Sep 28 – Poulsbo to Lake Union, 18.4 miles

We planned on shoving off around 10 o’clock after spending a leisurely morning getting ready. Today was yet another nice day, but the forecast was for the good weather to end, with rain and cooler temperatures to prevail the remainder of the week. The front bringing this change in the weather arrived a little early, with the winds picking up quite a bit just ahead of our planned departure. We watched as some other boats had trouble getting away from the dock in the wind, and decided we’d wait a bit to see what developed. We were moored stern in on a 40’ dock, and had about 14’ of our bow sticking out beyond the dock straining against the wind. Out in the bay just beyond the log breakwater, where a group of sea lions continued to make a fuss, we could see whitecaps developing.

Liberty Bay and Agate Pass are well protected by Bainbridge Island, even in stormy weather. Our only rough patch would be crossing the Sound over to Shilshole and the locks once we were out of the lee of Bainbridge. I turned on the weather radio, and wind speeds in nearby areas ranged from 10 mph to 24 mph, with seas at about 4 feet. Our anemometer was registering about 16 mph at the time, here at the dock. The forecast was for the winds and seas to increase after noon, so it didn’t sound like any respite would be coming soon.

We had a short lull where the wind dropped to 12 mph or so, so we rearranged our lines for a quick departure, fired up the engines and pulled away from the dock. Even in Liberty Bay the wind was pulling on our new CYA burgee enough to bend our antenna way over, so Erin went out and removed it. We followed the Scaup, another old wooden boat at the show, out of the bay and around the corner to Agate Pass. We had a very smooth ride, with just the flapping of the flags on our mast to tell us it was blowing out. All our windows up on the bridge were in except for the mid window on the lee side for ventilation, so we were well protected from the weather.

Once we passed Port Madison we headed out beyond Bainbridge Island and got into the wind and rough water, both of which were approaching from the south. We quartered the waves for the best ride. It didn’t take long for the salt spray to come over the canvas, but the wind was blowing hard enough that the brunt of the water flying up was blown away before it reached the bridge area. It was a good test to see how many leaks had been sealed by our recent paint job and caulking and we fared very well in that department.

Our course quartering into the waves was taking us a bit south of our target, so I turned 90 degrees or so for a downwind run to get squared away. With the wind at our back we weren’t continually bathed in salt water, but the following seas would push the stern this way and that. At what looked like an opportune time I came about again to head towards Shilshole. As it turned out my timing wasn’t all that good and we caught one of the waves sideways, giving us quite a tilt and sending stuff flying, including all the contents in the cupboard under the sink. Erin claimed I did that just to have something to write about in the log. Tribble probably didn’t know what to think, but she stayed in her hiding spot under the couch for the entire crossing.

Soon we were in the lee of Discovery Point and then headed into the channel leading past Shilshole and towards the locks. As an added hazard there were several gill nets strung along either side of the fairway. They were clearly marked, and unlike some times in the past, didn’t protrude into our course. There was one boat ahead of us, and we both tied up to the waiting wall on the south side of the channel. It wasn’t even 10 minutes before the green light came on, indicating we could enter the small lock. The boat ahead of us proceeded so slowly, at about 2 knots, that I had to drift behind him while in neutral most of the time, as we cruise at about 5 knots at idle.

We eventually made it into the lock, with Erin handling the line at the bow and Trav and Barb manning the stern line. There were no other boats behind us, and we locked through without incident. The viewing area was lined on either side by a large contingency of schoolgirls from Japan or China. They all wore the same style and color of blouse, skirt and knee sox, and were greatly amused when Trav bowed to them.

As we cruised towards the Foss Tug yards on the south side of the channel, we came upon one of the floating dry docks out in mid channel. They had just launched what appeared to be a small car ferry. It had a narrow bridge structure with one car lane on either side. It appeared to be freshly painted, and was being towed by a small tug. The floating dry dock was still partially submerged mid channel, and we could see some lines securing it to the south side of the cut. They probably had to wait for it to be fully refloating before reeling it in. The same boat that had entered the locks at a painfully slow speed came to a stop in the narrowest part of the channel to consider which way to go. We waited as well, as there was only room for one boat at a time past the dry dock. He was eventually coaxed to proceed and we followed, passing an oncoming patrol boat that had to wait for the lane to clear.

