Return to the Salish Sea II

[David Patterson]

Tucked away in a protected anchorage for boat work, and while the remnant winds of hurricane Oho (I think it is) pass by out in the ocean. Probably no more than Force 5 winds in the central Salish Sea, but that is still to be seen. A loose cover over CLOUD GIRL's cockpit allowed work out there while it rained yesterday. John's imposing CD40 MINTAKA graces the anchorage with (to risk a nautical pun) sheer beauty. With cruiser's generosity he brought CLOUD GIRL her new pair of group 24 batteries. Out rowing for exercise in the CD Dink allowed time to study a grooved and barnacled "glacial erratic" boulder at the shoreline. A melting glacier left that non-local stone right there, 10 or 12 thousand years ago, as the groaning earth's crust rose from beneath the enormous glacial weight. A healthy wild colony of an imported oyster species are scattered about.

[Doug Hill]

David,

Two great boat photos. Still hard to imagine such great photography with a phone. Not being critical of the phone, but looks like stuff seen in the National Geographic. You're an artist.

Fair winds,
Doug

[David Patterson]

Fine praise, Doug. Thank you. An artist? More like a "gentleman of a certain age" deep in wonder at these breath-takingly beautiful and endlessly interesting cruising grounds of the Salish Sea. It's no surprise to me that cruisers from other parts of the world make this a destination. With my photos and (opinionated) commentary, I'm hoping to share my own pleasure and wonder that I'm here. My use of the ProCamera app on my now iPhone 5S has allowed me hi-def photos, and costs me a chunk of my cruising budget for data usage. The pleasure of sharing has, so far, been worth the costs. Perhaps I'll move on to an iPhone 6S Plus for the even better camera. It's under consideration, as I plan my winter round of visiting children and grandchildren, for they are the photo subjects that matter most to me. Speaking of photography, the quality of light here in the NW, being both diffuse and bright at once, is forgiving and kind to the photographer. Illuminating, one might joke. Even for someone like myself, who mostly just wants to share the scene. Anyway, thank you again for your enjoyment, Doug and others, though (to be disclosive) my sailing experiences as I cruise under sail here, give me even more satisfaction. I got more of a kick out of cruising by sail up Agamemenon Channel and Jervis Inlet, then transiting Malibu Rapids to Chatterbox Falls in Princess Louisa Inlet, with zero motoring, than out of my entire year of photography. David, aboard s/v CLOUD GIRL, Parks Bay, Shaw Island, San Juan Archipelago

[David Patterson]

Three Cape Dories sailed from anchor off Shaw Island together, on 10/11/15. CD40 hull 007, CD25D hull 85, and CD 7'7" hull 66, under tow. In the first photo MINTAKA is ghosting in very light airs, beneath a pearlescent sky, having just gybed. Next is the tall and the small, with LAGNIAPPE, behind CLOUD GIRL, in the foreground, hardly enough breeze happening to fill MINTAKA's jib. Last is a somewhat nacreous October sky, over nearly slack water in San Juan Channel, looking SE toward Lopez Island. Winds are barely making Force 2. The scrum of high cruising season has passed. Most of the time a cruiser under sail need not struggle with power boat wakes.

[David Patterson]

One of the those who have followed my postings regularly, during my last 9 months or so on the Salish Sea, teasingly told me that if I didn't post for a few days, he thought I must be suffering writer's block. That is not really one of my cruising afflictions, however. I don't always have anything worth sharing. Back in port (probably not to have more than a very short passage again this calendar year) local sights are what I have. Still, I can't resist one more view of heart-warming MINTAKA, on a beam reach in light airs, nicely handled. The second photo is proof that not every owner of a sailing vessel actually uses her or his sails. But, then, that craft is probably not much for sailing, and is certainly no Cape Dory. Last is an unusual and competent-looking Canadian motor vessel, uncluttered and "shippy." I imagine being aboard her on a winter day, cozied up to that solid fuel heater beneath the Charlie Noble. She even has a good hard dinghy, carried well out of the way. The big boat's hull shape is remarkably like my CD Dink's. I'm not always able to determine what makes one craft more attractive to me than others. No accounting for taste, runs the platitude. How I will miss being aboard, while I am in CO, NJ, and MO this winter, though I'll be basking in family. Even ready for a break from cruising.

