon leaving Bellingham, we both sailed and motored (when there was no wind) to Sucia Island.  It’s a place everyone we met in Bellingham said was a must.  We chose to anchor in Fox Cove.  There was an option of mooring but why burn fossil fuel when we don’t have to? 

On our first full day here (May 3^rd) we simply paddled our canoe over to Little Sucia Island; a stone’s throw from the Kalliope.  We walked around the perimeter at a leisurely pace and saw a few kayakers out on the water with fishing poles and fishing nets resembling butterfly nets.  We never saw them catch anything.

Schooner Pleiades in Bellingham, Washington, USA

I took pictures of red Indian paint brush flowers which I don’t recall seeing since leaving Colorado.  Also shot some pink “clover looking” flowers along the hillside.

The camp sites are quite developed but beautifully maintained.  They even have one for handicapped folks.  They have composting toilets (waste is reduced to fertile soil after a few years of exposure to air), the buildings are well made and often decorated with fancy doors or wooden shingles.  There is one long dock in one of the bays on Sucia Island but otherwise there are just mooring buoys in the other bays we saw on a leisurely walk.  There were more trails but Deb has a sore foot.

We are surrounded by Canadian geese including a few families with chicks.  We also saw heron and river otters.  And at night there’s a seal that hangs around.  We saw a raptor of some sort flying overhead.  Some folks said it was an immature bald eagle but we couldn’t tell.  And oh yeah, banana slugs--big juicy, 6“ long and primarily yellow.  Plus there were completely black slugs of significant size but smaller than the banana slugs.  Interestingly, there were no wild flowers on the larger Sucia Island, just on the little one.

I am sitting outside in the cockpit now enjoying an absolutely gorgeous, sunny, calm day as I type this note.  I commented to Gregg that I think we’re doing well, not getting on each other’s nerves, considering how much time we’re spending together.  There was some tension about his indecision over a life raft but he finally ordered one before we left Bellingham, so all is good.

5/5/12

We sailed about four hours today in the sunny dry San Juan Island archipelago.  This is so much nicer than sailing in the rain.  Kalliope actually exceeded 6.5 knots for a while in wind about 15 mph. We heeled over some but not enough to cause concern.  I even convinced Gregg to skip the Dramamine today.  We see seals at about 30 minute intervals.  They are always by themselves.  We have not seen any whales.

After passing by Waldron Island we anchored for the night in Prevost Harbor at Stuart Island—one of the islands closest to Canada.  We moored to a buoy in January in Reid Harbor on the other side of this island.  On a leisurely stroll this afternoon along beautifully maintained trails we looked down on Reid Harbor and saw eight boats but still lots of space for more.

We wake to another dry, sunny day.  How long can this last?  Upon leaving at low tide by the same route we entered last night, two major reefs are visible in the bay, one on either side.  Seeing them increases one’s respect for navigation info on the charts.

Gregg has been fantastic about plotting our course, reading up on our destinations etc.  I’m still trying to get through the two beginner sailing books we “needed to know” for our class in Seward 5 yrs ago…

We tied up to a dock at Orcas Island’s Deer Harbor.  We’re here for the night at a cost of $66—not to worry, that includes shower tokens.  Gee, thanks a lot.  Gregg did the laundry in the morning since the laundry closed inconveniently early.

5/7/12

We filled our water tanks.  Can’t figure out why we have to fill them so frequently (every 5 days).  Think our water pump running frequently without us using water is a hint?

Tonight we anchored off Orcas Island behind Victim Island in West Sound just east of Deer Harbor.  This wasn’t nearly as picturesque as most of our stops have been.  We stayed on the boat all evening.  Near us on shore were buildings that looked like a sport fish camp that never made it.

I emptied out the foreward berth to unbury sail repair equipment and Duluth bags.  Most items were very dry but there was a bit of mold around the edges of the material under the cushions and on Gregg’s expensive waders and dry bag.  The latter find was worth the task.

Today we checked how fast a large ship can overtake us.  In one case a cargo ship which was “very far off” when first sighted was abeam in less than 15 minutes!  We need to keep a sharp eye out for sure, especially at night and in fog.

5/8/12

I actually unfurled the staysail and raised mainsail today with minimal guidance.  I just might learn this trade yet!  We were in East Sound off Orcas Island with little wind and Gregg at the helm.  The biggest issue was a failure to connect the halyard on the inside of the lazy jacks.  This means I worked hard to haul the sail half way up and it jammed in some lines that prevented it from going any higher.  I also didn’t know what line to release for the topping lift.  Details, details.

