First Trip of the Year

Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
My dad, brother and I are heading out on the 29th for a 4 day trip north. Hope to get to Port Townsend/Flagler area and head back. From Tacoma we plan to make Port Madison on the first day then to Townsend. Should be a great trip. The boat is ready and clean. This week will be scrubbing the outside and stocking of tools and incidentals. I'm familiar with most areas up to the southern tip of Widbey. From there I only have experience with the east side (Langley) are area up there. I'd be interested in any insight to other areas to hit between Madison and Townsend if we can't make it all that way around. I'd really like to get out into the straight for some time but I'm not sure there will be time to get out there. My desire is to build experience north for a near future San Juan trip. I'm comfortable with everything but having a little "seat time" in were you are going with a crew makes it nice when you are single handed. Wagoneers doesn't give much info on that area the the Gunkhole series skips the area between the South Series and San Juan series.

I grew up camping at Fort Flagler so I'm familiar with there park and dock area. Thanks everyone
 
Nov 21, 2007
631
Beneteau Oceanis 34 Kingston, WA
Hopefully you have seen a Waggoner's write up on the Pt. Wilson Rip ("The rip usually (but not always) forms on an ebb tide, and may or may not be accompanied by westerly wind.")... we saw it in one of their books when we first started sailing, from Olympia, about ten years ago and it really got our attention. We've crossed from Port Townsend to Lopez or San Juan Island a couple of times and we have not had any significant issues with conditions. But, a friend and neighbor of ours seemed to encounter it last summer, and it did significant ($$$) damage to their power boat and pretty much destroyed their tender on davits (and the davits themselves). If you're not familiar with it, it's worth an internet search.

In Port Townsend we like to stay at Point Hudson. I think it might be a little pricey, but it's directly adjacent to downtown Port Townsend, the entry though the piling breakwaters is pretty wild, and the marina buildings and facilities will have you wondering whether you've sailed through a time-warp to arrive there. A great place! Have fun!
 
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Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Pushed back from Pt Defiance at 0700 Monday and motored to Seattle via Covolos passage. Sailed beam reach all the way to Port Ludlow and anchored just outside of he shelters area. Motored across the straight with no wind and lumpy at about 3ft swells. Sailed through Lopez passage and anchored on the north/western boundary of Hunter Bay. Beautiful night, rain this morning and just getting to the straight now and going to raise sails. Looks like about westerly at 10. More sailing, less moratorium would be nice but that is how it goes
 
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