We passed under the Fremont Bridge and headed for the home stretch around the corner at Gasworks Park, where another spate of gill nets had been placed. We wended our way through and headed for our moorage at the north end of Lake Union. Erin and Barb had gone below and prepared egg salad sandwiches for all and we had an enjoyable lunch at the dock before any unloading chores.

Although we didn’t venture far from home, we had a great weekend with our guests Trav and Barb, and got to see some interesting old boats at the show in Poulsbo, with the tour of the Olympus definitely being a highlight. Tribble earned another stripe as boat cat, and will definitely be prepared for some extended cruising come next summer.

Sep 27 – Poulsbo

This morning there was a semi-organized breakfast event out at the end of the dock that we chose not to attend. Instead, we had our own gourmet breakfast on board the Potentate. Erin brought out the waffle iron and we all enjoyed waffles with bananas and blueberries.

The CYA event and our complimentary moorage were scheduled to run through 2 o’clock in the afternoon, giving folks to head on back home or to their next port. Rather than head for the locks on Sunday, we had planned to head on down to Port Orchard or Bremerton Sunday afternoon to spend a night there, but in a fit of laziness we decided that we’d just hang around Poulsbo for the extra day. The weather remained delightful, although it was a bit blustery – another good reason to stay at the dock.

Barb, Erin and I went out for a walk in the afternoon and headed off onto the boardwalk that follows the shoreline north of town. The boardwalk runs a couple hundred yards or so, then ends at a shore side park where the trail continued on towards a playfield. At the boardwalk end of the park is an old church building that has been converted into several upscale condos overlooking the harbor. Years ago Erin and I explored through this building when it was vacant and before the remodeling started. Along the trail walking north were turnouts at the water’s edge where we could look through the trees out at the bay. Liberty Bay is shallow at the head so there were no docks or anchored boats at this point. The overlooks were 10 or 15 feet up a steep embankment from the beach. Some folks with a dog were walking below, and the dog ran up and down the embankment, although it wasn’t that suitable for casual human travel.

When we returned to the boat, we stopped at the marina office and paid our Sunday night moorage, courtesy of Trav. We had taken some chicken out of the freezer for yet another gourmet dinner, but none of us were very hungry after snacking on lefsa and other treats. We put the chicken away and had some leftovers, or as Trav says, “planned overs” a little later in the evening.

Tonight’s entertainment was the movie Ghost Town, about a dentist who, after a near death experience, could see and converse with ghosts – and they all wanted him to take care of their unfinished business.

Sep 26 – Poulsbo

More dominos last night – an abbreviated session to be continued. I had picked up a package of bay scallops at Safeway the day before we left – neither Erin nor Barb are fond of seafood based breakfasts, but Erin fixed scallop and onion omelets for Trav and me this morning. They were awesome.

Today a public viewing of the classic yachts at the marina is on the agenda for visitors to the city of Poulsbo. We have our information narrative out on deck near the door for people to read as they stroll by. We are not required to allow visitors boarding privileges, but it is optional at our convenience and most of the long time CYA members have their signs that display “Welcome Aboard” or “No Boarding at this time”, depending on which way it’s flipped.

We went for a dock walk this morning to look at some of the other boats, and as we approached the Olympus at the end of the dock, Diane Vanderbeek, the owner, invited us to come on board for a tour, even though the “No Boarding” sign was out. We were treated to a private tour by Diane, and she told us quite a bit of history about the boat. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a 97’ fantail – it was built in New York in 1929, commissioned by a wealthy Wall Street tycoon to be used as a commuter vessel between his two estates. For that reason, it was built fairly low to enable it to pass under all the bridges in New York City. It can also pass through the ship canal from the locks to Lake Washington without having to raise any of the drawbridges, including the Fremont Bridge, the lowest of them all.

It didn’t belong to that Wall Street tycoon for long as 1929 wasn’t a very good year for him. The yacht was purchased in the 1930’s by George Converse (of Converse shoes) and his wife Mary Stuart, a former silent screen star. They brought it from the east coast through the Panama Canal to Southern California. During the 1930’s and into 1940 it was a part of the Hollywood social scene and appeared in several movies.

