July 14-19 Tongue Point anchorage to Neah Bay anchorage

July 14-19 Tongue Point anchorage to Neah Bay anchorage

We enjoyed two nice quiet evenings on the hook behind Lois Island.  The “Tongue Point” anchorage is in Cathlamet Bay on your way to the very short John Day river, not to be confused with the very long multi-forked John Day river in eastern Oregon, and nowhere near Cathlamet.

An interesting boat “Ginger” passed by on their way to their chosen spot.  I enjoy looking for different boats and hope my photo came out.

We double check things before our ocean adventure, sizing an offshore life vest for Aiden and explaining the tether, lifesling and throw bag.  He helps set up the jack lines and learns how to rinse off and raise the anchor dogging it down for the offshore trip.  

Hosing off the anchor.

We enjoy a leisurely 10:45 departure, not having to get up early to catch the best tide for crossing the bar.  We top off the tank at West Basin, we are ready.  The friendly fuel dock guy says it has been very quiet business wise.  I believe this is the first time we have gone to the fuel dock and not had to jockey into position.  We were the only ones there.

Skippering across the Columbia River Bar

We have, as usual, chosen the slack before the flood to cross the Columbia River bar.  Even so the bar is a bit choppy with large swell hitting the last of the ebb current.  We hoist the main and angle north which helps to east the chop.  

Sleeping it off.......still!

Unfortunately, overall the chop stays with us and it makes for a very long 33 hours.  Aiden becomes a little green around the gills, taking one sip of my noon day soup and claiming if he eats anything he will most likely puke.  We have him stay in the cockpit close to the rail.  Thankfully a small pod of dolphins joins us and that helps to take his mind off his ills long enough to get some color back in his cheeks.  He chooses to go below and sleep which is a decent enough remedy for such things.  He does say later, “Nana, it was not the taste of your soup that made me sick!”  

Ocean Sunfish

We pass the time looking for sea life.  We are treated to a large ocean sunfish and baby sunfish, floating around on the surface “sunning” themselves.  Carl explains that they are the largest of the actual fish species and can grow to 13 feet in length.  We also see what we believe to be a short-finned pilot whale.  We had to look up whales on the internet to figure that one out.  It looks like an overgrown dolphin and is not often seen this far north.  Most likely, according to literature, they are now seen further north as the oceans warm up more.  

Aiden and Carl take the midnight to three shift and Aiden learns a bit about the chart plotter and documenting our location in our paper log.  Papa says he has the magic touch, making our touch screen chart plotter add new waypoints when Carl and I cannot seem to make it work.

On my 0300 to 0600 shift I get the real treat of the night, a glimpse of the comet Neowise as it slowly falls over the northeastern horizon.  A crescent moon and the planet Venus are also in view and beautiful.  The name of the planet was not in my knowledge bank and the photo is not mine; I looked them both up and have the photo here for later enjoyment.  

Carl and Aiden come back on shift at 0600 and a mere 14 hours later we set the hook in Neah Bay and enjoy Carl’s steaks from the barby, all very glad to be off the ocean.  We are early to bed and late to rise. 

The haunting call of the Loon

Saturday is a very lazy day that starts with coffee and books in the cockpit for me.  In my effort to keep a little ginger in my system my favorite coffee dunking cookie of choice has become gingersnaps.  They taste a little salty this morning but I dunk them anyway.  Soon Carl says “give me your COFFEE!”  Not knowing the issue I hand it to him and he dumps it down the sink.  I guess the tea kettle full of salt water that we were going to use to flush the head if need be was set on the stove, boiled and used for coffee!!  Had to start the day over from scratch.  

Ninja Turtle overseeing the head

Next came an activity that falls into a category we call “livin the dream.”  Carl shows Aiden our book of manuals so he can find the manual for the Groco head.  He then shows him the book we call “Our ongoing brain” so he can see the inventory and figure out where all the spare parts for said head are.  With wrench in hand they set to fixing the head.  Our head, like most, is small, but if one person can perch on the counter like a ninja turtle that helps.  

Spare Parts

The culprit for the head (it won’t intake water) proves to the ‘flapper’ valve.  Not only has it been installed upside down all this time it is completely broken.  Carl installs one of the spares, tries the head and it still does not work.  Removing the ‘spare’ flapper it just crumbles in his hand.  Thankfully there is a spare spare and once installed right side up this time, it seems to work.  A new spare has been ordered to be delivered to John Wayne Marina and to be held for sailing vessel ExTerra.      

The flapper valve....I think it is broken!

The rest of the lazy day is spent reading and setting up fishing gear, hanging rod holders and relaxing.  This year I reached out to friends on facebook and said, “which book would you take with you?”  I ended up with a wonderful reading list.  I finished a short, easy read first, “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison, a window into the daily life of blacks in 1940’s America.   

Dinner this evening will be mac and cheese courtesy of Aiden, followed by a downloaded Netflix movie and Oreos.  We venture up the Strait of Juan de Fuca tomorrow, fishing for bottom fish along the way, destination, Crescent Bay anchorage.  

Galley Chef - whole wheat pasta and cheese soup