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Sailing reports


Tim Diebert

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Wow, nice sailing stories guys. I went out Monday to Harding Lake, Mark said the ice went out, so I had to go out for a sail.

I'll be out there again this weekend. Mark is putting his dock in and I get to help. :shock:

Bring your own hip waders he says. :lol:

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Well, we're back! Another outstanding outing with Capt. Jake and "Fire Escape." Any time you are ready, I am to do it again. 8) Thanks.

I'll let him fill in with the photos and the details. But suffice to say SPF 30 isn't enough protection. And the pilot whale was a real treat to see crossing our path.

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And here I thought all I would have to do was post pictures (as Barry is a much better writter than I).

We launched from Zittles Marina at about 1030, located on the Northern end of Johnson's Point just North of Olympia. A beautiful day with highs in the mid 90's! :shock:

Here ia a view of Mt Rainier looking to the Northeast.

I was able to take some really fine pictures, unlike Tim who always has the camera unavailable at the wrong time. ;):P I should lie and tell you that we had outstanding winds all day and beat across the Sound several times, but I can't do that. We had about one hour of decent wind and then pretty much nothing! :roll:

Our goal was to at least get to the Nisqually Reach (the inlet of the Nisqually River), well let's just say that it was good that Barry had his binoculars with him. :) :)

We did set foot on Anderson Island! I just had to set foot on something other than the boat launch. To my surprise, it was actually a sandy beach! I can't say that I have seen many of those here.

We had a Pilot Whale pace us and then cross our bow. That was pretty darned neat!!

Lots of lookers (at the boat), one even stopped and chatted with us for a while. He said, "It sure looks bigger from a distance."

Like I said,Barry writes a lot better than I, so maybe he will embelish here a bit.

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Nice to see that some of you actually go out in your boats. :P :twisted: Great scenery, so great it requires a tv screen to view them for me. :lol: Its great to share the experience with folks that you meet by way of the net.

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I will add this to Capt. Jake's post about our outing.

The South Sound scenery is magnificent once you get out away from the industrial areas. Although they are really interesting to me, they aren't pretty.

This area has a great deal of historical significance to the Pacific Northwest and portions of it are real significant to the Coastal Indian tribes. The Tribal names are interesting and many of the tribal areas are fascinating to learn about and visit. There is an island near our launch that is property of one tribe. No one lives on the island, and non tribal members are forbidden to land on the island. It is respected.

Other Islands have ferry service to get to them from Steilicoom as an example. A historic lumbering community that today is a bedroom community for Tacoma. This is all close to the Fort Lewis Military Reservation and McCord Airforce Base.

A number of major movies have been made in this area, some featuring the communities here and the islands and ferry service to them. It is pretty country.

The entire area was shaped by glacial action and volcanic flows from Mt. Rainier. When the glaciers retreated, they left this huge, very deep basin that is Puget Sound. About one hundred miles long and several miles wide it meanders around a lot of islands and creates narrow passages that have some significant depth to them as a lot of water moves twice a day thru them in each direction. Some places a 12 knot flow is not unusual. All the water in the South Sound area that fluctuates with an 18 foot tidal difference has to pass thru one narrow passage way twice a day in each direction. Makes for some interesting conditions. With predominantly Southwest flow winds, there are a lot of areas were sailing can be both exciting and spectacular from scenery and wildlife perspectives.

Not many sand beaches, but Anderson Island which does have quite a bit of Summer home development has some nice sandy beaches and yesterday we could see the bottom in about 12 ft of water. Amazingly clear, but cold (54 degrees).

Lots of mountains to look at with Mt. Rainier being the closest, an hours drive away. And this is just a 15 min drive from Capt. Jake's beautiful home.

A nice place to go sailing. Good company, good friend and the forum brought us together. Thanks Frank!

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Good company, good friend and the forum brought us together. Thanks Frank!

Yes indeed!! If it wasn't for this forum, I would have never met the nice people that I have. I does save my sanity also (I mean that in a serious tone). I have met some true friends here, even if people laugh when I tell them, "I met Barry on the internet.". :shock:

Thank you also Frank!! :):)

PS: I told you Barry is a better writer than I! :) The Indian Island is Squaxin Island btw.

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Great stuff. I enjoyed the south sound report!

Barry, that pic of you in Jakes boat reminds me of that guy Wilson....on that Tim the Toolman show (forget the name, not much of a tv guy) The glasses and the hat. :lol:

This thread should stay constant all summer now. Good deal.

I am going sailing tomorrow.....I hope to see some whales too!

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Stump caught on... 8)

Nope, no whaleses....and I have not seen a Nessy yet. But will be sailing where the Ogopogo in Lake Okanogan is seen very often. There are as many researchers there as Loch Ness. So I will keep my camera cocked and ready. If I get the right shot, I could be financing the next northern messabout. :roll:

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I have been out a few times this year. Last weekend I went out to lake Texoma and spent the first nite on the boat. The wind forgot to come up and the temp was 99. The highest speed I got her up to was 2.6 mph. It was a little hot and I sunburned my back through my shirt (use sunblock). I was solo so I could not get any on about 1/2 of my back. I found that the boat is a little small to camp on. I did all my cooking on shore so that helped some. I am on call this weekend so no sailing but I may go out next weekend.

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Man, I never heard of someone getting burnt WITH a shirt on! :shock:

Beaker...this one is for you man.

Daphne and I got out today.