During World War II, the boat was conscripted into service by the Navy to act as a patrol boat, plying the waters between California and Alaska on the lookout for Japanese submarines. As we were being shown the formal dining room, we learned that, during its Navy service, President Truman had met with various military brass there just days before the first A-bomb was dropped, perhaps to give a go-ahead or plan some post event strategy.

After the war, the boat was declared surplus to be auctioned off. Harry Truman told his good friend Monrad Wallgren, the current governor of Washington State, about the auction and it was subsequently purchased by the sole bidder, the state of Washington, for $15,000. Truman and Wallgren had worked together on legislation to form the Olympic National Forest, and the boat was renamed Olympus after Mt. Olympus. Truman spent time aboard the boat on many occasions during that time, and once signed the guest book as a resident of Independence, Mo, and in parentheses, he wrote: (temporary residence 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, D.C.).

From the 1950’s on, the boat was privately owned by various corporations and individuals, and was eventually purchased in the mid 1990’s by the VanDerbeeks. Diane mentioned that they had no original plans or blueprints for the boat, but at a yacht club function some years later, famed yacht architect Olin Stephens was a guest on board for a function and told Diane “I designed this boat – I’m surprised it’s still afloat!” He had been an apprentice at the yard in New York where the boat was built. The largest boat they had built before this one was 77 feet long, and he was told to draw up some plans for something similar, only 97 feet long. He went on to design several sailing vessels that won the America’s Cup, beginning in the 1930’s. He died just recently at the age of 100.

Thanks to Diane for the wonderful and informative guided tour of the Olympus!

Moored a couple slips towards shore was the Old Man IV, an Admiral’s Barge from the U.S. Navy. It’s an honorary member of the CYA, and was crewed by three smartly dressed sailors: a bosun’s mate, an engineer and a lieutenant. It was used by the local Navy admiral for daily commuting between Sand Point and Bremerton back in the 50’s and 60’s, but now makes the rounds in a PR role. We enjoyed talking to its crew, all long term Navy, but still young.

Tonight’s activity was a potluck dinner at the end of our dock, next to the Olympus. Erin made a bowl of spaghetti for us to take down, and there was quite a wide selection of dishes from which to choose. Probably one of the best potluck dinner’s we’ve ever attended. We dined out at the end of the dock, then returned to the boat when a chill wind picked up.

Erin and I walked the docks later in the evening and we then all finished off that game of dominos we had started the night before.

Sep 25 – Port Madison to Poulsbo, 11.5 miles

Despite our late evening, most of us were up fairly early this morning, with Trav leading the pack at around 6 o’clock. I got up shortly thereafter and started the tea for Erin. It was a beautiful morning in Port Madison, and the dew was all beaded up on our new paint job.

After our morning hot beverages, Erin fixed some breakfast of scrambled eggs with sausage, toasted English muffin and fruit – blueberries and peaches. As usual, the fare was excellent. We had a pretty lazy morning. My activity consisted of attaching our new Classic Yacht Association burgee to the port side antenna. Our burgee is blue, denoting a “vintage” yacht – one made after 1942 but before the 60’s. The pre-WWII yachts are sporting red burgees. During our leisurely morning, an old cruiser from the 20’s glided into Port Madison, circled our anchorage and headed back out. Its home port was Olympia and it was sporting the CYA burgee, do doubt on its way to Poulsbo. We later found out that it was built at Lake Union in 1926 for the founding family of the Olympia Brewery.

We weighed anchor around noon and headed out around the corner through Agate Pass, where the current was ebbing a knot or so against us. We were in no hurry though – in fact we detoured over to Manzanita Bay on the backside of Bainbridge to take a tour around its shoreline. As we crossed back over the channel towards the entrance to Liberty Bay, we were joined by four older cruisers that had just come through Agate Pass heading in the same direction. We were cruising at about the same 7 knot speed and blended into a 5 boat flotilla for the entrance into the bay. As instructed in the info emailed to me a couple days earlier, I radioed ahead to the Lady Grace on VHF channel 68 to get a slip assignment. Except for the very end dock, which is double length, the slips here are either 30’ or 40’. We are stern in on a 40’ slip with our bow sticking out about 13 feet. But, our entry door and ladder are on the dock and that’s what’s important.

