Shake Down

As of the first of May, we will have had ownership of the Independence II for almost two months and spent at least two weeks on her during that time.  She has been outfitted with our personal belongings, the galley is furnished, tools and fishing gear are stowed and the fridge, freezer and Yeti are full to capacity…and she’s still floating!!!

The first load of ALL of our stuff driven from Tiburon, CA to Port Orchard, WA. The Jeep was FULL and now it has all been transferred onto Independence II and she is still floating!

Most importantly, the galley coffee station is ready!

Our Shake Down cruise was the third week of March to the sweet little town of Poulsbo, WA (think Nordhavn Rendezvous in 2024).  The daily temperature, on average, was in the mid 50’s (F) while Tiburon, CA was 90 (F) degrees!!!  We had a nice chilly, brief overnight and then raced back to the safety of our slip at the Bremerton Marina as a big and windy squall was due over the next few days.

A bit on the chilly side, but that doesn’t stop us…

Birthday Beers at Valholl Brewing in Poulsbo, WA

7:00PM…time for bed…this town is REALLY quiet…

Great Blue Heron silhouette at twilight

During our Shake Down we identified a few issues that have been, and are being, addressed by our friends at Life Proof.  In between appointments we have also cruised to the massive marina in Everette, WA to pick-up a downrigger and other fishing gear and the charming towns of Winslow (Bainbridge Island) and Gig Harbor for quick hellos to local friends.

Independence II docked at the Port Everette Marina

The historic Weyerhaeuser Building moved to this location in 2016 and has been restored and reopened as ‘The Muse’ a coffee & whiskey house. Worth a visit.

One of the moves of The Weyerhaeuser Building in 1938 on two scows, then three tugboats pulled it through the harbor and up the Snohomish River to the east side of Everett. Info courtesy Forest History Society

Of course the Pacific Northwest meant lumber back in the day (1900’s) and if you worked in the mills long enough you probably were short a few fingers before you could count to 10

Views from the walking path around the Port Everette Marina

Chris and Sue took time from their busy schedule to buzz on over to Winslow (Bainbridge Island) for lunch.

Thank you Saani and Scott for coming to Gig Harbor and hangin’ out on the new Independence II

Dragon boats at Gig Harbor getting ready for a charity event

Awesome views of Mount Rainier at Gig Harbor

The big Merc’s cruising through the PNW waters

In total we have gone 150NM on the new boat.  The rule is to vary the engine speeds for 25 hours and then have the oil changed on those massive Merc 600 V12 engines.  Also, known as the “break-in” period.  We will have the engines serviced in Seattle, as we head there tomorrow.  We will eventually meet our friends from Marin, CA. to celebrate Opening Day at the Seattle Yacht Club the first weekend of May.  Fun times ahead!

When the anchor is down or the lines are on the dock…time for a Don Lorenzo & a cold one…Cheers!

Captain's Post #21 - Findings of Facts & Next Steps...

I received my “Findings of Facts” from the County last week regarding the 2023 assessment that included overvaluation, a 10% penalty and an interest charge for the penalty and being late. I won, well partially.

I must say how unsettling this entire process has been, although I have not lived in Marin my entire life, I have always called Marin “home”. I feel like a family member or an old friend has turned on me.

The latest example of the, what’s the word I am looking for: dishonesty; manipulation; corruption; or how about just plain old BS is the following. Jamie and I were traveling, and I received an email from the County saying, “Because the December 12, 2025, hearing occurred within 180 days of the expiration of the two-year period for your case, Property Tax Rule 325(b) requires a written agreement to extend the two-year period to 180 days…”. This is the third time that they have tried to delay the 2023 hearing and Findings. Needless to say, I was not happy. Various emails went back and forth with me saying this must be a mistake, blah blah blah. Then I finally hit the nail on the head, I said that I am away from my house so I can’t check my records, but I will check them when I get home, but I believe I did check that box when I filled out my Appeal two years ago, way longer than 180 days ago.

The next morning there was my “Findings of Facts” in my inbox! Just like when I did not allow the delay in December about the 2024 assessment. I won on several fronts but not on the big one, the Sales Tax being added every year. BUT this is a big win for some other people. Those people who I refer to have not had their boat found or they have not reported ownership to the County. I believe this is why the County wanted to delay my Findings; I cannot come up with any other explanation.

I had the foresight to do a ‘screen shot” of the Counties web page a few years ago. The “Question and Answer” page listed that the County found out ownership by the USCG, Harbor Masters and the DMV, nothing about me having to report ownership. That Changed in June just before my August hearing. Now you are obliged to report ownership to the County if your boat is worth over $100,000. I believe that my line “isn’t that what a question-and-answer page is for, answering my questions. It says they get the information”. If you have not reported your boat and it was brought into the County before last June you could be in luck, I have the paperwork that could help you out. I think that is why the County kept on trying to delay.

The Appeals Board also reduced the valuation a small amount, every bit helps especially regarding the Marine Assessor SOB who said, “I have never lost a case”, well now he has lost two.

Now the big one, Sales Tax being added. As I previously mentioned in my last email I have a contact at the Pacific Legal Foundation. They reviewed the case and said “it still makes no sense in my opinion that you should pay that tax-on-tax every year…The upshot of that analysis is that to win a case like yours, one would likely have to get the First District Court of Appeals to depart from the prior Xerox case and the 40+ year old administrative agency guidance implementing it, or hope for discretionary review at the California Supreme Court after losing at trial and appeal. That is a long road of litigation for a relatively small tax, and PLF does not ordinarily do tax cases”.

As I was figuring out how much the County owed me, and as I had mentioned in a prior email, the County also adds school and health bonds to the assessment. Those numbers are based on the “full assessed value”, which means after sales tax has been added, in other words we are paying sales tax on the health and school bonds. This was not part of the Xerox case, additional grounds for an appeal IMHO. I asked the lawyer from the PLF this very question and his response was: "I think that’s the opening—it may cause a court to distinguish this from the Xerox case, and create a little bit of a mess (i.e. you can tax the fair value plus sales tax, per Xerox, but then you have to ignore the sales tax when determining the contribution for bonds. That mixed result of confusion could make the case more attractive for the California Supreme Court to review one day...The reason I wanted to avoid it is because it will take a lot of litigation in the trial court, then appellate court, and maybe losing in both, to get a shot at a Cal Supreme Court petition for review—which is discretionary, and a long shot".

I have six months to file with Marin Superior Court. In doing the research in what that entails it looks like I would need a lawyer, please let me know if you have someone who will help.

Captain's Post #20 - Delivery is on the Horizon!

The time is almost here to take delivery of our new boat, a Life Proof 35. We were supposed to take delivery this week but a look at the weather, and a couple other developments, put it on hold for a week. The weather here in the SF Bay Area is incredible, in the 70s, light winds, beautiful! Weather in Bremerton Washington today 30 degrees with snow, rain and throw in some wind. Not a good day to test drive the boat.

It has been a lot of work getting ready for our upcoming trip, mostly done by Jamie I might add (she is the editor so I am sure she would have corrected me). We have a tenant for the house, have the jeep all loaded up with boat stuff and we will be off shortly.

