A Sled Dog in Anacortes in Summer -- Thursday, July 6, 2017

Ten to twenty-five?  Wind Waves?  Here at James Island?  Oh, no!  This means wise ones should seek better shelter, and we must leave here without completing our allowed three nights at a Washington State Marine Park.

Just as we prepare to leave the dock, we meet Ranger David and a young ranger named Brook, who are the other half of the ranger team for the islands. They check James Island once a week.

Herb reties the lines for being safe while releasing them, and we cast off at 11:30 A.  Our plans change because the WX is predicted to kick up with winds from the south and southwest.  We don’t think it will be fun to sit here against an old wooden dock with an exposure to both directions.

Maybe Cap Sante will take us back for a night while we regroup and decide where to go.  Probably south, as the marine forecast says there is little wind in Puget Sound.  Actually, we are getting ‘itchy feet’ and want to travel again, as well as get where the winds are calmer.

Cruising now we have seas two foot or less and mostly swells from Rosario Strait.  It is sunny with beautiful Cascade Mountains on our starboard.

I photograph Mt. Baker again, seen on the port side – “The Girl Can’t Help it!”

Traffic is light with mostly the Washington State Ferry, Samish, and a tanker named Alaskan Frontier.  There are lots of ducks and seagulls in the water ahead, and as we approach, the seagulls fly away, and the ducks do what ducks do – they ‘duck’ under the water.

Watching the Alaskan Frontier, it looks like we may come within .7 of a mile of her, so skipper increases speed to put more time and distance between us.  We cross her path well ahead.  The photo below is taken from Willie's Tug's cockpit, after we leave the tanker behind.

Now we watch Samish as she moves abeam on the port.  She moves ahead.  

But Ferry Hyak is now coming out of Anacortes.  We slow for her to cross our bow before we resume speed.

We call Cap Sante for a slip assignment and lines tied at 1:42P.  ‘Home again.’ But quite early in the day....

“Hey, Herb!  We have a perfect chance to go to Costo and provision for the next few days, and also go to that Kitchen Store we saw in Burlington.”  We should be back by Wine Time.   So off we go to get a couple of things and come home with a ton of things.

Now for the chore of putting all the purchases away.  But wait!  I hear a text come in on my phone. Yay!  It is Jocelyn and she is walking Lily not too far from us.  I invite them to come for a visit and soon they are here.  We sit in the cockpit enjoying the sun (and shade) and I get my ‘pet Lily’ fix.  She is quite content to sit and behave, and a bonus is finally she “Woo Woos” for me.  Sweet Lily Girl.

As they leave to finish their walk, I ask Jocelyn if she can step back up to the dock from the swim platform okay, and she laughs as she says, "Sure, and I have my sled dog to pull me if I needed it."

My Beautiful 'Woo Woo'

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Thursday, July 6, 2017