Port Townsend to San Francisco 2005

08/16/06

Our Trip from Port Townsend to San Francisco August - Sept 2005

          August 28, 2005 

          N 48 09’.405

          W 122 46’.816

          Wind .6 knots

          Just leaving Port Townsend

            We have spent a week in Port Townsend visiting friends and most of our old haunts (the Rose theatre, the pizza place, the thai place, the sail loft, the rigging loft, Java Gypsy, Saturday market… )  It has been a lot of fun catching up with friends and memories.  We also worked a bit on the boat. We changed out the slides on our trysail, hauled the boat out to change our zincs, waxed the haul and  retouched up the bottom paint. (also known as a shave and trim for the boat)  (Thank you Kate and Sascha for visiting and helping us wax our boat)  Needless to say, time flies when you are busy.  New Dawn is now full of food, fuel and water and ready to make our way West to the coast and head South to warmer weather! 

Ross cleaning the hull at Boat Haven in Port Townsend   

      Ross and I have come to the conclusion that it is better to look no further into our future than our next port of call .  Thinking only of the final destination is limiting and not as much fun for us.  We are more relaxed with this way of thinking and have found we enjoy sailing (or motoring as we are today with little wind) and we enjoy each other which is really our main reason for going on this adventure.  Seeing the world and meeting great people is just a bonus.

Shane & Maria aboard Muse accompanied us out of the marina to say goodbye

         We once again leave Port Townsend missing the place and the people.  Both are dear to our hearts.   We also have a hunger to safar (means "to journey") and see new worlds, cultures, people, flora and fauna and all the rest that comes with a life lived.

            Our boat docked safely in Port Angeles at 5:25pm in little to no wind and a bit of rain.  The rain was a nice way to scrub our decks clean of all the blackberry turds from the birds that attack all boats with a mast in Port Townsend.

          August 29th 2005

          N 48 22' .493

          W 124 36' .801

          10 knots of wind, anchored in 34'

          Entering Neah Bay 2:53 pm

 

            The sun is shinning.  We anchored next to two other boats who are going down the coast too.  Fun people.  It is neat to meet fellow cruisers, especially when it is via the dingy.  (aka our car)  The newness of this type of introduction/transportation catches my smile and brings home the different life style we are embarking upon.

 

          We traveled to shore to stretch our legs and to see the town.  Most things were closed by the time we got to shore.  Time flew after visiting with our fellow cruisers and thus delayed our trip to shore.  As we walked down the main road through town, I was struck by all the traffic.  Then we realized that a few of the cars were making laps back and forth down main street.  The drivers tended to be young and have music blaring.  Made us glad we were no longer at that age of restlessness.  Now we are at this age of wondering. :)

 

          August 31st 2005

          Raising anchor to head off shore to California

        We followed Mallard (a fellow Southbound cruising boat) out of the bay and into blue water  The fog limited our visibility to about half a mile in some areas and 2 miles in others.  We turned the radar on to help navigate and dodge the fishing boat we knew were out there.  Now comes the long hours of watching.

Ross and I had taken our seasickness medication the night before to help get the drug in our system and to help us sleep through the night.  Nerves and anticipation can plague a person the night before a journey.  I think it is similar to the sensation of the night before Christmas.  We love our Stugeron. (that is the name of the seasickness medication)

          September 2nd 2005

          1:30 AM

        This is an excerpt from our ships log:  Ross' entry. 

"For the last hour of my watch 5-6 pacific white sided dolphins played around the boat.  The phosphorescence was very strong, marking their progression through the water like streaks of light through a dark void.  Very Cool!  Laura got to see them too."

The changing light on the water, the starry skies with shooting stars, the leaping dolphins, the torpedo like porpoise and my favorite birds the giant & graceful albatross have kept the 24 hour watches entertaining.

       September 3rd 2005

          9:39 PM

I just got off watch and witnessing a Maxfield Parish Sunset.  The pink clouds and variable blues were stunningly crisp ad soft at the same time.   I realize that I have been talking to myself a lot on watch and since I am talking to myself, I do not raise my voice very loudly.  Ross had to ask me to repeat myself a few times before I realized that I was talking so softly. ha.

  September 5th 2005

          3 PM

We are sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.  How amazingly BIG this bridge is.  I do enjoy coming into port after a few nights out.  The thought of a full nights sleep after a shower and clean clothes is FANTASTIC!  We are staying at the San Francisco Marina West with the St. Francis Yacht Club for the next couple of days to get our bearings. 

 

 

 

 

 

September 7th 2005

We have called around to most of the marinas near by trying to find moorage for a month with little luck.  The people on the phone would ask, "Who do you Know?"  Well, no one really.  SO I called my dad.  He got us in touch with Jeryn Leet who is one of the main guys over at the St. Francis Yacht Club and we got to have a tour and shower pass to their club.  Pretty neat inside.  LOTS of trophies and action photos.  You could feel the history and the pride when you walked in.  Really a lovely spot.   There is a restaurant called Plutos here that is great.  The salads and enormous and the prices are affordable- great for a vegetarian sailor on a budget.  They also serve meat for my husband. 

We traveled across town to see Ross' sister and her husband and two kids.  Always fun to see family.  Today is our 26th month wedding anniversary.

 September 8th 2005

We are now moored on the guest dock at the Oakland Yacht Club in Alameda.  It turns out that this marina likes world cruiser and the fact that we sailed from Alaska to here got us a slip.  We are being treated like a foreign vessel. ha.  we get a few nights free and then will be paying rent.  Now... we start the looonnnggg list of boat projects.