Maintenance and practice...

I came in this morning to do some practice on the smaller whale watch boat... hmmmm, there is NO fluid in the transmission... hmmm, there is an oil extractor sitting in the boat... hmmm, I think I better check into this a bit more.  Not long, and one of the other captains that was to monitor my practice showed up; seems that he had drained the transmission yesterday.  Good thing I didn't just get on and fire her up! ;-)

We topped off the transmission and started my practice session: all about working the boat at the tight dock situation... and working around the ferry and the Victoria Clipper III, working in conjunction to provide a BUNCH of prop wash from all directions.

"Yeah, I'm going to just sit out here for a moment, until things settle down," I said.

"Good decision," Mike came back.  Makes me wonder if that decision-making was part of the training?

A cool, drizzly day today, with precip on and off.  I fired up the radar on the boat for the first time; black & while returns sure look different than color.  Good to make sure that is functioning properly before I need it; and had we gone out with this boat today, I would have needed it.

The other (bigger) boat went out today; apparently, there were whales pretty close by.  That would be a welcome change - the trips I have done so far have taken us a lot of miles.

I stopped at the Customs office on the way back to our boat; I needed to check procedure for a charter into and out of Canada for an upcoming trip.  Yep, there's more to it than when you come and go with your own private vessel.  New things to learn each day.

Joan went in before me and was out on the big boat when I left.  If this keeps up, she may get in more sea time than I will.  I'll be waiting for her, anxious to hear how her day went... I may greet her at the door with a glass of wine and her slippers.  ;-)

-------------------

Update: The boat Joan was on saw transient Orcas today, and could hear them without the Hydraphone.  More great viewing and not far to go!

Supper out tonight - no one has to cook or clean. :-)

Naturalist...

Joan just got home from her first day at work.  After training in the office for a few hours, she went out to train on the bigger boat (Sea Lion)... and they had a spectacular day of whale watching, seeing member of J, K, & L pods!  All sorts of behavior (spy-hopping, lobtailling, pectoral slapping, breaching), and even some calves wrestling with one another.  They lowered the hydrophone to listen in.

Yeah, it sounds like I missed the best day of whale watching so far, but Joan got a great introduction to the naturalist's job on the boat!

I did manage to get one shot of her while they were prepping the boat...

My little bread-winner.

Arc-y sparky...

During the Friday Harbor gathering, Roger on In Cahoots had a little "electric situation," with the plug on his 30 amp cable arcing.  I met Ben from Friday Harbor Marine while he was working on Roger's boat.  Fast forward a week or so, and we had exactly the same situation.  Ben was out of the Smart Plugs over the holiday weekend and just got more in today.  I have to say I didn't sleep well the past couple nights, having concern over that plug.

Not an inexpensive replacement, since the wiring from the plug in the cockpit back to the electrical panel had to be replaced, as well.  That bit of wiring wasn't fried all the way back, but there was no extra wire... cut off a few inches, and you're a few inches too short.  Now, there's a bit more wire to work with, if we need any kind of service on that in the future.

The burned plug...



And the replacement...



The new plug has a deeper connection and a positive lock; it sure looks like a "smarter" connection.  We went 6 years with the other, never had an issue.  Hopefully, this new one will go even longer.

Just a heads up for boaters - you might want to check your cable.  Ours was fine... right up until it wasn't.

House husband...

Well, boat husband.  Today is Joan's first day of work, and I am not scheduled for a trip (unless I get called in).  She had to go in a lot earlier, since she will be training in the office.  I did my best to stay out of her way while she got ready for her first day.

Once she headed out, I cleaned up, made breakfast, washed dishes, and picked up around the boat.  I can't even bring her lunch, since she will head out for training on the boat before lunch time; she packed her own before she left.  I did offer to make it for her... "How does peanut butter and turkey sound?" ;-)

It's a gray ol' day here; started off with light rain, but is now just solid overcast.  Looks like we're in for a few of those over the next week.

Yesterday, the Gallery Boat pulled up to a nearby dock here at Friday Harbor.  We had seen this boat 5 years ago anchored in Reid Harbor.  Peter, the owner and photographer, sells photographic-art images from the boat...

