Beautiful Boats

Just across the fairway (that's the waterway between dock fingers) is a boat I've drooled over ever since I saw her about 7 years ago when we were anchored in Roche Harbor.   Shearwater was built in 2006 by President Shipyards in Taiwan to the owner's specifications/modifications to the standard President 630.   I walked over and talked with Fred and Sidonia, the original and current owners, this morning.

I introduced myself and they invited me aboard.   Everyone loves to show off their boat!  Lovely people; very experience cruisers as they've been at this for a long time.   If you look closely at the picture, you may notice a yellow AGLCA flag on the top.   AGLCA is the Americas Great Loop Cruising Association; this flag is only earned after you've completed the great loop.  The great loop is a circumnavigation of the Eastern US; up the Intercoastal Waterway, Across the Great Lakes, Down the Mississippi, and returning back to Florida (or wherever you started from.

Anyway, back to his boat, Shearwater, Fred said that he had the hull widened by a foot, the flybridge moved aft and lowered by 2 feet, storage incorporated everywhere, and more; lots more.  The inside was as beautiful as the outside (to my eye).  Clearly, they take a lot of pride in their boat as it looks like new.

This beauty from 1929 pulled in behind us, this evening.  Her name is Deerleap.  The great-grandfather bought it new, and it's been in the family ever since.   As I watched them pull in, I was impressed with the boat handling as they guided her in expertly, even in the very blustery conditions.   Guess who was driving?  The Grandfather!!!   I don't know how many generations of family were on board, but they all seemed like nice folks as they tossed me their docklines.  One of the family members said they'd been cruising Deerleap in SE Alaska and NW Canada for 54 years.   I am such a newbie!

They keep her in bristol condition in a boathouse in Port Orchard, WA.   I understand she's for sale, including the boathouse.

Finally, it looks like we have a decent weather window to cross Cape Caution in the early morning tomorrow.

Both PredictWind and Windy are calling for 6knot winds and 2' seas on 7sec period.   That's about as good as it gets.   Additionally, we should have favorable tides and currents.

I corroborated the current predictions from both PredictWind and Windy with the West Sea Otter weather buoy's report of current conditions.   West Sea Otter is the name of the NOAA weather buoy out around Cape Caution.   This corroboration was suggested by a fellow boater, Scott, - THANK YOU.

We will see how reality turns out.   We are up at 0400 (4:00am) to make preparations and we are off the dock by 0500!

Fingers crossed.

Note: For those of you who are in continual panic mode about our safety, there is nothing unsafe about this crossing.   I'm just a wimp and I don't want it to be too uncomfortable.   After all, we don't really have to be anywhere by any particular time.

Good Night, eh... (That's in Canadian!)