Halloween cruise

Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Went for a very nice Halloween cruise. Late last Thursday evening, I looked at the weather and saw that it should be sunny till Tuesday. We threw together some food, clothing and grabbed the dingy and headed to the boat early afternoon on Friday. It was blowing a moderate to fresh gale (35-45kts) when we left the dock. I asked a guy walking past if he could hold a bow line to keep me straight with a bit of cross wind until I got clear of the neighbor's boat. He said " Are you sure you want to go out in this?", to which I said You bet! :dancing: and Sue quietly said "I'm not so sure!". :facepalm: He then said "How are you going to get back into your slip" to which I said "Not coming back, we are anchoring for tonight." He just shook his head but we were off!

Down the channel we were on a broad reach with about 100% of genoa and making 7 knots. Once clear of that we needed to jibe and head down on a deep reach east to Strawberry Point and the channel to Deception Pass. With pretty good waves on the port stern quarter I rolled in a bit more of the Genny down to about 80% which slowed us down a bit and made it a little easier to steer to the waves. Pretty rolley but under control. After we rounded Strawberry Pt at sundown, the full moon came up, the wind dropped and we motored up to Cornet Bay and anchored for the night.

Day 2 we crossed Roserio with a combo of full sail with a little spinnaker in light air but it was sailing. Once inside Lopez Sound, we motored north and anchored for the first time in Sylvan Cove on Decatur. Sue commented that it was pretty open to the NNW to which I said "We never get a NNW blow inside the islands". Yeah, right! At 21:00 I pulled the anchor and motored across to the south side of Spencer Spit. ;)

We planned to hang out there until Monday but the forecast for Monday was little to no breeze and on Sunday we had a 5-knot northerly. Out Thatcher and a great spinnaker run all the way down Roserio to the entrance to Deception Pass and we were only 10 minutes late for slack to ebb. Given the full moon which would build to 7.6-knots in the Pass, we barely made it through and made slow progress to the south side of Dugualla Bay by dark where I decided to anchor on the edge of the channel in 3-knots of current. Love that new 35-lb Mantus.

After the tide change, we swung 180º and the Mantus grabbed again in 3kts the other way. I decided that with the full moon, I might as well take advantage of the current and made an easy 8 plus knots back to Oak Harbor and we tied up at 02:00. All in all a very nice weekend cruise!
 
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Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Cool story, bro.
Needs more paragraphs. Walls of text, meh. ;)
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Nice. We saw the full moon rise over Saltspring Island from our home on Vancouver Island. Wish we could get to meet on the water. Someday Soon ... another Canadian song! :beer::beer::beer:
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Nice. We saw the full moon rise over Saltspring Island from our home on Vancouver Island. Wish we could get to meet on the water. Someday Soon ... another Canadian song! :beer::beer::beer:
We are hoping to take a cruise up your way next year. Any idea if the border will be open to US boats?
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Great story Hayden. We saw that moon rise while with the grandkids on their quest for Halloween candy. It was a beautiful Blue moon site.

Sylvan Cove is such a pretty little spot. It is difficult to not stop.

Let’s hope the borders are again open soon, yet as your story attests there are places where Puget Sound sailors can explore that we often pass by at other times.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Nice read, Hayden. Home for Halloween, here. Had a total of two trick or treaters from across the street. Very quiet and a lovely moon view. Must give Sylvan Cove a try. Been by it many times.
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Thanks Terry.
Normally Sylvan Cove would be very nice and protected. The bottom was hard mud based on the sample the Mantus brought me. The wind I had on Saturday night was only about 10-knts but It was rocking us more than I wanted and it was an easy move to the east side of Lopez.
 
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forbin

.
Nov 4, 2013
166
Tartan 3700 Seattle - Elliot Bay
Is the shore at Sylvan Cove public?

It's a topic for a different conversation, or none at all, but I just got a different boat and wanted to replace the Delta that's on there with a Mantus, but the 45 lb is *huge* on the roller, so I'm considering other options. I had a 25 lb on my last boat and it was so reliable once set I barely even thought about it.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
easy move to the west side of Lopez.
Where exactly did you end up on the west side of Lopez? Dugwalla Bay is on the other east side of Whidbey. Must give that a try, too. Always looking for new spots to anchor.
 
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Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Sylvan Cove is private access according to Wagoneers. That we why we had never been in there because we used to boat with our two Labs but now it is just us people.
For the Mantus, I have the 35. I needed to replace my old 35-lb CQR anchor because the hinge knuckle hit my brand new Harkin Mk VI furler drum. I printed out the full scale template on their web-site to make sure it would fit.
spinnaker_tack_block.png
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Where exactly did you end up on the west side of Lopez? Dugwalla Bay is on the other east side of Whidbey. Must give that a try, too. A.ways looking for new spots to anchor.
Sorry, mis-spoke. I meant east side of Lopez. My anchorage of refuge was on the south side of Spencer Spit. In the morning, there was one power boat on a mooring and 5 sailboats on anchors on the south side. I am thinking that several had transplanted from the north side due to the unusual NNW wind that blew that day. I was sure happy that it continued all day Sunday because it let me ride the Spinnaker all the way back to Deception Pass.
The "anchorage" in Dugwalla was just a place to wait for the current to change. At dark I was bucking into 3 knots of current so we dropped the hook, ate dinner and slept until 11:00pm until the flood got to screaming and the moon to get high, then rode that home. There really aren't any good anchorages after you leave Hope Is until to get to Ponell Point. If the wind is not out of the south or east, it is a good anchorage in about 40'. The bottom is flat at that depth but as soon as it starts to go shallower, it gets very skinny really fast.
Oak Harbor has good holding with 360º protection with hard mud at 20'
 

forbin

.
Nov 4, 2013
166
Tartan 3700 Seattle - Elliot Bay
For the Mantus, I have the 35. I needed to replace my old 35-lb CQR anchor because the hinge knuckle hit my brand new Harkin Mk VI furler drum. I printed out the full scale template on their web-site to make sure it would fit.
I'm glad you used the safety pin to make sure it didn't fall off and damage your hull or hurt someone on the dock!