I visited with Peter for a bit; the boat is for sale.  He asked, but I told him 32 years in the imaging business was enough for us.  The boat is usually moored at Deer Harbor these days... a pretty place to do business, if anyone is interested.  There is an art exhibit here Thursday through Sunday.

We walked around the marina a bit.  I took a lot of photos; getting them on this computer is a definite "work around", but here are a couple interesting boats...

Pretty obvious that my tastes run towards pilothouse boats these days.

We came back to our boat and sat outside during a period of sunshine; little Izzy joined us...

She still needs encouragement to go out, and wasn't interested in getting too far away from a way into the boat.  Since I am the boat husband today, one of my chores is to brush Izzy.  Not really a chore, since Iz loves being brushed... kitty bonding.

Oops...

There was an "incident" this morning... nothing to do with a boat, other than being on one... seems that hot chocolate and a MacBook Pro do not play well together.  The computer is going to take a trip.  I am going to review my "drinking hot chocolate on the boat" policy.  That will be an expensive bit of tuition.  (Tuition: the cost for learning something)

Later, we were doing laundry.  While Joan stepped out, I was visiting with a guy in the marina laundromat.  We were both lamenting about the cost ($4 for a washing machine, $1 for 15 minutes of dryer time).  He mentioned that he normally does his laundry on another island, where the cost is about half, but the laundromat isn't as nice and has only 2 machines... and one usually doesn't work.

I asked, "Are you living on a boat here?"

He told me he lives on a small island.  When he said the name, I replied, "I didn't think anyone was living there.  I've gone by there several times, and haven't seen any activity."  When he found out where I was working, he told me that his ex-wife used to work at the same place and said, "I saw you go by on Sunday.  Was that you on the Kittiwake?"

Small world.  Small island.  I asked about power and water (solar, propane, and rain catching).  I asked if anyone else lived there... "Just me."

"Does it get lonely?"

"I'm pretty much an introvert."

I found myself feeling sorry for him, but he seemed quite content.  I need some human interaction.  He asked where we were staying.

"On our boat."

He saw the logo on my vest and said, "On a C-Dory?"  I could see that he was feeling a bit sorry for me.

Perspective.

Time to make a trip...

No, not cruising, just a little morning walk to the nearby restrooms.  With a light rain, I put on my jacket, opened the camperback, and stepped out... there was a couple standing on the dock by the bow of our boat.

"You caught us checking out your boat - we just love C-Dorys."

My need wasn't urgent, so we stood in the rain (didn't my Momma teach me better than that??) and discussed the usual '22 vs 25' topic.  They were a very nice couple... when she heard that we were living on the boat for the summer, she let out a little pleasant sigh.

Joan and I were just discussing this... the two weeks that we've been based out of Friday Harbor has flown by.  We are doing fine on the boat, little Izzy loves to watch all the goings on outside the window, we like our "neighborhood," and it's hard to beat being able to walk to work (especially considering the price of gas and diesel on this island).

This holiday weekend gave us a preview of what weekends are likely going to be all summer here: a buzz of activity.  On the bright side, we are on a dock that doesn't have any transient slips, so there is considerably less walk-by traffic and noise.  Certainly, a few docks over, they are "dancing in the street"... um, on their boats.  We really don't hear much of it around us.

I got a call this morning from our boss, asking me to come in for a couple hours.  I thought it might be in regards to the fuel situation on the boat, but he wanted me to go over the boat "with fresh eyes" and offer any suggestions that would make the boat safer and more convenient.  I sure like that attitude.

With today being Memorial Day, there was a parade in Friday Harbor, followed by a gun salute and then a canon being fired.  Little Izzy didn't flinch when the canon went off, but still slinks when she hears voices. 

We walked uptown after lunch and found fresh baked cookies at the grocery store bakery.  Yeah, we're settling in.

Well, the anchor works...

I was told the fuel selectors in the boat were "unusual"... two different selectors that have to be moved to switch tanks.  I switched tanks while underway and a few moments later heard that sound no boater wants to hear while underway... silence.

