The Rest of the Way to Port Townsend

The Rest of the Way to Port Townsend

Well, after laughing at me and the way the boat spun around Joe started the engine and we motored out of the offending waters. We stayed on a good tack for sometime. We were going fast in sailboat terms, (although since we had no instruments who knows). We continued to beat up wind without making much headway. Because we didn't fuel up before we left we absolutely had to sail part of the way. Yes you heard me, we did not fill the fuel tank and it is small, only 10 gallons. You are starting to understand why I chose the title, right?

The were ships coming up on us and we had to start the motor once again. I was down below reading old charts to figure out where we were and how far we had yet to go. I guessed before we left it was somewhere around 10 miles. Nay, it is more like 30! HOLY COW! Joe, are we going to make it? Sure we will baby. But it is getting dark, we are low on fuel, we are going into the wind and we are still 10 miles out. Are you scared yet? Because I am.

The sun was setting and we had the mainsail up the jib down and the motor running and we were going into the wind still. It was getting dark and we were relying on my knowledge of the landscape to find the port. I don't know what it looks like in the dark. I got out the binoculars and looked at the shore and say I think that's it right there. NO! That was not it, that was Marrowstone Point, we nearly headed for the ground between the lighthouse and a very large house on the shore but the disaster was avoided. The land in the distance came into view and we knew quickly the course needed to change. Joe made the appropriate adjustment and we were headed for the town of Port Townsend. 

Where is the entrance to the marine? It isn't lighted. I think that's it. No it isn't it. Maybe it's there. No not there. The shore, turn. There it is, that way that way. Joe I didn't get the fenders out. It's okay bay the dock has small bumpers we will be fine. 

It is a narrow opening to this marina and we were relying on the lights from businesses in the town to see. Joe got us in and pulled into the first slip available. It was wide and long. There was a boat next to us but they were asleep, until we got there. 

For those of you who are not sailors, getting to the dock is the beginning of work. You need to tie the boat up, put fenders out, get shore power connected, tie and bag the sails. This is a minimum. We don't currently have a head on the boat so we all needed to pee as well, including Albert, the dog.

Well tomorrow we will get our rigging surveyed and decide if this is the boat we will take to sea or not. It is late and I am oh so tired.

The Beginning Late In the Game

This last week we headed over to Port Townsend from Port of Everett for a rigging inspection. We got up on Monday morning and decided to go. 

We made a quick mental list of what we needed to make the trip:

Dani,You pack you bag and I'll pack mine, Joe,OK baby.

Dani Hey did you remember your pills? Joe,Yes, did you remember yours?

Dani, Thank you. Joe,Should we take a bike? Dani,I don't think there is space. I watered the plants lets load the car.

In the little HHR goes the mattresses for the Vbirth, (note the front seat must be put down for this to occur) the cooler, Joe's bag, Dani's bag, the back pack with the computer and the dog. Now this may not sound like much but the Vbirth mattresses are big, long and wide. So they go from the back of the car to the glove box and across the width. The cooler and bags got shoved in around them. There was a small space in the back seat for a 5 year old, Joe sat there and I drove. Oh yes, the dog, he got crammed in the floor board of the front passenger seat.

Off we go. Six blocks from the house I remembered I left my phone on the chair, we did not go back and get it. Big mistake! We stopped at the nutrition store for powdered food and we were off.

When we arrived at the marina, we got carts and loaded them up with all our stuff and headed down to the boat. We began loading the boat with some frustration and fussing on both our parts. The boat gets loaded ready to start it and the battery is dead. Well both the batteries are dead. Joe looked at me and said,"well lets go get a new battery." 

Off we go to one of the many chandleries to get a battery. Now getting a battery for a boat is not as simple s you may think. Do you want 6 volt or 12 volt? AMG glass pack, gel or standard? this is all before you decide what brand to get. We wanted gel, we thought. But 6 volt or 12? How many amp hours will we need in the end and how do we connect them? In series or something different? Marine batteries are expensive. The will range from around $100 to many hundreds per battery. We chose a throw away and only $125. Joe got it installed and the engine started right up. 

We were off. Two hours later than planned but we were off. I had recently completed a couple of sailing classes and was excited to use my new found skills on our boat. Heading out I got the fenders in and stowed, dock lines stowed, jib hanked on and we were set. Having been around the south end of Whidbey Island before, we knew that we would have to motor around the point before we actually put the sails up and headed up wind.

It seems that where ever you are headed in Puget Sound, you will be going into the wind, and for the first bit we were going against the tide. We rounded the point and the wind picked up, I could feel the excitement grow in anticipation of turning off the engine. The sails were set and the course was set so we cut the motor. The current was so strong I was quickly locked in irons. For those of you who don't know, I screwed up. The current was strong and the wind was turning like a toilet bowl swirly. Joe was laughing at me in my frustration as the boat was being pushed and pulled by current and wind and my steering had no effect.