dragoy

The fog lifted around 10 am last Thursday and the engine got started and warmed up for our second overnight trip of the summer.

Loaded the wife and our 8 year old grand daughter, food, snacks and bikes and headed out for what proved to be a fun filled long weekend.

Our first stop was Blake Island, no dock mooring available but there were 2 pilings left for our taking. The annual Washington state marine pass we bought just got a little cheaper :-) The day was spent with a little fishing (not catching) by our grand daughter, the traditional salmon bake and dance show after. Unfortunately we were not able to get the bikes ashore, but the local deer kept her engaged enough.

Friday morning, eggs, toast and sausage..... amazing how much better food can taste wen you are "camping" We did our chores, flew the kite (yes it was a little windy but that was OK with the heat!) and headed out the harbor. The course was set for the south end of Vashon Island. We ended up staying at Dockton marina. Nice KC marine park although some of the facilities were closed for maintenance we managed quite nicely. The dinghy was used for rowing lessons, scoping out the anchored local sailboats and exploration of the local marine life on all the pilings. Wide eyes were given to the jelly fish and local kids jumping into the water from the top of the pier. Our grand daughter seemed quite impressed! We offloaded the bicycles and spent a good 3 hours exploring the shores. No local stores around, so grandpa (me) had to peddle 16 miles round trip to replenish our milk and bread stores. Guess they have not heard of flat terrain around there, because as soon as I was done with one hill, the next one would present itself. Reminder to self,,, bring the bike shorts, oh, and more milk and bread the next time!!

Saturday. We went to Point Defiance launch and loaded up our daughter and her better half and again steered south. Now we were REALLY entering uncharted territories for us "northern sounders". Under the narrows bridge, along McNeil and Anderson Islands we went. We puttered along enjoying both the scenery and the weather, and ended up at Longbranch marina. Met a few great people there and ended up spending the night in very good company. The place has an incredible view of Mount Rainier At 6:45 pm, the TV sets came out and we were treated to a rear Seahawks victory showing, right there on the pier! Maybe this boating thing ain't so bad after all

Our grand daughter quickly made a friend and they spent countless hours catching crab and star fish' off the pier. I don't think I have ever seen her so fired up before, but when she put her little head on the pillow that night, I would be lying if I said she was awake for a whole minute. Piece and quiet came quickly that night.

Sunday,,,, Headed back up to Point Defiance and decided that the ZOO needed a visit! Wow, it was HOT!! Thanks to the gods for Ice Cream!!! I think no one ate more of that sweet creamy stuff than me! Not to worry about weight gain on that day, because the sun took care of any and all that was put into the body! First thing to do wen back at the boat, use that shower! Again, thankful for the upgrade from the 2100 SC last fall!!

Then we set the course for our home port, Edmonds Marina. 1-1/2 hours and relatively smooth sailing we made the turn back into our slip. Yet another GREAT outing, sure hope the summer will hold on for a while longer this year....... I have room for many more outing like this.

Until next time,,,,

Happy and safe sailing to all...

Nils