I was in a fairly narrow and protected channel, but the rocks on shore were getting closer.  I put out the anchor, then went to the trouble-shooting book.  No restart without first clearing the air in the injector lines.  I first set the fuel selectors back where they were (I dipped the tanks, so I knew we weren't out of fuel), then got out some wrenches.  Two guys in a small boat asked if I needed a hand... yep, if one of them could crack the injectors while I pumped, it would sure move the process along.  They passed the wrench back and forth while I pumped, watching the air bubbles come out.

It was only a few minutes, but seemed like forever.  I went back to the flybridge and cranked... that big ol' diesel sounded good.  The guys in the other boat eased us towards the anchor, making it easier to pull up.  Still, it was a beast.

When I talked to the owner about it, he said, "Everyone who drives that boat has an issue with those fuel selectors... once.  You got it out of the way early, and you handled the situation.  Good job."

Well, I was upset with myself that it even happened.  The only thing I can figure is that if the indicator isn't perfectly lined up with boat valves, it must cut off the fuel flow.

Lesson learned.

Well, I was batting 1,000%...

... until today.  I was supposed to have the day off, but they called me in to drive.  It's a holiday weekend, so I have no issue with that (it's part of the job).  It turned out to be a long day, and we didn't see whales.  Eagles, Steller Sea Lions, seals, harbor porpoise, other birds and wildlife... but, no whales.

Joan and I were on our way to get ice cream when I got the call asking if I could come in.  So, after work, we walked down to get ice cream.  Bunny Tracks in a waffle cone - it was kinda worth the wait.

We're supposed to have the next two days off, but... we'll see how that goes.  Then, Joan starts on Wednesday.  They have been very busy in the office, so it will be good to get her trained and up to speed.

It wasn't as sunny today, and the wind and waves were higher.  Still, not a bad way to spend the day. :-)

No photos while at work, but here's a look at the islands today...

Joan tried to entice Izzy onto the dock by playing with her rope out there.  Izzy was interested, but there were WAY too many big dogs out and about on the docks...

My first driving day...

We saw Killer Whales (Orcas) today!  And I had two trips, my first at the helm, both trips.  We had to run north a long ways to find the whales, but our guests got to see a transient pod.  I have to admit, even though we've seen whales from our own boat before, this was pretty exciting... 6 adult Orcas, swimming in unison.  I'd love to show you photos, but we're not allowed to take photos while we're working.

And, it was an absolutely beautiful day today: clear blue sky, temps in the upper 60s, light wind, and calm seas.  I drove the smaller of the two boats, expecting to follow the bigger boat.  As things turned out, we left the dock first, so I pointed the boat in the direction that the network said we'd find whales, and we were off.  It took about an hour and 15 minutes to cover the miles to where the whales were, and I set the boat up to stay within the proper distance.  It was fun to hear the gasps from the folks on the boat, when the whales showed themselves... about a half dozen adults Orcas!

I did my best to position the boat so our guests would not only have a good view, but the light would be good for photos.  The helm position on the boat I'm driving is on a flybridge, so I am considerably higher than the passengers.  While I enjoy the interaction with the guests (and you don't get that on this boat), the view from the flybridge is pretty impressive.

Being a holiday weekend, both boats were full for a sunset whale watch, too.  We had a report that there were whales coming in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but nothing definitive... so back north we went.  And the whales had gone further northwest.  Again, we were able to get our guests great views of the Orcas.

A full driving day for me.  And happy guests.  The silhouettes of the islands as the sun dropped in the west were beautiful...

Sorry no whale photos.  Driving the boat when close to the whales is pretty intense - rules to follow, distances that have to be kept, other boats to work around.  I completely understand.  One of these days, I'll go on the boat as a guest and hopefully get some photos to show you.  In the meantime, what a way to spend the summer! :-)

The larger boat...

Here's a look at the larger of the two whale watch boats...

I shot this while we were walking around late yesterday afternoon.  Those tall pilings you see on either end of the boat - yeah, those are the pilings for the ferry.  To give you an idea of how close these boats are slipped to the ferry, if the ferry isn't in, this boat is driven between those pilings to make an easier approach to the dock.

