Christening and Baptism

[Sammamish1]

Kent,

My 18' Bell Boy has been to Alaska twice according to the previous owner. He and his wife did the same thing you suggested. They went up the inside passage, and hid in coves if the weather was bad and moved out across the open water when it was calm. They did not say how long it took, but he did say they ate salmon three times a day towards the end of the trip.

He was a BOEING engineer and had the boat set up with two motors and totally separate fuel and electrical systems. I guess he got that redundancy idea from the aircraft industry.

Kathie and I would like to do the same someday, but we want a flotilla with us just in case.

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Fruit of the adventure

The bride's maids aboard the Skagit 31 Saratogan Sweet Zoanna.
Requesting, please do not copy these photos!

Thanks,
Tim

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Cattle Point- Cattle Pass

Steve, yes, Cattle Point (Cattle pass) between Cape San Juan and tip of Lopez is infamous for compressed waves. Combine a big ebb tide with swells coming down Juan De Fuca from the west and you get those short steep waves that are tough going for small boats (anything under 65 feet).

I used to get a knot in my gut just thinking about going through there, as I had a number of experiences similar to yours. Those seas off Cattle rarely extend out more than a mile and I now usually hug the San Juan (Cattle Point) side if there is a sea running.

The slop I ran into south of Point No Point was similar, only went on for about four miles. Humbling!

Tim, you ever here of the three sisters? Three large wave, that come out of no where, pick you up, smash you down.

I have met them twice in my life, and was sure I was going to die. Last time was off cattle point. Picked me up and dropped me like a tinker toy, buried the bow, up the other side, dropped again 3 times, crash!

Yes thank god for heavy boats. At 9 tons, 36', 12' beam with 6' of feet of freeboard, that was a lot of water.

Didn't poo myself, but came close.

Glad you made it Tim..........Steve

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

North to Alaska

Kent,

My 18' Bell Boy has been to Alaska twice according to the previous owner. He and his wife did the same thing you suggested. They went up the inside passage, and hid in coves if the weather was bad and moved out across the open water when it was calm. They did not say how long it took, but he did say they ate salmon three times a day towards the end of the trip.

He was a BOEING engineer and had the boat set up with two motors and totally separate fuel and electrical systems. I guess he got that redundancy idea from the aircraft industry.

Kathie and I would like to do the same someday, but we want a flotilla with us just in case.

Jack,
I'd like to make the trek to Glacier Bay in the Skagit. Need to get radar, an updated navigation system and an anchor windlass installed before the trip..

Tim

[Sammamish1]

Tim,

I am going up on a cruise ship this September. It may cause me to rethink the idea of trying it in an 18 footer. :Scared2:

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

The trip home

The trip south on the 23rd was rough. But what a difference 24 hours makes.
Here are two pics heading home across Juan De Fuca just before sunset. Admiralty Inlet, Marrowstone Island and Point Wilson in the background. You don't see Juan De Fuca much calmer than this.....
Picked up a 1 foot chop around Smith Island, 1-2 feet around Cattle Point. 3 hours and 45 minutes, Ballard locks to Friday Harbor. You take the bad with the good!

[Skagitguy]

Tim, Juan De Fuca waters sure looked nice. Chuck