RECONNAISSANCE MISSION

Port Ludlow on a perfect October day.

It was the calm before the storm.

Weather started moving in late afternoon.

We went on a road trip to investigate Pacific Northwest cruising possibilities for 
Scrimshaw starting next spring. WOW. We are ready. We only got as far as Bainbridge Island because there was a 10 day wild and wet storm approaching. We scurried north, with a brief hour stop at my alma mater, University of Oregon, en route to Puget Sound. 

 Go Ducks!

 The center of campus.

 A path well traveled to my journalism classes.

Pioneer Mother in the background.

U of O in the sixties was more than the education my parents had planned for me. 

I'd do it all over again.

The first stop on our cruising tour agenda was Port Ludlow, located on the Hood Canal in Puget Sound. Port Ludlow is sweet and serene, with plenty of friendly folks, including several Grand Banks owners we met on the docks preparing their boats for winter. We're looking forward to meeting up with them in the spring.

A Nordhavn trawler, the envy of many yachtsmen, 
are full displacement boats that travel the world.

Be still my heart.

 She's a steel 1953 64' military tug converted to a luxury yacht. 

 Port Ludlow Yacht Club

We stayed at the dog-friendly yellow Port Ludlow Resort.

New homes are being built with tempting views.

A comfortable spot to watch the sun slip away.

Quaint towns with marinas and yacht clubs surrounded by forever views of islands and snowcapped mountains are the norm. Numerous coffeehouses, pubs, and cafes are within nautical miles of one another. You could literally dock and have breakfast in one picturesque spot, drop a hook in another for lunch, and still have time to cruise to a secluded anchorage for cocktails. But wait! Slow down! We won't be in a hurry. A friend from Anacortes who has taken his Nordhavn to Mexico and onto the South Pacific, told us it would take us at least 7 years to see the Pacific Northwest (PNW) by boat. We believe him. Unfortunately, our current journey is at a faster pace. And our friend, he's headed home to a new Nordhavn for some more cruising in his own backyard. There's a lot of cruisers returning home to the PNW, there's got to be a reason. 

Ports of call on our time limited trek included, Poulsbo, Port Ludlow, Port Townsend, Port Gamble, and Bainbridge Island. We spent the night in Poulsbo, a small port heavily influenced by all things Finnish. The Resort at Port Ludlow was our best stay. Port Townsend won hands down for food. Every spot we visited is worthy of a further investigation aboard Scrimshaw. In the summer months, farmer's markets, art shows, and music festivals entice boaters to spend time island hopping with frequent trips ashore. For us, the ability to cruise to secluded anchorages, visit quaint hamlets, or travel to large cultural centers offers us "the variety is spice of life" experience needed to keep us satisfied. We are going to be very happy here, and I am sure it will take a long time for two people with very short attention spans to get bored. 

This chart covers only a small portion of the islands and inlets which stretch to Alaska.
Years of Exploring. YEARS.

The Salish Sea is network coastal waterways dotted with 419 islands carved by ancient glaciers from the southern part of British Columbia to the Northwestern portion of Washington. The Salish Sea is 6563 square miles with over 2884 miles of jagged coastline rich with hidden anchorages to explore. Teaming with sea and wild life offers cruisers a variety of opportunities for photomania. It is also the gateway to the inland passage to Alaska. Along the way are numerous fjords comparable to Finland. The Aurora Borealis is our treasured goal, the only carrot on our Bucket List. Biologically diverse estuaries with remarkable rising and falling tides accompanied by fast currents challenge even the most experienced yachtie. Learning new boating skillsets is the challenge we require to keep our tiny gray matter stimulated.  
First Lesson: Learning to maneuver and anchor in 12 foot tides.

 Our drive from Port Ludlow to Port Townsend 
was almost as good as looking at all the boats.

We arrived hungry. 

We dined outside in the crisp fall air. I wish I could show you a picture of my She-Crab Sherry Soup, but the glare from the sun would not cooperate. I'll snap of picture for you next time. My chilled chardonnay was a buttery compliment to the meal.

The wooden boats did not disappoint.

 Clear blue skies, fall colors, elegant old wooden boats, and great food.

 Port Townsend is renown for its wooden boat craftsmanship. 
These Pygmy Boats are a fine examples of Labor and Love, Form and Function.

Mount Baker reigns supreme over sailboats ghosting along in gentle breezes. 

Town was just as good as the marina.

Large bushels of flowers greet visitors at each door.

Another day, another destination. This time we headed from Poulsbo across the Agate Pass Bridge to Bainbridge Island. Oh My! This place is for me. A good combination of boats, boutiques, cafes, lovely beaches, magnificent views of Seattle, and wonderfully designed homes resembling the ones I fell in love with in New England. Bainbridge has a Martha's Vineyard vibe. In 1980 I sailed my little 30' sloop from Morro Bay, California through the Panama Canal, over to Florida, and up to Martha's Vineyard. It was love at first sight. Each time I return, I lament about moving there, but it is too far from my California family. BAINBRIDGE is not. I felt very at home. I could live here. 

More boats and flowers. A perfect combo, yes?

Clouds are just starting to gather, a reminder our trip is winding down.

Darrell looks longingly at the Washington Ferry, 

memories of good times, and dreams of future ones.

 Something for everyone. Spark loved the beach at Eagle Harbor.

I'm a happy camper too.

