Category: 2020 in the Puget Sound

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Blake Island Marine State Park

Before the decision was made [by the Canadian border closure] to head into the South Sound this year, I had heard from other more experienced sailors about Blake Island. It is the closest marine state park to Seattle, so it gets it fair share of boater traffic. Everyone spoke highly of it, and I was excited to put it on...

1

Salty achievement unlocked

Seven weeks ago we left the marina in Bellingham. We have not been back to one since. It feels good to be self sufficient enough to effectively never need a slip again – this in large part to the composting toilet and the water maker. However, some weeks back – before the resurgence in COVID cases around the world –...

3

A great sail around Maury

Leaving the marina felt amazing, and it was one helluva confidence booster, but our day on the water would be the cherry on top of one of our best sailing days to date. It started with the simple act of pulling the knob to kill the motor after only a few minutes of use to exit the marina break wall....

3

Navigating the Tacoma Narrows

We stayed in Quartermaster Harbor for only a single night. There wasn’t much left to see here as it were, and we still had two work free days that we could either sit around or sail. Our next destination was a good distance further into the south sound – about 20 nautical miles – on the other side of the...

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Eagle Island and Penrose Point

Our short time at Eagle Island State Marine Park consisted only of two real happenings; First was our attempt to hike the trail system on the 5 acre island only to be met with hostility. The trees and bushes have well and thoroughly retaken the island, leaving very little trail left to walk. We bushwhacked as far as we could,...

2

Don’t anchor behind those boaters

Visiting the south Puget Sound in a sail boat means the amount of sailing one will be doing is very much in question. The water ways are squeezed between numerous landmasses, each of which will either block wind all together or cause the wind to blow in a completely different direction (and force) than advertised. With that in mind, I...

1

Stretch & Hope

We had some minor commitments coming up the following week which included a few days in a marina again, and a family visit. But first, a few more days of life out in the Sound before we would start towards Olympia, Washington. So we pointed Meriwether even further away from the mainland. A short distance down the same inlet was another...

1

Peace and Anchor

There were only two days before our reservations at Boston Harbor Marina so we didn’t want to go too far. Kerri found a new anchorage for us just a few miles away that would suffice. With sails already at the ready before the anchor was stowed, we sailed away from Hope Island, slowly. The wind was extremely light at Hope,...

1

Getting half way north

There we were, not far out of Olympia, and nine days away from a scheduled haul-out in Port Townsend almost 90 nautical miles of sailing to our North. Twenty to thirty miles is the normal distance we travel each week. So, we had to put some proper miles in each of the five sailing days we had available and we...

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The second half north

There are times in which Kerri and I spend numerous days moving only between the bed and our respective workstations. Our work week spent at Blakely Harbor was one of those times. Thanks to the three days of sailing leading up, we were ready for a few days of limited physical activity and did so. With a view of Seattle...