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.