July 20 – 23 Port Angeles – Port Townsend – Port Madison

July 20 – 23 Port Angeles – Port Townsend – Port Madison

We depart Port Angeles on the rising tide for a nice push up to Port Townsend.  We also time it so that we hit Point Wilson rip at a ‘safe’ time.  It can be quite unsettling if you hit it at the wrong time.  We anchor near the ferry dock and watch the evening anchoring rodeo with two large power boats nearly crashing into a sailboat and then getting so close to each other that they knock the dinghy off the stern of one of their own boats.  Needless to say their effort to tie up together is aborted and they each anchor by themselves.  All is calm once again.

Leaving Port Townsend on the rising tide again we get another nice push down Admiralty Inlet to the delightful Port Madison Yacht Club for a reciprocal stay.  Our main reason for this location is to meet our long time friend Cindy and her friend Steve, who are visiting Steve’s brother just a short walk from the yacht club.  At one point Cindy was Pam’s boss, then co-worker but the most enduring relationship over the time that we have known one another is good friend.  

Over the years we have had some great talks over a glass of red wine.  This time is no different and by the end of the visit we have thoroughly covered a great variety of topics.  Steve treats us all to a delicious breakfast at a classic streetcar diner, the Madison Diner on Bainbridge Island where we talk for a couple more hours over copious amounts of coffee.  It has been nice to get to know Steve and hear of their mutual love of the outdoors and the importance to them both of family.  The time comes though when they need to head south to explore Mt. St. Helens and we head back to the boat to do a couple, thankfully small, maintenance tasks.  We vow to not wait so long to get together again.  

The rest of our leisurely day is spent reading and watching the local antics of tiny tot sailors, paddle boarders and locals enjoying their waterway.  And of course……fishing and crabbing.  Carl’s ‘crab hawk’ (small crab net on a fishing pole) is prolific in its production of small crab and one beautiful barnacled “Betty” who is large enough to keep yet from her appearance, has earned the right of time to be returned to the water to let her live out her days.