oh to be 8 again

If I got to choose to be anyone else I might have to be my 8 year old nephew Levi. My nephews definitely lead the good life in part to a bit (lots) of spoiling from lots of people but Sam and I are probably spoil them the most. This week he is in sailing lessons for the week - yep pretty sure Uncle Sam had a bit of an influence there. After his first day at sailing camp he ran out to greet me telling me how awesome it was and he didn't want to stop sailing. Definitely taking after his Uncle here.

He is sailing in an Opti all by himself with the instructors coaching from dinghies. I was a little concerned the first day about how he would do and if it would all go okay and kept my phone close but turns out I had worried for no reason at all. Which I guess as far as worrying goes is really a good thing.

Levi shared his whole day with me, then with his mom, his Uncle Sam, and then with his dad. I am pretty sure at that point he was done recapping but each time he told everyone about it he got excited again about how well it went.

Yesterday he told me he sailed all the way to the floating bridge and on Friday they will sail from Meydenbauer Bay to Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island. Pretty impressive all in a small, tipsy, one child sailboat. The whole no motor idea doesn't hold much appeal to me for some reason. We tried that a few weeks ago and I really missed it.

Watching the kids in the boats it is pretty impressive how quickly they catch on. Also saw one kid fall overboard and within a few seconds he was scrambling back on board with a huge grin on his face. That is a kid thing for sure - can't imagine many adults still grinning or climbing back on so easily onto a very tipsy sailboat. Having tried to get back on board our Harbor after going swimming it was more like a beached whale flopping around since we didn't have a swim step.

What I have realized is that I should have started sailing as a kid then maybe the leaning thing sailboats tend to do wouldn't bother me at all. I also maybe wouldn't be so worried about tipping the boat since that is the very first thing they had all the kids do in class on Monday. Levi thought that part was great and quite fun - perspective certainly changes with age.

Guess if they get it out of the way early then they aren't scared when it does happen. But Sam it is a bit late in the game for that so don't get any ideas now - I prefer to keep our boat upright in a soft lean - no cleats in the water for me, blame it on not going to sailing camp as a child.

the true marriage test

I have thought a true test of a marriage is docking a boat together or even sharing a double kayak together - though for the sake of our marriage we have elected for single kayaks after a single double kayak ride once. We know our limits and a double kayak simply isn't for the two of us - a little something about both of us wanting to steer. I would now like to submit crossing a start line in a sailboat race with no or little wind as the true test now.

Our second weekend of vacation Sam had signed us up for the Shaw Island Race. This is a very casual race - which is the only reason I agree to participate. I have done numerous duck dodges in our boat but that was a 20 foot Harbor that was very easily maneuvered. This is a boat we would take out on the 4th of July on Lake Union and sail among all the boats quite easily so not quite the same as a 37 foot sailboat.

In fact the race was casual enough that our 4 month nephew Ethan was on board along with my sister Carla, her husband Dave, my mom, and dad. Am pretty sure Ethan would have received the youngest sailor award if there was one. Hey you have to start them early now though it turns out right now he enjoys power boating a bit more and sailing is a bit slow for him, I am sure Sam will figure out a way to make him a sailor eventually - look what he did to me.

We were all assigned jobs by Sam and I was the tactician. What that really meant was that I would tell Sam where other boats were in relation to us. About the only tactics I called were those when Sam didn't have a clue which way was best and he could ask me so I could be to blame when we lost ground.

Once again there was no wind at the starting line. Normally I am pretty happy without much wind but in relation to starting a race I would like a decent amount of wind so at least we wouldn't drift into each other. After jockeying to the line we ran out of wind along with many of the other boats and started to drift into each other. Fortunately we fended off each other without damage though there was some (a lot) yelling involved.

I think there is enough to figure out during a race without having to fend off other boats. Since I get nervous if a boat is within 50 feet being able to reach and push off another boat really isn't for me. Sam doesn't quite get why I am so freaked out and worried about hitting other boats. Maybe it is because we have been hit a few times though not in this boat - other than a nasty scratch on the side when we weren't around. I mean he doesn't seem too happy when another car gets that close.

So while Sam is enjoying all the excitement and loving the adrenaline rush I am freaking out and wondering once again why I agreed to this. Usually during this time there is a bit of yelling at each other but Sam says that is just part of the racing thing. I on the other hand would prefer a start away from every other boat even if it would mean we didn't have a great start, I see no reason to have to remind another skipper when we have rights.

