Drove to the boat late last Tuesday, December 20th, with plans to sail over to Eagle Harbor on the east side of Cypress Island for a few days before Christmas. Too late then so Wednesday, December 21, caught the mid day beginning of the ebb out the north end of Swinomish Channel. Very light wind on the nose so motored the way over to one of my favorite mooring balls. What? The Harbor was full of empty mooring balls. Day was nice and comfortably cold. John Lund was unable to rendezvous due to a dental appointment and new crown. I expected to see at least one other silly boater out in the winter cold.
Wallas, the furnace, was on the duration keeping the interior warm. First time I've ever seen (group, school, pod...?) maybe twenty Harbor seals swimming together across Padilla Bay. Usually solo in nature, but never as a group. Thursday a bit uneventful puttering around the boat doing this and that. Then that night an easterly wind arrived howling most of the night, but still no rain. Awoke Friday morning to a light snow and much, much colder.
Headed out early to get some sail time and follow the flood down the channel, which ended around noon. Wind 10-12 out of the north, so spun the genoa out (new furling drum bracket that I made makes a big difference) to fill up my sailing tank. Snow fall sticking and picking up. Wind diminishes a bit but still under sail to Huckleberry Island. Water flat and calm in Padilla Bay so motored the rest of the way. Still snowing upon arriving in Shelter Bay.
All in all a nice winter cruise, filling up the sailing tank, making some plans to head back out after Christmas for a few more days, weather permitting. Again, a nice easy genoa rollup, thanks to the new bracket. Better late than never, I say.
Hope to see some of you PNW sailors out and about. Very quiet time of the year. What few boats I saw were mostly fisherman or crabbers. As I left Eagle Harbor, there was one small trawler at a mooring in Cypress Head, just south of our boat.