[David Patterson]

With less than two weeks left aboard, before leaving CLOUD GIRL blocked up on the hard, I'm turning nostalgic. Little scenes capture my attention, like the lines outside the galley port light. The boom vang is acting as a preventer to hold the boom to port, out of the way of the cockpit. The jib sheet is taut to act as a man rope on the foredeck. Salt has dried on the glass, again. The salt is from my last crossing of Juan de Fuca Strait. A bit of tape remains from the last emergency-contact card there. Out in the dawn, I realize the sun, which rose at the summer solstice directly over Mt Baker, to the left, is now rising over Turn Island to the far right, when I am anchored in Friday Harbor. Near 49* latitude, the declination of the sun is significant. No photo to show, but at last light yesterday, Mark on his CD32, sharing the anchorage, heard the loud breath, and saw the disturbed water, from orcas right in the harbor. I was only able to witness the roiled waters. They were probably the wandering seal-eating ones, whose behavior is different than the larger pods focused on salmon. Last is a detail photo of Vigor's old CD27 SANGOMA, now under new ownership and docked at the port, showing his shroud coverings, which act as rollers for main or jib, decreasing wear on the sails. They can be valuable when doing a lot of running, with the main pressed against the aft shroud, or light airs sailing, with a full Genoa sliding from side to side often, as one tacks along a channel against the wind. The land forms do indeed "channel" the winds here. Both running, and light airs beating, are common points of sail in the Salish Sea, for those who sail their crafts.

[David Patterson]

Unconnected images: CLOUD GIRL looks larger than her only 25', while anchored in her customary spot when in port, as I prepare her for a non-customary few winter months on the hard. If I find my next boat this winter, I may never cruise her again. My row to the docks from this Friday Harbor north cove anchorage is only 1/4 mile, while the cove has a feel of not being in a busy harbor, especially at night. A display of heirloom apples represents a local harvest. Hudson's Gem (originally from NY?) may be the best apple I've ever eaten. Last is a cruiser's credo, of sorts. Dampier is writing of his younger life, in which he was an early circumnavigator. His life was hardly blameless, for he was an outright pirate at times. His words have an oddly modern sound to them, don't they? Almost like Kerouac.

[David Patterson]

As I enjoy the beautiful sunny and mild weather on offer here, and prep the boat for leaving her while I make a winter cruise ashore, I'm in and out of the port and town of Friday Harbor frequently. At the courtesy dock a 1970 Halberg Mistral 33 came in, crewed by two 20-something sailors. A problem with the main had them seeking out repairs from the one local loft. The legend of the boat is that she was brought across the North Sea and the Atlantic by a Swedish ambassador to Canada, multiple decades ago. The young man who owns her is bringing her back to her former glory, a bit at a time, while actively cruising her. Sailing on and off the anchor holds no mystery for him. The cockpit promises to be a glorious place. The open bow pulpit also caught my eye. That traveler placement was avoided on Alberg designs, though on his Alberg 29 he attached the main sheet tackle mid-cockpit, simply not having a traveler. On the streets of the town, someone's "land dinghy" is an enjoyably re-done old Willys, clearly far surpassing the original paint job. Bucket seats too.

[Sea Hunt Video]

The cleats on the coaming of the Halberg-Rossey 33 are interesting. I have not seen that design before. Of course, my exposure is substantially curtailed.

One horn of the cleat is "stubby". Given the pedigree of the sailboat, I assume there is a functionality to this design.

[David Patterson]

Thanks, Roberto, I hadn't noticed them. New to me as well. I've seen cleats mounted vertically with one horn longer, to allow hanging a coiled line on them. These are interesting, almost looking like they could double as a chock.