This time we were right in the middle of most of the fleet and it took us 10 minutes to cross the starting line - not quite the start we were looking for. Eventually we drifted across and we were off - well kind of. The wind did pick up and we were finally moving along a bit. Of course because we were no longer right next to all these other boats and I felt we were out of danger I suddenly became competitive and wanted to win. Now I wanted to pass other boats and choose the best course to finish well.

Really I should figure out a way to climb on board after the start - I am sure Sam would prefer it that way but who would tell him when he was going to hit another boat or point out every boat within 200 yards that could possibly tack into us. Somehow he doesn't understand why I don't think the start isn't much fun and I get a bit stressed. I try and explain it by reminding everyone someone needs to be the responsible cautious one on board but I don't seem to get much appreciation or agreement from everyone else.

The rest of the race was great and I enjoyed myself though I was asking Sam why we weren't passing up our competition and how we could have done better. When he reminded me that races are often won at the start I decided first place might not be all that important anyways. I mean weren't we just out for a nice day on the water - who really needs a trophy? If it means I have to be stressed out for the 15 minutes before the race and the 5-10 minutes after the gun worrying about who is going to sail into us just finishing is fine with me.

thunder and lightening

Well after the boating experience the other weekend Sam was lucky I decided to step back on board. But I was pretty sure I had fulfilled my boating drama quota for at least the rest of the year so I felt it was pretty safe.

We headed out from Anacortes Saturday morning and saw an available mooring buoy at James Island so decided we should stop there. Since there are only 3 buoys getting one on a summer Saturday was pretty lucky. The weather was beautiful - sunny and calm seas and we had a mooring buoy. Not having fully recovered from our previous attempt at anchoring the buoy seemed much safer and a lot less stress.

Since we arrived early we had all day to explore by dinghy and for Sam to drop his line overboard in hopes a fish would bite this time. We got the crab pot set and then I convinced him I just needed some reading time on board while he trolled around in his dinghy.

Sam went to pick back up the crab pot and while he was around the island suddenly there was the clap of thunder and sure enough there was lightening as well not too far off. He decided to head back to the boat and get on board, I thought he was just coming back to keep me company but really it was cause being in the cabin was the best place to be. He had also gotten 3 crabs so it would be a crab dinner instead of brats on the grill - a much tastier option.

During the whole evening it kept up with the thunder and lightening and sure enough we were the tallest thing around though the island is covered in trees so that made it a bit better at least in my mind. After cooking up our crab dinner Sam was still pretty nervous about the lightening and it didn't help that it would suddenly seem like it was moving away and then it would come closer again.

Finally he decided we needed to turn off all our electronics and put on our rubber flip flops to be safe down in the cabin. I tried to lobby to keep the fridge on but Sam wasn't going for it. I do have to say he got pretty nervous about the whole storm (which was totally unexpected) but then I think that was because the sailboat is really "his" boat.

The good news is that we had a motor that would start (at least before a lightening strike), and were firmly tied to the buoy. I was also pretty confident I could swim to shore if needed, though in my own mind as long as land is visible I somehow think I can swim in. I did notice though that the suggestion to turn off all the electronics came after I had cooked up the crab.

It came out later that he figured if he was going to have a last meal fresh crab would be at the top of his list. I am just glad he waited to share that with me at a later time, a few days after the storm in fact when I was on dry land. Good call on his part.

boating drama

I think just taking a boat away from the dock or even owning a boat means you will experience a significant amount of boating drama but the other weekend put most of the things we typically experience into perspective.

Saturday morning Sam and I headed left Elliott Bay early to head up to the San Juan Islands where we would leave our boat for about a month while we visited on weekends. We love the San Juan Islands but aren't willing to leave it up there year round so once a year we leave it up there for a month so we can enjoy it without having to spend all weekend just getting it up there only to have to turn around.

Our trip up went well and we made excellent time for a sailboat. There were some pretty large rollers but fortunately they didn't last for too long and most of the way was smooth motoring. We left the dock at 6 a.m. and by 3:00 we were at James Island and about to turn the corner to go to Anacortes. We decided we should find a spot to spend the night at either James Island or at Spencer Spit. James Island was full and only anchoring was available and since it isn't recommended we went to Spencer Spit.