The plan is to cruise the Puget Sound area and become familiar with the boat and find any bugs that need fixing. We would then cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria BC and start working our way north to the top of Vancouver Island and wait for some calm weather towards the end of May. From the top of Vancouver Island to the protected waters of “The Inside Passage” there is a 35-mile open stretch of ocean (Port Hardy to roughly Bella Bella) that can have waves of 12 feet or more but on calm days can be very tolerable.

Map courtesy of www.traveldiariesapp.com

With our new boat we can make very good time, our cruising speed will probably be in the low 30s mph with a distance range of around 350 miles. At those speeds we must be careful of the debris in the water, especially the logs that break away from the log rafts. From a friend that has cruised to Alaska many times that is a problem mostly in Canada from all the logging they do with the transportation of those logs via the waterways.

We hope to make it up to Juneau and Glacier Bay around Summer Solstice.

We will then start working our way south and try to enjoy the remaining summer months in the San Juan Islands along with a visit to Princess Louisa Inlet again.

At the end of the Summer, the plan is to bring the boat back to the company for a service and a trailer ride across the Country to do the Great Loop again, yes again! The original Independence was so large we had to avoid certain areas due it’s overall length and draft (how far down in the water the boat sits). With the speed of the new boat we can also explore some areas that on our previous trip were to far out of the way.

Maybe someday we can bring the boat to the SF Bay Area but the management of the State might prohibit that. I am surprised by how many people in the State are unaware of the impending closure of two refineries in the State. Valero for instance is located in Benicia and was originally constructed in 1968 and bought by Valero in 2000. They recently announced that due to California regulations they are losing too much money and will walk away from the billion-dollar asset. The company's stock price actually went up on the day of the announcement, how screwy is that?!? How screwy is California?!? Gasoline prices are predicted to go up by $2 to $4 per gallon. Chevron is also threatening to leave; they started in California and have been in business here since 1879! California’s indigenous peoples couldn’t chase them out ‘back in the day’ but it looks like the politicians might.

Captain’s Post #19 - Update on Property Tax Appeal

Well, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas.  As promised here is an update on the Property Tax Appeal.  It has been an interesting few months.  I believe you all know by now that I am very upset with the County of Marin, specifically by the Marine Division of the Assessor’s Office, and let’s also mention my County Supervisor who would not even return an email.  I will mention that there have been a handful of people I have dealt with that have been very nice and helpful.

In the last post I gave an explanation to what has occurred over the last 2 years with the Assessor and now I will give an update on the August hearing that was for my 2024 tax assessment on Independence.

Before I forget, Hello Ric Rosales (the Marine Assessor I have been dealing with), since your minion mentioned visiting the website!

One week before the December 12th hearing of my 2023 assessment of Independence I received an email from the Marin Assessment Appeals Board stating that the Assessor was requesting a postponement of the hearing on the 12th. That was the last thing I wanted, a postponement to February or March, I declined. Within an hour or so I received a ruling about my 2024 assessment that said I would now be assessed at the reduced rate of $1,500,000.  However, the specifics were left out regarding whether Sales Tax was being added or not, a sizable difference.  Either way, I felt some form of victory, as now I had spoiled Rosales’ self-reported “perfect record of never losing a case”.  His attempt at intimidation failed.

I had done a tremendous amount of preparation for the Dec 12th hearing, countless hours, I was ready, maybe too ready. Jamie and I arrived at 8:45AM and we did not have our hearing until 3:30PM. I must say, it was very interesting hearing the other cases that all involved real estate (houses/condos). I found the Assessor for Real Estate to be quite reasonable and at times very sympathetic, as he tried to work with the homeowners. He spent hours at an elderly gentleman’s home (our assessor refused to make an in-person inspection of the wear and tear on our boat). I started to like this assessor, as he was very reasonable and I must say accommodating. After the lunch break we were walking back to the hearing at the same time, and I told him I thought he had a tough job and how I thought he was very nice to that man.

Now our story. As mentioned, we were not heard until 3:30PM, the last case of the day. I started off by reading my rights as a taxpayer. Within a few minutes I was told by the ranking Appeals Board member to speed it up, as “we have this in writing you don’t need to read it”. I went on to present my case, we were appealing the assessment value of Independence, the penalty and the interest charge.

For valuation, I had very detailed drawings comparing my boat, a 59-foot Nordhavn Coastal Pilot, to a 60-foot Nordhavn trawler, which is what the (Marine) Assessor used as a comp in August. The 60-foot is totally different in many ways, principally weighing 69 tons vs ours at 35 tons, almost twice as much (see comparison in the image included). Also, in August the Assessor claimed that inboard boats had appreciated 49% in 2021 according to JD Power. I found the exact document after the hearing therefore no chance to counter, as ‘Apelets’ are not given the opportunity of discovery of material used by the Assessor, thus no way to counter his claim in the August hearing. The JD Power report referred to inboard boats, such as wake and water ski boats, and the Assessor used them as comparables!  I showed pictures of those inboard boats, Malibu, Supra, Correctcrafts, etc. and mentioned how they could fit in your garage.

I was told by the board to speed it up again.

I presented Mr. Rosales’ “evidence” from August where he said the Buck Book (a company that puts out values of boats) valued the boat at between $2.06 million and $2.235 million, I asked how can that be? No Nordhavn 59 had sold for more than $1.85 Million, also we owned the only 2016 Nordhavn 59, which we paid $1.575 Million for.  The math does not work!

I was told by the board I only had 10 minutes left.

I was mad, I protested. I read the rest of my presentation as fast as I could, furiously and loudly into the microphone, at times yelling in frustration to emphasize a point.

I protested the penalty. In foresight, I had taken a screenshot of the Assessor’s Question and Answer page. It said that they get the information on who owns boats, not me having to tell them…” until just before the August hearing when they changed the web page to ‘if you own a boat you have to inform them’.

I finished in about 8 minutes. It was time for the Assessor to ask me questions and then to give his presentation. I guess Mr. Rosales did not want to lose another case because they brought in another person to give their presentation. He brings up the JD Power report again!!! I couldn’t believe it, was he napping just minutes ago? He dragged on and on, attempting to overwhelm with a large stack of paper.  When he was done, one Board Member asked if they could just eliminate the penalty immediately.  The Assessors said they were not legally able to eliminate the penalty and that the board will have to decide during their Advisement Period.

As the meeting was winding down the Assessor asked the Appeals Board if the lowering of the value to $1.5 million for my 2024 assessment included Sales Tax. The Chairman of the Board said that they need to have their lawyer review that. In my mind it is simple, the California Constitution states that Personal Property Tax is to be taxed at 1% and the assessed value is what a person could sell their property at on the lien date in an arm’s length transaction.

The Appeals Board had 4 months to render their decision for the August hearing which was Dec 13th. They now have an additional 2 months to give me the written decision which I paid an additional $250 for. I will keep you updated.

Captain's Post #18 - Why Is My Boat Taxed Like A Copy Machine?*

It has been a while since I have done a post. As Jamie reported we sold the boat in January in Anacortes Wa to a very nice family. It was with very mixed emotions that we said good bye to our beloved Independence. We had an incredible journey with her that took us through some very challenging times, whether it be stuck in Honduras during COVID or having the anchor drag during a storm in the middle of the night in the Bahamas.

