Memorial Day weekend

[Craig Illman]

We hope to get out Sunday/Monday if the forecast holds and cruise down to Hunter or Mud Bay on the SE side of Lopez and drop the hook for the night.

Craig

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

It looks like we'll be out as well.  I recollect that there is a public launch access in one of those bays (have to walk the dog) so we may drop in.

Ray

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

Well nutz,

The weekend didn't go as planned.  We got hit with some pretty good winds on the North side of Hope Island Saturday night.  We were anchored.  Between the funny currents and the wind, I think we put another five miles on the boat swinging randomly on the hook.  Two boats left in the middle of the night.  Although it wasn't much fun, I thought we were better off anchored rather than motoring off to find a calmer spot. 

The wind didn't go down Sunday morning.  I started up the engine to head out and the fan belt was squealing, so I shut it back down, turned off the battery bank hooked to that alternator (two alternators/two banks) and tightened the belt.  Then I started it back up after forgetting to turn the house bank back on and fried the primary alternator.  We decided at that point just to go back home so I could get the alternator off and into the shop before we head out on vacation.  I imagine the weather was kicking up pretty good in Rosario Sunday morning.  So did anyone make it over to Hunter Bay?

[Craig Illman]

Ray - We left the dock on Sunday morning about 10 and motored straight into the westerly through Thatcher Pass. If my spouse had better balance and strength, we could have angled down toward Lopez Pass. Jack motored up and caught us just past Thatcher Pass and sailed just behind us down to Hunter Bay. He was towing his dinghy and couldn't catch up. We spent a windy evening on a well set hook, it calmed down about eight. I'm glad I bought the Magma BBQ with the built in lighter, or I never would have gotten it lit to cook dinner.

Not being purists, we motored out Lopez Pass this morning and caught a breeze coming up from the south that gave us a nice close reach back toward Fidalgo Head. We wound up motoring from about Ship Harbor back to the slip. It's so nice to get 2+ knots of favorable current coming in Guemes channel. Traffic coming home this afternoon was pretty good too.

Sorry to hear about the alternator. When I re-wired for the Balmar and new charger I went straight to the batteries, appropriately fused, so I didn't expose myself to mental lapses.

I started getting a payback this weekend for installing the new diesel heater this spring. Linda got cold yesterday and warming the cabin up to 75 last night helped her attitude. I still have a few more weekends to go to payback the $2K.

Craig

[Jack Hutteball]

Ray-
We sailed under reefed main and about half the genoa from Burroughs pass to Thatcher pass then rolled in the headsail and motorsailed through Thatcher pass to catch up with Craig.  The sail down Lopez sound was embarrassing as Craig walked away from us with both of us under full main sails only.  He is obviously the better sailor.

We did a 360 while Craig set his anchor then ran out through Lopez Pass under full main (we had guests aboard who were leaving Monday morning so couldn't stay overnight).  Once into Rosario we rolled out the 135 and had a fast reach across the straight, through the pass between Burroughs and Allen Islands then back to the Skyline Marina.  It was heavy sailing but I think the boat handled it well as our guests did not seem nervous and it was the first time either of them had been on a sailboat.

I have fears about frying an alternator but have been lucky so far...hope age and mind don't catch me up!

We headed back out Monday up to Sucia after the guests left to enjoy the three days of good weather.  Sailing was not that good but it was nice to lounge around in t-shirts and shorts!  Comming back the wind was on the nose and fog enclosed us halfway down Rosario but it was a good few days.

Jack