Day 11, August 28, 2007, Roche Harbor, San Juan Island to Port Angeles WA

We got up after sleeping in a bit and prepared the boat to leave. We said our goodbyes to Jackie and Carter who wished us a nice farewell. While we were leaving the harbor we got a little bit blue and suddenly felt lonely for our girls. We were really leaving, and it hit us both sadly. We both decided that the first moment we get cell-phone reception, we’ll call our girls. We dried our eyes and pushed forward to make way for Port Angeles. The weather was incredible and the Straits of Juan de Fuca were as calm as could be. We really lucked out. I took the helm while Scott showered, and I have to say, it was quite fun being in charge.

We arrived in Port Angeles around 2:00, and realized how hungry we both were. I made some grilled sandwiches and then noticed that there was another Nordhavn in the marina. It was Bill & Linda Edwards on Wayward Wind, and Linda recognized Scott immediately. They had met at the FUBAR meeting down in California months earlier. Linda advised that we rent a car in order to go shopping in town since it was too far away. So that’s what we did. We walked about a mile into town, rented a car, came back, got our laundry, took it to a Laundromat, went grocery shopping, went back to the Laundromat to put the stuff in the dryer, then back to the boat to unload the groceries, had a bite to eat for dinner, then back to the Laundromat to fold the clothes and bring them home. We both were exhausted from all of the walking, and so it felt especially great when we crawled into bed that night.

-Admiral Marian

As Marian mentioned above, this was a particularly challenging day. Today the enormity of this decision hit me like no other. As we left Roche Harbor I was overwhelmed thinking about our children, family and friends we were leaving behind. I mention these things because this is really the hardest thing about leaving. Leaving our daughters with their new husbands, Marian’s sisters and brothers all with nieces and nephews is very difficult. This is the hard part about this journey. Sure we say we will be home soon, but we won’t be there on weekends to cook them dinner, or bring them soup if they are sick, or offer then a warm bed to sleep in if they find themselves between apartments or houses. Yes we are a phone call away, but it’s not the same. My only solace in this realization is that part of our motivation to do this now is so we can be there for our children when they become parents. This is a 2 or 3 year journey at most, it’s not an open-ended trip that will continue on and on. We want to be grandparents and support our children the way our parents supported us. So, doing this now is part of being there when they will really need us. Anyway, I must say our harts weighed heavy as we left Roche Harbor and headed for Port Angeles and the beginning of our real journey. I shed more than one tear as I reflected on all this.
While I’m thinking about it, there are two other people that stand out as people I’ll miss. Carter Miller and Jim Lewis are like family to me. Carter, a former SR71 pilot and test pilot for Lockheed spent much of his life in the military, as did my father. A few years my senior, I look up to Carter in many ways. He moved is wife Jackie and dog Stolie to Semiahmoo a few years ago and loves it. He has adopted Washington as his new home. Carter is a gourmet chef and always selects fantastic places to eat. He has taken to boating like a fish to water and is as passionate about it as anyone I know. If there was an ocean going trawler that could also make 20 knots and fit in a 40’ slip, Carter would jump on it. As it is, he has lived his life at Mach 3 and just can’t see slowing down to 7 knots. I do think in time Carter will get a larger, slower boat, but it won’t be until he sees himself slowing down as well, something I think is a long way off!
And now for Jim Lewis. If there was anyone in the world that is as close to me as a brother, it’s Jim. Jim is the most selfless, giving and caring man I know. He’s a bit of a mad scientist type, calling to ask me “where can I buy a bed?” Well Jim, you can buy a bed at Sears, The Bon, Eddie Bauer and on and on. Sometimes with the simple things Jim just doesn’t connect the dots. Or maybe it’s easier to call me because he knows I’ll know how to save some time looking for it? Regardless, Jim is also one who is there to help whenever someone needs it. He has offered over and over to meet me at the boat and accomplish a dirty, thankless task. He has helped rescue my daughter from being stranded on a freeway, taken family photos of a group of 30, participated in a deliver up the coast with Mike Maurice and a number of other things to numerous to mention. Jim is as close to me as anyone I know, and I will miss our afternoon coffee meetings at Starbucks. Ok, enough of that, on to the adventure!

-Skipper