Having a boat like Independence is not the best choice for the San Francisco Bay Area. Independence was meant to cruise, explore and see North America. We now need a boat that can explore the SF Bay and Delta but before we do that we are going on another big adventure, more on that in the next post.

Today’s post is about the one thing that I hated about owning Independence. When we arrived in the Bay Area we had plans of staying for a few months and then heading north to the San Juan islands and Alaska. After arriving in the Bay Area my Mom soon realized she had lung cancer. She had already fought off and conquered one form of cancer and she did not want to go through more chemo, radiation and possibly surgery. Unfortunately she lost much of her will to fight after being locked up in a retirement home in Marin County during COVID. She succumbed to the cancer in April of 2023. I handled her estate and was handling her health care decisions along with my sister, a former nurse.

Needless to say we canceled our plans to travel north. In November of 2023 I contacted the Marin County Assessor to inquire why I had not received a Property Tax Assessment for Independence. That day they emailed me a form which I filled out and emailed back that very day. In February of 2024 I received a bill from the County for an assessment that was over 50% more than what we paid for the boat 5 years earlier! We paid $1,575,000 for the used boat and they had a “Full Assessed Value” of $2,387,000 which included a 10% penalty. In regard to the penalty nowhere in their website did it say that it was my responsibility to inform them, the exact opposite: “We obtain the information from the USCG, the Ca. DMV and Marina Harbormasters”. The $2,387,000 was multiplied by 1% to arrive at “Basic tax of $23,870, on top of that they added $1,723.36 for School Bonds, $494 for Health Bonds and interest of $586.96.

Needless to say I was shocked, I expected to pay around $15,000. Remember, we traveled over 15,000 miles, visited 6 countries, and 22 states, what boat appreciates after that kind of use?!?

I pleaded my case and they lowered the assessed value by $200,000 but the interest more than doubled because the new bill was sent later and is computed when the bill is printed. I pleaded some more and told the Jr. Assessor that you are going to force me to sell my boat, his response “I don’t blame you”.

I continued my pleading, at the Jr. Assessor’s suggestion I had a Survey done, $1,400 later he said you filed an Appeal and the Sr. Assessor said we will wait for the hearing. I called the Sr. Assessor and he bragged to me “I’ve never lost a case”. I filed Appeals for my 2023 Assessment and my 2024 Assessment.

The Hearing for my 2024 Assessment happened on August 15th of this year. I paid an extra $250 for what they call “Finding of Fact”, which means I receive a letter describing the reasons that the Appeal Board came up with their verdict. As I type today that hearing was almost 3 months ago, I still have not heard a word from the Appeals Board. I spent weeks preparing for the hearing and I believe I presented irrefutable evidence that they overvalued my boat.

What shocked me in doing my research was that the County adds Sales Tax to the value of the boat every year at the guidance of the California State Board of Equalization, the BOE. They base that on a court case, *Xerox vs Orange County in 1977. In that case, Xerox argued that sales tax should not be added to the monthly cost of leasing a copier. Orange County argued that we have to get the sales tax from someone or everybody would just lease items. The Court agreed and stated another case where the California Supreme Court ruled: “that the taxpayer consumer who owns his equipment will pay the same tax on identical equipment as the taxpayer who leases the equipment to the ultimate consumer.” Makes complete sense in that case. I argued, in my hearing, that by adding sales tax to the valuation it is making me pay more in taxes than if I leased the boat! Their form of taxation is against the State Constitution that limits Personal Property Taxes to 1% and the California Supreme Court rules that Personal Property should be assessed at what it can be sold for on the lien date (Jan 1).

My hearing for my 2023 Assessment is scheduled for mid-December. This will be interesting because I have not received a ruling for my 2024 assessment therefore, I will be stating much of my case again to the same Assessment Appeals Board. I will also be arguing against the addition of a penalty. Stay tuned!

Below is a link to a 7 minute YouTube video that has more details:

https://youtu.be/H33C_VwpkMk

Happy Independence Day!

It has been quite a while since our last post but now we are back! We hope you had a wonderful long weekend and celebrated our beautiful country with your friends and family…how truly lucky and thankful we are.

As I mention being thankful, I am prompted to write of how happy I am to be in the excited phase of boat ownership, once again. This current phase of excitement is a little new for us, as we are now in the process of building our next boat from the plans up.

Her name is Independence II and is a 35’ Life Proof boat (www.lifeproofboat.com). If you followed the ‘Log’ in the past you may have noticed that we took a peak and test drive on one over a year ago (see ‘Log’ entry ‘Seattle, WA to Bremerton, WA’ May 14, 2024). Since then we have put our wallet where our mouth is and have been to the manufacturers twice to be part of the building process. There are many decisions to make at this point, most of them The Captains’. That being said, I feel a Captains Post coming your way soon. Until then, here are a couple of images to get you intersted.

SOLD!!!

Yes, it’s true…after six amazing years, we have sold the Independence. As some may say, a bittersweet day and that is very true. The wonderful news is that she is now owned by a lovely couple who live in the Seattle area and will thoroughly enjoy her with their kids and dog! They are very enthusiastic about cruising in this amazing location and we look forward to hearing about their adventures. Speaking of adventures, we have our sites on a new boat, which we will hopefully be sharing with you soon.

Nordhavn sales shot of the Independence taken last June.

Independence finally made it into the Nordhavn Calendar. Larry took this image of her in Princess Louisa Inlet last May.

Our 2024 Holiday Card…so many great memories from cruising the Pacific Northwest last Spring

Last photo on the boat….closed the deal. Bye - bye Independence. Thank you for being such a great boat and for all the amazing adventures!!!

The Final Stop...Anacortes, WA

Until writing the header for this post I did not entirely feel any major emotional twinges. My good friends will not be shocked, as I am not the most outwardly sentimental of persons. However, as I start writing one of my last Independence Chronicles, even I, am not beyond a moment of pause. It’s been 13,000 Nautical Miles and countless hours of amazing vistas, crazy open water hours that last forever and then are a thing of the past, ocean animals making friends, friends making memories, endless images that I will treasure for a lifetime. I truly never envisioned this time on a boat. This was all Larry. I will admit most has been a real adventure. Each day is not a repeat, unless you count the inevitable boat wash down at the end of the day. Yes, I will miss her. But, I think of our next adventure with a gleam of excitement. I feel the change and I am ready to go. I guess that’s the great thing about cruising, just like life, if you stay in one place too long the moss grows over you and it makes it hard to enjoy the new things in life. Here’s to our next adventure!

The Rock Fish Grill and Anacortes Brewery. Always time for a local brew…especially when they have been around for 30 years!

This mural of the old Skagit Saloon was created by Bill Mitchell, the director of the Anacortes Mural Project. The Skagit was originally housed in a wood building (1891) on Commercial Avenue that burned down. They continued to operate in this brick building rebuilt in 1902-1907, only to become a soda and candy shop due to prohibition. The true survivor of this story is Mr. Mitchell, who overcame a devastating car accident in his teens that left him a quadriplegic. He pivoted his life and went to art school and has created over 150 murals on the sides of Anacortes’ buildings. They are painted on three quarter inch plywood and mounted on the sides of correlating buildings. What an inspiration.