Of course the mooring buoys were full but we decided to anchor. For some reason we didn't follow our normal anchoring procedure and I didn't think we were set very well. I had already turned off the engine and told Sam we should reset the anchor. So I went to turn on the engine and it made a horrible sound - just like your car does when the starter won't engage. Not so good. After calling around trying to get assistance over the phone we realized it wasn't going to start. Sam even tried starting it with some kind of electrical arc but no luck.

I had now gotten more looks at our engine than I ever wanted to at this point and I am sure Sam was feeling the same way.

Of course about 2 hours after we anchored a mooring buoy opened up but sailing over there would have been a bit of a challenge so we stayed put. The afternoon and evening was nice and since there was very little breeze we decided to wait until morning to try and sail out to Anacortes or Friday Harbor.

Of course once it got dark the wind started to pick up and by 11 it had started blowing about 30 miles an hour and the lightening and thunder had started. We kept checking the boat and we seemed to be in the same place. At midnight I was awakened by the sound of Sam yelling at me to get dressed and come up - seems our anchor had slipped. The bad news this wasn't a nightmare and I was truly awake.

We had planned for what we would do if this happened but of course all the planning in the world goes out the window when I couldn't pull in the anchor by myself. Turns out the electric anchor winch only works when the motor turns on. So now it was up to Sam to pull in the anchor by hand while I sailed us out of there. Luckily Sam had quite a bit of adrenaline rushing through him so he was able to bring it in. The wind of course had died a bit and I couldn't get the sails to fill so we started to drift towards the rocks. I rarely sail by myself in good weather and now I was expected to sail in conditions that were less than ideal and in the dark.

Just in time the wind came up again and I was able to get us headed in the right direction. Now we were sailing at 12:30 at night with a thunder and lightening storm, no motor, a very scared first mate, and no destination in mind. The wind kept changing anywhere from 0 knots to 25 knots without warning so one minute we would be drifting and the next we would be moving right along. In the midst of this we were also in the ferry path and had to avoid the ferry so we needed to make a decision on where we would go.

Sam decided to head to more open water so we headed towards Anacortes. We called for a tow but it would take them 3 hours to get to us so we were on our own. Once we got into Rosario Strait we both breathed a bit easier since we no longer had to watch our depth quite so closely.

Just when it felt like I didn't have to be quite so scared Sam suddenly spotted a large boat on our radar screen coming towards us. We finally saw the lights and realized it was a tug of some sort and yep it was on course with us. We had been sailing along at a pretty good clip with some large waves hitting us sideways but once the tug got close the wind died and we were in its direct path.

At this point Sam was more frightened than I was probably because I was exhausted and after 2 1/2 hours I think I was too tired to be so scared anymore. We were in the direct path and now we had hardly any wind so we were pretty much stuck. Sam didn't want to turn around because the tug should see us and turn the other way and if we turned we would turn into the same path. Sam kept saying I just want to see the green light all I see is red. By this point we had realized they also had a large tow which only made it worse. Finally less than 1/4 mile away from each other Sam finally saw the green light and realized we would make it if just barely.

I can only imagine what the tug captain thought when he saw a sailboat sailing at 2:30 in the morning. It certainly was not a time I ever wanted to be out sailing when I was so close to land and marinas.

Since the wind kept dying at this point it took us 2 hours after our near miss with the tug to get so we were turning to Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes. The sun had started to come out and we were close to putting an end to our experience. Of course though just after before rounding the corner the wind died again and this time we had absolutely no wind and lost all of our momentum. Finally we got about 2 knots and rounded the corner and hoped we could hang on long enough to sail into the marina.

The wind didn't hold though and soon we were right outside the entrance - the very shallow entrance - and the current had come in and we started to drift. When I asked Sam the depth he told me I didn't want to know which pretty much told the whole story. Just when I thought we would go aground someone headed out to do some fishing left the marina and we waved them down. All the times we had towed other boats paid off and we got a tow into the dock.

The boat towed us in and then we had enough momentum to get into the dock though our anchor did hit at this point I hardly cared. I was so relieved that it was finally over and we had made it. Exhausted we crawled into bed.

