With Hank stuck repairing his boat in Westport, I was watching for a weather window and wrangling crew. There was a calm weather window moving North Saturday so Kathleen and Jeremy and I went down to Westport in Greys Harbor on Friday, early enough Kathleen could drive home in daylight. There are a lot of interesting boats down there, including the skinny wooden tuna boat sv Ocean. Hanks young dock neighbor Jonathon is learning about his Mercator Offshore 30. The locals were salmon fishing in the marina, while we had a good dinner. Headed out at 4am, we were able to see the buoys with less fog. Sunrise was very red, with all the smoke even offshore. We motored and sailed, set up the pole for the jib, but needed to reach more and set the nice asymmetrical. 20 miles offshore, Hank spotted a school of porpoise that blasted under the boat and kept going! By sunset we were motoring in glassy red seas, and refueling from the jugs on deck. I came up just before 11pm as Jeremy thoughtfully adjusted the boat speed, with a big sport fishing boat blasting by all lit up like a train. The weather models had predicted 18-30kts at the entry to the strait, and it was a bit tuff getting around the corner. I didn't mind the big waves with water splashing out from both sides, just wished I had the Swiftsure crew with me. A couple solid waves crashed between the dodger and bimini, and I was just hanging on, eyes tearing with the salt water. Jeremy's phone Navionics with went out, as I was blinded by the strobe on the wet portable VHF. The chartplotter was useless, blinding, but only on halfscreen with the radar that wasn't working. With no chartplotter, radar, AIS, instruments, and not even nav lights, well stern and anchor worked, back to basics. I just needed to go North till I was far enough from the light on Tatoosh, and turn East, and I had a little moonlight on the water to help. Soon the waves eased up, I could see the lights from Neah Bay, and follow the shoreline down the strait past Pillar Point. Jeremy and Hank came up about 7am, and I stayed for another red sunrise, and then I slept well. The strait was flat all the way home. I took a few kelp pics for Jim as we approached Pt. Wilson. We motored and motored past Marrowstone Island, couldn't see Foulweather Bluff, and finally past Kingston, to a Shilshole guest dock slip arriving about 7:30pm. Big thanks to Kristin, lighting our way in with her headlamp! Thanks all!

As usual, I try to get shots of the crew, sails and scenery to share. Please enjoy these snapshots - these pics are good therapy for me, and it's always a good to be on another boat, especially with such gracious good people! Thanks all! (Click on any image below for a much larger image "slide show" - arrow keys work well.)
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