, Wind or Knot, this past spring. Our previous sailboat, Selah Way, was a 22' boat and we used her mostly for day sailing. The Captain had taken her for a couple of overnighters, but I had not. When Wind or Knot first arrived, we were both giddy with excitement. There were a few maintenance issues, but nothing earth-shattering. The P.O.s had taken good care of her. Our first few excursions included trips up to Boathouse 19, near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. We sailed around our island a few times, and we also motored over to Steilacoom for their concerts in the park. We found that we could anchor in the Sound just below the park and hear the concerts pretty well, especially the military bands. We did miss some of the music when trains came through, but we remember not being able to hear well even when we've been in the park itself in past years. We grilled steaks off the back of the boat, causing some of the ferry passengers to fear that our boat was on fire. (We've heard that from folks each time we've used the barbecue. It does produce a lot of smoke.)
On the 4th of July we ventured out to watch fireworks. We could see them on Anderson Island, at Steilacoom, Olympia, JBLM, Tacoma and several other locations. We rafted with 3 other sailboats and enjoyed the shows.
The first night we tried to sleep on the boat was during the meteor showers. I had this brilliant idea to go down to the marina in the evening and play cards, then sleep for a few hours and later get up to watch the action in the sky. Well, as soon as the lights went out, Gracie, our female Tonkinese, decided she didn't like having the lights out. I was trying to sleep in the V-Berth, and it was difficult trying to catch those Zs with a cat on my face. My pillow kept falling over the edge onto the floor, I could smell the aroma from the head (that we had never used) and the tight quarters and new memory foam mattress made it nearly impossible to get comfortable. I was still wide awake when the alarm went off to say it was time to watch the skies. It was a beautiful night, but we saw very few meteors, and nothing I'd describe as a "shower." At 3 am I decided to head home, since we were to have a very low tide in the morning and I didn't want to have to deal with the steep ramp. The Captain stayed aboard with the two cats (Thai, our male, is always up for any adventure) and slept through whatever fuss Gracie made after my departure. I came home to our Tabby (not a boating-type of cat) and she was happy to see me.
A week later we headed down to Olympia for a true overnight adventure. The temperature was in the 90's, and the sun made the interior of the boat quite uncomfortable. The Captain had announced that we didn't need curtains in this vessel since the windows were tinted, but that tint did not keep the sun or the heat out! I was ready for a nap in the afternoon, and sorely wishing I'd made curtains. So I did: I grabbed a roll of paper towels and a roll of duct tape and made curtains right on the spot. They went on the port side, since that was where the sun was streaming in. That evening I moved the curtains to the port side so we could have privacy from the folks walking along the dock.
I'm going to interrupt myself right now and ask about "windows." Are they all to be referred to as "portholes" because they are on a boat? I ended up making curtains for all of them, but describing them as portholes gave the impression that they were shaped like a traditional porthole... you know - the little round brass ones. Any opinions on that?
Well, back to the boat... One of our first purchases was for a plexi-glass hatch (Blue Water Yachts) because I was concerned I'd feel claustrophobic with the solid hatch cover in place. I did make curtains for the hatch, and they performed quite well. The hatch, though tinted, does not appear tinted in the evening. Thai saw nothing but a clear escape until he hit the surface full-force and took a tumble down the ladder. He's a quick learner, so I hope that doesn't happen again!
While in Olympia, we got to watch the fledgling sailors take sailing lessons. The older ones, maybe ages 10-14 or 15, were sailing on Wednesday shortly after we arrived. Thursday some of the older ones were there again, but mostly the little tykes were out in their tiny little sailboats. At least one appeared to be as young as 4 or 5, and it was a sight to behold. With a couple of adult women leading the flock in their larger vessel, and a couple of teens following in their Zodiak, we were reminded of ducks trying to keep their ducklings in order.
Sleeping aboard Wind or Knot went quite well on this trip. Gracie and Shasta stayed home with the sitter, and all of the new bedding was just perfect. We sailed a bit on the way back, but eventually decided to motor so we'd be home in time for the sitter to get on to her next clients.
Our other trips have been to Longbranch, to Lakebay Marina and to Penrose Point State Park. We wanted to go to Joemma State Park as well, but the end of the season came too quickly and Wind or Knot is being prepared for a long rest. Next year we are thinking of taking a trip to the San Juan Islands and maybe to Victoria. We have the time, we have the inclination, but we aren't sure about leaving the cats behind. Long story and I won't bore you with details.
That wraps up this season and plans for next season. I've checked for spelling errors and typos, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. I hope, if there are any, that they are at least entertaining.