This is a perfect whale watch boat, purposefully designed; a comfortable cabin interior for guests, and plenty of outside seating/viewing as well.  Nice enclosed pilothouse.  More passenger capacity than the other boat.  Even a kid's area inside the cabin, with kids' books and educational toys.  The smaller of the two boats is considered "the adults" boat, unless it is booked for a private charter.

Both boats run the same cruise speed.  Today is another work day for me; this will be the opportunity to see how we run both boats together.  It's looking to be another beautiful day, with clear blue sky and nice temps.  Less wind than yesterday (and yesterday wasn't bad), probably a couple degrees cooler.

Here is a shot I took last January when were were here, showing both boats (yes, a lot closer to the bigger boat).

Heading off to work...

Little Izzy is getting braver...

Izzy spent some time outside the boat today, a first since we arrived at Friday Harbor...

After she got brave enough for an "exploration" out the front window, I did put a leash on her and walk her for a short time on the dock.  The "short time" was her idea - she wanted back IN the boat as soon as she heard any noise.

Right now, she is sitting out in the cockpit (with the protection of the cockpit enclosure) with Joan.

What a beautiful day!

Day off...

After a first day, a day off.  That's a good schedule. ;-)  Well, Joan hasn't officially started, yet.  We decided to do some wandering today, since it was such a gorgeous day; yes, really: high of 71º, beautiful blue sky, light breeze, low humidity.

We walked by the docks where our whale watch boats are slipped.  The bigger boat was out on a charter, but here's a look at the smaller boat...

You can see how close that slip is to the ferry!  Cozy.  This is the boat that I will probably be driving most frequently.

After walking around a while, we decided a "road trip" was in order.  OK, the island isn't all that big, but we decided to head for Roche Harbor and our favorite place to eat there, the Madrona Grille.  It's a beautiful drive from Friday Harbor to Roche Harbor, a winding two-lane through the wooded hills on the island.  There are plenty of homes on the interior of the island; pretty places.

We parked at the top of the hill at Roche and walked down.  There are cottages and townhomes for sale here.  I love this bit of marketing...

The sign says, "View from future porch."  It lets perspective buyers know what their view will be; and a lovely view it is...

Roche Harbor, the marina, the cove formed by San Juan Island, and Canada in the distance.  Nice.

Off to lunch.  They still have my favorite sandwich: thinly sliced prime rib.  Oh so tasty!  We had lunch on the outside deck, with a lovely view of the marina.

With our bellies full, we walked around a bit.  Of course, the marina...

Past the Hotel de Haro...

Then back up the hill, taking some time to stop and smell the flowers...

The houses in the background are the finished cottages that are already sold.  I would imagine this place is pretty quiet about 9 months out of the year.  Considering this is the start of a holiday weekend, there were still some empty slips...

We drove back via English Camp and another pretty drive.  Back to Friday Harbor and a stop at the "other" grocery store; there is a decent variety here, but prices (as you'd expect) are certainly higher than what we paid on the mainland.  The price of living on an island.  Well, we live on an island back in Texas, but you can get on and off via a swingbridge; here, it's by boat or airplane.

Plenty of activity on the docks and it town at Friday Harbor.  If you come here by ferry, this is the place.  And plenty of private boats here for the holiday weekend.

Back at Wild Blue, while Joan put groceries away, I sat in the cockpit and serenaded her with my guitar.  Quietly, of course (not like the show on the dock last week ;-) ).  I saw some legs come to the cockpit, followed by a guy who bent down.  "This is a very nice boat.  What model C-Dory is it?"  And then a nice conversation about C-Dorys and a "tour" for my new friend, Steve.  It seems the only folks who aren't surprised that we are living on the boat this summer are the other liveaboards here on the docks.

A lovely day here on San Juan Island.

Ever feel like the new kid at school?

