Weekend July 19. Sail and overnight anchorage.

Written by Jack van Ommen on July 21st, 2014

My friend Maggie invited me for another barbecue at their home on Wollochet Bay for Saturday evening. And I decided to anchor out by their beach. To reach Wollochet Bay I have to go through the Tacoma Narrows where the current is too strong to go against the tide, you get your chance every 6 hours. I had to be through by 13.00h; this gave me time to try out the reefing system since the wind was gusting to between 15 and 20 knots. With two reefs and a 120% jib the boat performed very well, great acceleration in the gusts.  My long time friends Pete and DiAnne Sabin, live on the west end of W.Bay and it had been over 30 years since I had visited them by water.  I anchored at their beach. Another long time friend, Paul Hirsh, who lives nearby, saw “Fleetwood” sailing in and came along side in his racing kayak. I met Paul in 1973 around the same time as Pete. Both Paul and Pete used to race with me on the old “Fleetwood” in the seventies and eighties. The below picture was taken in the Hat Island race in 1980. Paul is far aft on starboard. His dad, Blake Hirsh, a retired PanAm pilot, was a sailing legend in the North West, he delivered sailboats all over the globe into his eighties.

Sunday I had planned to visit the new “Shipwreck Cafe” in Lake Bay. Figured I might just deserve a free lunch with my reputation. But I had been having too much fun sailing there that by the time I was close I had to turn around to catch the right tide through the Narrows. These are very familiar waters, I built a beautiful home in 1983 on the beach in Shaw’s Cove at Green Point which is due east of Lake Bay and North of the southern tip of Fox Island. And “Fleetwood” was moored at anchor buoy in front of the house.

Today the “Monitor” windvane arrives and I’ll be busy installing it for the next couple days.

Bald Eagle over Sabin's home

Bald Eagle over Sabin’s home

Hat Island 1980

Wind Indicator shows how close to the wind the new boat sails.

Wind Indicator shows how close to the wind the new boat sails.

 

 

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