Does the anchor live on the roller and if it does do you find it to be extremely wide or awkward on the roller? It's got to be close to a foot wider than the CQR.
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
I'm glad you used the safety pin to make sure it didn't fall off and damage your hull or hurt someone on the dock!

Does the anchor live on the roller and if it does do you find it to be extremely wide or awkward on the roller? It's got to be close to a foot wider than the CQR.
It lives on the roller and the width does not cause any problems. It does rock a bit from side to side so I may add the Mantus Anchor guard
It is easier to deploy and retrieve than the CQR. I also have it mounted with a Mantus swivel and was worried about it coming up backwards at the roller. I had no swivel on the CQR and often would twist the chain to get it to turn around because it would no self-correct. It seems that almost every time, the Mantus comes up pointing 180º from where it should be but as soon as the shank gets on the roller, it flips and comes up with no problem.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I put a 35 Mantus on my Cal35Cruiser. 15,000 displacement. 100 ft chain. I’ve used it several times and very pleased. Held fast in strong current changes.

It lives on my bow roller.
Here are a couple of photos. Of note is the closeness of the tip to the hull when the anchor is fully retrieved. I am going to install the Mantus anchor mate to hold the tip of the anchor off the boat.
3FD66519-E823-4FEB-8F1A-7A5A93253542.jpeg

B1FCE0D6-A631-4CA6-B8C7-F87F49F266E1.jpeg

874DC550-BB71-4D43-AB2B-74CEEC5AC49F.jpeg

28AB592A-A4B4-42E9-8CFA-80DEC153C2CF.jpeg
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Likely pass on using Dugwalla Bay as an anchorage. The island saddle leaves the bay open to NNW winds. That is right where they mounted the Swinomish Channel day board markers and usually where strong wind gusts appear.

Spent a solo night in a snow blizzard on the south side of Spencer Spit during a winter cruise a few years ago. Both sides have good holding, but as you say open to strong winds. Busy during the summer, so try to avoid the place. Even so one can usually find a place to anchor amongst the buoys.
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Likely pass on using Dugwalla Bay as an anchorage. The island saddle leaves the bay open to NNW winds. That is right where they mounted the Swinomish Channel day board markers and usually where strong wind gusts appear.

Spent a solo night in a snow blizzard on the south side of Spencer Spit during a winter cruise a few years ago. Both sides have good holding, but as you say open to strong winds. Busy during the summer, so try to avoid the place. Even so one can usually find a place to anchor amongst the buoys.
I agree about Dugwalla. I did not anchor in the bay, I was north of the bay at the point were the channel makes a dogleg turn to the east. The wind was light and out of the south so it was coming off a high bluff. I just stayed long enough for the current to change so that I could make some better progress. I better anchorage is the leeward side of Hope or Cornet.
 
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Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
I better anchorage is the leeward side of Hope or Cornet.
Agree, Hayden. Both very nice anchorages and pretty well protected. North side of Hope, so so. Cabbage patch (bull kelp) in places making it a bit difficult to get a good set. This time of the year, though, good chance of snagging a vacant buoy. South side also a good anchorage depending upon wind direction. Ditto Skagit.
 
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forbin

.
Nov 4, 2013
166
Tartan 3700 Seattle - Elliot Bay
Sylvan Cove is private access according to Wagoneers. That we why we had never been in there because we used to boat with our two Labs but now it is just us people.
We had a six month break between dogs, but most of that was winter and then early covid, so I've never been to the San Juans without one. Definitely makes for a bit of a different experience.

It lives on my bow roller.
Here are a couple of photos. Of note is the closeness of the tip to the hull when the anchor is fully retrieved. I am going to install the Mantus anchor mate to hold the tip of the anchor off the boat.
I was thinking about a Sarca Excel, but coming from a Mantus, I'm not sure I'd be happy with it as much as people coming from a Delta or CQR. My only issue with the Mantus is the size, the 45# is two feet wide compared to 16 inches for the comparable Excel (or even Rocna), and the shank+swivel would be very close (less than an inch) from the gypsy. I've been using the SV Panope anchor testing videos as my primary info.
 
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Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
I've been using the SV Panope anchor testing videos as my primary info.
I found their testing to be very interesting in their final conclusion. They basically said that the Mantus tested out the best in all categories but they "thought" that the shank looked too skinny. WTH?!?!?!? It has a life time guarantee so that doesn't sound like a big issue to me. In addition to that, they are using HT ASTM 514 Steel which is a very high grade steel. 514 is a tempered steel with yield strength three times what you find in typical structural steel (A36) and over twice as strong as high-strength structural beams (A992 Gr.-50)
 
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