KOMONews.com reports: The vessel was being towed by a 14-foot skiff at the time. All four people on the Avalon were able to abandon the boat in favor of the skiff, which brought them ashore at Pleasant Harbor State Park.
At 10A we cruise out of the marina with a last look at the houseboats for rent. At $225 - $275, there never seems to be a vacancy.
MoonShadow gets underway.
As we pass the State Park, our hearts are sad for the sunken boat and owner. We are glad to know the persons on board are now safe.
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| Bow of Avalon |
(On edit, below is a photo of Avalon taken by Bruce yesterday.)
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| Avalon -- Photo courtesy of Bruce C Moore |
Seas are one foot or less as we continue our cruise north. Puffin is ahead and we get some good photos -- while Sally photographs Willie's Tug.
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| Puffin |
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| Sally in the cockpit of Puffin |
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| Willie on Willie's Tug - Photo courtesy of Sally Gadow |
If we see Mt. Baker, we know we are almost 'home,' even if we are still in Hood Canal.
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| Mt. Baker |
"Wow! Look at this," Herb says. I call it sky-writing as we see a plane giving an aerobatic show, dropping smoke to show its trail. We are in the Naval Exercise Area, so think it may be a Navy plane. Herb sees some hammerhead stalls and explains what they are.
Now we leave the entrance to Hood Canal, turn round the point at Foul Weather Bluff and begin the familiar watch for ferries, ships and other boats. Also prepare for crossing wakes.
After the peaceful week on Hood Canal, this watch is what it must be like to be born, to go from the safety of the womb into the world to begin learning and growing.
Winds are not too strong, but enough to get some sailing vessels to run up their sails.
I can barely see Mt. Rainier with the haze and angle of the sun, but she looms so large and majestic. The jagged Seattle skyline that I love begins to emerge.
What a day! We are given another show in the sky, and I can just imagine how much fun the pilot is having. Maybe as much fun as I have photographing him.
We hear Walla Walla on the Traffic Channel announce her departure from Kingston to Edmonds and carefully watch to see when she begins to move. She is still sitting as we cross her bow and cruise into our slips at Port of Kingston.
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| Walla Walla |
Dinner is delicious pizza on the upper deck at Filling Station restaurant with a view of the Kingston Ferry. For most of the evening we are the only table seated and enjoy the quiet and privacy we have come to know this week. The only sounds we hear are the cars lining up for the ferry. It is a cool evening, we dine with our jackets and see the downtown Seattle skyline across Puget Sound.
Sister Ships have their last night of the awesome week cruising Hood Canal.
Find MoonShadow and Willie's Tug at Port of Kingston for the night....
Willie of Willie's Tug,
and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Willie, I enjoyed the detailed narrative and many photos so much that I've read this about four times. I feel as if I was on your tug instead of ours. I too saw the Avalon before she sank. After the paparazzi visit, I dinghyed through the harbor trolling for reflection photos and saw her being towed toward the mouth of the cove, fully afloat. Imagine my surprise the next morning! We wondered if she'd been sunk deliberately to create a reef, but later learned it was unexpected. If her 500 gallons of fuel leaked, we got the tugs out just in time.
ReplyDeleteThat is so amazing that you saw her. I will always wonder what the rest of her story is. Yes, we are lucky to have left when we did!
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