Where's TODAY's Party? -- Monday - Tuesday, 7/22 - 23/2013 -- Days 73 -74

With our Desolation Sound cruise in the near future, we put the finishing touches on plans for departing tomorrow to Poet's Cove, and get a surprise visit from Bob (Nellie Too), who invites us to his home for Happy Hour.  He tells us to spread the word to all Ranger Tug owners in the area.

Another party -- what fun!

In late afternoon Moondance brings Bruce and Vicki, and we head for Bob and Nita's home.   We meet new owners Frank and Pam Mathon of Illinois, who had R-25 Tuggin' Aweigh.  They now have a new R-27.  

Frank and Herb

Bruce and Pam

Also Bill and Nicole of Georgia aboard Blue Merle.

Bruce, Vicki, Jocelyn, Nicole, Ray and Bill

Plans are discussed for getting to Ganges to begin our group cruise, and new friendships are formed.

Dinner at Anthony's follows and I am delighted with Dungeness Crab Stack.  Yum with blueberries and mango.  And the moon adds to a perfect evening.

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Monday - Tuesday, July 22 - 23, 2013

The Rumor -- Sunday, 7/21/2013 -- Day 72

This afternoon I hear a rumor that there will be a party tonight at the slips of Nudibranch and Willie's Tug.  

The rumor grows.  But not confirmed.

Confirmed, but not clear....

As the rumor grows more and more, I finally think I understand "Ah, yes, it seems there will be a party!"  All Ranger Tug owners in the area are invited to a getting-to-know-you gathering.

We mentally count the people who will come, and see that we can accommodate half of them on our boat and half on Ray's; however, we are not across the dock from each other -- there is water between the boats -- so that will not work!

Someone suggests we take over the dock, and anyone passing by will be invited to join us!  Sounds like a plan, and it works.  

Many are here staging for the cruise to Desolation Sound, and others come to wish us well.

After Happy Hour, Ray and Jocelyn serve delicious halibut and salmon, and veggies as well!

Herb

Willie

Lisa, Tym, Jim

We, Ray and Jocelyn welcome Jim and Lisa (Kismet), Tym (Circle T), Mary and Craig (Rum Tum Tugger), Kathy and Greg (Santilino), and Bob and Nita (Nellie Too).

Craig, Greg (peeking), Bob, Jocelyn, Nita, Herb, Mary, Ray, Kathy

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Sunday, July 21, 2013

Laundry Room Story (or Adventuress again) -- Saturday, 7/20/2013 -- Day 71

I have a couple of loads of laundry to do, so head up to the laundry room and luckily find all three washers available.  As I load the first one, two people arrive pushing a dock cart with many, many laundry bags needing the other two washers.  The lady, whom I now know as Betsy, asks if I am using them.  I do have another load, but seeing what they are faced with, I yield and tell them I can come back later for my second.

With Betsy is Lennard, both crew members for the ship Adventuress, whom we saw on the water last year.  They have just completed the six day Road Scholar Intergenerational Voyage with children and their grandparents, and are doing laundry for the entire crew, who are back on the ship deep cleaning for the next cruise to begin tomorrow.  As Betsy says, "It will be ship-shape."

When I get my laundry into the dryer, I have time to walk to the other side of the marina for a photo of Adventuress.  Oh, there is a boat docked next to her and blocking a good view, and to get any better photo, I would have to be in the water.  I did not bring my life jacket and the water is too cold for swimming (for me).

Click here for more information on Adventuress, her educational programs, and wonderful experiences on the water.  She is based at Cap Sante in Anacortes this year, so we will see her often.

Photo taken from Willie's Tug in 2012

Willie of Willie's Tug,

   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake

   Saturday, July 20, 2013

A Visit with Kismet -- Friday, 7/19/13 -- Day 70

Ranger Tugs are beginning to appear at Cap Sante Boat Haven, some simply on vacation and some staging for the trip to Ganges on Salt Spring Island BC for major staging of the Desolation Sound cruise.

We see Kismet, who was our dock mate at the Ranger Rendezvous two years ago, and whose owners we knew best as having sailed The Great Loop.


Photo from Raven Cove Publishing

They are Jim and Lisa Favors, whose seminar we attended at the Ranger Rendezvous two years ago.  Click here to read their blog on the Great Loop.

This evening we visit with them and catch up on their latest adventures, and are happy to learn they will join us on the Desolation Sound trip next week. Having toured the San Juan Islands previously, they are excited to go farther north this Summer.

