Stella Maris
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2008
- Messages
- 1,500
- Fluid Motion Model
- C-24 C
- Non-Fluid Motion Model
- Helmsman PH38, 11' Boston Whaler, 9' Boston Whaler
- Vessel Name
- Destiny
Cruising to Bell
Our Christmas Cruise this year began on the 21st of December. The first leg would be a relatively short and simple cruise with me taking Destiny from Shilshole to Bell Harbor on the afternoon of the 21st. We would spend Friday and Saturday nights at Bell affording us the luxury of being able to complete some last minute Christmas shopping as well as attending the Seattle Men’s Chorus with the crews of Moondance, Hayden Bay and Zuma. Sunday we would head back to Shilshole, secure Destiny and then, it will be off to the airport to catch our flight to the San Francisco Bay area for Christmas itself.
After the driving rain and gusty winds earlier in the week, Friday arrived and it was amazingly calm and placid. I departed Shilshole at 1:00 pm making a quick stop at the fuel dock to make a “deposit” into the city sewer system. Once the black water tank was pumped and cleaned, it was off to Bell. The sky was ablaze with the most incredible shades of oranges and reds. It was as if sunset had come early. The sun was peaking through various breaks in the clouds. Its magnificent colors reflecting off the surface of the sound, painting the underside of the clouds in various shades of orange, pinks, and reds.
I made my way through the narrow entrance to Bell and secured Destiny in our assigned slip. Zuma was assigned the slip adjacent to ours. However, she would not arrive until after dark. Maureen would arrive from Denver at midnight. Once secure, I took advantage of the weather and gave Destiny a thorough cleaning top to bottom.
Saturday’s performance by the Seattle Men’s Chorus was incredible. If you have never seen their Christmas show, I would strongly recommend it. In fact, Janeane enjoyed it so much; she has recommended that the three crews make it a yearly tradition.
While we would be away from Destiny for three days, we would not be far from the water. Maureen’s Aunt and Uncle live in Alameda on the bay. Along with that, we would enjoy Christmas Brunch at the Cliff House in San Francisco. The Cliff House is located just south of the Golden Gate Bridge with a sweeping view of the Pacific.
We arrived back to Destiny at 11:30 Christmas evening. Destiny was ready to start the second leg of her trip first thing in the morning. All supplies had been brought aboard. The water tanks were filled, black water tank emptied.
Let the Adventure Begin
We departed Shilshole at 9:30 on the morning of the 26th with Hayden Bay following close behind. Our destination for today was Gig Harbor. Once outside of the breakwater, we brought Destiny up to speed. The winds had once again returned. However, not to the strength they had been earlier in the week. Ten to fifteen out of the south. With the tide still falling, the wind chop was relatively mild. One to two-foot seas was all we were going to experience.
We made our way south to Colvos Passage. Colvos is an interesting passage. No matter what the state of the tide, the current always flows north. This meant, even though we were now on a rising tide and running south, we still had an opposing current. Our trip on Colvos was uneventful, the water flat and devoid of any other vessels.
We rounded the corner and crossed the bar into Gig Harbor. It is really quite amazing coming into this picturesque little town in the winter. Summer months will find the anchorage full of one hundred plus vessels ranging from small day sailors to massive mega yachts. Today there was not vessel hanging on the hook. We slowly made our way to the city dock, which once again is normally full of boats. Today, we had our choice of where we wanted to tie. The city provides this dock at no charge to visiting vessels. There is however no electric or water available. Once Hayden Bay and Destiny were secure, we decided it was time to explore town and grab some dinner.
Off to Mayo Cove
We woke the following morning to a light fog and no wind. Since we were planning a late departure, the fog would not be an issue. The plan was to wait for the ebb to subside and then transit the narrows at slack water.
At 10:30 we slipped the lines from the dock and headed out toward The Narrows. The water was flat calm reflecting the cityscape of the tiny town of Gig Harbor. We made our way under the twin spans of the Narrows Bridge and were now officially in the “South Sound”. We slowly made our way to the Carr Inlet where we planned to hang on the hook for the night. Exactly where though, we were not quite sure, we just knew that Carr Inlet was the place. We made our way north up the Carr Inlet until we came upon Mayo Cove. I took Destiny in to poke around and scout out the ideal location to drop the hook. I selected a spot in the southwest corner, which would give us protection from all but a north wind.
Since Hayden Bay was the heavier of the two vessels, we chose to have Marcus and Jorge drop their big Rocna Anchor. Once Jorge had set the hook, it was time for Destiny to move in along side. Maureen slowly and cautiously approached Hayden Bay. Once we were within five feet, I tossed Marcus our bow line. We brought the two vessels together for two firsts for Hayden Bay. The first time to swing on the hook and, the first time rafting!
If it is Friday, it must be Jarrell Cove!
