Patrick, Susan and Jonathan needed to go home to tend the vineyard they have, which left Marian and I on our own to enjoy Northern California. Our first task was to rent a car and get the fuel leak fixed. I walked the short distance to the Chandlery and entered the store. I met the owner, Steve, and started to ask him if he had any Permatex, a sealant I was going to try to fix the leak. As I was asking I then realized what I should do was describe my problem and see if he knew anyone that could fix it. As I described my fuel leak to Steve I noticed another gentleman standing in the store. When I finished my long winded story, Steve pointed at the gentleman and said “Here’s your man, meet Dennis, our mechanic”. I shook his hand and we started to discuss the problem. Much to my delight Dennis said he could look at it right away and with any luck it would be fixed within the hour. So we ran down to the boat and Dennis crawled into the engine room. We soon realized we needed a bigger wrench to fit the fitting, so off to ACE hardware to buy three new wrenches, a 1 and a quarter, a one and an eighth and a one inch wrench now grace my tool bag! Returning to the fitting we pulled it off and found that a brass nipple had been cut down by about an inch, perhaps so the fitting would fit flush against the top of the supply manifold? The effect of cutting an inch of thread off a compression fitting was it was guaranteed to eventually leak, it was just a question of time. Why the boat manufacture did this is beyond me? I think perhaps the fitting is used in other parts of the boat and someone grabbed this one and put it in a configuration it wasn’t designed for. To make a long story short, Dennis had to assemble and disassemble that thing 3 times to get it to stop leaking. It also required us to purchase 3 different parts to get it to stop completely. In the end it cost about $200 for parts and labor, not bad considering it could have been much worse.
With the fuel system leak fixed we were able to move the boat down the harbor and get away from Miss Sarah. Tying up next to Paloma at the furthest south mooring was a delight. We could hear the surf and smell the ocean from our slip, which became our home for the next 6 days, as we waited out a series of Pacific storms that had the offshore seas really beat up. During this time we toured the town, went for walks along the beach and finally went for a drive in the Redwoods.
As we were driving down 101 Marian announced “I’ve been here before, this all looks so familiar”. Well sure enough, not more than 10 minutes later we came around a bend and there was the biggest Paul Bunyan and Babe you’ve ever seen. Marian was beside herself as she said “this is it, this is where we stopped years ago when my Dad took us to Disneyland”. She then recounted stories of her brother Mike and how he could mimic the voice of Paul Bunyon “HELLO DOWN THERE, WHO’S SITTING ON MY SHOE?”. It was delightful to hear Marian recall her childhood and affirm how great the memories of her parents’ trips were. Well, we HAD to pull over to see Paul and Babe and to tour the Mysteries of the Woods Park. As we got out of the car, what do we here? “HELLOW DOWN THERE, WHO’S SITTING ON MY SHOE?”. Sure enough, nothing has changed in the 25 years since they made this trip. Paul is still there, as is Babe. 
So, after spending an hour or so at the park, we headed further into the Redwood forest. We returned home after 6 hours of driving and had a great nights sleep.
The rest of our time in Brookings was filled with more dinners on and off the boat, maintenance items and other tasks that kept us busy. Busy enough that we had a hard time getting these stories down. One event did occur that has to be mentioned. Patrick and Susan had made a decision to buy a puppy for Jonathan. I really admire them for making this decision, because it’s a huge commitment for all three of them. Clearly they are doing this because they know Jonathan would benefit from a dogs companionship. They had chosen a Beagle as the dog of choice and a breeder was located about 60 miles up the coast in Bandon Oregon. So, when Patrick, Susan and Jonathan returned to the boat we took a day to travel north and look at 18 puppies with the impossible task of having Jonathan select one for his very own.