Lisa serves a fabulous dinner with wine -- and I forget to take pictures!  All that is left are dessert plates and an almost empty wine bottle.

We'll see you on the water, Kismet....

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Friday, July 19, 2013

The New and Improved Me -- Wednesday - Thursday, 7/17-18, 2013 -- Days 68 - 69

I shall have a root canal.  That is what I am told.  So, that being the case, let's move along here; I plan to go to Canada next week.  I spend hours on Wednesday getting and fine tuning appointment(s) which will allow the perfect timing before my trip.  I am happy!

Let's be positive here.  With the endodontist being in Burlington, that means I can go to my favorite store, Bed-Boat-and-Bankrupt,  and my other favorite store, Costco.

On Thursday morning, the day of the appointment, I am not so sure how happy I am.  Herb and I get an invitation to join Tym and June for breakfast at a downtown diner and I know that will be therapeutic for me.

My mother always told me that mealtimes should be happy times, and she would be pleased today!

We laugh continually, almost continuously.

I tell Tym and June about my dental appointment, and Tym says, "Willie, I am no doctor, but my advice to you is if you touch your face over that tooth and it hurts, don't touch your face there."  

Thanks, Tym; I'll try that and maybe not need a procedure.

No one watches the clock; then we see there is just time enough to get to Burlington.  I am in the best of moods, and not even anticipation of a root canal will faze me.

The rest of the day goes well, an uneventful, successful dental visit, and I am good to go.  

Before:
















After:

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Wednesday - Thursday, July 17-18, 2013

The Day Gets Better -- Tuesday, 7/16/2013 -- Day 67

We need one more chart book and are referred to a chandlery in Van Isle, just north of Sidney.  Yes!  They have it, so we cruise there early in the morning as we depart for Anacortes.

It is sunny, 75 degrees at 8:45 in the morning, and we hear on the weather news that Seattle is predicted to reach 90 -- a heat wave.  There are slight swells which make for a calm cruise, as we go by Robert Bay to Tsehum Harbour.  

Having never been to this town, we are pleased to see many chandlery shops and plan to return when we have more time to see the area.

We get the chart book; Jake gets a cookie, and we are on our way!

Once again, Willie's Tug's destination is Anacortes, traveling at six knots for an estimated arrival in six and a half hours.  We pass near Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, Friday Harbor, then go through Upright Channel north of Lopez, back down by Blakely, through Thatcher pass, crossing Rosario Strait to Guemes Channel, and into rippled seas.

We are excited to see a wooden schooner, Spike Africa, and her passengers.

Spike Africa

It is a good day on the water with many sailboats actually sailing, ferries about, and kind seas. 

And a nice view of Mt. Baker to welcome us home.

Dinner at Anthony's just seems to be calling us....

Chipolino

Berry Sauce Lingcod

Delicious!

But can the evening get any better?  Mother Nature gets her paintbrush and shares the blues and blacks against the lightened sky, then changes the scene to her best shades of pink.

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Shopping -- Monday, 7/15/2013 - Day 66

A quick trip  to Sidney BC for some chart books will put us closer to being ready for the annual Ranger Tug trip to Desolation Sound.  Herb performs the routine checks on the boat, weather, tides, etc., and off we go on this Monday morning. He sets a course to go between Waldron Island and Skip Jack, but winds unexpectedly pick up as we enter President Channel and he alters a bit to go on the north side of Skip Jack, thus minimizing the rolling waves.

We have mostly four to five foot seas, not bad, then one 8 footer just before Turn Point on Stuart Island.  No photograph of it, as I am busy holding on.

As we pass Turn Point and head into Haro Strait, things begin to calm down and we have a pleasant cruise on into Canada, arriving in Sidney just in time for lunch.











We inhale the beauty of this lovely town as we make our way to the office to register for the moorage.

No matter how many times we visit, it is fresh and like new again to see what is available.  Jake watches with interest the sea creatures in the aquarium along the sidewalk, wondering what they are thinking and if he should run for cover.

From here to the end of the day it is all about Jake!  He meets so many people who want to give him a treat and pet him.  He makes his way behind the counter at the marina office for a second doggie biscuit.

We don't forget why we came today, and hurry on to Tanner's Book Store in search of the chart books.  They have one of the two we need, but for Jake they have more than he needs.

He looks into her eyes for the first treat,

then into her hand for the second,

Where there is one cookie, there is always another!

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Monday, July 15, 20013