[David Patterson]

Wunderground.com shows fine October weather in the central Salish Sea, with a good weekend for sailing coming up. The month is proving more dry than typically, though the San Juans get less than 20" of precipitation yearly anyway, I believe. I'll regret missing the fall sailing. Question: what are the reasons for this adjustable mast step on the 1970 Halberg Mistral 33 pictured before? Ignore the rust. The owner will soon deal with that. This notched/serrated/crenelated arrangement obviously allows the mast to be easily shifted, though dealing with rigging adjustment would take some time. Is this just for changing mast rake? For moving the center of effort forward? Most curious. What structural requirements did the builders have to consider for mast support on the house top? Notice the empty overnight slips in the port marina.

[David Patterson]

Some remarkable boats continue to visit the port, as the usual cruisers no longer visit. One is big AGUILA MARIS (eagle of the sea?) of Victoria, seemingly purpose-built for NW cruising and the inner passage to Alaska. A steel hull, I think. All of that dramatic superstructure aside, she is clearly ocean-worthy. In the empty port marina the double-ended cutter TREASURE shows her lines. Apparently she is actually sailed. Residents of the Inner Passage are reputed to have a saying that there are only two kinds of cruising vessels there, motor vessels and motor vessels with sticks. Sailing it is not easily done. Last is a John Schafer photo of cruise-weary CLOUD GIRL, about to jibe in light airs, to get an angle to round Point George of Shaw Island, into San Juan Channel. A practiced eye might note the light ebb current running out there. I appear to be getting the already released jib sheet onto the cockpit bench. The mainsheet is drooping, before I grab it to control the boom swinging across. The jib is at its "first reef" as indicated by the marks at the furler. I'm reefed for the visibility gained, and the ease of bringing the sail to the other tack. I'm sure someone else could do it all more gracefully. Light airs sailing is slow-motion sailing. My now extra old dinghy Windin' Boy is snubbed to the stern, out of the way. I've yet to find someone to give it to. Eight years of service from it. Harlequin-duck-colored LAGNIAPPE is towing behind. I crossed Juan de Fuca Strait under sail recently, with the dinghies arranged in this manner. It's an odd sight, but workable.

[David Patterson]

Fairly dense fog here for three of the last four mornings, temperature differentials between air and water being right for it, along with high humidity levels. Learning more about fog formation is on my "to learn" list (a crowded list). An s/v motors out into the fog in the first photo. Moments later the deep voice of a ferry's horn vibrated the air and echoed through the harbor. I felt relieved not to be out. The second photo I titled to myself "Forenoon Watch in the Fog." That fine animal was motionless for a long time, as though intently watching and listening. Probably it was focused on a wild animal moving in the reserve on shore. Last is a chart of average highs and lows in the central San Juan Islands. Hard freezes aren't common, but they do occur. My interest has to do with leaving my boat, uncharacteristically, on the hard for a few months. Usually she is in 45* water, where freezing is not a concern. Not always benign, the climate here is nonetheless generally even and mild, attractive every month of the year, to me, though I have yet to cruise here in December and January. The climate is excellent for cruising, being typically neither too hot nor too cold, just like the famous porridge. Ignoring wind events known to reach 100 mph that must be taken into account, of course. Notice the average rainfall for November. Still, November of 2012, for example, included some of my finest cruising.

[Steve Bryant]

David and Roberto,

Regarding the cleats on the Halberg Mistral 33 that you were discussing, I believe that they are jam cleats for the sheet tails. The shorter open end away from the winch provides a fairlead around the cleat and the longer lower end allows you to jam the tail in place securely without having to use a hitch that could get fouled. Makes for a quicker and easier release of the sheets when tacking or trimming the sail. I've seen these on some earlier Herreshoff designs. Probably something Cap'n Nat came up with.

Cheers,

[David Patterson]

Thanks, Steve. Yes, jam cleats. What draws my attention are the rounded short horns, which I guess would allow for even quicker uncleating of a sheet. That it might double as a chock when paired as they are still intrigues me. The vertical cleat with an exaggerated horn, which I was referring to, was on the short mast of a Bill Garden designed motor cruiser I saw at Portland Island in Canada a couple of years ago. The horn was a good eight inches long. I don't recall if it was a jam cleat, but probably. I'll look for the photo of it. Herreshoff's hardware is so satisfying to study, isn't it? David