Another of Mr. Mitchell’s creations honoring the great Marine and ‘everything you didn’t know you need’ Store

This is no Fish Tale…evidently, they caught these monster halibuts of this size in 1890’s

This is Bill Mitchell’s mural of Larry Kelley, the “King of Smugglers”. He came to the Pacific Northwest and began an amazing career of opium smuggling in the 1860’s. He would transfer the opium from Victoria across the Strait of Juan de Fuca in a little fishing boat, by himself and off load it at various ports. The customs agents tried to catch him several time but he always neatly evaded them. Finally, customs agent Collector Ide heard that Kelly was was in the Upper Puget Sound area and he geared one of the custom launches into a fishing boat. He trolled the waters for many days and finally caught Kelly. He only had a 60 pounds on him but plead guilty and received two years in the State Penitentiary. Kelly got out early on good behavior but was quickly returned to the State Pen for smuggling again in 1910. (info from James McCurdy plaque)

The full mural of Larry Kelly the “King of Smugglers”

Above the Cap Sante Marina. The area was named by Anne Curtis Bowman, wife of railroad surveyor Amos Bowman. She said the hillsides reminded her of Cap Sante’ in Quebec, where she spent time as a child. They moved to the area in 1877 and Amos Boman named the town after his wife “Annie Curtis”. The town was founded in 1879 and soon after, the old growth forest was cut and the town was built. The Bowman’s started the Post Office, the Newspaper and had great hopes for the railroad making Anacortes into the ‘New York of the West Coast’. Amos Bowman passed away never realizing this dream but was content to see a booming industry of fishing and lumber.

My favorite old time clocks, this one off Commercial Avenue

The old McCracken House that is now a museum for Pacific Northwest art

So many lovely Victorian style homes that are so well cared for.

Behind the homes you find these rustic lanes where you can pull your car into your parking garage and back yard

This charming town not only has the sweet little libraries, but even better, the pooch treat hutch. This is a memorial to Clyde. He passed this January at 11 years old. He was loved by all and now is the host to biscuits for all dogs. Here’s to Clydie Bear!

Driftwood art made from the beach and displayed at the beach

Cap Sante Marina. Not a bad place to be for sale…the Independence is just two over from the big red boat on the first dock.

Photo shoot day! Jeff deploys his drone

We enjoy the views during the photo shoot

Mount Baker looks nice this evening

www.nordhavn.com

Check the link for the great shots and video from the photo shoot. Give Nordhavn a call when you’re ready to buy!

Comox, Silva Bay, Port Sidney and Victoria, B.C. Canada

We pick-up Dave & Renee in Comox. Dave grew up in Comox and his parents still live in the same house he grew-up in. We have a great dinner with Dave’s mom & dad and head out to Silva Bay the next morning (58NM). A pretty straight forward cruise with the exception of being warned (by the Canadian Navy) that we had entered a live ammunition exercise off of Nanaimo and we had best get out of the area as fast as we can. Entering Silva Bay was also pretty unusual, as you must cross the landing and takeoff zone for the local Beaver seaplane service. I could feel the mist from the floats as he roared over us after we cleared his ‘airfield’. On to Port Sidney the next day (35NM) via a current filed cut with on coming tug and tow traffic. We have a nice couple of days exploring the area and visiting with the relatives and then they were off, back to Comox via a rental car. We continue on to Victoria, B.C. (23NM) which, thankfully, when we pull in is pretty quiet. It is definitely one of the busier harbors for its size. Seaplanes, taxi’s, ferries, tourist boats and your general marina traffic - just for starters. We have a great visit with my family, that lives in Sooke, and some fun exploring the gorgeous city. It is amazing to think of this as our last port of call and the next stop for Independence is Anacortes, where she will be prepared for sale…

Sunset over the Comox Marina

All is still for morning departure from Comox to Silva Bay (58NM)

The tiny Silva Bay with many moored boats and one very busy de Havilland Beaver landing and taking off every hour to deliver people and packages through out the islands

Entrance Island Lighthouse

Larry guides us through the challenging cut of Porlier Pass between the Straits of Georgia and Trincomali Channel on our way to Port Sidney

Renee & Dave rejoin us in Comox and experience life on the Independence for a few days

Charming town of Port Sidney actually offers-up some fine weather

Hooks and peg-legs don’t stop this pirate from finding a good time in Port Sidney

We received this map on how to transit the Port of Victoria (after docking!), which has to be one of the busiest on the West Coast. There are countless seaplanes landing and taking off, a very large ferry that comes in and departs twice daily, along with multiple tour operators of small and large vessels, not to mention regular boat traffic like us….and don’t forget the teeny tiny taxi boats that buzz the marina like bees on warm, sunny days.

We are pretty lucky to arrive at a quiet time of day

The only event the day we pulled into the harbor was the arrival of the boats competing in the first leg of the Race to Alaska (r2ak). As stated at r2ak.com ‘America’s longest human and wind powered race’ from Port Townsend/Victoria, B.C. to Ketchikan, AK (self supported - no supply drops). Any boat without an engine can enter. The winner receives $10,000 and second place receives a set of steak knives…no joke. Notice how most of the boats deal with a no wind situation…pedal power!

The competitors boats for the r2ak…all shapes and sizes and configurations

The gorgeous harbor walkway around Victoria Harbour

The Empress Hotel has removed it’s ivy covered facade to preserve the 1908 structure. The Bengal Room has also been closed RIP (est. 1912). They have not decided what they are doing with the space at this time.

So now they have the new Q Bar…with ‘Warhol-Esque’ images of the Queen Victoria…did I mention it was a $60,000,000 renovation in 2017…the property is now owned by the Fairmont Group

Fisherman’s Wharf at Victoria Harbour

The Independence has a great slip at the marina

Right next to us is the busy Harbour Air Seaplane Base

A stunning day for walk around The Parliament Building.

My family Kyle, Aaron and Jennifer Rodd from Sooke, B.C. So happy we could spend time together. Thank you so much for the visit.

Wow, a million dollar view from our boat this evening!

The longhouse at Thunderbird Park with the Kwakwaka’wakw Heraldic Pole carved by Mungo Martin in 1952-53. His grandson, David Mungo Knox, restored the pole 2020

Knowledge Totem by Cicero August in front of the Parliament Building

The Parliament Building where 87 members meet to shape the future of the province. Queen Victoria looks out over the harbour

The r2ak racers getting ready for their big departure tomorrow

Victoria even has a charming little two block China Town

Fort Victoria, built in 1843, is now the Irish Times pub

Emily Carr’s (1871-1945) house. She was an artist and author, who challenged the Canadian landscape painters (all men). In 1927 she met the Group of Seven and forced her way into acceptance with her skill as a painter.

A great view from the Flying Otter Bar and Grill.

We got to tour the r2ak boats today and meet some of these brave sailors…

…off they go! Good luck on winning those steak knives!!!

Powell River, Canada to Grace Harbour, Toba Wilderness and Campbell River, Canada

Gumby departs the Independence for a long day of ferry rides and air planes back home to Bass Lake, California. Thanks Gumby for all your help! The remaining crew and captain continue on to Desolation Sound and Grace Harbour. A beautiful anchorage, where we spend two nights. The scenery and weather continue to improve as we head to the Toba Wilderness, with epic views of snow-capped mountains and plunging waterfalls. After two nights at Toba the drizzle and gray weather return and with news of yet another atmospheric river headed our way we move on to Campbell River (79NM) to ride out the storm in a marina…with wifi.

