May 21, 2009
Our departure from Port Townsend was delayed due to a forecasted storm. We stayed at the dock to weather the storm. The winds were high – in the 40 to 50 knot range with gusts to 60 knots. We were very aware of the winds. The entire marina was rocking and rolling, clicking and clacking! The wind, on our beam, pushed us onto the dock.
All our fenders were dock-side to protect us. Fenders are wonderful inventions that keep the boat from rubbing and scraping against the dock. However, they were very vocal about their duties – they creaked and moaned and groaned all night long. The picture does a pretty good job of describing the winds, as the fenders look flattened at the dock. It also looks as if the dock is molding to fit the curve of D/V! We want the dock to maintain its integrity. We weathered a big storm on this very dock a couple of years ago. In fact, that time the dock fell apart! NOT good, with D/V depending on it for survival. It took half a dozen men, and us, working to protect D/V and repair the dock. They managed to move D/V to the Coast Guard dock long enough to repair our dock and then move us back. The dock held this time, but we watched it close!
Getting pictures was a trick. I wanted to show you the effects of the storm – and not get blown overboard in the process!
We kept our eye on a small sail boat outside of the protected harbor, anchored, with no one aboard. The winds were ferocious and we worried that the little boat wouldn’t survive the storm – or its ground tackle wouldn’t survive, and therefore neither would the boat. Poor baby boat! The ferry came and went, too. I was thankful to not be on a ferry that day!
The worst of the storm came in the night. Gives the old saying, “It was a dark and stormy night” meaning for us! As luck would have it, it was at high tide, too. So, instead of being low in the water below the sea wall, for protection, we were riding high getting the full brunt of the winds. By the end of the storm we were covered in sea salt crystals that rode the wind over the seawall, past the Coast Guard Cutter, and stuck to us like glue!
The good news is that the sailboat survived, the winds abated, and the seas quieted. Notice the rainbow over the little sailboat – makes you think the little yellow boat is the pot of gold. Though there were several layers of clouds bringing more rain, things were calmer the next day. We waited another day to allow the weather to settle, then departed for Liberty Bay to rendezvous with our friends Peter and Katherine on M/V DUTCH TREAT.
M/V DESERT VENTURE 