Three Weeks On SNOWBALL

 Three Weeks On SNOWBALL

Our flight from Austin was delayed 2 hours while the technicians resolved an issue with the plane radio communications. But we got these sunset images over the Rockies.

We arrived in the dark to SNOWBALL after getting some provisions from PCC, the next morning gave us the light to see the work a polishing crew completed weeks earlier.

We woke up in the morning to find this guy in our dock neighbors dingy.

We only had 2 cloudy days , the rest were all sun, unexpected at this time of year, if we had known we would have planned for 4 weeks!

The next thing we did was a walk through Golden Gardens Park just adjacent to the marina.

Everyday at the Marina included walks to Golden Garden. looking across Shillshole Bay with the Olympic Mountains in the background

Plenty of marina wildlife.

It was Salmon fishing season, these small commercial fisherman selling their catch at the end of the day

A local restaurant buying with cash from the fisherman.

Always an interesting vessel.

Laser's returning after a windfull day

See: https://youtu.be/6ynGy1ce7I8

 

A larger commercial fisherman

Selling their catch

Continue to spot an occasional sea star but no where near the numbers when we first cane to Seattle.

 

The second day I felt a scratchy throat, The third day I tested positive for C-19, it was a light case, like a slight cold for 2 days, and then brain fog for a week. The Admiral never tested positive and it took me 15 days to test negative. Our first bout with Covid as we both have all 4 of the available vaccinations adhere to  pretty strict  avoidance measures in our daily life. However, I must not have been careful enough on our airport and flight journey. The Admiral slept in the v-berth and I in the salon. She was very careful to not catch it even in the small confines of living on a 36' sailing vessel for 3 weeks.

So we were quarantined to a sailboat, nothing else to do but go sailing so we sailed to Blake Island for a couple of days , and then to Bainbridge Island for a day.

No wind so we motored all the way to Blake Island

Blakley Point 

Blake Island State Park Marina is a first come first serve so going during the week usually means you can find a space at the dock. 

This is the small channel, best to come in Not a low tide.

Great views of Rainer, Seattle, Vashon Island and great Forest hiking trails

The Welcoming Committee

Fay Bainbridge State Park

A Bainbridge Island forest hiking trail

Dahlia stand on Bainbridge

The Shillshole Marina is near the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (AKA Ballard Locks) and it makes a good walk.

Lots of flora around the ship channel park and the Canada Geese love their space here

These are the ones who made it past the maze of fishing vessels to return upriver to spawn. The Locks have a salmon ladder for their safe return

Rarely see a vessel with sails up entering the Lake Washington ship channel from Puget Sound going toward the locks.

You can't getaway without a boat project, and only two required for this trip, replace the zinc in the heat exchanger and replace the impeller in the engine water pump, the zinc was all good so I just pit the old one back in and even though the impeller looked and functioned well it is advised no matter how many engine hours are on the impeller they should be changed annually. This one had been in for two years but had really low hours on it due to the pandemic. 

I replaced the impeller, c-clip, and o-ring then made a note to myself to buy some c-clip pliers.

Good for another year or so!

I have never taken the time to walk the docks to check out so many of the incredible vessels at Shillshole. Once read a book and the author stated the way to find the fastest boats in the marina is to look for the tallest mast. Well in this maria they have very tall mast dating 100 years or more! However I decided to look for those vessels with the tall mast and take a look.

There is a tall mast on the T-head

Need a lot of crew for all the winches on this 76'+ vessel

Not necessarily a tall mast or fast boat but obviously a well used cruiser who has seen its time in Puget Sound and beyond perhaps.

Speed and Looks

This nearly 80' has a garage in the stern.

Found a picture of Cascadia at sail  on the Marine Traffic site.

Every evening we would break for the sunsets

Finally I tested Negative and so we get to visit the grandkids at their birthday party at a picturesque farm in the foothills of the cascades.

And then later a visit to the grandkids in their back yard and another walkabout in their neighborhood:

9 year old tricks!

Climbing trees runs in the family

Sunny Days in Seattle

The flight home can extend your Pacific Northwest Quarantine Vacation

There are just a two or three people in our family that have not had covid, my son said he was confined to his home office for the duration of his covid experience, he said our quarantine was better then most peoples vacations.