The first log-boom I’ve seen during our travels in these areas. Without roads you use the waterways. Now I know where all those ‘dead heads’ (loose large logs that can sink a big boat) are coming from.

Pretty shots of the Independence at anchor in Grace Harbour

More beauty shots

Time for a tender ride around the area…good thing we now have a Garmin chart reader for the tender, as this area is pretty confusing.

Double rainbow as the sun comes out

Millions of jellies at our anchorage

A cute little trawler anchors next to us in Grace Harbour

Thankful for this amazing weather on our way to Toba Wilderness

Just a little try at the fishing

Better luck in capturing photos of black bears feeding on shellfish during low tide

There are so many waterfalls they don’t all have names…just gorgeous ribbons of water falling off the rock cliffs

Independence on her own in the Toba Wilderness Marina

The base of the waterfall at the marina

The top of the waterfall above the marina

Local flora, mosses and berries

On the move…the waterways are the highways. This tug pulls trucks and fuel tanks and tons of other items - possibly for one of the local logging camps

The light house as we enter the channel to Campbell River

An amazing piece of artwork. This sailboat is all wood and just gorgeous.

Burial grounds on Tyee Spit, Campbell river

The mouth of the Campbell River. There are four native tribes of the Campbell River that lived primarily by fishing. After 1792 the European ships arrived and the late 1800’s brought logging into full swing. The log-booms were so thick that the mouth of the river you see here was practically blocked with great rafts of enouous logs making fishing in this area impossible. The log-booms existed until the 1990’s.

CorilAir Charters ready to go for a flight. In the 1970’s this seaplane base was reputed to be the busiest in the world. They transported supplies, equipment, parts and medivac services, as well as carrying crews in out of the hundreds of remote logging camps. In the 1980’s small logging operations gave way to large scale operations that no longer used the seaplanes, opting for high speed water taxi and crew boats, and the growing use of helicopters in the forestry industry contributed to a decline in the floatplane business. However, the tour and transportation business is still alive and well.

Driftwood art at Tyee Spit Dick Murphy Park

This carving at Tyee Spit Dick Murphy Park was done by three artists for the Shoreline Arts Society - Ernest Puglas, Jr. Henderson and Karver Everson. This amazing carving was just unveiled on May 31st of this year. It recognizes local nations’ connection to the land and co-operation. It depicts two figures holding up a sea serpent, telling of the ancient connections between families and nations on this part of the coast, and their resilience.

Miles of beautiful driftwood along the channel before Campbell River

Captain's Post #17 - A Memorial Day Remembrance

Thirty-one years ago I was on my way to Alaska on a friends boat, Jack and Carol Randle’s boat Fini Fini. We had left Lake Union, made our way through the locks and then on our way to Friday Harbor. Jack and Carol had become good friends having a boat next to me at Pier 39 in San Francisco. Jack, along with be a good friend and mentor to me, was a hero. A World War II hero, he fought in North Africa and then into Europe where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge where he was seriously injured. He overcame the injury and started a business in the Monterey California area that, at the time of his death, would gross about a half a billion dollars in sales. He was a great guy, funny too and he loved boating.

I remember telling him one day “I will have to take a boat of my own up here someday”. He said “Don’t wait until you are to old”. That really stuck in my mind. I don’t think I am to old but I did my knee in a couple of weeks ago and it has gotten better but sideways movement aggravates it. Not much I can do about the knee at this point, near little towns in Canada. Therefore, it is with much sadness that we are not going to go further north than the upper end of Vancouver Island. I did read recently that in Desolation Sound you could spend a lifetime exploring the area and don’t feel like you have missed anything by not going further north.

We had reservations for Glacier Bay on June 20th for four days, I was looking forward to that time especially. I have been to Alaska twice, maybe again, but not this trip. Desolation Sound is beautiful, I do wish it would warm up though which should happen soon. After Desolation Sound we plan on cruising the eastern shores of Vancouver Island and end our Canada stay in Victoria. Then off to Anacortes Washington to list the boat for sale. We are currently talking to a couple of different brokers to find out what services they offer. Independence, in my humble opinion, is the perfect boat for the Pacific Northwest. It has similar fuel economy to a trawler but has the extra power when you need/want it. It is a semi-displacement boat that can cruise up to 20 knots, rarely done by us. But coming up the Oregon Coast it was nice to have the power to fight the currents and wind. Also, on this last Wednesday when we went through Malibu Rapids (see Jamie’s recap and my post on YouTube Video of us entering) it was nice to have that power fighting a 3 knot plus current. As I like to say, traditional Nordhavn’s have lead in their keel, we have two large engines that give us the ballast needed. I entered a 10 minute video to the Nordhavn Film Festival and it made the finals, It was called Dream (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzMhycjiw0k&t=459s  As always, let us know what you think or if you have an interest in living your dream ( Independence59@yahoo.com )

Princess Louisa Inlet, Canada to Powell River, Canada

Gloomy and rainy today as we depart Princess Louisa Inlet. We rise early to catch the slack low tide through Malibu Rapids. Only one other boat is departing with us and as we make our sécurité call we can tell that the rapids pose no threat to us today. If you didn’t have advance knowledge, you would not believe there were rapids there. We back track our way down Jervis Inlet and reflect how lucky we were to get the awesome weather we had the other day. The weather continues to deteriorate with rain and wind making us content to pull into Powell River Marina and stay for a bit (65NM). The City of Powell River was established in 1912 as the first manufacturer of newsprint in Western Canada.

There be pirates in Powell River

Far down the beach you can still see the Independence in Westview Marina

Time to sample the local pubs and eateries

A fuzzy close up of this juvenile bald eagle in a windy spot, thus the ruffled feathers

One of the few spots left in the Westview Marina

We were treated to a twenty minute Sea Otter show as three of them cavorted around the dock across from us at the marina. Scent marking, preening their coats, eating crab and fish and chasing each other around - tumbling all over the docks. These animals truly have a sense of humor and know how to have fun.

The weather is still poor so a little bowling at the Persephone Bowling Alley seems like a good idea. Circa 1961, a five pin game played with tiny bowling balls…Larry won

Egmont, Canada to Princess Louisa Inlet, Canada

It is a cold, clear and beautiful morning, transiting up the Jervis Inlet. Our timing is crucial today to allow Larry to safely navigate the Independence through an area called ‘Malibu Rapids’. This is the only way into Princess Louisa Inlet (PLI). PLI is one of the absolute ‘must sees’ in life but in order to arrive safely you have to time the tides exactly right, waiting for a slack high or slack low tide. Larry opts for a slack low and as we cruise through the gorgeous glacier carved Jervis Inlet it becomes obvious that other boaters have made the same choice. We arrive at the entrance to Malibu Rapids a bit early and wait with eight other boats for the exiting water to be calmed by the incoming water. One 70 foot boat passes all the others and declares his intentions to enter the rapids first by giving a sécurité call (an alert advising other boaters, by VHF, that you are entering a blind area of one way traffic). The captain of an exiting sailboat radios back to the 70 footer letting him know that he may want to stand down for a bit as the rapids are still running at a 7 knot current. The anticipation and anxiety is growing on the Independence as we watch the exiting boats on AIS (Automatic Identification System) rocket through the rapids. Finally, the lead boat gives his sécurité and all the other boats claim a place behind the first. By the time we transit the rapids they are running at a 3 knot current, but it sure seems a lot faster than that as you feel the boat fighting the pull of the spiraling eddy pools and bounce over the turbulent water. As one person relayed over the VHF after she went through…”The current is still pretty spicy”. Spice or no spice, Larry did a fantastic job handling the Independence through yet another challenging experience (35NM).

