Vacation Day Three

We're currently holed up in a Port Townsend coffee shop waiting for favorable weather to head north to the San Juans. Tomorrow should be our first opportunity.

Departure from Seattle Friday was great, but Brian reminded me that superstition says never to start a voyage on a Friday; however, since we've been in PT for two whole days, I am considering the next leg a completely different voyage! The partly cloudy forecast for Friday turned into mostly sunny and calm. We had to motor all the way, but arrived in time to get our Main Sail fixed at the Hasse sail loft. Met with Pam and Glen at Sirens for food and cocktails--a great start to the vacation.

Fri night, I woke first to the rain on the roof of the cabin house. Next, the wind started, and the halyards started slapping the mast. I got up and attached bungie cords, which helped. But, sometime later in the night, a fender had popped up, and we were banging the dock. I got up to fix the fenders; Brian (au natural) was up on the mast playing with the bungie cords to stop more halyard slapping. The wind continued to scream all night, and the poor Shady Lady continued to be slammed against the fenders along the dock. In the morning, we woke to more gusty wind and white caps everywhere out on the sound. Needless to say, we stayed put.

Later in the afternoon on Sat, the wind calmed down, and the day turned gorgeous. I ended up in shorts and a tank, and we wandered up the hill to the grocery store on what turned into a beautiful, sunny, calm late summer afternoon. The evening was so lovely, we could barely believe it was the same day that had stared out in a full on gale.

Had a lovely grilled Halibut dinner with Pam and Glen on Costa Smeralda (sp?), but back in our bunks on Sat night, the wind started again and raged all night long. Now, it is pouring rain, dark skys, lightning, and wind. We are safe and cozy in a coffee shop.

There are far worse places than Port Townsend to be waiting out a stretch of bad weather!