We traveled in two cars and had a delightful trip. Actually finding the breeder was a bit of a challenge, but it gave us the excuse to drive down some driveways and see some of the most amazing houses and properties. Anyway we finally turn the corner and find the home of the breeder
We met Carol and she took us in to show us the puppies. To say Jonathan was in Puppy Heaven was an understatement. He was literally surrounded by puppies. Puppies to the left, to the right, in front of him, behind him, it was delightful. Susan and Patrick provided feedback on various attributes to look for, but honestly it was just about impossible to pick one from another. There were two that stood out. One was the smallest, the runt of the litter so to speak. Of course Jonathan had an attachment to it, but Patrick was able to describe that sometimes the runt isn’t a good choice and perhaps they should choose one of the puppies that was healthier. So, a few special puppies seemed to stand out. Two of the puppies had tan markings rather than the traditional tri color blend. One of the two tan puppies was spoken for, but the other was not. His name was Underdog. I was hooked, as were Jonathan and Susan. I think Patrick would have preferred a traditional color puppy, but he choose to let Jonathan exercise his choice and they decided Underdog was the one. Jonathan has decided to re-name him Scout and they will be getting him in about 6 weeks, just in time for FUBAR.
Seeing so many puppies was exhausting, so we went off to enjoy a wonderful lunch at Bandon Dunes a premier gold resort on the Oregon coast. Finally we got in our cars and returned home to the boats to settle in for the night. I think all of us dreamed of snakes, snails and puppy dog tails that night!
Finally we wrapped things up in Brookings, returned the rental cars, said goodbye to Dennis and Steve and headed for our next stop. Eureka.
With the fuel system leak fixed we were able to move the boat down the harbor and get away from Miss Sarah. Tying up next to Paloma at the furthest south mooring was a delight. We could hear the surf and smell the ocean from our slip, which became our home for the next 6 days, as we waited out a series of Pacific storms that had the offshore seas really beat up. During this time we toured the town, went for walks along the beach and finally went for a drive in the Redwoods.
As we were driving down 101 Marian announced “I’ve been here before, this all looks so familiar”. Well sure enough, not more than 10 minutes later we came around a bend and there was the biggest Paul Bunyan and Babe you’ve ever seen. Marian was beside herself as she said “this is it, this is where we stopped years ago when my Dad took us to Disneyland”. She then recounted stories of her brother Mike and how he could mimic the voice of Paul Bunyon “HELLO DOWN THERE, WHO’S SITTING ON MY SHOE?”. It was delightful to hear Marian recall her childhood and affirm how great the memories of her parents’ trips were. Well, we HAD to pull over to see Paul and Babe and to tour the Mysteries of the Woods Park. As we got out of the car, what do we here? “HELLOW DOWN THERE, WHO’S SITTING ON MY SHOE?”. Sure enough, nothing has changed in the 25 years since they made this trip. Paul is still there, as is Babe. So, after spending an hour or so at the park, we headed further into the Redwood forest. We returned home after 6 hours of driving and had a great nights sleep.
The rest of our time in Brookings was filled with more dinners on and off the boat, maintenance items and other tasks that kept us busy. Busy enough that we had a hard time getting these stories down. One event did occur that has to be mentioned. Patrick and Susan had made a decision to buy a puppy for Jonathan. I really admire them for making this decision, because it’s a huge commitment for all three of them. Clearly they are doing this because they know Jonathan would benefit from a dogs companionship. They had chosen a Beagle as the dog of choice and a breeder was located about 60 miles up the coast in Bandon Oregon. So, when Patrick, Susan and Jonathan returned to the boat we took a day to travel north and look at 18 puppies with the impossible task of having Jonathan select one for his very own.
We traveled in two cars and had a delightful trip. Actually finding the breeder was a bit of a challenge, but it gave us the excuse to drive down some driveways and see some of the most amazing houses and properties. Anyway we finally turn the corner and find the home of the breeder
We met Carol and she took us in to show us the puppies. To say Jonathan was in Puppy Heaven was an understatement. He was literally surrounded by puppies. Puppies to the left, to the right, in front of him, behind him, it was delightful. Susan and Patrick provided feedback on various attributes to look for, but honestly it was just about impossible to pick one from another. There were two that stood out. One was the smallest, the runt of the litter so to speak. Of course Jonathan had an attachment to it, but Patrick was able to describe that sometimes the runt isn’t a good choice and perhaps they should choose one of the puppies that was healthier. So, a few special puppies seemed to stand out. Two of the puppies had tan markings rather than the traditional tri color blend. One of the two tan puppies was spoken for, but the other was not. His name was Underdog. I was hooked, as were Jonathan and Susan. I think Patrick would have preferred a traditional color puppy, but he choose to let Jonathan exercise his choice and they decided Underdog was the one. Jonathan has decided to re-name him Scout and they will be getting him in about 6 weeks, just in time for FUBAR.