To view Larry’s YouTube Video of our experience please click on the link below:

Malibu Rapids and Princess Louisa Inlet, May 22, 2024

An amazing day to ride the tide up Jervis Inlet toward Malibu Rapids and Princess Louisa Inlet

The ‘waiting area’ for running the Malibu Rapids, named for the Malibu Club of 1940 - the first of a planned series of resorts at Princess Louisa Inlet. PLI is named to commemorate the Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, whose husband was the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada.

Larry running Malibu Rapids at slack low tide with a three knot current

The reward for all the stress and worry is this glorious view of Chatterbox Falls…

Boats of 55 feet or larger are not allowed on the dock and the mooring balls were all taken so we spent our first day and night at MacDonald Island…

…so we took the tender to the dock to experience Chatterbox Falls and the rain forest trail

The trees wear an impressive coat of moss and there are streams everywhere

A panoramic of Chatterbox Falls, its’ spray and rapids

Gumby enjoyed the cocktail cruise

Thanks to Dave Garnett for introducing us to Vancouver’s’ Red Truck Road Trip Classic Lager…lovin’ the local brew

The following morning we move to mooring ball

Morning views and reflections

Larry took the drone up and was able to get this spectacular shot

As they say…what a difference a day makes. We exit Malibu Falls the next day at slack high tide and not a ripple to be seen. Also, not much of the view to be seen either due to the rain and fog.

Vancouver, Canada to Egmont, Canada

With cremember, Gumby Grant, back on board we move north through the Strait of Georgia’s wind and chop, using the radar until the afternoon. We continue through Agamemnon Channel and tie up in Egmont (56NM). The Bathgate ‘marina’ (at Egmont), is literally a piece of dock that you tie-up to while paying $180/night. They don’t even want you to get off your boat, possibly due to the hazards on the property. I thought for sure we were tying up in someone’s front yard. The log-boom protecting you is the one good thing (along with the sturdy cleats) but during tidal shifts, it looks as if some of the logs are about ready to float away and only held in place by the generous current. I will say the scenery is beautiful and it is nice to be securely tied overnight.

Big winds and chopping water in the Strait of Georgia

Entering Agamemnon Channel

Bathgate ‘Marina’ (photo courtesy of Larry McCullough)

The rain and mist provide a lovely sunset…

…and a gorgeous double rainbow

Roche Harbor, WA to Vancouver, Canada

Well we made it into Canada! A little windy and bumpy in spots during our move to Vancouver (54NM) and quite a few logs in Boundary Bay. Almost two years to the day, when we looked down through an airplane window (on our way home from cousin Jennica’s wedding) and said “we need to bring the boat to this area”…and here we are!!! We will visit with my family and enjoy this lovely city before we head towards Alaska.

Entering Burrard Inlet to English Bay with many tankers and bulk carriers waiting to enter the busy port of Vancouver, Canada

Passing under the Lion’s Gate Bridge

The Vancouver skyline as we enter Vancouver Harbor

Canada Place and the Cruise Ship Terminal

Entering Coal Harbor where we will dock at Harbor Cruises Marina.. We are put into a fairly challenging slip to reverse into but Larry does a stellar job after a six hour run. We are thankful to be tied-up and the Captain departs the Independence to check in with Canadian Border Patrol and Customs. We had previously checked with the harbor and the officials that all we had to do was call in from the Harbor Office. Well…not so easy. You won’t believe it when I tell you that the Canadian Border Patrol (CBP) made us move out of our slip, a 100 yards, to an “Official Check-in Location” across the harbor. Larry then called the number for the CBP and they immediately approved our entrance to Canada. We then moved back into our challenging slip and proceeded to start happy hour a little early that night.

The weather improved the next day but I have still snow skied on warmer days

The eye-catching Alberni building by Kengo Kuma, the Japanese architect

A pretty and cold morning run around Stanley Park

Harry Winston Jerome, B.C.’s Athlete of the Century 1871-1971, winner of six track world records. Very humbling as I slog my way around the park.

Stopping during my jog to take a few photos of the amazing totem poles of Stanley Park. This is a red cedar portal constructed over three years and completed in 2008 by Coast Salish artist Susan Point.

Nine totem poles at Brockton Point are a collection of art that have come from all over B.C.

Shore to Shore sculpture by Luke Marston, a descendant of the Coast Salish and Portuguese communities.

Thank you to my sweet family, Renee and Dave, who helped us provision for our trip North, We had a blast and will hopefully see them on our way South in a month or so.

Some fun ladies on the dock, with a love of shadow puppets, agreed to take our picture

Time to check out some local brew in Stanley Park….

…and visit Derek, Jennica, Eli & Viv. So fabulous to see my sweet relatives in Vancouver. Thanks for the great time!

Always a lover of aviation. Harbor Air is amazingly busy with their seaplane tours.

Of course my favorite the de Havilland Beaver.

A view of the Independence from the restaurant ‘Lift’. Next to us is the 55 foot Nordhavn charter boat ‘Penalty Box II"‘.

Larry and I finish-up our stay in Vancouver with a bike ride around Stanley Park. The Lion’s Gate Bridge in the background.

Just an average day in Stanley Park at English Bay

Friday Harbor, WA to Roche Harbor, WA

A sunny and calm short transit through the San Juan Channel brought us to the sweet little Roche Harbor (3NM) at the Northern end of San Juan Island. In the 1800’s many Coast Salish natives and other indigenous cultures lived on the island. The Treaty of Point Elliot in 1855 made the land available to outsiders. First People do now retain certain resource rights. British Marines established themselves here in 1860 after the Pig was shot (see Larry’s commentary in our previous post). The British quarried and processed limestone but after the land dispute was settled in 1872 in favor of the U.S., Roche Harbor was homesteaded by Joseph Ruff, then a series of others. During this time limestone was quarried, delivered by rail to chutes and dropped into the kilns in the harbor (picture below) where it was processed, then bagged/barreled on the wharf and readied for shipment. Eventually, a Tacoma lawyer John S. McMillin purchased the business and land in 1886. McMillin built most of the town we now see; the Hotel de Haro, the church, and much more that didn’t survive. McMillin’s son sold Roche Harbor to the Tarte family in the mid 1950’s. Tarte restored the hotel and warehouse on the wharf and turned the area into the beautiful resort it is now. Currently, Roche Harbor is owned by Komen an Illihe of Seattle, WA. (Info courtesy of Roche Harbor History & Wikipedia)

Cruising the San Juan Channel

Entering the very quaint Roche Harbor

The Wharf which used to barrel the lime is now filled with busy little restaurants and shops

Liking their little post office

This must be a San Juan Island thing…battle of the best pump-out names!