Today was my first real day on the job.  LOTS to learn, even though we've been studying for a couple months.  I spent a couple hours going over the systems on the boat I'll be driving most frequently, then did a few dockings.  Oh my goodness, that is a snug situation... that big ol' ferry looks close enough to reach out and touch.  It really is a matter of "threading the needle" bringing this boat to the dock.  And then do a 270º turn to land it.  I only had enough time to do that twice and managed to nail it both times.  The captain doing my training said, "Nice job!"  I was thinking, "Even a blind chicken gets a kernel of corn once in a while." ;-)

After that short bit of training, we moved to the other boat (the big boat) to take guests out.  No one had seen whales before we departed, so it was a best guess for what direction to head.  Mike (my training captain today) decided south... and it turned out to be the right choice.  No one saw Orcas today, but we did see 3 or 4 pretty active minke whales.  When we called it in on the network, another half dozen boats were there in very short order.  Our guests got to see harbor porpoises, California sea lions, a Stellar sea lion, a couple bald eagles, seals... and beautiful weather and mostly calm seas.  A great day on the water!

And then more training - a staff meeting followed by man overboard and fire drills.  I finished the day with 9 1/2 hours.  An easy day compared to what I worked all last summer, but still a bit overwhelming with all the new information overload.

So, like the first day of school, you start with a new outfit - what you see at the bottom of those pants is the flannel lining (yep, like built-in longjohns)...

Joan sent me off with my captain's bag and a jacket...

As soon as I got to work, they "outfitted me," with a company vest, shirt, caps, and a jacket.  I look like part of the staff.

I had my hands full all day, but I did manage to get a view from the helm, with guests on the bow...

If the first day is any indication, it's going to be a very interesting summer.  :-)

Alligator wrestling...

Well, that's how Joan described it.  Today was laundry day.  It was also a rainy day.  After we cleaned up this morning, Joan went into the v-berth to strip the bedding for the laundry... and we both spent a bunch of time wiping down the condensation.  While she was sorting laundry, I was tasked with cutting down one of the v-berth cushions to make it fit better under the electrical panel.

Tomorrow is our first day of work (training), so I went to the office to see if there was anything I needed to bring... Joan went off to the marina laundromat.  The machines run on tokens.  It wasn't like we've been saving up laundry, but Joan used $20 in tokens today!

When she got back to the boat, the "wrestling" began again.  No, not us... she had to put the bedding back on the v-berth...

She is not taking a nap, she is making the bed.

Onboard a boat with a v-berth, making the bed is a full body contact sport!  She is younger, more nimble, more flexible, and much neater than I am... this is considered a "pink job" on our boat. ;-)

No, there are no alligators up here in the PNW - they couldn't survive the water temperature!

With that task done, we went back to the Customs office to work on the process to be able to phone in our return trips from Canada.  The technical glitches of last week have apparently been solved, and they were able to log all our information (again), and take photos and fingerprints.  We are officially in the system.

Discussion on forums...

I participate on several forums, from C-Dorys to sailing to HitchHiker 5th wheels to guitars.  I learn something everyday from those forums and have made a lot of friends over the years... some we've met in person, some we only know by name.

Today, I started a thread about extended time aboard in a C-Dory.  We have certainly done it, but it was while cruising, and that is different from the way we are living aboard this summer (although we hope our work schedules allow for time to get away).  It's interesting to learn how people deal with different situations.  One of the most challenging on the boat is the humidity: in a closed boat, you generate a LOT of humidity while cooking, showering, sleeping, and just breathing.  We do our best to stay on top of that so we won't have a problem with mold or mildew.  Getting air moving through the boat is helpful.  Here's a shot of little Izzy in front of a small portable fan...

Seems that she likes the air movement, too. ;-)

You have to be conservative with resources on the boat, too... things like water, holding tank capacity, and the electrical system (if you want to turn on a big energy user, you have to turn off something else first).

The idea of living on a boat sounds romantic, but there are challenges.  How content you are depends on how you handle those challenges.

On a guitar forum, there was a question about the amp I used the other day when playing for the C-Dory folks.  One of those fine C-Dory owners gave me permission to use this image...