It was around 80 degrees all day.....a light working breeze never stopped.....perfect wind when the first mate/stewardess is aboard. She had her own seat all day, never had to double up on the windward rail. When it came up enough to dip the rail, I eased the sheet a bit.....though I did have to try my new scuppers once...I am in love with my new scuppers. :D

Survival mode, hot...frequent soakings to cool...wet hat etc. Cold beer.

The new real lapper is awesome. I am in love with my new lapper. (though my guesstimate on the sheeting angles were a bit off...easily corrected)

Got board with sailing (ya right) so we anchored and went swimming. First of the year. Damn good for Canucks. The top 2 feet of water was very nice, below that was interesting.

The new folding swimming ladder works perfect. I love my new folding swim ladder. :roll:

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Day two of Memorial Day weekend sailing. Memorial Day itself.

Weather forecast, Overcast, temps near mid 60's. WSW winds forecast at 5-10 on South Sound waters freshening during the day to 10-15.

Further North on the Straits of Juan de Fuca small craft advisories set.

We were looking forward to this day of sailing to further explore the Nisqually Reach and rip some holes in the water. Launch at near high tide. Bit calm at the marina/launch ramp but we set sail just after clearing the marker buoy. Off an moving to the East and having a very enjoyable run for about 4-5 miles from the launch. Light winds and relatively flat but easy, enjoyable sailing. Headed South from Anderson Island to Nisqually Reach and the wind picked up so we had some nice air to head South to the flats. Very enjoyable run across the passage to the flats.

Lots of Eagles, Cormorants and some seals feeding at the mouth of the Nisqually river. We sailed back and forth across the flats, which are mud at low tide for about a mile and a half across the Nisqually Reach. We could see the towers for watching the wildlife and lots of birds feeding.

After exploring a bit, we decided to head back out into the channel, North, to Anderson Island and we hit the ebb flow of the tide as it was flowing around the Southern tip of Anderson Island, Wind died, the only ripples on the water were from the tidal flow and the trail left in the wake of the trolling motor as we were barely able to stay in one position. All the strategic markers were not moving. We were fixed in one place for about an hour. Actually we were moving, albeit extremely slowly, across the current but we weren't making any headway against it.

Question...what is the difference between a Weekender and a Canoe?

We fought our way into the shallows along Anderson Island and began to work our way back towards the launch. Very, veeeerrrrrrrryyyyyy slowly against the current. Eventually we made about two miles working this way and another half mile when the Weekender became a canoe.

That is the answer....not much difference when you are dead in the water on battery and you either swim and pull or push or paddle with the single canoe paddle. I paddled, Capt. Jake opted to push. :roll: Naw, we swapped paddle duties. :lol:

Neither of us have ever seen the Sound so quiet...and flat. We worked our way along the rest of the Southern shore of Anderson Island and then began to work across the passage between Anderson and Harstein Island. Spelling each other we paddled about another mile and a half.

We were still a good half to three quarters of a mile from the marina and launch and it was getting to be near 6:30 in the evening. And then the sky began to clear up, the edge of the front began to move over us and the wind began to pick up and we set sail and had a ball working our way back to the marina and launch ramp. Steady WSW winds at between 5-10 and some healthy gusts at closer to 15 with a couple maybe a bit more. Although occasionally it was a bit spotty as the wind rolled over the bluff to the SW of us. Had another 45 min of nice action and worked our way right up to the entrance buoy of the marina. Hauled everything down and buttoned it up and the electric had just enough juice left to get us back to the ramp in the marina. That is when we realized it was extreme low tide. The ramp was pretty flat and the float was high and dry. But the pavement extended out some distance and we, I should say Capt. Jake mangaged to get the Weekender back on the trailer and we hauled it out. I thought it was rather macho of him to volunteer to get into the nice warm water of the Sound to muscle the boat onto the trailer since the tide was now coming in and moving the boat all over the place relative to the centerline of the trailer. Oh...water temp, about 51 :shock: refreshing degrees.

Capt. Jake is my hero! 8)

Another good day of exercise, (paddling and "lifting" on Capt. Jakes part) and some fun sailing for a few hours out of the roughly 9-10 hours we were out.

I think Capt. Jake is re-visiting the 50# thrust trolling motor idea in the sound and considering an outboard instead. But I'll let him go into that.

Another great adventure and an outing I wouldn't have missed for anything. Nice day, good sail, good friend and I wish to thank him for a good time.

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Awesome story Barry! Thanks for that.

A wicked day for sure.

Can't help but think about all those dozens of discussions about electric motors as an auxiliary. Sorry you guys had some hassle, but it might be a good and easy warning for other folks.

Cheers, Tim D. with a 2 cylinder 6hp outboard on the Sailing Tugboat Annie M. 8)

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Washed down with Cap'n Eli's root beer. If you like Root Beer' date=' You are reaaly missing out by not having Cap'n Eli's. It is Brewed Root beer to an old fashioned recipe with spices, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and wintergreen oil and Anise extract. Cap'n Elis a;so makes an awsome Ginger Beer that harkens back to the old days too and makes ginger ale look wimpy as all get out.

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Sounds like good stuff! Nothing beats a good real rootbeer (with real Anise in it). Blenheim's makes ginger ales that are really good. They have a mild and hot. The hot is really good as long as you keep it ice cold. As soon as it warms up just a bit, it'll just about set you on fire. The mild is a little bit easier to drink but still pretty warm.

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