#2013-71 Grays Harbor to Tillamook or Cape Lookout Anchorage

Today we leave Grays Harbor for headed for either Tillamook, Oregon or Cape Lookout, Oregon depending on the weather forecast.  We're crossing the Chehalis Bar again this morning in at about 6 am.  We will keep you posted.

7am update:  Nice exit from Grays.  Bar was docile.  Learned upon yesterdays entry to avoid the section of the "restricted" main channel that had crab traps.  Seas are 3 foot widely spaced with 1 foot chop as wind is from the SE at 15 knots. Now headed south pointed towards the Columbia River offshore buoy to minimize ship traffic and the River's influence on sea conditions.

Arctic Fury inbound to Grays Harbor this morning.

3:30 pm update:  It's been an angry sea today after the first 2 hours. 5 feet NW swells coupled with a 15-20 knot S winds adding 2-4 chop on top of the swell. The Columbia River ebb current didn't improve this at all.  we tried to work out to sea to avoid the current without success. That Bar was closed until 2PM and Tillamook Bar has been closed except for vessels 20 feet or less.  Latest is they have no restrictions so that's where we're headed.

Seas off the Columbia River

Sea calming down a rgan your gear about the harbor

7 pm:  We successfully navigated the Tillamook Bay bar at 6:15 slack water after the bar was opened by the USCG.  The Coast Guard did recommend we wear life vests while crossing, which we did.  Took a vacant slip in Garibaldi Marina and it's the best bargain on the coast:  $20 for 60-feet including power! (The highest we heard was Dent Lodge in BC at $3.50/foot).  Dined at the Troller Restaurant which was great.  Met the crew of the 65-foot Mai Tai and they too were looking for refuge in Tillamook.  They are headed to So Cal.

Crossing the Tillamook Bay bar.

Water breaking at south end of Tillamook Bay bar.

The picturesque town of Giribaldi.  The "G" is lighted on the hill.

Looks like we're showing fine on AIS at www.MarinaTraffic.com tonight.  Tomorrow we re cross the Bar at 7 am heading for Newport Oregon.  Good night.

#2013-70 Around Cape Flattery and south to Grays Harbor

We got under way at 4:20 a.m. this morning leaving Neah Bay Harbor.  Of course it was pitch black but there was no fog and happily there was no logs in the water. Current was as much as 2 knots against us as the flood tide was rushing into the Strait of San Juan Fuca. We decided against the hole in the wall shortcut instead going outside Tatoosh island before turning south. First light came at 5:40 a.m. We had excellent visibility and  horizon..  By 630 it was fogged in again and now visibility is the same in 3 foot seas with very little wind . Our ETA for Grays Harbor hopefully is 5 p.m. in order to make slack current at the Grays Harbor entrance. Slack currant means only 3 foot seas at the entrance bar.  The seas go to 6 feet at max ebb tide.  Marinetraffic.com doesn't show us this morning probably because there are no AIS receivers on this part of the coast. Later.

10 am update:  We're off La Push, Washington.  Sunny, warm, and nearly flat seas. Making good time to be at Grays Harbor by 5pm slack.

The Washington coast off La Push.

Sage of the Sea

1 pm update:  Making great progress and should be into Grays Harbor by 5 but in dense fog again.

Off the Washington coastline.

5 pm:  We're into Westport Marina at Grays Harbor and now showing up on MarineTraffic.com.  The Chehalis River Bar was nearly flat  Hopes it's this way when we leave tomorrow.

Alex will be tipping his deck had Dick.

On the Transient Float 21

Dick is always looking for a new boat.  He really likes this
Westport 144.

We dined at the One-Eyed Crab restaurant. Both of us ordered the Trio: fresh prawns, clams, and crab in a seasoned boil.  It was excellent.  It must be good as there was a line of locals out the door when we finished!

#2013-69 Westbound Out Juan de Fuca to Neah Bay

Good Morning! It's densely foggy this morning here in Puget Sound at the eastern end of Juan de Fuca  Strait.  We successfully dodged a dozen boats anchored just outside Port Townsend and made it around Point Wilson. Visibility is less than a hundred yards and the foggy air blends with the sea color limiting any chance of detecting the horizon. Plus we're unable to fall asleep because every 3 minutes our incredibly loud fog horn, on automatic, blasts out all around us.