Before the day was out we motored back towards West Sound and turned south into Shaw Island’s Blind Bay, a more protected anchorage for the predicted winds.  Gregg at this very moment has the binoculars out and is spying on the other three sailboats in the little bay—one is an Island Packet from Oregon etc.  HoHum.  Good night Gregg.  From the boat we can watch the frequent coming and going of ferries landing at Shaw Island and across Harney Channel at Orcas where the lights shine brightly at night.  The ferries connect these spots with Friday Harbor to the West and Anacortes to the East.

Gregg added some oil to the engine tonight and while in the engine room, searched for a water leak.  Using his special talents he found a clamp that needed tightening under our bunk.  It was easily leaking enough to relieve us of a couple gallons or more of fresh water a day.  Since he tightened the clamp we haven’t had any hint of a leak.  “One problem down”.

Gregg discovered the missing part for the BBQ in the second kitchen drawer. We couldn’t use it the other day for want of the regulator.  Now we don’t have any meat to BBQ but we will…

5/9/12

Gregg took the inflatable out for a short time this a.m. while I did a Gilad stepping class out on the deck.  The Pelican case was a poor substitute for the exercise step which I donated to the YMCA prior to leaving Bellingham.  We had to face the reality that there was no place on the boat for it.

We went for about a three hour walk on Shaw Island mid-day.  On this small island cows (all 2 that we saw), sheep (at least 15), horses (4) and one caterpillar cohabitate.  Now the last may not seem exciting but when was the last time you saw a caterpillar?  We have moths and butterflies in AK but never saw a caterpillar.  It’s the little things in life that we now take the time to appreciate.

We walked to the crossroads where a church, museum and library are located.  The museum has a few artifacts outside including something called a reef net boat.  We had no idea how it was fished but Gregg admired its lines.

Today we “dined” at Shaw’s General Store--the only grocery store/deli on the island—located right next to the ferry pier.  They serve a delicious chicken sandwich on sourdough bread.  The store was once owned by Franciscan nuns who sold homemade food to visitors.  The couple who own it now bought it from the nuns when they moved to Oregon.

Paddling back to Kalliope in the inflatable we stopped at Blind Island, a teeny tiny state park.  I finally saw two large starfish in the tide pools where we went ashore.  The island was covered with purple flowers I don’t believe I’d ever seen.  Back on the Kalliope they were identified as Common Camos.  The flower book shows them only in WA, OR area.  There is an eastern version but different color.

On Thursday May 10, we motored and sailed into Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.  We anchored Kalliope nearby and paddled to the town dock.  This town is well known to boaters and other tourists and features one restaurant after another. The famous ferry makes many stops nearby and the ambiance is that of a quaint old Victorian village.  A couple B&Bs/shops were built around 1895 or 1907.  We made it to land about 5:00 in the evening so most shops were closing but the stainless steel screws needed to finish the autopilot box were available—hurrah!  We also picked up some fresh vegetables, fruit and meat so we can finally christen the BBQ.  We plan to return to town tomorrow to hit a few shops for items actually on our list.

Jesse called to say he and Hannah were married May 5^th.  It was just them, the priest and two witnesses.  “This fall we will have a big celebration”.  I asked why they got married now and he said the license was about to expire.  They are living up on the hill in Togiak in a HUD 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath apartment.  Hannah told Gregg they have next to no furniture at this time. Jesse is not working.  Hannah is working part time at AC still and has applied for a job with the tribal council.  We know Jesse is happy.  He always wanted to fall in love and marry.

5/11/12

We showered, started our shopping list, and then got sidetracked.  We decided to just spend another night in Friday Harbor and enjoy our time here.  We stopped at West Marine, Radio Shack, a book store, another tourist store or two and had a delicious simple lunch in a café.  The “bus boy” was a young lady who was the cashier in the store/café on Shaw Island.  She recognized us right away and said she has three jobs.  Why she’s working so hard remains a mystery.  We plan to visit the other side of the island in a couple weeks when the Bruders are on board.  Seems like there will be places to hike over there which we know is up their alley.

5/12/12

Motored for about 45 minutes from Friday Harbor over to Lopez Island to the town of Lopez.  There are big happenings here today—a sheep festival with sheep shearing, a sheep dog herding demo, etc.  We walked about a mile to the events and found weaving, felt making, cheese making, pack goats on display, a couple lambs on a BBQ spit and pizza cooked in a wood-fired adobe mud oven built on a trailer.  The lady baking the pizza also made the oven.

We asked in a co-operative art gallery in Lopez Village about Marie & V.A. Luckhurst.  From the shop we were able to call them and they graciously came to meet us.  It was easy to recognize him as soon as he stepped out of the car.  While visiting with them in an al fresco café, another member of the Dillingham Diaspora joined the conversation—John Yukluk.  I told him I just mailed his sister JoJo a letter yesterday.  Marie & VA invited us back to their home (one they built over the course of almost 3 years during which time they had no running water).   They have a large lot with lots of lawn to cut, completely surrounded by a fence high enough to keep deer out.   There is a pond stocked with fish where they admit relaxing on an inflatable raft and watching meteor showers.  Their enormous garden has apple trees, tall raspberry bushes, choke berries and a field of strawberries.  They preserve lots of what they produce.  VA can’t work due to back problems.  Marie has worked at the post office for 23 years (including a couple yrs in DLG).

