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The Beauty of Hope

The Beauty of Hope

  • Travel
Another short cruise – maybe forty minutes – brought us to the shores of tiny Hope Island. We snagged the only available buoy and set out to circumnavigate our home for the night. This did not take long.

Landing on the southern shore, we walked every trail, explored every nook and still

Cute as a…

Cute as a…

We left Swantown marina this morning and half an hour later tied up at Boston Harbor at the mouth of Budd Inlet. The docks are not great, but the people are. The neighborhood feels like something from fifty years ago – simple beach houses with interesting nautical yard art and nary
Hitting Bottom

Hitting Bottom

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Bound for Olympia, the southernmost port of call on our voyage, we stopped overnight at Oro Bay on the south side of Anderson Island. It’s a really lovely place, but apparently cursed. After dropping the anchor, I discovered that our dinghy motor was broken and my bicycle had a
Headin’ Down South

Headin’ Down South

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If you look at Puget Sound on a map, you’ll notice that all the water has to flow through a single narrow passage west of Tacoma. This passage is called – wait for it – The Tacoma Narrows. You don’t want to be traveling through the Narrows against the current,
A Slow Boat to Gig Harbor

A Slow Boat to Gig Harbor

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Ever hit your finger with a hammer, or date someone that you knew from the start was totally unsuitable, or buy a disco record? In short, did you ever experience a self-inflicted wound?

Our trip this morning from Blake Island to Gig Harbor was something like this. All me actually.

A Home Invasion

A Home Invasion

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We returned from a walk around Blake Island today to find this guy sitting on top of our bimini. That’s the fabric cover over the cockpit. The cockpit is the open area at the stern. That’s the aft section of the boat. That’s the back.

Try as

A Big Deal

A Big Deal

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As we left Port Gamble this morning for the short trip to Kingston, we found ourselves a part of the floating circus that forms whenever a submarine leaves harbor.

We were hailed by the gunboat to the left of the photo and “asked” politely to keep 1000 yards away from

A Federal Offense

A Federal Offense

  • Travel
More on that later. But first…

We pointed Impromptu south intending to sample just a bit of the Hood Canal. This rather large body of water is surprisingly boring from a boater’s perspective. How come? Because it’s a glacier-carved valley, the walls are steep and the water deep.

Not What I Imagined

Not What I Imagined

  • Travel
It’s August in the Pacific Northwest. In England, they’re setting heat records. In Hawaii, warm tropical breezes kiss the swaying palm trees. In Anacortes, Washington we have fog.

Rather than the sunny summer cruise to Port Townsend that I was expecting, we travelled for four hours in this…

Put a Bow on It

Put a Bow on It

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Before life drifts too far downstream, I want to take a moment to share a few more photos from our recent boat trip.

When I left you, we were hanging out on Bainbridge Island with Fiona Bean and her new owners. From there, we travelled around the south end of

A Visit with an Old Friend

A Visit with an Old Friend

After leaving Bell Harbor, we dropped anchor for lunch on Blake Island, a State Marine Park not far offshore. Our friends Patty and Douglas came along for the ride and – bonus – brought a terrific lunch.

After lunch, we cruised north to Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island. Douglas and Patty caught

A Change of Perspective

A Change of Perspective

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“Hey”, Mike said as his friend Chip walked into the bar. “How’s it hangin’?”

“I wouldn’t know”, Chip sighed. “It hasn’t gotten much action lately.” Bob thought that Chip looked kind of down. Not like his usual self.

“What are you talkin’ about, pal? Judy’s hot.

The Well-known Unknown

The Well-known Unknown

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Find a map and stick a pin in it where you find Anacortes, Washington.

Now, imagine that you are floating on a boat nearby. You can turn north and explore the San Juan and Gulf Islands, poke your nose into dozens of interesting ports along the Sunshine Coast of British