August 3rd 2024
After a bit of deliberation I departed Blind Bay on Friday, July 26th around 6am to catch a favorable tide over to Bellingham for a visit with friends that live there. It’s been a few years since I visited and it was by car not boat. I have never visited Bellingham with the boat and never had the time until this year. Calling up Squalicum Harbor from a mile out I was able to secure guest moorage for a couple of nights.
I had a very nice weekend visiting my friends in Bellingham who graciously shuttled me around and had me to their house overlooking Chukanut Bay for dinner. It was great catching up and watching some Olympics. They have a very nice Farmers Market there on Saturday.
Sunday morning I left for Sucia Island. I was able sail part of the way under full jib. I arrived to an uncrowded Echo Bay which is what I expected on a Sunday afternoon. I spent a quiet first half of the week in the rain. The sun returned on Thursday and the crowds started rolling in.
I practiced rowing in the new Spindrift dinghy. I need more practice and some better oars are now on the list for next year. But mostly my technique is poor. Friday I took the SUP to shore and went for a nice hike. Lost my sunglasses on the trail but another hiker found them after I mentioned my loss and saved my trip. I’m not sure how I would have gotten by without my prescription sunglasses for two more months.
I’ve been able to work a few hours as planned, which included a few meetings. Starlink is working but the service does not tolerate the rotation the boat, which it does at anchor. The connection drops anytime the boat rotates more than 30 degrees or so. I have to get up and move the dish but sometimes it is a waste of time if the boat is doing a dance in the wind or current. I expected this might be a problem but it’s a bit more of one than I had hoped. A truly first world problem.