Seeing so many puppies was exhausting, so we went off to enjoy a wonderful lunch at Bandon Dunes a premier gold resort on the Oregon coast. Finally we got in our cars and returned home to the boats to settle in for the night. I think all of us dreamed of snakes, snails and puppy dog tails that night!
Finally we wrapped things up in Brookings, returned the rental cars, said goodbye to Dennis and Steve and headed for our next stop. Eureka.
The only down side to our arrival at Brookings was the presence of Miss Sara. Miss Sara is a 90’ commercial net boat. And boy did Sara stink. And boy did the seagulls and every other flying, pooping creature like Sara. The smell coming from that boat was terrible, but we were too tired to move. So we went to dinner and then went to bed. 
While we were making our way to shore for the next few more hours, our 3rd companion boat Wayward Wind decided to keep steaming ahead to Eureka, California. They had the luxury of two extra friends along, so their night shifts weren’t as bad as ours. But Susan, Jonathan and I needed a break from the rocking and rolling, and even tho’ the guys wanted to keep going, we convinced them that it would be a very bad idea. Mutiny could occur, and they weren’t willing to push it, thank goodness.
As Marian and I turned in for the night, a new set of crabbers arrived at the dock. Sure enough, they set up their crabbing arrangements right outside our bow porthole. So, as Marian and I fell off to sleep, we got to hear all the latest and greatest poop about Fred and Ethel of Coos Bay. Somehow it seemed a wonderful way to fall asleep. 
A bit about our traveling companions. Paloma is a 43’ Nordhavn owned and operated by Patrick, Susan and Jonathan Coonan. I mentioned before that Patrick and I met at several Trawlerfest events and thought that cruising together might be fun. 
We coordinated this departure date and time, but really this begins the first significant time we have spent together. Paloma is a beautiful ship, as well appointed as any you will ever see! We hope to cruise with Patrick, Susan and Jonathan for quite some time, so it will be very interesting to see how this works out. Wayward Wind is also a 43’ Nordhavn owned and operated by Bill and Linda Edwards. I met Bill and Linda at the preliminary FUBAR event in L.A. several months before. It was by sheer coincidence that we arrived in the same departure location at the same time. Bill and Linda were on their way back to L.A. after spending the summer voyaging to Alaska. They were picking up additional crew at Pt. Angeles and shipping their beloved dog home so as not to expose him to the rigors of a multi day passage in the ocean. Bill and Linda had a very different approach to the passage than Patrick and I, as they hoped to transit the coast as quickly as they could, rather than harbor hopping as we were hoping to do. So, the stage is set. 
The three boats departed right on time and began the trip down the strait. We agreed that no single boat would lead the way, but that we would simply steer individual headings and keep within eyesight of each other as we made our way west. For the most part we were within a half mile of each other, sometimes Way Ward wind at the lead, sometimes Paloma and sometimes Alanui. It was a relaxed, easy voyage the entire length of the strait. There were patches of kelp and fishermen here and there, but for the most part it was a milk runAs we progressed through the day Patrick and I discussd logistics and travel plans. We agreed that conditions were so good and the forecast so favorable that we would not stop in Neah Bay, but rather continue in the ocean with Bill and Linda to proceed directly to Astoria OR. I’ll take a moment to describe what goes into this planning. You see, you can start with an idea of what you want to do and accomplish, but you have to remain open to changing it as conditions dictate. Just as the presence of a bad forecast or winds could have stopped us from leaving in the morning, the incredibly favorable conditions and forecast for the next 24 to 48 hours caused us to modify our plans. We had previously planned on making very few night passages, and certainly not the first night. However, with a forecast and previous 12 hours that was so calm we realized it would give us tremendous advantage to go ahead with a night passage on this first day of cruising. There really wasn’t much to see along the coast of Washington and we were anxious to put some miles under the keel. We used our navigation software to play with different speed and arrival times and determined that if we continued through the night we could be in Astoria by noon the following day. We planned to stop in Astoria, and the idea of getting there a day or two early was really appealing. So, we put a radio call into Bill and Linda telling them they would have company this evening.There are defining moments in every voyage. Major turning points that mark significant events, some are bigger than others, but each unique in its own way. Tatoosh Island is a windswept rock at the furthest point Northwest on the continental U.S.. 