Later that morning Sam found someone on the dock to come take a look at our engine. Turns out the 2 bolts holding the starter together had somehow come loose and were lying on the floor. He put them back on and told us that it must have been an error in the settings at the factory since they never should have come off. The large rollers we had hit were what had probably jarred it loose. I will say that was the best $84 I ever spent to get that kind of news and have our motor start.

I am confident that Sam was wondering if I would be willing to go out boating again right away but this last weekend I was once again on the boat heading out. Now he didn't get to sail but I blame that on the fact we were on a time deadline but really I feel he got plenty of sailing time in last weekend I just wanted to enjoy the sound of the motor. While others say how calm and relaxing sailing can be I think the sound of the motor can be the best sound one can hear on the water since it means it is working.

After our motor was fixed we made a beeline for West Marine and spend some cash on more safety equipment and for once I didn't complain about how much we spent at the boat store. Seems I felt it was worth every penny and I was already asking about additional items we suddenly needed on board. Wonder if a sailboat can have a kicker motor - I am investigating.

bucket list update

Well I have one item crossed off the bucket list - while I wish it was having spent 3 weeks in Italy or lived in another country for 6 months it is not. The item I can cross off is docking with an audience or in this case it was an un-docking.

Sunday as we were preparing to leave Poulso Sam somehow convinced me I should be the one to drive the boat away from the dock. We didn't have a boat next to us and there wasn't much wind so I really couldn't come up with a decent excuse this time for not doing it.

Since we were in Poulsbo at the guest docks there were other boats and people around though truthfully not many seemed to be paying much attention which helped me get up the courage. I have docked the boat before several times but it was without an audience on the docks and I did state it had to be in front of an audience.

Fortunately all went well leaving the dock but what I had forgotten was that low tide had been about an hour before and the depth at the docks and in the bay is not very deep. I am a bit paranoid about the depth and am constantly asking Sam what his depth is when we go in areas I know are shallow (which to me means 20 feet).

Feeling a bit proud of myself for getting away from the dock safely without any drama I suddenly saw 2 dinghies crossing in front of me and I couldn't go around them since the shallow part of the bay was to my right the direction I would need to avoid them. The dinghies had not heard of the law of gross tonage and it was up to me to avoid them. I put the boat in reverse and waited for them to pass - much slower than I would have wished them to do so.

Then of course another couple of boats decided to head into the harbor so I had to avoid them as well. I tried to offer up the wheel to Sam but he wouldn't take it and said I was doing fine. Luckily there weren't any collisions or super close calls and I didn't run aground.

I had made it out into the bay and Sam was being an excellent first mate by putting away the fenders and line. Then I studied my chart and saw that there was a place in the middle of the bay where the depth was 1 foot. My job was done I had gotten us out of the marina so I had met the requirements. Sam could now take over as the skipper and I could lounge on my chair while repeatedly asking for depth updates and warning him to constantly be looking at his depth and still keep both eyes ahead.

So 1 item down on the bucket list. I somehow think the others will be much less stressful than this one.

a girl and her truck

Since we are in Poulsbo for the week and commuting in by ferry I asked my sister Carla if we could borrow a car from her again. Luckily she said yes so Sam had company on the trip to Poulsbo instead of doing it solo while I drove around. She and her husband both have company trucks so they don't need both vehicles during the week - actually she has a company truck while he has a company car. They showed up Sunday just after we arrived to drop it off and meet us for dinner.

They decided to loan us Dave's truck instead of Carla's new SUV - pretty sure the new factor played a role and I have to admit it would have for me as well. Sam would be working in Seattle so I would drop him off after the ferry commute and head over to Redmond.

Dave has a Diesel Chevy truck but I have an Avalanche also made by Chevy (soon to be the US Govt) so it should be pretty much the same deal other than the throaty rumbling sound of a diesel.

What I had forgotten about was that in reality my Avalanche is probably a bit closer to a SUV than a truck. My first clue was when I went to climb in the cab in my skirt. Fortunately I didn't have on my normal 4 inch heels since I had just walked down a dock but the skirt probably wasn't the smartest fashion choice. I had brought skirts to wear to work since they don't need ironing like pants might after being stuffed in a small closet aboard a boat.

My truck has running boards - Dave's does not and his truck is just a bit taller than mine. Well as long as I climbed in when no one else was around it shouldn't be an issue. I also decided that maybe keeping on my flip flops until after I exited the truck might be a wise call as well since 4" spike heels when you jump down might not be the safest choice.

