"...where the heart is?" "...where you park it?"
Herb likes to say "Home is where you dock it" and "Happiness is where your friends are."
Salt Springs Island can qualify on all. Today I feel like I am leaving home (temporarily.) We are ready to cast off at 9A when friends come to release our lines. This frees me to grab my camera and see Gail and Vicki assisting us.
Now everyone is photographing everyone, while Patrick gets the bow line.
Leaving the Sailing Club behind, we cruise on rippled seas under sunny skies toward Captain Passage and ultimately Anacortes. Seas change to swells near the south end of Salt Spring Island, where Prevost Island is on our port side.
A three mast sailboat crosses our bow and Herb alters course to cross its wake, which turns out not to be rough at all. He notices Stella on our port and calls to Jim to see if he is going our way, but Jim says he is looking for fishing grounds.
We expect to see several ferries on this trip and the first one is a BC ferry, Spirit of Vancouver Island. Herb checks AIS to learn she will come within a half mile, and notices the sailing vessel traveling near us point at our stern to give way to the ferry. We move ahead increasing our speed to put more distance between us and the ferry, which is headed for Sidney BC.
Breaking the silence now is a "Pan-pan" call on VHF 16. We hear Victoria Coast Guard talking to a sailing vessel who has caught a crab trap in his prop. A few minutes later we hear a "Mayday" call regarding an aircraft down and overturned in a bay. We are not able to hear the persons calling for help, which tells us they are too far away for us to aid, but shortly we hear other boats respond, and all situations are taken care of -- no injuries!!!
As we approach the United States, we see the all too familiar Turn Point on Stuart Island, where a light station was constructed to guide ships in Boundary Pass. All too familiar is the memory of the long, long hike we took a few years ago from Reed Harbor to the Point. There was water along the way -- even a water bowl for Jake and other pets.
From Swanson Channel we go into Boundary Pass with current pushing us toward Stuart Island on our starboard, so skipper changes course to take advantage of the push.
As we pass Crane Island, I see two chairs that must be a fabulous place to watch the sunset.
Continuing, we go through Wasp Passage which is south of Orcas and Crane Islands and north of Shaw. Our next excitement is near Bird Rock where a sailing vessel drifts toward us, forcing us toward the rock, but Herb is able to correct and keep us safe.
When I see Mount Baker, I know I am home. Home? Did I say home?
Yes, Anacortes is one of my 'homes.' I know where everything is in Anacortes.
Our first guest is Tym, who comes at what he calls Beer-Thirty.
and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
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