Waking up with an even worse headache than I went to bed with was not the way I wanted to start my day! There was nothing for it though, so it was eat breakfast (a pre-made mix of oatmeal with fruit and powdered milk, and coffee) and raise anchor for the next day's adventure.
Today we'd be doing a sort of dog-leg run further down Dana Passage, turning south after rounding Johnson Point, skirting the Nisqually Reach, before turning north to pass west of Anderson Island and McNeil Island (the former penitentiary). The route would lead us through Drayton Passage and narrow Pitt Passage with the very shallow waters around Pitt Island before we would turn west after rounding Penrose Point and enter Mayo Cove and Penrose Point State Park -- a day's run of approximately 16 miles.
The fleet makes its way north out of Henderson Inlet
The winds were very light again, and the fleet ghosted along at a walking pace. Sailing in wind this light is very challenging and requires constant attention to catch every little zephyr, while trying not to move at all and not to upset the delicate balance of the boat. It also gives you lots of time to chat with boats as you pass by, which makes for a fun and social day on the water. Even with a pounding head and the resulting nausea.
Entering Drayton Passage
Josh Colvin in SCAMP #1
Approaching Pitt Passage
Entering Pitt Passage
Vanilla leads the fleet out of Pitt Passage
The fleet ghosted along all day until we passed Pitt Island, where the wind began to fill in. The closer we got to Penrose Point, the more the wind built until we were cranking along in 12 to 15 knots of breeze, and having a rollicking good time! It was so much fun watching everyone zip around, jockeying for position as we entered Mayo Cove and approached the anchorage. Most of the smaller, shallow draft boats snuck into the tiny, inner, protected harbor (later that night this would prove to be a fortuitous decision). I motored back there to check it out, but decided it looked too crowded for anchoring out. Instead, I went back out to the main anchorage, dropped the hook, took 3 Ibuprofen and drank a ginger beer, and lay down for a short nap.
Tucked safely into Penrose Point State Park
The nap and meds did the trick, and I woke feeling much better and refreshed. I made a lunch of crackers, sausage, cheese sticks, and a banana, and leaned against the front of the cabin top with my feet kicked up, relaxing and watching the other sailors find their anchoring spots, row around, and explore the beach. The breeze was still blowing pretty good, and although the sun was hot, the temperature on the water was perfectly comfortable. This was what I had come on this trip to do, and I couldn't have been happier in that moment! I eventually got up the energy to go for a row, and took Cupcake over to visit Arnie and Dave. We had a nice chat, and I rowed around a bit more before heading back to Vanilla and making dinner. It had been a long day, and at sunset I crawled into bed and turned out the lights. I was looking forward to a peaceful, restful night's sleep. Unfortunately, none of us in the outer harbor were going to be that lucky.
Out for a row in the little demon
Dave and Arnie have rafted up with a Montgomery 17
Dave's mother ship, Naomi, with Arnie rafted to starboard
Looking west as the sun finally shines
Cupcake. Can you see that evil look in her eye?
Bunny Whaler and Grasshopper rafted up, definitely a party!
It must have been around midnight when a thumping sound on the hull startled me awake. Loud, insistent, and too aggressive to ignore. I popped my head out of the hatch, and there was Cupcake, bumping against Vanilla's hull, right by my head. Irritated, I tossed a fender over the side, tied the dink close in so it couldn't move, and crawled back into my warm bag. I drifted off to sleep again...but not for long. Suddenly, I was almost tossed out of my berth and onto the cabin floor, with the boat rocking violently side to side! I jumped out of bed and stuck my head out of the hatch, wondering if I was going to see a whale trying to swamp my boat, or if there was a harbor seal trying to get aboard. There was no immediate threat that I could see, but the boat was still rocking violently side to side. As I looked out across the bay I could see every masthead light swinging in a crazy arc, as every boat on the water was tossed back and forth. I could hear engines start as boats tried to reposition themselves, or pull away from their raftups so they wouldn't be smashed against each other. Anchor chains were coming up all over the bay as boats tried to reset their dragging anchors, and keep from drifting into each other or onto the beach and rocks. My anchor seemed to be holding at the moment, so I hunkered down and just tried to hold on to Vanilla the bucking bronco! This insanity must have lasted for at least an hour before things finally began to calm down, and I was able to lie down and once again try to get some sleep. We never did hear what had caused this crazy wave action, but there were many theories. Some speculated on a small tsunami; others thought a submarine or large ship must have passed by; some thought it was some self-generated wave frequency that continued to build until running out of energy. Whatever it was, I hope to NEVER experience anything like that ever again!
Day two, estimated mileage
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