Take off


Saturday morning, we wake up early to catch our sea plane flight to Victoria where we are picking up the boat. We took off from Lake Union right downtown Seattle. We flew over the Space Needle, we flew over Discover Park, and we flew over all my racing buddies down in Shilshole Bay. We flew over the Stait of Juan de Fuca - which we are planning to sail across after we land. The Strait is the source to the ocean which all the water in Puget Sound floods from.
As we step off the plane, the pilot says "I've never seen that kind of wind before." "Oh shit," crosses my mind. We have to sail in that. Still, we call a cab who drives us around for all the errands we have - like grocery shopping and getting lunch!

Jerry, the guy I had to paid to drive the boat down from Sidney, about 20 miles away, told me that's the worst weather he's ever seen as he steps off my new boat. The sail is torn apart, the flapping lines broke a vinyl window, and he said the bow rose up ten feet in the air and crashed down. "Um... Rachel?" crosses my mind. As Jerry sipped his tea from a thermos that he brought, he says, "my goal is to die computer illiterate." I laughed and told him that was one of my goals too.

There is some truth to that joke though. People seem think that we are more connected now than ever before - because of technology.  I believe that we have actually become less connected to each other. What does it mean to be connected to a person than? I don't think an SMS message counts as a connection. If I open myself up the to everyone I pass on the street, I become the most truly connected person in the world.
It's decided. We are staying in Victoria for the night. I'm not going out in that wind! I haven't been to Victoria since the 5th grade so it will be nice to walk around. Our first dinner on the boat is lasagna that we picked up from the grocery store. As I wash up with Doctor Bronner's, a thick, slowly resonating, vapor came off my hands. Steam. It is either really cold, or I was really hot. I giggled - it was pretty amazing and even fun to play with.

The next morning we were up early listening to the weather on the radio. Light winds today so we slowly danced out of our first moorage and started our navigation East. As we pulled out of the harbor and I saw the huge vastness of the sea, I realized this is only the first step in a long voyage that has a known cause but an unknown destination.


Gearing up

The sea plane only allows 24 pounds of luggage in a 10x16x24 inch bag. The size of a small duffel bag. Rachel and I laid out all of the stuff we need for a nearly 100 nautical mile trip on a boat that doesn't have much on it. Toilet paper, charts, GPS, cameras, foul weather gear, sleeping bags, and food - all in 24 pounds?

It happened. Amazingly, both our bags fit the size and weight limit. We will buy some food in Victoria once we get there. We're hoping that our friends will drive up and meet us in Port Angeles for the night and can bring some extra gear for us. It would be fun to have some extra celebrating crew aboard. I've been saving this gallon size champagne bottle - maybe they could bring that up too. It's not a party until the
cork pops.

The big plan

We're picking up the boat this weekend. It's been so crazy trying to figure out all the tides, titles, currents, customs, marinas, and money. Yikes!

The plan... We're having the boat delivered to Victoria, then 10am sea plane flight, hop on the boat, sail 20 miles to Port Angeles, check into customs, and stay for the night. Then we'll scurry as far down into the Sound as we can. A strong ebb tide will be gently tugging us back the way we came, slowing us down. I'm doubtful we can make it to my new marina in Bremerton before dark. Plan B is to stop in Edmonds if it gets dark and hitch a ride home - some how.

I checked out the marina that I'll keep the boat at today. I took my bike onto the ferry and rode about a mile to the marina. The lady that works there is super nice. She told me where to get really cheap boat insurance! I'm getting a killer deal over there too.