Even delivery trips can be fun

Saturday morning dawned early and we made our way north to catch the 9:30 boat to Friday Harbor. For once we made it on time – no last minute heroics needed because we cut it too close.




After about an hour on the car deck with Rex, we arrived in Friday Harbor. Quick provisioning trip to Kings, fired up the boat and we pulled out of the Harbor. Unfortunately it was flat calm which precluded sailing.

Jodi enjoyed the scenery and Rex settled in for his long nap. Rex now knows the boat and has become very comfortable. On sunny days at the dock the foredeck is his spot. He can keep tabs on the coming and goings in the harbor while napping. Underway he’s in the cockpit, usually making good use of a pillow.

The trip to Sidney was uneventful. We caught the last of the ebb through Spieden channel and picked up about a knot and a half once we cleared Limestone Point. The trip across the straits was equally uneventful. No Orcas, no playful Dall’s porpoises, just a few Bald Eagles.



.Clearing customs was a snap and our assigned slip involved spinning the boat in a tight space and backing in. Which was when I noticed the bow thruster wasn’t working. Fortunately there was no wind and no current and the maneuver was pretty smooth.



I like Tsehum harbor. Van Isle Marina has an incredible spectrum of boats. Everything from Mega Yachts being worked on at Philbrooks boat yard to 20 foot funky wooden sailboats. And everything in-between. Pleasure, commercial, liveaboard, remote owners, it’s all here. The home ports range from Yukon Alaska to Reno, NV – all over the west boat owners keep there boats here and Philbrooks maintains them.

Philbrooks was the reason our boat is here. Over the next week the boat will get hauled, the bottom will be re-painted, new zincs installed, and our old style through hull fittings will be replaced with more modern ones less likely to fail. The old through hull fittings are a disaster waiting to happen. If one fails, the boat would likely sink and at 30 years old, we’ve been living on borrowed time.



After wandering the dock looking at boats, we headed up the dock to have an excellent dinner at the Restaurant at the head of the pier. It was crowded and happily noisy and the only spot for us was at the bar. The sunset was wonderful.

Sunday morning was blowing – the front had moved in overnight. We tidied up the boat, strapped on our packs, and took a 40 minute walk into Sidney and caught the noon (and only) ferry from Sidney back to Anacortes. Again on the car deck for about 3 hours (Rex, you owe me), I was able to get a bit of a nap. When you are prepared for it, spending time on the car deck isn’t bad. Armed with a full assortment of First Ascent gear, it’s warm.



Not a bad way to spend a weekend.