The sailing adventures of SV Meriwether and her crew
We wanted to make the most of our final week before returning to a marina. Port Angeles – where we will resupply and wait for weather to make our big sail to Alaska – was our next destination. Port Angeles is 30 miles to our south-west with only the temperamental waters of Juan De Fuca between. It would be a...
It was early for us – with a 9 AM start to our sail – but we had the infamous Deception Pass to navigate and the current rules all when it comes to the timing of this small stretch of water. With slack-tide scheduled for about 10 AM, the penalty of arriving late would mean a strong current against us....
Once again we sailed off anchor. There was a breeze, so why wouldn’t we just hauled up the anchor and set a sail to propel us the direction we wish to travel, right? It’s quite easy actually, and a whole lot less stressful than the clackity old diesel that resides down below. Admittedly, I do still turn the motor on...
Although we have gone up the east side of Whidbey Island before, we did not stop off in Penn Cove at that time, making it an easy choice for a visit this time around. No wind was in the forecast for the afternoon’s sail (we didn’t even get started until after 3 PM) but luckily it was a straight shot...
It was finally departure day, after our two week stay in Port Gamble. The forecast was for little to no wind at all, and the total distance to our next destination was 30 miles. I said it in the last post; the engine needed a long running ‘in anger’ to complete the shakedown tests and we were going to get...
After the overnight trip to Ludlow, we had a few more days in Port Gamble before the weekend, where we finally planned to head off to new adventures. Two weeks we have hung out here relaxing my poor old joints (after months of winter projects) and hiding from the rest of the world. It has served us well with only...
A phone call from my Mother & Sister prompted a quick reschedule of our next couple days. They wanted to drive out to visit before we left to Alaska. Luckily, the drive is only about two hours from there house to where we were anchored in Port Gamble, but the accommodations in town were slim. Not to mention this would...
A whole week now. That’s all that it has been, but it feels like much longer already – at least to me. I’m quickly falling right back into the routine of life on the hook. It is an easier life than being on the dock, I will admit. With all the major projects and repairs complete, I can satisfy my...
Port Gamble has become one of our favorite anchorages south of the Juan DeFuca Straight. Not only is it well protected, it goes completely unused by anyone else. The shores are littered with clams and oysters that Kerri likes to eat, and there is a fantastic trail system just a short dinghy ride away where she does her fungus hunting...
Well, our 2021 sailing season has officially begun. We slipped out of the marina at 1 PM on Sunday waiving to our neighbors who stared in disbelief that we were leaving them behind. I felt no guilt in it. Kerri and I planned to make a 20 mile sail to one of our favorites spots to drop anchor – Port...