It was actually Sam who first discovered the driver's side didn't have a mirror on the visor. I now know exactly how much I use one now - maybe that is something I need to cut down on while driving.

Once I started driving I realized the biggest difference of all is that Dave's truck actually drives like a truck. It doesn't quite handle like mine does and the turning radius isn't quite as short which I discovered when I went to whip in a parking place. Fortunately he does have an automatic since I remember driving a jeep stick shift in Seattle when I owned one of those many years ago and an automatic is the only thing to have in a large vehicle in the city. Now sports cars are a different story and I believe those should never be automatic.

Having grown up driving trucks since my dad had a construction company and a company truck was the only option sometimes when I wanted a vehicle to drive I should have remembered the differences. But I had gotten used to my SUV/truck and had mistakenly thought I had been driving a truck the past few years.

So I do have to admit that maybe what I drive is a whole lot closer to an SUV now but I am pretty happy with that since I need a running board, a visor mirror on the drivers side, a shorter turning radius, and maybe most important my sun roof. Guess the sun roof should have been one of my first clues - I mean in a truck don't you just roll the driver's side window down instead?

I think the Avalanche I have suits me perfectly - I can haul stuff and still wear my heels and skirts and exit somewhat gracefully. I am often at the top of the speed dial for those living in the Seattle area when they need to haul large items and go to the dump and want to borrow a truck. It is really only from those who grew up driving trucks (and my nephew Levi who said I had a tonka truck the first time he saw it) and living in small towns that I hear I don't really drive a truck. I would have to say I agree with them now and I am good with it.

Thanks Dave for the loan of your rig! I am turning into those parking spots a bit more carefully now but it helps when I am the first on to arrive at work in the morning and there aren't any other cars around thanks to Sam's early morning conference calls.

more caffeine please

Sunday afternoon Sam and I headed to Poulsbo to stay for the week. Poulsbo hosts a 3rd of July celebration with fireworks over the harbor and the best way to ensure your boat has a spot at the dock is to arrive a few days before since they don't take reservations for the 3rd since it is so popular.

We have started to make a week of it and commute into work for the week. Before I worked in Seattle instead of in Redmond it was a bit more convenient but it is worth it to stay aboard for a week.

I was really looking forward to my week until Sam told me he had to be at the office at 6:45 this morning for a meeting he was facilitating which meant he couldn't take the call in route. Of course he didn't mention this until Sunday afternoon as we were already in route on the boat. I am pretty sure it was planned so I couldn't back out and he had company for his morning ride in.

After checking the ferry schedule last night we realized it would mean catching the 5:20 ferry and leaving the slip by 4:40 in the morning.

While I am a morning person I don't consider 4 a.m. a time to get up. The only reason I should ever see 4 a.m. is if I am going to bed from the night before and even then I am usually not much interested in that option either.

The espresso machine came in quite handy this morning but we could really have used bigger mugs. After getting at the ferry with no traffic (seems most everyone else thinks the 5:20 ferry might be a bit too early as well) we watched the sunrise over the water. I thought it was beautiful but given the choice I would choose my bed any day. Actually I was the only one in the truck watching since Sam was taking a nap. Wasn't he the one that should be awake since he was the reason we were even out of bed?

After arriving in Seattle we hit an coffee shop for more caffeine. Being the kind person I am I gave Sam part of mine. After driving over 520 I was wishing I had some more caffeine so I stopped at Starbucks for a bit more of a pick me up. Lunch resulted in more caffeine - this time in the form of a diet coke. Afternoon meant I needed another caffeine jolt to get me through the day so I got an iced tea, venti sized.

I think it is a good thing I don't have to do this every morning since I would most likely need some kind of caffeine iv to get me through the day. Normally 1 latte and 1 diet coke is exactly what I need but today I couldn't seem to get enough caffeine to make up for the time the alarm sounded.

I asked Sam what time his first call was tomorrow but he couldn't remember. Somehow I am not thinking this bodes well for me at all since I am pretty sure he would remember if he could start his day at a normal hour - lets say at 8. Wonder how much caffeine I will need to do this 2 days in a row? If he is smart he will just set the alarm for 4 and pretend it is later until I have already taken a shower oh and he might try and find a bigger coffee cup so I can at least get a head start on my caffeine intake.