It shows the equipment, the crowd, the distance, and my best side. ;-)

I am always impressed with the scope of knowledge on my favorite forums.

Izzy's take...

She made the crossing to Sidney and back with no issues.  She spends most of her time in the v-berth while we're running.  I would look down now and then to check on her... call her name, and she would peek out from under her blanket.

She seems to like having her staff take care of things.  When we got back to Friday Harbor today, Joan and I tied off, and hooked up power and satellite TV... in the rain.  Izzy watched us through the window.  And waited for lunch to be served.

Personally, I think the chicken alfredo that Joan made us for lunch was better by far, but Izzy really enjoyed her ocean whitefish and tuna.  And then, a nap...

But, when necessary, she is "on watch"...

She ventured out into the cockpit last night in Sidney, for a quick look at Patti and Barry.  For now, she is content to check things out from the "safety" of the cabin.

Catching up...

I didn't get a chance to post any photos yesterday, so here's a look at the docks in Friday Harbor yesterday morning: most of the C-Dory folks had departed...

And, a look at the C-Dory door mat we won...

The appointed time for a small group of us to head out was 10:30... turns out it was a really small group, since 3 of them had departed earlier, leaving C-Cakes (Barry and Patti) and the Wild Blue crew.  As we pulled out of the marina, I noticed our main chartplotter wasn't playing nice - the heading indicator was going every which way.  Not the sort of thing you want to see on departure.  With the iPad and phone as back-ups, we kept going...

Truly, the iPad does a fine job.  Still, I checked the other features on the chartplotter to make sure radar and depth were still functioning normal.  Yep.  The iPad is actually easier to route plan.

It was an easy crossing of Haro Strait, around Sidney Spit, and into Port Sidney Marina.  We took our turn at the Customs dock, and cleared via phone.  The slips we had reserved turned out to be the furthest from the marina facilities... apparently, they could tell I needed the exercise.  It's a nice marina, but the bathroom situation left something to be desired... the women's facility is being redone, so there is a "time share" of 4 hour blocks for men and women in the men's shower/restrooms.  My bladder doesn't march to anyone else's schedule... nor does Joan's.  I stood guard at the door while she slipped in on an "off" time.  A view of the marina...

We walked to a nearby restaurant...

Good food - I was able to get a sorta Texas meal of chicken fried steak (no white gravy?) and eggs.  A pretty design in the brick between the marina and the restaurant...

We walked around town with Roger and Janet (Dreamer); didn't need any stuff, but some bakery items called my name.

Later that afternoon and evening, most of us gathered on Roger and Janet's TomCat for drinks, snacks, and conversation.  Fun getting to know everyone better.

The original plan was to do a night at Sidney, because we couldn't get into Victoria that day; then do a couple nights in Victoria.  Mother Nature had other plans, and the weather was predicted to be snotty for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and getting to Victoria.  We all agreed that cancelling our stay at Victoria was probably the best plan.  The rest of the group decided to head north, we chose to head back to Friday Harbor.  The forecast was for rain the next few days.

So, this morning after cleaning up and breakfast, we said our good-byes to those who were up and about, and shoved off.  In a light rain.  Coming out of the marina, the visibility was about 3 to 5 miles... of course, you couldn't see that from the slip, due to the height of the breakwater.  The wind was predicted to come up by mid-morning, but it was light on our 8:00 departure.  Just overcast and rain, but still very pretty...

We cleared Customs at Friday Harbor.  The Small Vessel Reporting System that we signed up for has a flaw for those of us who don't have Canadian cell phone coverage: no way to file a float plan... and it doesn't work without the float plan.  The Customs agent who came to our boat suggested we come to the office at a "non-busy time" and sign up for another plan, the I-68, that would allow us to clear by phone when coming back into the US.  Same type of interview that we just did a few days ago, and a $16 fee each.

So, we're back in the good ol' USA.  Back in our slip at Friday Harbor.  TV and internet.  In the rain.  Yep, good to be home. ;-)

International...

We left Friday Harbor this morning at 10:30... most of the C-Dory people were already gone... good weather to cross back to the mainland.  Along with two other C-Dorys, a Rossborough, and a MacGregor sailboat, we went the other direction, mostly west, to Sidney on Vancouver Island, BC Canada.