No horizon this morning.

Yesterday we had a nice cruise up Admiralty inlet, through the Port Townsend canal and then to the Port Townsend Boat Haven. The wind was light,  the sea was calm and the current was in our favor. Dick arranged for an excellent dinner at a local restaurant with his cousin Sharon Squire one of the few family Squires that remain on the west coast.

Rogue followed us up the Sound and passed us just before the Canal.

Moored in the Port Townsend Boat Haven.

Today we expect to make Neah Bay later in the afternoon.  Were hoping the fog will a eventually lift but it does seem to be getting even more dense here.

This mornings www.MarineTraffic.com screen shot headed west in the Strait.

11 am Update: we just passed port angeles which has reduced the Ship traffic.  The fog is still thick although visibility seems to be a bit closer to 200 yards.  Seas are anywhere from three to five feet in about 10 second intervals with the current boosting us farther out the Strait, its going to push the Seas closer together making for not the most comfortable ride. Later.

1 pm update: So exactly the opposite conditions occurred from what i predicted at 11 a.m.  The current continued to build and pushed us at about 2 knots but the Seas have flattened.  And now we expect to make Neah Bay at 4 p.m.

The fog is still very thick. A short time ago we came across a radar target just one-quarter mile on the bow. we blew the fog horn to warn the small boat.  Fortunately or unfortunately in this case, the Selenes have a very loud and LARGE sounding horn.   Our blast,  caught the small sportsfisherman off guard and he immediately pulled up his lines and was cranking his main engine just as we popped out of the fog. We easily turned to avoid him but I'm sure it wasn't a pleasant thrill. Later

9pm update:  Its Gentleman Jim for Dick and Weisers for Alex snug in Makah Marina, a 60-foot boat in a 50-foot slip.  Dined at WarmHouse Restaurant, not recommended. Rise tomorrow at 4am to round the Northwest corner of the Continental US.  Well not exactly as we plan to shoot through "hole in the wall" going inside Tatoosh Island so technically won't be rounding the corner.  Should be fun in the dark and fog.  Tomorrow.

#2013-68 Up Puget Sound to Port Townsend

On Friday Alex flew into Seattle to pick up Wild Blue from the boatyard.  The boat has a newly painted bottom,  a new generater sea strainer, new main battery bank and a few new waste hoses. Of course the stories behind these repairs are in the yet to be written Blogs from July 28 through August 28....later on those.

Wild Blue about to leave the ship doctors office.

So a couple of the repairs weren't complete and didn't get the boat launched and away from the yard in Shilshole until 7:30pm. The plan was to leave the yard by 5 and run the 2+ hours down to Des Moines near SEATAC in the fading light of the evening. Single handing a 60 foot trawler in the dark wasn't the plan.  Fortunately the wind died and the water glassed over.  At night all the shore lights along the Sound reflected on the sea so you could easily see any junk ahead.  The Des Moines Marina is well lighted and it was a relief to see the dock coned off with two signs "Reserved for Wild Blue".

On Saturday the old "sage of the sea" Commodore Dick Squire from Cal Yacht Club arrived to crew with Alex down the coast.  Dick is the real "Master and Commander" having owned and operated some 40 different sail and power boats over the years. He's single-handed to Hawaii and around Mexico's Guadalupe Island and back. He and his wife Harriet on their 60 foot Offshore "Seagate" buddy cruised with Wild Blue to Alaska and the Queen Charlottes in 2008. It's great to have Dick aboard for this trip. We met Dick at the airport in the chauffered City of Des Moines pick up truck. What a great town!

This morning we're motoring up the Sound to Port Townsend our first stop on the way to San Francisco. You should be able to track our progress live on MarineTraffic.com.  Later.

This mornings live view of us on www.MarineTraffic.com

#2013-?? The Bear Ate the Blogger?

OK. So the Blog is behind a bit.  It's been a busy summer of cruising with just no time to catch up.  We will need to revisit July 28 through August 28th cruising days and the completion of our 2013 Alaska Cruise later.

So did the bear eat the Blogger?