Barb, Erin and I walked into town a little later in the afternoon, browsed through a few stores and found our way to the Poulsbo Bakery. They have an outstanding collection of body putty sweets, and we picked up a few rolls and a couple packages of lefsa. This is a Norwegian town, after all…

Diane Vanderbeek, the Rear Commodore of CYA and our sponsor for joining, came by and invited us to her boat for hors‘d oeuvres, which her chef had prepared. Her boat is the Olympus, a 97’ fantail cruiser built back in the 1920’s. We had dinner in the oven, but shut it off for awhile and headed down for a brief visit. We were introduced to a bunch of people as the newest members of CYA. After a short time we returned to the Potentate and got our dinner going again. Erin an Barb went back into town for the Art Walk while Trav and I stayed on watch at the boat. That means we did nothing much.

It’s now about 8 o’clock and we’re contemplating our evening’s entertainment, which will be either a short game of dominos or perhaps a movie.

Sep 24 – Lake Union to Port Madison, 11 miles

Although it’s no longer officially summer, it’s still boating season so we’re extending this log by a few more pages. We’ve spent the last few weeks doing a lot of painting and varnish work on the boat and now are taking the opportunity to enjoy some of our Indian Summer weather. We recently joined the Classic Yacht Association and have decided to attend their next event, which is a rendezvous at the Port of Poulsbo. We have on board as our guests our friends Trav and Barb. They are selling their boat and getting out of boating after 40+ years so are happy to be out on the water with us. Also on board for her second trip is our cat Tribble.

We headed out a day early, with the plan to cross over to Bainbridge Island in the afternoon and spend a leisurely evening at anchor before heading around the corner to Poulsbo and the festivities. It also eliminates the possibility of crossing shipping lanes through late September morning fog in the event it materializes on Friday. Although we had planned an early afternoon trip down to the dock, we were all ready to get going in late morning, so we picked up Trav and Barb (they live about a mile from us) and headed down to our moorage on Lake Union. We have limited parking there – sometimes it’s not a problem and other times it’s jam packed. This morning, much to our dismay, it was the latter. We parked temporarily in the remaining spot for Fluid Ride, a bike shop on the premises, and unloaded our gear from the car to the boat. I then made the rounds around a couple blocks checking all the untimed parking spots. Not only were they all full, there were two or three other cars prowling around looking for space as well. I returned to our still empty temporary spot, and we decided on Plan B, which was to drive to Ray and Mary’s and have Ray drive me back, then take our car home. As Trav and I headed to the car to do that, a spot opened up next to Gallery Marine and we whisked into it. Since it was on the Gallery Marine side, I went into the office to make sure it was okay to leave it there for a few days. Permission granted - problem solved.

We puttered around at the dock for a bit putting stuff away and finally backed out around 2 o’clock to head down the Ship Canal towards the locks. As we approached we could see several boats waiting, with the small lock green light just coming on. We knew there were too many boats ahead of us for us to get in on that locking, and we were redirected into the large lock. Ahead of us were a couple of tug boats and a large barge, so most of the lock space was taken with that. There was just enough room for two boats behind the barge, and we ended up on the wall just in front of the gate as it closed. Rafted to us was a 42’ Ocean Alexander. After securing their lines to us, they mentioned that they had been waiting nearly two hours, so we were even happier with our good timing as to our arrival. With the lock gate closing behind us as soon as we were secured, we had a quick descent for being in this lock. Sometimes it can be an hour’s wait as it fills with other boats, but the barge took care of that. We were out in the sound in no time.

The weather was perfect for our crossing, and we proceeded at a leisurely 8 knots. We headed a little off course to cross behind a large container ship that was coming past Kingston on its way to either Seattle or Tacoma, then headed on in to Port Madison, where we dropped the anchor around 4 o’clock.

Port Madison is lined with docks and homes – some very upscale and others from another era. It’s an eclectic mix and provides for a very nice setting. It’s also very peaceful and quiet here, with the solitude interrupted only by the occasional lawn mower.

Trav had brought along a slab of fresh salmon, and Erin prepared it with a light brown sugar glaze and lime slices for a delicious dinner. Sunset was around 7:30, and we played a full round of Mexican Train dominos on into the night, finishing around midnight.