Armada!

I was told that the situation in Roche would be a zoo.  Close.  What they meant was: ZOO!  Our normal slip is taken over by a party dock.  We are up against that.  I got there early to assess the situation... there were dinghies parked all around our boat.  "Oh, they'll move those right before we head out."  That's what I was told.

No idea who "they" are, and there were scads of inebriated people wandering the docks... I'm sure some of them belonged to those dinghies.  It is a completely different experience from Friday Harbor.  This felt a bit like spring break... young girls in bikinis (really, it's not that warm), young guys sniffing around young girls in bikinis... people on boats who think it is their God-given right to tank up on booze and drive their dinghies with no regard to anyone else around them.  People screaming for no reason (drunk people do that).  "Contests" going on all over the marina... like the "blind dinghy driving contest."

It was so congested that I couldn't rotate our boat off the dock when it was time to leave.  The boss gave me a huge push off, and I inched away, being careful to not whack the stern as I pulled away.

Nice people on our boat, and the whales were cooperative.  Happy guests.  No photos, 'cause I had my hands full keeping the boat positioned... there were plenty of boats out there, including private boats whose owners obviously have NO IDEA of the rules for distance and speeds around the whales.  Still, it was a great trip.

Coming back in, I had a better idea of what to expect: the harbor is full of anchored boats - it was like going through a maze, trying to get out.  Not sure they could get any more boats in there, but it seemed like they had when we came back in.  And the dinghies - it seemed like cockroaches swarming.  I had called the office there to make sure there were no dinghies at our dock before we came in.  "We'll take care of it."

A few minutes later, I got a call from the office: "Can you drop passengers at the fuel dock?   There are too many dinghies here to get moved in time."

"Sure."  I prepped my first mate to let her know what to expect.  And then told her, "That is subject to change when we actually get there."

It did.  The fuel dock was full, but there was just enough space at our dock.  I think I may have concerned some folks at the fuel dock as I came within a foot or so of their boat, but I needed all the room I could get to rotate us backwards into our slip.  I was talking to them from our flybridge as I maneuvered the boat, "You're good right there.  I won't hit you, I promise.  OK, we're backing off now."  I've never done that maneuver with this boat, but it went slick.  Applause from the guests.  I was just happy to be at the dock and not trying to dodge all those damn dinghies.

Everyone of those boats anchored out there had to get in by dinghy.  And, apparently, they all felt the need to come to the dock around our boat!

My biggest concern for parking came after I had secured the boat: would I have a place to park the truck back in Friday Harbor?  There is a "Rock the Dock" party going on, with a great band and lots of people.  If I couldn't find a parking spot in the permit parking (we have a permit), it might be after the weekend before I could get back in.  I called Joan to let her know I was on my way home, and she said, "I'll see if there are any parking spots left and try to hold it for you."

I wasn't expecting that to happen.  When I was a few blocks out, she called and said, "A spot just opened up!  I'll be standing in it.  How far away are you?  Oh, I see you coming up the street!"

Good timing.  I got the only available spot, and Big Red has a place to stay.  I'll be driving a boat out of Friday Harbor the next few days... no "commute."

Joan made us a light supper and we visited and listened to the band playing while we sat in the cockpit of Wild Blue.  Nice way to unwind.  It won't be dark until after 10:00... not sure if we'll be able to stay up to see the fireworks here in the harbor.

Happy Birthday, America!  Our forefathers declared independence on this day 237 years ago, so people would be able to get tanked up and drive dinghies in crowded harbors.  Oh, and set off some explosives!

;-)

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On edit: some of those "explosives" in Friday Harbor...

Here's Joan in the cockpit of the boat, wrapped up in a blanket, waiting for the fireworks to begin...

And, the show...

The finale...