This coming week the Wild Blue heads south from Seattle to San Francisco.  Assuming there's no weather delay, here's the itinerary:

Seattle to San Francisco

Sep 8-Sunday: Seattle to Port Townsend 6 hours; Port Hudson Marina
Sep 9-Monday: Neah Bay 10 hours; Makah Marina
Sep 10-Tuesday: Grays Harbor 12 hours; Call Port of Grays Harbor
Sep 11-Wednesday: Cape Lookout Anchorage 11 hours
Sep 12-Thursday: Yakima-Newport 7 hours; South Beach Marina
Sep 13-Friday: Coos Bay 10 hours; Charleston Marina
Sep 14-Saturday: Crescent City 13 hours;
Sep 15-Sunday: Eureka 7 hours; Woodley Island Marina
Sep 16-Monday: Little River Anchorage 12 hours
Sep 17-Tuesday: Bodega Bay 9 hours, Spud Point Marina
Sep 18-Wednesday: San Francisco 8 hours; WestPoint Marina

You can follow us down the coast on MarineTraffic.com.  Just click on Washington, Oregon and California coastline from the World Map and look for a fuchsia colored boat pointed southerly.  Click on the boat for the speed details.  We'll be hugging the coast line so should have good cell and internet to do some Blogging along the way.  Looking forward to wintering in San Francisco Bay.

#2013-48 Inside Passage Fork in the Road

When southbound from Prince Rupert just before existing Arthur Passage, one has a choice:  Inside Route or the Outside Inside Route.  Bear left for Inside Route, the most direct and boring Grenville Channel. Bear right for Outside Inside Route via Odgen Channel which is longer, wilder, and can be rough in places.  Alex, being a right wing kind-of-guy, set the course for Newcombe Harbour on Pitt Island. The sun is out and it's another perfect day.  We huddle in the bow while the autopilot steers for us.

Front: Chuck & Carolyn French, Vince and Marianne Fonte.
Back: Alex and Pat Benson

We've cruised this route before.  It's pretty with endless, uninhabited bays in which to anchor. Newcombe is new to us, we find it by 4 PM, and anchor in the northeast corner.  The crab traps are set and Chuck is already licking his lips!

Sunset over Newcombe Harbour.

#2013-47 Underway to Pond Bay, across Dixon Entrance, then Prince Rupert

On Thursday the girls arrived from SLO Town at noon.  Pat, Marianne Fonte, and Carolyn French, joined by Chuck arrived at noon.  The three couples (Fonte's, French's and Benson's) will be together to Shearwater-Bella Bella in British Columbia.

The weather is good for crossing the Dixon Entrance tomorrow morning.  We need to get closer to it so we decide to cruise to Foggy Bay tonight, leaving Ketchikan in a few hours.  Most of the crew heads to Safeway as we need groceries for a few days, with as little fruit and vegetables as possible as Canadian Border Services won't let most of those cross the border.  We expect to do heavy provisioning in Prince Rupert.

Alex met up with the owners of Selene 40 "Ginny" Dave and Ginny Morthland, who were moored nearby.  Dave has been following the Blog as this is his first cruise to the Alaska area in several years. They are arriving into Southeast as we're leaving.  Alex gives the Ginny crew the latest on cruising clockwise around Prince of Wales Island and into Craig.  Crab, salmon and pawn fishing locations are highlighted on his chart.  Later Dave calls in his thanks as loads of large prawns filled hid prawn traps.

By 4 PM we're on our way towards Dixon Entrance, dodging the cruise ships which left just behind us.  Foggy Bay is small.  It is the desired anchorage being close to the Entrance, but as we approach it we notice there are a couple boats already at anchor showing on AIS.  Upon looking for options we find Pond Bay on the north side of Duke Island, just across from Foggy Bay. This is a large bay and we arrive just before 10 PM to enjoy a spectacular sunset in a quiet anchorage all by ourselves.

Pond Bay is just across from Foggy Bay

Early Friday morning we fire up the engine for our 6 AM departure.  The plan for crossing Dixon Entrance is always the same:  time your arrival in the middle of the Entrance at slack current.  We were just 8 minutes early for the 9:01 AM zero current today and our ride was super smooth.  We made good progree entering Venn Passage at 1PM and making the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club before 2.  We docked and called Canadian Customs and they immediately cleared us once again without boarding.

New bulk loading terminal for booming Prince Rupert

The crew of Y M Virtue gather at the bow ready to set the anchor if needed.

Bulk carrier is on the way to get loaded.