Espresso and Otters

Not long ago a friend asked what comforts I miss when Dean and I are sailing.  Espresso.  That's the real answer.  A really good latte first thing in the morning is hard to replace even with the best beans and french press.

In Port Townsend they have a beautiful Wooden Boat Chandlery next to the marina and the cafe in the Chandlery makes a great latte.  We went twice this morning, thank you.  On the walk back to the boat Dean spotted these guys.

This family of  five otters seemed intrigued by Dean and his camera. 

This guy popped up in the water right next to where Dean was taking photos.

He (or she) was intrigued by the shutter clicks.

They were in and out of the water and up and down the docks.  Even entering several of the boats parked nearby.

The family of otters are known as Kukla, Fran and Ollie but this year there are two new little ones making a family of five.

Fish Stories

We left Roche Harbor early again this morning in pursuit of salmon.   Hoping we would get to the fishing grounds without coming across any more Orcas.  We fished around the Lime Kiln Light without much luck.

This is Dean's gear corner.  Fishing pole holder, outrigger and fishfinder. None of these are all that commonly found on sailboats.

Lime Kiln did not pay dividends and we had decided to cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca today so we rounded to the south side of San Juan Island to hit Eagle Point fishing grounds before crossing.  Just as we were giving up and pulling our lines in Dean got a bite.  Or rather a fish.  He was literally beginning to reel his line in when he caught this fish.

Woohoo! Salmon for dinner.

Salmon and Orcas

We set off early this morning for US waters.  I love being on the water in the early morning.  The water tends to be smooth and peaceful.  It's not the greatest for sailing but it is beautiful.

We were given to understand that good salmon fishing might be found along San Juan Island's Lime Kiln Point. Just as we get our equipment set Dean spies a pod of Orcas.  The pod of about 20 was swimming together between us and the western shore of San Juan Island.  The whales apparently had the same fishing intel.  The whales stayed close to us through the day until we finally had to give up any hope of fishing.

Poet's Cove

Light Winds and Blue Skies

We picked up a mooring ball last night in Montague Harbor.  For you non-sailors I will explain....a mooring ball is an anchored float with a ring attached.  You are supposed to grab the ring with a boat hook and thread a line (rope) through the ring and back to your boat.  If you are on a trusted mooring ball it can be more secure (and easier) than anchoring (and not just because you don't have to clean the muck off of your anchor).

It was a perfect gorgeous night with a beautiful sunset.  Ideal.  The bonus was the entertainment we enjoyed whilst watching everyone else try to moor or anchor their boats.

Today was ideal as well; the sun chased the clouds away.  The winds were light but they shifted to allow us to put up Thumper and sail all the way back down to Poet's Cove.

Dean's Blackerry

Summer is berry season and the blackberries are ripening.  We found a great untapped source of them at Ladysmith on Vancouver Island.  Dean collected enough that we got our fill of fresh berries and still had enough for a cobbler.

The Fan

Just leaving Salt Spring Island this morning headed for Telegraph; but wait...what is that sound?  Or more accurately what is that lack of sound?

Count on Dean to diagnose the problem quickly.  This little 4" In Line Blower fan has given up.  We'll be getting a late start as we track down a new one and replace it.

Thumper

We overnighted at Port Browning, Pender Island  and are off to find space at Montague.  Conditons are perfect - for us at least.  Sunny, but not too.  Windy, but not too.  Warm, but not too.

Thumper sailed us all the way; a dozen perfect gybes.  Wind speeds 8-13. Nice!

The Missing Trap

No; I am SURE it was here...  Really...  I set a waypoint on the GPS (yes, I did it right...see, it is right here)...   Remember, it was right off that point with the flagpole...  I'm so sad; no crab for dinner and the trap is gone.

I am surprisingly sad about the missing crab trap; I want to trust that all the humans plundering these waters with me are for the most part ethical and honest.  Mostly, they look honest enough, but I guess you can't really tell.  This morning, before we head off, I am determined to take a good look around the bay to see if it has wandered off (perhaps with some help) to another part of the bay.  And look!  There it is.  All the way across the bay from where we left it and quite empty of crabs - and bait. But I am energized and happy that we found the missing trap and can fish again another day.  Plus, we did make friends with this guy before sending him back home.

Fishing

Deer Harbor, Orcas Island.

We dropped a crab trap on the way in last evening and are looking forward to crab for dinner tonight. Okay, honestly, I'm hoping for a salmon dinner.  Word is the place to go is around the north end of the island to Parker Point.

Dean's clever fish finder mount worked well and we saw lots of fish swimming by.. .unfortunately none of them were interested in becoming our dinner.  We didn't have completely unproductive day, we each had one bite.....

What heat?

We are off! We had a windless but otherwise beautiful cruise up the sound to Port Townsend where we overnighted on day one. I love sleeping on the boat and after all that sun and motor sailing I am excited about a glass of wine and an early night.

Where is all that heat now?  Waking up that first morning on-board was a total fog - no really, lots of actual fog.  No early start today! Eventually the fog lifted enough to depart (too soon for my comfort) but it was a wintery crossing and that 90 degrees of yesterday seems very far away.

It's HOT!

Yea! It's summer vacation. We are excited to once again be headed north for a few weeks. This time instead of making tracks for Desolation Sound or Princess Louisa we will just meander our way through the San Juan and Gulf Islands; making day to day descisions about when to leave and where to go.

But, wait, what is this? It is truly HOT in Seattle. Ninety degrees, little wind and no shade don't seem like ideal conditions for these Seattlites. Maybe we will just have a tall cool drink and enjoy the weather before departing.