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May 19th, My daughter and youngest son came up to the island and we had a formal christening of the Saratogan Sweet Zoanna, Zoanna officiating.
Saturday, June 23, I decided to take the Saratogan to Lake Union for my niece's wedding on the M/V Skansonia. I got away from the dock in Friday Harbor at one and headed across the strait. Juan De Fuca was relatively calm but trouble was brewing ahead in Admiralty Inlet. North end of Marrowstone Island the black clouds overhead dumped buckets of rain the entire length of Marrowstone. You don't see rain like that in Washington state very often. I was drenched. But things would get worse.
I passed Point No Point and looking ahead could see white caps a mile south. I looked at them through the binoculars, and they didn't look too bad. Got through the white caps okay, but then all hell broke lose. I ran into compressed tide rips that were six, eight, ten feet high and only 40 feet or so between crests.
Slowed to about 16 knots and bashed into the first one. Big spray off the bow came over the windshield, then another and another. Dropped down to 14 knots and the old girl was really get slammed. There was no place to go and I couldn't turn around. I though, I could lose the boat in this sea! This isn't supposed to be happening to my beautiful restoration project!
I could hear the buzz of the propellers grabbing air as the boat went up and almost airborne, and then bashed into the bottom of the next wave. I've always liked heavy boats, and here was my proof. I was afraid to slow down below 12 knots for fear of losing the hull's dynamic stability. The companionway hatch ripped off and crashed onto the cockpit deck and the GPS got up-ended. So much water was coming over the windshield, in looked like a falls pouring down into the companionway. I had all the bilge pumps running.
Wipers were on but I couldn't see much due to the spray. Wind was 25 knots out of the south. My Skagit pennant was getting shredded. The ensign on the aft flag staff was about to be pulled out by the roots. This went on for about four miles. The only place to get out of it was Kingston. A mile from Kingston the seas let up, or dropped to three to four feet which seemed calm by comparison.
I was never so glad to pull into a port! I was soaked through to my underwear. Yes, I was wearing a life jacket. Took three hours to rinse the boat down and clean up the mess inside. Only damage is a shredded pennant and a little moisture in one of the voltmeters in the panel (so far). Had a beer and made some dinner and was thankful I had a stout boat. Never did bury the bow, at least I don't think I did, because I couldn't actually see the bow very often.
Next morning headed for Lake Union and the weather was great. Felt as if nothing unusual had happened the day before. Had a great time at the wedding on the Skansonia and was lucky that Waterfront Construction, who owns the dock there, let me moor right along side the Skansonia.
Have some great pics of the wedding party and the brides maids aboard in their teal dresses that matched the boat's color exactly (Zoanna being one). I'll post some pictures later....but not of the heavy weather.
Yes, I still like heavy boats.....they can take it when the going gets tough! Looking at the boat today, you'd never know what had happened.....
See you all in LaConner.
Cheers,
McSkagit
Saturday, June 23, I decided to take the Saratogan to Lake Union for my niece's wedding on the M/V Skansonia. I got away from the dock in Friday Harbor at one and headed across the strait. Juan De Fuca was relatively calm but trouble was brewing ahead in Admiralty Inlet. North end of Marrowstone Island the black clouds overhead dumped buckets of rain the entire length of Marrowstone. You don't see rain like that in Washington state very often. I was drenched. But things would get worse.
I passed Point No Point and looking ahead could see white caps a mile south. I looked at them through the binoculars, and they didn't look too bad. Got through the white caps okay, but then all hell broke lose. I ran into compressed tide rips that were six, eight, ten feet high and only 40 feet or so between crests.
Slowed to about 16 knots and bashed into the first one. Big spray off the bow came over the windshield, then another and another. Dropped down to 14 knots and the old girl was really get slammed. There was no place to go and I couldn't turn around. I though, I could lose the boat in this sea! This isn't supposed to be happening to my beautiful restoration project!
I could hear the buzz of the propellers grabbing air as the boat went up and almost airborne, and then bashed into the bottom of the next wave. I've always liked heavy boats, and here was my proof. I was afraid to slow down below 12 knots for fear of losing the hull's dynamic stability. The companionway hatch ripped off and crashed onto the cockpit deck and the GPS got up-ended. So much water was coming over the windshield, in looked like a falls pouring down into the companionway. I had all the bilge pumps running.
Wipers were on but I couldn't see much due to the spray. Wind was 25 knots out of the south. My Skagit pennant was getting shredded. The ensign on the aft flag staff was about to be pulled out by the roots. This went on for about four miles. The only place to get out of it was Kingston. A mile from Kingston the seas let up, or dropped to three to four feet which seemed calm by comparison.
I was never so glad to pull into a port! I was soaked through to my underwear. Yes, I was wearing a life jacket. Took three hours to rinse the boat down and clean up the mess inside. Only damage is a shredded pennant and a little moisture in one of the voltmeters in the panel (so far). Had a beer and made some dinner and was thankful I had a stout boat. Never did bury the bow, at least I don't think I did, because I couldn't actually see the bow very often.
Next morning headed for Lake Union and the weather was great. Felt as if nothing unusual had happened the day before. Had a great time at the wedding on the Skansonia and was lucky that Waterfront Construction, who owns the dock there, let me moor right along side the Skansonia.
Have some great pics of the wedding party and the brides maids aboard in their teal dresses that matched the boat's color exactly (Zoanna being one). I'll post some pictures later....but not of the heavy weather.
Yes, I still like heavy boats.....they can take it when the going gets tough! Looking at the boat today, you'd never know what had happened.....
See you all in LaConner.
Cheers,
McSkagit
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