Another pretty little harbor view

A good name for a church

Gorgeous natural harbor with Independence in the foreground

The historic lime kilns, now with Bocce Ball courts in front

I won

Treated to a lovely dinner at McMillin’s, which started with a fantastic Martini made by Sara

McMillan’s restaurants

At sunset, during the good weather months, the ceremonial Color Guard is a true site to see. I was so impressed how these young people followed an intricate choreography and each anthem was played for each flag that was lowered. Before the American flag was lowered there was even a cannon blast.

Sunset over Roche Harbor…

…and the Independence

Good night Roche Harbor

Poulsbo, WA to Friday Harbor, WA

Departing Poulsbo we ride a nice little tide until we get back to the Strait of Juan de Fuca where the wind and waves are nasty. We bounce and crash our way through the next 30 minutes and thankfully enter Cattle Pass into Griffin Bay leading us around to Friday Harbor, WA (63NM).

The Cattle Point Lighthouse

Friday Harbor on a Monday

I think if you’re going to deal with other people’s sh*t all day you might as well have a good sense of humor about it

Admiring our view of the Independence here…

…and here

So crushed that the best looking pub in town had closed down. RIP Cask & Schooner

Normally, the ferry is lodged in this terminus, constantly filling with cars and people - running from 6AM until after 10PM. As the info plaque reads, the means of transiting these waters has changed greatly over the years. From Coast Salish canoes in the 1900’s to the Mosquito Fleet Steamers of the 1860’s to 1920’s, then followed by several small steamship companies which then became the Black Ball Line. In 1951, the State of Washington bought out the private companies and constructed the main terminal and waiting area in this present location..

Popeye the harbor seal was named this due to her cloudy left eye. She was part of the Friday Harbor views from 1995 until sometime around 2019. They still liked her even after she bit a tourist in 2017…maybe even more.

Larry off to discover Friday Harbor on Mountain Bike. He ended up at the San Juan Island National Historic Park. The brochure gave a bit of history that told of the tussle of ownership over this bit of land. Evidently, …………WE now interrupt this posting with a guest author, Jamie is getting ready to go out at the beautiful restaurant here in the harbor, ok, just like neighbors near your house there was a dispute about the boundary of the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. had settlers on the southern part of the island and established a sheep farm, it’s lonely and cold, say no more, it was called Belle Cue Sheep farm, site of today’s American Camp. The British in the meantime, did not like this because as with much of the world they said it was theirs. On June 15, 1859 an American shot an English pig, what can I say, it gets lonely and cold up here. Luckily this did not start a war but troops were sent from both sides in case fighting broke out. The English sent three warships, 400 Royal Marines. Of Course the U.S. had to respond and soon there were 461 soldiers. Fortunately, no shots were fired during the ensuing 12 years. In 1871 the boundary question was submitted for arbitration to Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany. This was because Germans have always been known for being peace loving and wishing to avoid conflicts. It was ruled that the San Juan Islands belonged to the U.S. The museum does not give the reason why the U.S. won but what I heard years ago - was because old Wilhelm liked the Americans more and knew they had surveyed the surrounding waters and knew the depths. His solution was to award the Islands to the country that knew the area, the depths. Who knows if it’s true but history is written by the people who write it and I wrote it so it’s true. (Yes, Larry did take over this post and do a fantastic job)

Nice light over the back bay and all the boats in the Friday Harbor Marina

Bremerton, WA to Poulsbo, WA - Nordhavn Rendezvous!

Logo courtesy of Nordhavn

Let the games begin!  The long-awaited (one every two years) Nordhavn Rendezvous starts this week and we pull into the Poulsbo Marina (12NM) a day early because we are so excited to be part of the largest gathering of Nordhavn boats ever!  I believe there are supposed to be close to 60 Nordhavn owners in attendance. This heroic gathering is an owner initiated event with sponsors, educational seminars/speakers, dinners and dock parties, organized by Jill and Don Bernard (N47) and Bill and Emmy Baker (N62). We can’t thank them enough for all their hard work in making this an unforgettable weekend.

The Independence stern-tied at the Poulsbo Marina, ready to be ‘sandwiched’ by her brothers and sisters

Poulsbo has many welcoming eateries, breweries and pubs. This one is called The Brass Kraken Pub right at the harbor. The town of Poulsbo was founded by Norwegian immigrant Jorgen Eliason in the 1880’s. As much as the town is called a ‘Viking Town’ the only connection is the settlers’ heritage. The Scandinavians chose to live in this pretty area as it reminded them of the fjords of Norway.

The Sons of Norway gathering hall where all off this weekend’s events will be held

The charming main street has a classic town clock

This viking mural pays homage to Poulsbo settlers’ heritage

Charming little fishing boats depicted here in Dogfish Bay which was renamed Liberty Bay by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Geodetic Survey in 1914.

Sunset over this cute little outboard made to resemble a tiny tug

Uff da - my friends with Scandinavian backgrounds will understand this term

Always good to see a town that pays respect to it’s fallen soldiers

Viking King Olaf statue

Kit gets a weekend ride to town in style

The famous Sluys Poulsbo Bakery. The line wraps outside of the building during tourist season

Time for a Nordhavn dock party (photo courtesy of Doug Harlow)

(Photo courtesy of Doug Harlow)

The line up of Nordhavns begins

Drone photos by Doug Harlow. The outer arm is ALL Nordhavns

More images borrowed from Instagram. The Independence under the Northern Lights

A great time with a great bunch of people comes to a close

Weather moving in makes for a pretty sky…

…and a pretty sunset.

Seattle, WA to Bremerton, WA

After the Ballard Locks we cross Lake Union which is starting to kick-up. By the time we run the short distance to Bremerton (19NM) it is blowing 15 knots and gusting to 20. Larry expertly maneuvers the Independence into the busy ferry terminal/marina toward our slip. Thankfully, the marina team is out to lend a hand as it was pretty crazy getting her against the dock. Between the current and the wind it took a good bit of effort to get all the lines secure. Of course, as it always seems to be the case, the wind calms in the next few hours and the rest of our stay in Bremerton is lovely. Made only better with the 24 hour fly-by visit of our good friend and returning ship-mate - Chris Adams.

To say Bremerton is a Navy town is a bit understated. In 1998, the U.S. Navy commissioned Naval Station Bremerton as it’s newest home port. According to Google, in June 2004, Naval Station Bremerton and Submarine Base Bangor were joined to become one regional base known as Naval Base Kitsap. Above is the 31 foot long ‘Sail’ from America’s Most Decorated Ship the USS Parche.. It is 18 feet tall and weighs approximately 60 tons and is specially hardened for breaking through ice when surfacing in Arctic waters. This nuclear-powered submarine conducted many special operations between 1976 and 2004, all of which remain classified to this day but were generally known as Cold War and post Cold War intelligence-gathering operations. This sail supported many functions; it contained the fairwater planes used to maneuver and maintain depth, and the periscopes and masts used for navigation and communication. The sail is free-flooding - no crew would be inside when the sub was submerged. When operated on the surface, a team of three or four officers and crew stood watch on the bridge located in the forward part of the sail. Parche’s crew earned nine Presidential Unit Citations, the highest award a ship can receive, as well as ten Navy Unit Commendations, and 13 Navy Expeditionary Medals. The stripes displayed on the sail are efficiency awards earned by her crew in competition with other submarine crews. The most important efficiency award a ship can receive is the Battle E annually to the ship or unit that demonstrated the highest state of battle readiness - that’s a lot of lines under the E! The USS Parche was decommissioned 2004.

