West Sound, Orcas Island

Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
John Lund, a boating buddy and I, were heading west through Pole Pass towards Stuart Island when a breeze appeared. So, up with the main. For some unfathomable reason I decided to first ease the Dutchman topping lift, which I never do. The main reaches the second spreader and stops. I try everything I can think of, but it will not budge in either direction.

After a hail for assistance to Deer Harbor, they say they have no staff, but refer me to West Sound Marina. This will be my third solo trip to the bottom of West Sound. The first turned out to be a very nice solo summer anchorage. The second was during a snow storm after leaving Spencer Spit in the snow. Odd as it may seem, I'm half way to the bottom, ready to turn around and high tail it for home, when three kayakers pass by. Well, as I continue on the snow stops, the clouds break and blue skies begin to appear from the north. That night turned out to be a crystal clear moonless breathtaking star studded night at anchor milky way and all and snow abound.

As John and I approach West Sound Marina for the first time and with very low expectations, I give them a hail and explain my plight. Very pleasant and responsive marina staff assign me a place to dock that is favorable to my situation and inform me that a rigger will meet me at the dock. What!

Our approach displays an older small marina with what appears to be all the necessary gear to handle boats; travel lift, several boats on the hard, etc. After Belle-Vie is secured an older fellow approaches and asks how he can help. After some consultation we decide he needs to climb the stick, which he does with a bosun's chair and our spinnaker halyard.

It takes him about two hours to open the mast head cover, clear the jam and return things to normal operation. His fee is $155, a bargain in my book. What had happened was when I first eased the Dutchman Topping lift halyard the movement of the main halyard caused the topping lift halyard to skip from its sheave over to the main halyard sheave next to it and do a wrap jam. My efforts to break things loose only made the jam more so.

Needless to say, we had a very pleasant experience at West Sound Marina. Very casual but knowledgable staff in a small rural community providing the help we needed. Very impressed.

http://www.visitsanjuans.com/attractions/west-sound

http://westsoundmarina.net
 
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