Memorial Day Mystery Bay Cruise recap

13 Jun 2022 2:10 PM | Anonymous member

Jenny (the trip leader) organized the weekend for us CYC cruisers, as she has for previous years, but then, concerned about possible COVID symptoms, she had to bow out at the last minute. What was originally expected to be an 8 boat, 30 person joint CYC/STYC raft-up was whittled down by a variety of challenges (not just COVID) to 3 boats/6 people and another 7 or so people driving in. Since this was a joint cruise, Kristina Southard from STYC was able to keep the cat herd together in Mystery Bay!  Thank you to Kristina for all the organizing work and for driving up and keeping all together for our activities!

What follows is joint report from Derek (Outlaw) and Chris (Wind Dancer). Thanks for sending your notes fellas!

SATURDAY: Wind Dancer (Chris and Jennifer) and Outlaw (Cindy and Derek) left their home moorage Saturday morning and Pert (Scott) was in Port Ludlow already. There was little wind in the morning and soon the tide turned against us, so we motored all the way in the occasional drizzle. Wind Dancer crew were a little perplexed that the Kilisut Harbor channel markers seemed to out of sync. on the chart plotter compared to when they arrived at them visually on both entering and leaving the “S” curves.  Also, they were comparing Navionics on our phone compared to Navionics on their chart plotter, and the depths did not agree, so wonder if there is setting on the phone that made some tide adjustment???

Wind Dancer got to Mystery Bay first and set the anchor, joined an hour or so later by Outlaw. Scott was sailing Pert in the breeze that came up in the afternoon, and joined us making a 3 boat raft swinging on a single anchor. Around 6 the Westerly piped up to a "moderate breeze", which subsided around midnight. We enjoyed a potluck on board Wind Dancer. 

SUNDAY: In the morning we went ashore where we discovered that the State Parks now consider dinghies to be "vessels" and hence eligible for the mooring fee at the dock.  To add insult to injury, the fee is by boat length, but has a minimum of $15 even if your boat is only 8 feet.

On shore we were met by Kristina from the Sloop Tavern YC and a number of Sloop Tavern people who came in cars, as well as by John and Susan from CYC driving in from Port Townsend. The organized activities for the day started with a visit to the Goat Farm. The girl who usually gives the tour was visiting Leavenworth so her dad gave the tour. It turns out running a goat dairy is more complicated than you might think. Others have done this tour before, but it was my first time and I found it pretty interesting. The tour ended with tasting (and purchasing) some of the cheese and yogurt hand made by owner Rachael.

Next up was the tractor parade, which is always fun, and this year had about 7 tractors of all sorts and sizes. Then we got in the cars and went to the Marrowstone Island Winery, where we all bought bottles of wine and took them out to the big firepit where Kristina broke out appetizers for everyone. The owner James came out and gave a personal description of each of the wines. It was cool at the winery, but the fire kept us warm and it was quite lovely.

Later in the day it started to rain, so we cancelled the dinghy race and evening potluck cookout at the park, and the mariners returned to the shelter of their boats while the car people dispersed to the 4 winds. Another potluck on Wind Dancer, and another late day Westerly, not as strong as the previous evening, and calming by midnight.

MONDAY: Because of the falling tide (heading to -1.6 at 1130) the boats left Mystery Bay early. Wind Dancer was pleased to note that the 44 lb Vulcan anchor with 90 feet of chain held our three boat raft for 2 nights with a couple of 180 swing changes, and two evenings of 14 knot winds.  It came up with a lot of mud.  I think about 6 feet of chain was also buried, as it also had a ton of mud on it!

Wind Dancer followed a trimaran sailboat out from Fort Flagler on Monday. They were bicycle pedaling from the trampolines doing 3 knots. Wind Dancer headed to Port Townsend, Outlaw took the Admiralty Inlet route to Seattle, and Pert went through the canal on the way back to Everett. Another no-wind day, but it was possible to find current relief some of the time along the shores.  It was pretty cool still, but at least no more rain.

Wind Dancer anchored between the ferry landing and the wooden boat center at Port Townsend for the morning on Monday – it was very calm.  So, we had a chance to try out our new dinghy.  This is our first RIB, and it rode like a Cadillac, but took lots more throttle to plane than our 1990 Avon Sport boat with wood floors! We had a nice lunch in the Marina Café at Point Hudson.  In the afternoon we brought the boat into the Point Hudson marina.  We walked through town, and also up on top of the bluffs.  Our friend Leroy has his Grand Banks in the Co-op boat yard at the other end of town, so he came by, and we all had take-out fish and chips in the cockpit with some nice late afternoon sunshine warming us.

During the afternoon Monday some of the Swiftsure boats came through, including the winner “Korina Korina”, as well as “Cherokee”, and “Beltane”(Sydney’s ride).

TUESDAY: Tuesday morning Jennifer walked the beach out to Point Wilson. Then about 10:30 we left the marina with Jennifer conning the channel that was only 8 feet deep with the coming -1.7 foot tide!  The channel bottom sand was dry against the West breakwater pilings! After that we motor sailed in the sunshine against a strong ebb, and with a 15 knot Northerly pushing us South down Admiralty Inlet. We got back to Shilshole about 4 PM.

 

OTHER NOTES: Wind Dancer discovered that with the fridge, chart plotter, and now the furnace running all night the decade old AGM batteries get run down in just 24 hours at anchor!  Time to start rationing battery power, and think about new batteries for the future.  The diesel furnace was really nice to warm us up, but it does take power for the various fans, and ignition and water pump.  Scott has a Firefly battery on “Pert”, but these innovative high energy density carbon – foam batteries are no longer available, as the company went bankrupt when they did not get any more government startup funding.  Too bad!

 

Jennifer has been scheming additional new CYC weekend cruise destinations to have a 2 year rotation, instead of the same ones each year.


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