Check boat temp 9am this mourning
- Thread starter paulj
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Damn that's cold, Paul
I have been waiting for the opportunity to bring s/v Lucy home (Whidbey Island) from Bellingham. She's been up there for two weeks now while I waited for the weather windows to align with my personal schedule. Today was the day.
I went up yesterday afternoon and found that it was 40 degrees inside with my one little space heater working hard. Thanks to the diesel furnace it was a toasty 64 degrees in a short time and stayed that temp overnight. The wind was predicted to ease at 3 pm Monday but it blew hard until 3 am. When I got underway at 0730 the wind was blowing only about 3 knots, it was great. The north winds started to build as I motor-sailed south and I had a great ride except for the part where there were no islands directly between me and the Strait of Georgia. That was a bit intense. I was alone on board and had way too much sail up for conditions.
By the time I got to the Strait of Juan de Fuca it was only about 6 knots for the whole crossing. I was glad to have a cockpit enclosure because it was bitter cold out there. With the diesel heater running all the way home, it wasn't bad inside the canvas.
Did not see any other private boats out but the commercial traffic was out doing business as usual. Glad to be back at the home port.
I have been waiting for the opportunity to bring s/v Lucy home (Whidbey Island) from Bellingham. She's been up there for two weeks now while I waited for the weather windows to align with my personal schedule. Today was the day.
I went up yesterday afternoon and found that it was 40 degrees inside with my one little space heater working hard. Thanks to the diesel furnace it was a toasty 64 degrees in a short time and stayed that temp overnight. The wind was predicted to ease at 3 pm Monday but it blew hard until 3 am. When I got underway at 0730 the wind was blowing only about 3 knots, it was great. The north winds started to build as I motor-sailed south and I had a great ride except for the part where there were no islands directly between me and the Strait of Georgia. That was a bit intense. I was alone on board and had way too much sail up for conditions.
By the time I got to the Strait of Juan de Fuca it was only about 6 knots for the whole crossing. I was glad to have a cockpit enclosure because it was bitter cold out there. With the diesel heater running all the way home, it wasn't bad inside the canvas.
Did not see any other private boats out but the commercial traffic was out doing business as usual. Glad to be back at the home port.
Bellingham to Lagoon Point
is 46 nautical miles if you go by the most direct route. That does not allow crossing shipping lanes at 90 degree angles. I fudge on that regulation if visibility is good and it was. I ended up tacking back and forth most of the way across the strait just so I wasn't looking directly into the low angle bright sun. I left B-ham at 0730 and arrived home at 1500 which was pretty good time, all things considered. I have made this trip at least a dozen times since my broker does business up there and I have purchased two new Catalinas from him in the past 4 years (long story).
The reason that I mentioned that I had made the trip so many times was so that I will be even more embarrassed to admit that I missed a turn point while I was talking on the cell phone and almost went around the north end of Cypress Island instead of heading left down the channel between Cypress and Guemes. In my defense, I have a fairly old brain. That little side trip cost me about 30 minutes.
I have only the tidal current to give credit to for my fast crossing in spite of zig zagging into the glare and getting lost. The ebb current pulled me south at 10 knots in places and the flood came in just when I needed it to pass through Admiralty Inlet and on to home.
It was a beautiful day out there with snow on all of the mountains and clear skies. It would not have been much fun without an enclosure.
is 46 nautical miles if you go by the most direct route. That does not allow crossing shipping lanes at 90 degree angles. I fudge on that regulation if visibility is good and it was. I ended up tacking back and forth most of the way across the strait just so I wasn't looking directly into the low angle bright sun. I left B-ham at 0730 and arrived home at 1500 which was pretty good time, all things considered. I have made this trip at least a dozen times since my broker does business up there and I have purchased two new Catalinas from him in the past 4 years (long story).
The reason that I mentioned that I had made the trip so many times was so that I will be even more embarrassed to admit that I missed a turn point while I was talking on the cell phone and almost went around the north end of Cypress Island instead of heading left down the channel between Cypress and Guemes. In my defense, I have a fairly old brain. That little side trip cost me about 30 minutes.
I have only the tidal current to give credit to for my fast crossing in spite of zig zagging into the glare and getting lost. The ebb current pulled me south at 10 knots in places and the flood came in just when I needed it to pass through Admiralty Inlet and on to home.
It was a beautiful day out there with snow on all of the mountains and clear skies. It would not have been much fun without an enclosure.
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