The next day we drove to Port Gamble in the late afternoon, just in time to watch the sun cast a romantic glow upon burnished copper leaves and and late season flowers still brilliant in color. Port Gamble is an enclave of well-preserved historic buildings grouped around a large green grassy park with huge shade trees and a playground to keep the kids entertained for hours. There is a recently renovated new restaurant with outside dining that promises good farm to table fare. 

What we came for.....

A reminder of simpler times.

 Gathering clouds and a content man.

Too late for lunch, too early for dinner.

Charmed.

Located on the Hood Canal, Port Gamble is an old Mill town dating back to 1853 and in operation until 1995. Today it is a 120-acre National Historic Landmark lined with tall Elm trees under the stewardship of Olympic Property Group. Port Gamble remains a Company Town.

Five fast days and it was time to return home to the Sierra. We left Port Ludlow in 25 knots of wind, with blustery white caps whirling under the Hood Canal Bridge, and just a few wet sprinkles. Weather routing paid off, and as our weather window closed, we "sailed" home down Interstate 5 without rain. The scenery was more beautiful than expected and we are jumping-out-of-our-skins excited about cruising the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, home, mountain and sea, was our intent. This time, we stopped just past Eugene in Cottage Grove to refuel car, mind, body, and spirit.

"You can feel the smells", my Swedish friend used to tell me.

Lush, is the best way to describe Oregon. Fertile with promise, memories of youth, and a an uncharted map for the future. If only there was a marina for Scrimshaw, I might stay forever.

Pastural scenery in Cottage Grove

We took a vigorous walk to break up the L O N G drive home.

Cottage Grove has a walking trail loop with several covered bridges.

There were a few lingering sweet blackberries on the vines.
Alas! Our brief trip came to a end, but we made good time getting home.

This sweet surprise was waiting for me up at the house.

We enjoyed home for another 5 days before heading down to Scrimshaw in San Diego.

When we arrived in San Diego it was obvious we had left the crisp cool fall days behind, we had 4 straight days of 94 to 100 degree weather. Blistery hot. We went to Home Depot and picked up an air conditioner large enough to cool a 10x12 room. Sparky and I sat in front of Scrimshaw's temporary alter until the weather turned civilized again. 

Home Sweet Sea Home.

Early morning fog signaled the heat wave was over. Finally, fall is in the air.

There's no place like home.

Then why are we pouring over Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer's, "The San Juan Islands Boater's Guidebook"? The authors are from Bellingham, but are well-known to cruisers throughout Mexico for compiling an accurate, and beautifully documented, guide to cruising the west coast and the many islands of the Sea of Cortez. After seven years in Mexico, they longed for home. Fortunately, they took their collective talents and published an equally impressive cruising guide to their native San Juan Islands. I hope we run into them aboard their Westsail 32, Om Shanti, in a remote lovely little anchorage so we adequately express our appreciation of the their fine work. I would also like to catch up with Airship, a 34' Nordic Tug, owned by a clever Portland couple. I first came across their Airstream blog, Riveted, a few years ago when we were traveling and blogging in our 25 foot International Serenity Airstream, Tranquila. Their revolving lifestyle between a plane, a tugboat, an apartment, and an Airstream is beautifully recorded and an inspirational guide to living life fully.

Plenty of GB happiness at Roche Harbor 

Today, I got an email from the Puget Sound Grand Banks Owners Association announcing the 2018 Grand Banks rendezvous at Roche Harbor Resort and Marina on San Juan Island May 9th- May 13. The rendezvous is typically attended by 60 to 100 Grand Banks owners. Anticipation is building.

Instead of dreaming of what is to come, we must stay focused in the present in order to best prepare our little ship for her journey north. A new Sea Flush electric head has been ordered, teaks decks are being rechaulked, and a Lofrans Windlass gets ordered this week to help pull up our anchor and 300' of chain. A double drawer stainless refrigerator has been installed, and so has the new Force 10 Gas stove and oven. No excuses not to cook now. Our Hurricane Heater is up to speed and ready to keep all three cabins toasty. The new 10' sport dinghy is secured on the aft deck and Darrell installed a Nick Jackson solar powered dinghy lift. The combined weight of the dinghy and 20hp engine tops out at almost 500 pounds, and requires a mechanical intervention to deploy. An AIS ship identification system is being added to our electronics package.

Time to refresh the 6 coats of varnish applied a few short months ago.

A custom mattress is in place in the master stateroom, along with several sets of my favorite sheets. Our major purchase will be a watermaker to turn saltwater into drinking and bathing water. Warm showers keep the crew happy. The two inside showers are good, but the outside shower needs new parts. We are replacing both sink facets in the heads today. Kitchen sink gets a do-over next. Windshield wipers are ordered for those drippy wet passages or in the event of BIG seas splashing over the bow. The job neither of us wants to do is check for leaks in our large windows, its a pain to try and figure out the exact entry point for water leaks. Then you have to solve the problem. This job makes Darrell very grumpy, and I am a stickler about water leaks on my pretty teak walls, floors, and cabinets. 

We haven't even started thinking about what proper fishing gear or crab pots are needed. OH, that reminds me to bring my Le Creuset cookware and the lobster pot aboard. There's plenty more to add to the list, but we don't want to overwhelm ourselves. The gap between The Dream and Reality is filled with long lists of chores. Lucky for me to have married a renaissance man who loves projects. The next 5 months will speed by, and be incredibly busy, and exciting!

Darrell, always happiest fixing something marine. One of our first projects was to get the forward hatch to fully open allowing a fresh breeze to enter the guest cabin.