We awoke on Friday morning to clear skies and no wind. What a glorious day it was going to be. At 10:00 we slip away from Hayden Bay and made our way out of Mayo Cove. As we cleared the point, we were awe struck by what we saw. Mount Rainer in all of her glory. The sun casting an incredible orange glow upon her. “Wow” was all we could say. We held position taking in the beautiful sight while Marcus and Jorge secured their anchor. Once they were free, we instructed them to pass Destiny for a photo op of Hayden Bay with the great mountain in the background.
As we made our way south, we made the decision to cut through Pitt Passage thereby saving eight to ten miles. Waggoner’s warns that this passage should only be navigated with local knowledge. However, we figured that with a cautious approach, the tide rising, and good visibility, we would give it a shot. I took the lead, taking Destiny in first. With a three-foot draft we figured we would be less likely to “bump” the bottom than Hayden Bay with her six-foot draft. We slowed to a dead crawl and kept a close eye on the depth sounder. We knew from the charts that we would have one shallow spot that would leave us fifteen feet of water below the keel. Marcus kept Hayden Bay at a distance that allowed him to follow directly behind but also allowed me the room to back up if the depth started to come up quickly. The pass proved to be much simpler than the Waggoner’s made it out to be. Sometimes, you just have to rely on your own instincts and go.
Once clear of Pitt Passage we brought both vessels back up to speed. Our cruise to Jarrell Cove was as good as it could get. Flat water, abundant sunshine, and great company.
We entered Jarrell slowly and carefully. Since we had never been to this incredible location before, we were not sure what to expect. I took Destiny to the inner dock which was completely devoid of any other vessels. Our concern would be the depth. We were expecting a -1.1 tide at 23:30. With the depth that we were reading at dockside, that would leave one foot under Hayden Bays keel. We did not want to trust the electronics so, we did as they used to do. We pulled out the lead line and checked the depth. It proved that the electronics were correct with 19 feet of water.
Once all was secure, Marcus and Maureen enjoyed an afternoon of cards on Destiny while Jorge and I crawled through the engine room of Hayden Bay. We attempted to follow fuel lines and power cables to see where they lead. Once our curiosity was fulfilled for the day, we joined Marcus and Maureen on Destiny for Ginger Martini’s and a rousing game of Domino’s. We kept a close eye on the clock and just as we knew the tide had bottomed out, outside we went with lead line in hand. We verified the depth and just as we calculated, Hayden Bay had one foot of water beneath her. Once we were all sure all was well it was off to bed for another relaxing evening on our “homes on the water”.
Our Christmas Cruise this year began on the 21st of December. The first leg would be a relatively short and simple cruise with me taking Destiny from Shilshole to Bell Harbor on the afternoon of the 21st. We would spend Friday and Saturday nights at Bell affording us the luxury of being able to complete some last minute Christmas shopping as well as attending the Seattle Men’s Chorus with the crews of Moondance, Hayden Bay and Zuma. Sunday we would head back to Shilshole, secure Destiny and then, it will be off to the airport to catch our flight to the San Francisco Bay area for Christmas itself.
After the driving rain and gusty winds earlier in the week, Friday arrived and it was amazingly calm and placid. I departed Shilshole at 1:00 pm making a quick stop at the fuel dock to make a “deposit” into the city sewer system. Once the black water tank was pumped and cleaned, it was off to Bell. The sky was ablaze with the most incredible shades of oranges and reds. It was as if sunset had come early. The sun was peaking through various breaks in the clouds. Its magnificent colors reflecting off the surface of the sound, painting the underside of the clouds in various shades of orange, pinks, and reds.
I made my way through the narrow entrance to Bell and secured Destiny in our assigned slip. Zuma was assigned the slip adjacent to ours. However, she would not arrive until after dark. Maureen would arrive from Denver at midnight. Once secure, I took advantage of the weather and gave Destiny a thorough cleaning top to bottom.
Saturday’s performance by the Seattle Men’s Chorus was incredible. If you have never seen their Christmas show, I would strongly recommend it. In fact, Janeane enjoyed it so much; she has recommended that the three crews make it a yearly tradition.
While we would be away from Destiny for three days, we would not be far from the water. Maureen’s Aunt and Uncle live in Alameda on the bay. Along with that, we would enjoy Christmas Brunch at the Cliff House in San Francisco. The Cliff House is located just south of the Golden Gate Bridge with a sweeping view of the Pacific.
We arrived back to Destiny at 11:30 Christmas evening. Destiny was ready to start the second leg of her trip first thing in the morning. All supplies had been brought aboard. The water tanks were filled, black water tank emptied.
