Our First Voyage of the Summer

Actually this post if full of firsts. It is my first post to this blog. It is my first post to any blog actually. It was our first camping sail trip. It was the longest voyage we've ever taken, and it was the first time we'd included several other people in our adventure. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's back up.

Two weeks ago, we executed our first sailing/camping trip. The plan was to sail from Gig Harbor, WA to Blake Island. We would camp on the island and then sail back the next day.










We invited a friend of mine and his son to accompany myself and my daughter. The kids were 10 & 11 years old and really good friends so I figured it would work out well. And really, it did.

We left Gig Harbor around 10:30am. Temperatures were warm, and the weather was clear and windy which was great. The Wind was from the wrong direction (north) which was unfortunate because we ended up tacking all the way there. We took Colvos passage to the island. It was a beautiful sail despite all the tacking. The only downer was how long it took. We didn't arrive at the island until 5:30pm. That's seven hours in a little boat. We were all very glad to get back on dry land.

"The mate was a mighty sailing man..."

 
 Blake Island is a beautiful spot and we couldn't have asked for a nicer evening. The sky was clear with a beautiful sunset to the west and Seattle city lights to the east. The campground a large grassy area next to the beach with trees all around (except for the view across the water to Seattle). We had a very pleasant evening of good food and fun times. The marina was full so we had to moor our boat after unloading. Luckily, we found a spot off the beach from where we were sleeping.

The next morning we ate, packed up and started back home. Clearly, we hadn't planned a long enough stay. The next time I do it, I plan to stay at least one full day if not more. We didn't get a chance to explore anything the island had to offer. There are nature trails, an indian lodge, beaches, etc...

Crow baiting

The trip back was pretty uneventful. The kids became very comfortable with the boat and its movements. By the end of the trip, we were looking for large wakes and waves to sail over just for the thrill. The biggest bummer of the trip back was the time. It took us from 9:30am to 5:30pm to get home along the same route. We attribute this to two factors. First, the tidal current in Colvos passage is always northerly or weak. We were sailing against the current. Second, the wind was southerly so we were tacking all the way home. We tried using the motor to speed us along while sailing. I"m not convinced it helped.

All in all it was an excellent and successful adventure. We will plan another one for sure, but we may try something a little closer if we can find it.

Woody