The 911 Memorial in Bremerton is very powerful. These 5,000 pound beams from the Twin Towers sit gracefully beside the flowing water. Children’s ceramic tiles surround the memorial. At 10 years old they were asked to define “What a Hero Means to Me?”.

Made in America…in fact right here in Bremerton, WA, Life Proof boats. We went for a ride and think they are pretty sweet.

During our Life Proof boat demo we had the awesome luck to see Orca Whales (photo by Larry McCullough)

Time for a cold one with Chris Adams, who literally flew in to Bremerton for 24 hours to say hello

While we enjoyed our dinner there was a fabulous wild life show at the dock of the Boat Shed. This adult Bald Eagle grabbed a Cormorant and dragged up on the dock, where he/she dispatched it quickly

The Eagle seemed to enjoy every fresh bite

The USS Turner Joy DD 951 (commissioned in 1959 and decommissioned in 1982) moored in front of the Bremerton Marina is now a maritime museum

The Bremerton Harborside Fountain Park. The sculptures are made to resemble an armada of submarines leaving the Bremerton Naval Ship Building Yard heading out towards the Sound. The explosion of water created by air driven jets (one sub every five minutes or so) is also meant to reference whale spouts and the volcanic activity of this area…that is the abstract part of the design by Sun Valley, CA WET designer Patty Lundeen.

After all that history, sculptural and culture it is time for a drink…I wouldn’t want to disappoint!

Port Townsend, WA to Seattle, WA

A chilly departure from Port Townsend brings views of the snow capped Olympics as we transit toward Elliot Bay (33NM). On April 1st we arrive at the Seattle Yacht Club through the Ballard Locks (10NM). Gumby gives leave at the SYC and the remaining crew quickly spiff up the ship for tomorrow’s arrival of our SFYC ‘royalty’…our past and current commodores and family. We are thrilled to have them on board and look forward to Seattle’s Opening Day festivities, which are claimed to be the largest in the nation.

A cold morning run with beautiful views as we depart Port Townsend

Enjoying the views and still water

A great view of the Seattle skyline from the Elliot Bay Marina

So great to get to visit with Natalie Grant while we are in the Seattle area

Popular tattoo artist turned muralist, Kyle Martz, was commissioned by the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers for this masterpiece at the Pier 91 Cruise Ship Terminal

Sunset views at Elliot Bay Marina…

…and twilight views. Our days are getting longer as we move north.

Just a 10NM hop from Elliot Bay brings us to Salmon Bay and the shipping canal

A train crosses the busy Salmon Bay Bascule Bridge as we wait for our lock to open

After 45 minutes we are lucky to get into the small lock. It is only a little over a 100 feet long so it’s just us and one other boat locking up. In this photo the doors are closing behind us to allow the water in the lock to rise to the level of Lake Union. The Ballard (Hiram Chittenden) Locks were built in the early 1900’s and according to Wikipedia, carry more boat traffic than any other lock in the U.S. The construction of the locks created great changes to the environment of Seattle and it’s surrounds. The Locks lowered the water level of Lake Washington and Lake Union by almost nine feet, reversing the flow of rivers, leaving piers high and dry and adding miles of ‘new’ waterfront.

I truly thought I would never see another lock after doing 53 of them on the Great Loop. The small lock has a floating wall with ‘buttons’ that you loop your stern and bow lines to. You then just float up 30 feet in approximately 20 minutes.

When told by the Lock Masters, you release your lines and depart the lock toward Lake Union

Entering Lake Union you cross under the Fremont Bridge (foreground) and then the Aurora Bridge (background)

We pass by Gas Works Park, which was once the site of the Seattle Gas Light Company, a coal gasification plant, which operated from 1906 to 1956. The land was then purchased by the city of Seattle in 1962 and opened to the public as a park in 1975.

Busy Lake Union with float planes taking off and landing in front of the Seattle Space Needle

Seattle skyline views recede as we move toward Portage Bay and the Seattle Yacht Club (SYC)

The pretty Seattle Yacht Club, so quiet now… but just wait…Opening Day festivities start tomorrow

With SYC at full capacity we have boats rafted to the Independence

Boats getting dressed up for the Opening Day Parade on Saturday

The Montlake Cut and Bridge, where the Windermere Cup Races will take place along with the Opening Day Parade

Traditional art by an Alaskan artist Chief John Wallace, 1937

A little ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ moment as we cruise by the neighborhood where the 1993 movie was filmed.

Opening Day weekend festivities kick off with ‘The Commode Cup Race’. The commodores from the Seattle YC, the Royal Vancouver YC and the Royal Victoria YC compete in the peddle controlled Mini 12s. The winner has to drink beer from the ‘cup’. This year’s winner is Commodore Mark Owen Flood ot the Royal Victoria YC.

Next up, a ride on a classic boat. Jojo Dailey and I get to ride in a 1938 Split Cockpit Runabout (on the left). On the right is the ‘Conny’, the original launch built for University of Washington crew team in 1932 and named for coach Hiram B. Conibear (“Boys in the Boat”).

I am sitting next to Dick Dow, owner and classic boat restorer. He bought this 1938 Split Cockpit Runabout for $1.00. It was in such rough shape it took him 14 years to restore and was relaunched in 1990 with a 350 MerCruiser in her. She handles amazingly and takes the lake chop like cutting through butter with a hot knife. What a blast. Thank you Dick!

Party time on zero dock with a theme of Pirates and Pursuers

Our past and present San Francisco Yacht Club commodores and family members…Evan Dailey & Jojo, Matt Frymier & current SFYC commodore Jeni Dailey

This is the Log Boom from 1989. The weather is not as good this weekend but there are still a huge quantity of boats on the boom.

Hundreds of boats tie up to logs fixed in the lake and hang out for the weekend to watch the races and the parade

Saturday and the official ceremony of Opening Day at the Seattle Yacht Club begins with all the pomp and circumstance

The Windermere Cup races begin. It is a 1.25 mile course and most races take 10 or 11 minutes. We are perfectly situated at the finish line. This is one of the few courses where the contestants can be constantly cheered on by the crowd as they go by the Log Boom and then down The Cut.

The exhaustion is apparent directly after they cross the line

The contestants then have to loiter in Portage Bay until all the races are done and they can return back up the cut

The National Italian Team was here to race as well. They competed against University of Washington and University of Wisconsin. University of Washington won - go Huskies!

Waiting for the Parade of Boats to begin

The Sea Scouts and the fire boat in the background make a fine start to the parade

The Dailey’s oblige us with a stern photo on the Independence

The entry of the Seattle Yacht Club established in 1892 and originally located in Elliot Bay

On the Montlake Bridge at sunset bidding adieu to Portage Bay

Making our way back to the Ballard Locks. One last view of the Seattle skyline.

Rounding out our experience we get to lock down in the large Ballard Lock

The Lock Masters take your 50 foot bow and stern lines and secure them to the rail as other boats raft against the larger wall boat (us). The lock doors close and the water quickly drops down 30 feet in approximately 20 minutes. The lines are played out during the drop and then thrown back to you as the rafting boats depart and we are given clearance to exit the lock.

Dropped and good to go. Off toward Bremerton, WA we go.