VA explained the reef net fishery found in WA.  Two boats suspend a net between them.  From a crow’s nest they can see when they have a good catch.  The net is hauled in and as the boats pull closer together they load the fish into one of the boats.  A unique large flat-bottomed skiff evolved for this fishery.

The David B was an abandoned 50 foot tug boat V.A.Luckhurst played on as a youth in Ekuk, Alaska.  Tugs like this one were known as “monkey boats” and towed the sailboats of the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery from the cannery to the fishing grounds.  The Carscallen family acquired the David B. and barged it to Oregon.  Somehow it was again abandoned, this time on Lopez Island, WA where VA Luckhurst recognized an old “friend.”  New owners reclaimed it from Lopez, restored it and took it to Juneau and back.  More years passed before we moored near it in Bellingham, admired the boat, met the new owner and read excerpts of the book she wrote about the restoration.

We also learned a bit more about the Washington shrimp fishery.  Fishermen harvest different varieties at different times.  The fishery (even for personal use) is regulated similar to the salmon industry where it might be open for 3 days and then not again for a month.

VA & Marie invited us to stay with them if we’re back in the area or come to shower and eat.  Now that we have contact info we need to call ahead next time to invite them aboard for a sail since they seem interested.

We motored for about 45 minutes over to Indian Bay off of Shaw Island to anchor for the night.  We christened the gas grill, dining on steak, beer and yet another batch of burnt chocolate chip cookies. 

5/13/12

We tacked back & forth for hours in a brisk wind today. (I think that was today, I’m behind on diary entries and forgot about Spencer Spit anchorage).  We had lots of wind in Lopez Sound and then like a line was drawn in the water at Thatcher Pass the wind died.  We patiently coaxed Kalliope onto the other tack, crossed the line again and away we went.

We anchored in a beautiful area known as Spencer Spit off Lopez Island.  This is a long sand spit extending into the sound, with a well-maintained park, a few walking trails and camping areas for both primitive camping and car camping.  The Spit has picnic sites with fire rings for day use.  We were among 14 boats anchored on the south side.  The write-up in Wagoner’s guidebook said look for rabbits but we saw none (Gregg claims he stared one down when he went ashore the next morning).

May 14, 15, 16, 2012

We are back in Bellingham to shop until we drop. We also filled the water tanks, pumped out the holding tank, picked up mail and paid bills.  It took a long time to find hiding places (storage) for all our food supplies but I believe we did it.  For example a bottle of bleach under the floor by the bottom of the mast, extra spices in the pressure cooker and iced teas under the pressure cooker cabinet.  The clearance in this space is a truly ingenious discovery of mine.

5/17/12

We left Bellingham for Port Townsend about 2 p.m.  We motored most of the day due to a lack of wind.  This is a bit cooler day than we’ve had recently.  The sun barely showed itself through the clouds but at least there was no rain.

We anchored at James Island State Park.  The west side of the island has a dock where two boats can tie up. Those spots were taken and the nearby anchorage was a bit too deep so we tried the east side which was better protected from the wind.  Kalliope was the only boat in this cove.  Except for the wake from some distant ferries and their propeller noise which we hear through our hull, it was a great site.

We saw a deer on the shore while searching for the perfect anchorage.  On a walk in the woods the next morning we saw another.  How do they hop so fast on such uneven terrain and not think twice about their “feet” or legs?  Raccoons have been known to steal food from boats here but we never saw one.  Are they nocturnal?

5/18/12

 
As we approached Port Townsend I watched a small island with some structure on it in the middle of the bay.  Suddenly Gregg said: “Oh my God, it’s a submarine!”  I needed the binoculars to confirm it since most of the ship was below water.  It had an escort of two Coast Guard cutters.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a sub in or out of water.  It turns out Gregg spent a day on one near Key West Florida when the Navy had a public outreach program for high school students.  They were submerged on maneuvers with a sub-chaser.  He remembers it well.  Wow.  Who wouldn’t!

We fueled up in Port Townsend, got a slip and made up a bunk for Terry Johnson who came in for a small boat seminar.  Deb put most extra “stuff” in the shower stall.  If we can get shelves into the two hanging closets we could utilize the spaces much more efficiently.  “In due time”.

Gregg just said: “The sea cock for the salt water pump is in the linen closet.”  Hope it works.  It’ll save us lots of fresh water since we can use salt water for washing dishes.  We can still rinse the dishes in fresh water but we will use soooo much less.  A sea cock is a valve associated with any hole through the hull below the water line.