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CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF DRIFTER
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In mid-May we took our yearly shakedown cruise to Olympia and return, to get ourselves and our boat (Tollycraft 37, "Surprise") ready for the 2-month cruise north in the summer. In Olympia we happened upon Chis VanOver, age 52, from Long Beach, California. Chris had just launched his 1969 Coronado 23 sailboat at Swantown Boatworks, and was getting the boat put together before setting out for an extended single-handed exploration of the Northwest. The boat had everything on it and in it, including autopilot, complete safety equipment, an inflatable dinghy with electric outboard motor, and a Coleman stovetop oven that Chris makes bread in. It makes a person wonder about 2-foot-itis. (On the other hand, no it doesn't. But it shows that with some determination and preparation, you can do a lot of cruising in a tiny boat.)
When we got home we found a charming e-mail from Chris. Normally, the logbook-style approach doesn't appeal to me, but in this case an exception is permitted. --Bob Hale
5-15-05 [Swantown Marina] Woke up about 0400 and made coffee. Light rain off and on through the night and early morning makes for good sleeping, especially because I'm finally back in the water. Had coffee and breakfast, then decided to fill the water tanks and head for the fuel dock and maybe explore a bit.
The Rain Gods got wind of my plan and decided to welcome me here with a downpour. I'm waiting for it to let up for 10 minutes so I can finish filling the water and put boat back together. Discovered a new leak about nose high when asleep in the V-berth.
1030 Under sail in Puget Sound for the first time! Topped off all the fuel tanks at Boston Harbor Marina. Got back to Swantown Marina about 1430. Ran into Bob and Marilynn Hale. They are the authors of my cruising guide, the "Waggoner." [Chris asked directions to the liquor store to replenish his dwindling stock of Captain Morgan's. Since it was Sunday and he was in Washington not California, we told him he was out of luck. -Ed] Got a new autographed copy from them and took a couple of pics. Then Bob came over and took a couple of pics of Drifter and me which 'may' be in next year's book.
5-16-05 The cruise has begun! At the crack of noon, shower and laundry done, dinghy inflated and belly full, all lines were let go and Drifter set sail on the adventure of a lifetime.
The first stop was 15 minutes later at Percival Landing to walk to the nearby store to pick up a couple of last-minute items. The store was called 'Thriftway.' Where they got that name from, I can't imagine. It was one of the most expensive, although very charming, grocery stores I have ever seen. They had a pickle barrel and mead but charged almost $50.00 for a carton of smokes! Time to friggin' quit! Course, I said that when they hit 45 cents a pack too.
Left Percival Landing at 1215 and set sail for Hope Island Marine Park. Arrived at Hope Island 1415 and motored around it, picking up a mooring at 1500. Secured the boat and rowed the dinghy ashore to get my annual moorage permit. Went about three steps into the forest and turned around 'cause I left the camara on the boat.
Back to shore and started for the ranger station. It's about 1/4 mile across the island and in that short time I took about 20 pictures of forest, meadows, trails, deer, the boat, and the ranger's house. Met Tara, the caretaker, who was outside planting a garden when I walked up. She didn't have the permit and said to just stop in at a bigger park in the next few days to get it. Since I was going to get an annual permit she wouldn't take any money for tonight.
Tara lives at Hope Island 6 months of the year with her boyfriend, in an old homestead with a windmill for water (and captured rainwater), a solar panel for power, and an outhouse. The Park Service provides the house, a boat and a small salary.
The new flag halyard parted sometime today and I lost my Cascadia burgee and pirate flag. 1640 Sitting here on Hope Island waiting for a break in the wind to get back out to the boat, doing e-mail and sending my wife Maria tons of pics. Tara told me there were fish and clams here so I walked along the beach for five minutes and saw where at least three big clams were. I can take 40 per day or 10 lbs., which ever comes first (I can't eat that many, 10 would be more like it), but I'm trying to figure out what I can dig with. I can also dig worms in the forest for fish bait. I need a shovel or pitchfork of some kind.
1900 I have walked completely around this island, some by the shore and some on the trails. There is a good freshwater spring, a marsh, yew, oak, fir, sequoia, birch, cedar and pine trees, various and sundry ferns and grasses and understory plants that I do not know, and grassy meadows with wildflowers everywhere.
There are many deer, small animals, swallows and other birds, and none of them is afraid of me. I have seen three kinds of clams, oysters, crab and fish remains, and not one speck of litter, trash, pollution, or graffiti. The only marks of man are the homestead, the trails with some interprative signs, some ancient selective logging, and a few signs of Indians from a hundred years or more past.
I saw on a sign where the Indians used a yew branch for digging clams but I didn't want to remove anything from this place. I even packed out my cigarette butts. I have found Utopia and the evidence of The Gods is everywhere abundant. The entire purpose of this journey save for sighting Orcas has been enjoyed in one day.
2000 Back on the boat, sampled the mead and played the recorder for about 1/2 hour. Sampled the mead again. If only I could play the recorder a little better it would almost be the perfect instrument for such a place. If it were to be accompanied by the Great Highland Bagpipes, a hurdy gurdy, or guitar and drum it could truly be sensational. I am home! [You've also been into the mead. -Ed.]
5-17-05 Up around 6-ish having coffee and plotting the day's course. I believe I could stay here on Hope Island forever, but then again, I wouldn't see anything else. When Maria gets here, this is the first place I shall bring her.
There is nothing quite so wonderful as early morning coffee in the cockpit anchored within 100 feet of a rain forest. The sounds of nature, the smell of the sea mixed with the fragrance of the various flora and fauna, water smooth as glass, and the occasional smattering of tiny raindrops--it just doesn't get any better than this.
The people here are all wonderful as well. Everyone says hi when walking down the street. They're all free with information and rides if needed, and the general attitude of people is unsurpassed. Even the powerboaters go slow, and slow down even more when near a sailboat.
Alas, there are two fix-its to be done on the boat and I have to clean the forest and beach out of the cockpit and stow the dinghy. By then I should be ready to eat and get under way.
0815 SAILED off the mooring! Ran into "Surprise" about halfway up Harstine Island and talked to Bob on the radio.
1300 Tied to the dock at Jerrell Cove Marine State Park on Harstine Island. Found the ranger and got my annual moorage permit. The buoys cost $10.00 a night or $85.50 for my boat for unlimited use for a year
provided I stay no longer than three consecutive nights in any one park. Stood talking to her and a park volunteer for better than an hour. She had to go about her business but I stayed talking to the guy some more and playing with his dogs. He gave me a bunch of state park literature and explained about harvesting oysters. Seems you just walk along at low tide and pick them up. They are opened with heat; either a flame or boiling water but this cove is closed due to toxins. A hundred yards away in the bay, they're fine.
He also told me where a marine store is, about three miles away by water. Motored over there and back to charge Drifter's battery. Until now, I have been able to sail all the time, and the engine has not been running to charge it. On the way over, I made a charger for the dinghy battery from spare parts that came with the solar panel. Picked up 10' of line and some locking hooks at the marine store to make a mooring pendant for the state park buoys. I used my dock lines last night but I'm concerned about chafing where the line passes through the ring.
1700 Back in Jerrell Cove on a buoy and started on the pendant. It will have a hook on both ends, one for the ring on the buoy, and the other for my trailer winch eye set in the bow. It'll be long enough to use the snubber with it. 1900 Mooring pendant completed and installed and I sewed up a pulled out seam in the bimini. I love it here, and I love cruising!
Chris, S/V Drifter
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