We had originally planned to spend a couple nights in Victoria after leaving Sidney, but the weather is looking pretty crappy.  The others are planning to head north, I think we'll be heading back to the good ol' USA, weather permitting.

Little Izzy did fine - this is not her first time in Canada; she is an old pro at this international stuff.  She stayed in the v-berth on the way over, but came out when she heard the sound of her lunch being prepared.

We hoofed it around Sidney - a lovely town.  This is a holiday weekend (Victoria Days - we didn't know), so some of the shops weren't open.  We had a great lunch, walked around town, stopped in a few shops, but the only thing that followed us back to the boat was bakery goods... I was thinking some of this would be good for breakfast... yeah, it's probably not going to last that long. ;-)

No internet for us on the boat, since we don't have Canada coverage with our cell plan.  We turned off our phones to keep from getting the surprise we got when we last anchored off Stuart Island... it's in US waters, but gets a good cell/data signal from Canada.  And, a good bill to go with that!  I'm on here in the marina lounge... just a short half mile walk from the boat!  We are getting our exercise these days (anywhere you go from the marina at Friday Harbor is uphill).

Time to go - they're going to lock up the lounge.

Pot Luck...

It was a C-Brat kinda day.  We started the morning at the local West Marine, where they put out coffee and donuts for the C-Dory folks, and gave a 20% discount for any purchases.  No photos in the store, but this was greeting us at the front door...

While David and Barry did Coast Guard Aux inspections on boats, many of the Brats walked the docks and visited.  Tom and Susan (the folks who gave us our first ride on a C-Dory years ago) had a problem with their engine that turned out to be the least expensive problem: a bad spark plug...

I haven't heard a final count, but there are LOTS of C-Dorys here, several Ranger Tugs, and a Rossborough.  One dock is completely full, and another about half...

Around 5:30, everyone gathered for a potluck.  While people arrived, there was entertainment by a very dynamic, talented, good-looking singer guitarist... well, it was me...

I took a break to get some food, too.  Then Pat and Patty Anderson did a guest stint...

And I came back to finish my set...

The dock was full of folks, plenty of good eats (again, I was kinda busy playing, so I don't have photographs), then Barry (who put on this gathering) drew names and gave out door prizes.  Lots of goodies... Wild Blue's crew came home with a really nice C-Dory doormat!

We were all there 'till the sun went behind the hills and the temp cooled off... a fun day with the C-Brats at Friday Harbor!

Want to go for a boat ride?

We are in the middle of a C-Dory gathering here at Friday Harbor.  Just before 11:30 this morning, I got a call from the office manager where we will be working, asking if I "wanted to go for a boat ride today."

"Well, we are kinda involved with a boat owners gathering right now."

She then told me that one of the other captains had fallen, broke a finger, and was going to need surgery on his hand.  She thought it would be a good idea to have another captain onboard.

"We'll be right there."

We stopped at our boat long enough to feed the cat and grab my captain bag (license, TWIC, etc) and headed across the marina.  The captain was mostly embarrassed, but it gave me an opportunity to get some helm time on their bigger boat, and Joan got to see how the naturalist works on the boat.  We're not supposed to do any photography while on a trip, so I don't have any photos to share... but, we didn't see any whales today.  There is an interesting network with all the whale watch operators, and no one saw whales (so, it wasn't just us).  We did see seals, Stellar sea lions, bald eagles, one harbor porpoise, and some exotic game on Speiden Island.  These folks cover a lot of miles in a trip.

We helped clean up the boat, then headed back to the C-Dory group.  Plenty of boats here...

We visited with folks for a bit, then the crowning of the Crab Queen and her court...

No, not really.  From there it was a walk to the nearby restaurant where they had a section set aside for the C-dory folks.  We sat at a table with 3 other couples... the whole room was abuzz with happy conversation.  It was a treat to see everyone.

The afternoon on the boat left us tired, so after supper we retired to Wild Blue.  I think we'll sleep good tonight.