The mid-to-late Fall weather has been nice. Not normal but nice in that it has been dry. Dry and cold is easier to live in v. cold and wet. I've always preferred cold to hot. One can do things to get warm: exercise, more and better insulating clothes, a good hat, good socks, have a … Continue reading Just meandering
Puget Sound winds during the 'boating season', mid-May through early September, are usually light and fairly consistent in their strength. The wind direction is consistent in that the direction is dictated by channels - the Sound being a large fjord. Over the past few weeks the winds have become more erratic in direction and gusty. … Continue reading Winter wind
Damn it is cold for this time of year! A year ago I was doing touch-up paint and varnish on SWALLOW. This year it has been overcast, chilly-to-cold, and rainy. This unseasonably chilly and wet pattern starting in the late spring and really never changed. Yes it was warmer in August but not the usual … Continue reading Bundled up
Had another great sail going from Blake Island State Park to Gig Harbor. Wind out of the north 10-15kts all the way from Blake to just around the turn at Point Robinson. Mt. Rainier seen from Blake Island. WA State ferry passes SWALLOW's stern. https://www.instagram.com/p/BxQtxZ7gwjF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link The new sails by Elliott-Pattison Sailmakers have been working wonderfully. … Continue reading Another great day sailing
I, Momma Kitty and SWALLOW have cut the docklines at Port Townsend and are again cruising the Salish Sea! The Honda outboard received a new carburator after it was determined the idle jet had clogged. All fuel on SWALLOW is fresh, the limiting factor being how fresh the has is at marinas, there is a … Continue reading Out and about
For tide and current predictions I use the reference guide Ports and Passes published yearly by Chyna Sea Ventures. As I planned SWALLOW'S late December move from Poulsbo to Port Townsend I noticed the prediction tables for secondary current locations, such as Agate Pass, had changed. Looking more closely there were many changes for the … Continue reading Currents are changing
Not really a cruise but a repositioning. SWALLOW needs fresh bottom paint and a few other maintenance tasks completed. I'll do this work in Port Townsend so I've left Poulsbo and headed north. Winter travel means finding a weather window. The current pattern is a couple of days of strong winds, usually small craft advisory … Continue reading To Port Townsend