Let the Adventure Begin
We departed Shilshole at 9:30 on the morning of the 26th with Hayden Bay following close behind. Our destination for today was Gig Harbor. Once outside of the breakwater, we brought Destiny up to speed. The winds had once again returned. However, not to the strength they had been earlier in the week. Ten to fifteen out of the south. With the tide still falling, the wind chop was relatively mild. One to two-foot seas was all we were going to experience.
We made our way south to Colvos Passage. Colvos is an interesting passage. No matter what the state of the tide, the current always flows north. This meant, even though we were now on a rising tide and running south, we still had an opposing current. Our trip on Colvos was uneventful, the water flat and devoid of any other vessels.
We rounded the corner and crossed the bar into Gig Harbor. It is really quite amazing coming into this picturesque little town in the winter. Summer months will find the anchorage full of one hundred plus vessels ranging from small day sailors to massive mega yachts. Today there was not vessel hanging on the hook. We slowly made our way to the city dock, which once again is normally full of boats. Today, we had our choice of where we wanted to tie. The city provides this dock at no charge to visiting vessels. There is however no electric or water available. Once Hayden Bay and Destiny were secure, we decided it was time to explore town and grab some dinner.
Off to Mayo Cove
We woke the following morning to a light fog and no wind. Since we were planning a late departure, the fog would not be an issue. The plan was to wait for the ebb to subside and then transit the narrows at slack water.
At 10:30 we slipped the lines from the dock and headed out toward The Narrows. The water was flat calm reflecting the cityscape of the tiny town of Gig Harbor. We made our way under the twin spans of the Narrows Bridge and were now officially in the “South Sound”. We slowly made our way to the Carr Inlet where we planned to hang on the hook for the night. Exactly where though, we were not quite sure, we just knew that Carr Inlet was the place. We made our way north up the Carr Inlet until we came upon Mayo Cove. I took Destiny in to poke around and scout out the ideal location to drop the hook. I selected a spot in the southwest corner, which would give us protection from all but a north wind.
Since Hayden Bay was the heavier of the two vessels, we chose to have Marcus and Jorge drop their big Rocna Anchor. Once Jorge had set the hook, it was time for Destiny to move in along side. Maureen slowly and cautiously approached Hayden Bay. Once we were within five feet, I tossed Marcus our bow line. We brought the two vessels together for two firsts for Hayden Bay. The first time to swing on the hook and, the first time rafting!
If it is Friday, it must be Jarrell Cove!
We awoke on Friday morning to clear skies and no wind. What a glorious day it was going to be. At 10:00 we slip away from Hayden Bay and made our way out of Mayo Cove. As we cleared the point, we were awe struck by what we saw. Mount Rainer in all of her glory. The sun casting an incredible orange glow upon her. “Wow” was all we could say. We held position taking in the beautiful sight while Marcus and Jorge secured their anchor. Once they were free, we instructed them to pass Destiny for a photo op of Hayden Bay with the great mountain in the background.
As we made our way south, we made the decision to cut through Pitt Passage thereby saving eight to ten miles. Waggoner’s warns that this passage should only be navigated with local knowledge. However, we figured that with a cautious approach, the tide rising, and good visibility, we would give it a shot. I took the lead, taking Destiny in first. With a three-foot draft we figured we would be less likely to “bump” the bottom than Hayden Bay with her six-foot draft. We slowed to a dead crawl and kept a close eye on the depth sounder. We knew from the charts that we would have one shallow spot that would leave us fifteen feet of water below the keel. Marcus kept Hayden Bay at a distance that allowed him to follow directly behind but also allowed me the room to back up if the depth started to come up quickly. The pass proved to be much simpler than the Waggoner’s made it out to be. Sometimes, you just have to rely on your own instincts and go.
Once clear of Pitt Passage we brought both vessels back up to speed. Our cruise to Jarrell Cove was as good as it could get. Flat water, abundant sunshine, and great company.
We entered Jarrell slowly and carefully. Since we had never been to this incredible location before, we were not sure what to expect. I took Destiny to the inner dock which was completely devoid of any other vessels. Our concern would be the depth. We were expecting a -1.1 tide at 23:30. With the depth that we were reading at dockside, that would leave one foot under Hayden Bays keel. We did not want to trust the electronics so, we did as they used to do. We pulled out the lead line and checked the depth. It proved that the electronics were correct with 19 feet of water.
Once all was secure, Marcus and Maureen enjoyed an afternoon of cards on Destiny while Jorge and I crawled through the engine room of Hayden Bay. We attempted to follow fuel lines and power cables to see where they lead. Once our curiosity was fulfilled for the day, we joined Marcus and Maureen on Destiny for Ginger Martini’s and a rousing game of Domino’s. We kept a close eye on the clock and just as we knew the tide had bottomed out, outside we went with lead line in hand. We verified the depth and just as we calculated, Hayden Bay had one foot of water beneath her. Once we were all sure all was well it was off to bed for another relaxing evening on our “homes on the water”.