For us it marked the turning point South and our entrance into the Pacific Ocean. You actually feel the rollers of the Pacific long before reaching Tatoosh, but this is where you’re really IN the ocean. Often your insurance policy will state that this is where your coverage ENDS! As we approached Tatoosh I swung Alanui around to get some good pictures of Paloma and Wayward wind.For me this was a very important moment as this was the first time Marian and I were outside the Puget Sound operating the boat. We have spent a lot of time preparing for this, but it’s never enough. We prayed for calm weather and good experiences to see us through this important phase of our journey. I so wanted Marian to have a good experience. So far she had been doing just great! She had begun using her Scopolamine patches and had reported no signs of nausea. She warmed up some spaghetti which we both consumed rapidly. Marian hopped up in the pilot house and started to capture some of her thoughts on the computer. The long, slow swells under the boat caused enough motion that as Marian used the computer, she became sea sick. She exited the pilot house to get some fresh air just in the nick of time. I remember watching her bend over the Portuguese bridge and I thought, oh no, this can’t be, is she really getting sick! It was my worst fear. We had voyaged in the Puget Sound for years and Marian had been able to fight off seasickness, often by going to sleep. We hoped the Scopolamine would do the trick. What we learned later is that even though you have a Scope patch on, you still have to manage the symptoms of seasickness very carefully. The combination of fixing and eating dinner, then trying to use the computer proved too much. We agreed that in the future will be pay very close attention to this and not simply assume the Scope patch will solve everything. Oh, note to self, make certain to discuss the use of the leeward side of the boat, rather than the windward side when dealing with seasickness.As Marian settled into the saloon to sleep off the effects of the nausea, I captured the picture below, of our first sunset at sea.As the sun sank I started to prepare the boat for night operations. This means dimming all the lights and paying very close attention to RADAR, cartography, autopilot headings and so forth. Loosing your ability to see while operating your boat at night is something that takes time to get comfortable with. I was also very anxious to see how my investment in an Infrared camera was going to pan out. I spent about $12,000 to buy a FLIR Mariner camera and a 19” Nauticomp display. My rationalization was it would pay for itself if it enabled me to dodge crab pots at night. At first I thought it was going to perform very well, but as I compared my visual picture with the IR picture I realized the technology has limitations that were going to prevent me from getting the kind of capabilities I’d hoped for. While you can see waves, birds and other objects, time and time again I’d approach a crab pot and only be able to pick it up on the display because I saw if visually first. Had I been just looking at the screen it would have been very, very difficult to see them in time to avoid running over them. Regardless, the technology is good and there are numerous other benefits it will provide. Common practice is to divide the day and night into “watches” and rotate crew through the responsibility of piloting the ship. There are many reasons to do this and often an insurance company will require you to have adequate crew onboard to insure a night can be transited with each member only standing one watch. I didn’t feel that Marian and I could adopt this approach right away because both of us are still building experience. Asking her to take command of the ship for more than an hour or two at night was asking too much. The approach I was adopting was to make certain I got rest during the day and that Marian headed off to bed as early in the evening as possible. I’d man the helm to the point where I knew I could go down for an hour or two of sleep and then turn it over to Marian. I knew if we tried to adopt a “watch” schedule I’d simply lay there in my bunk worrying about Marian being at the helm alone. On the other hand, if I stood watch to the point of really being tired, I could insure I’d go right off to sleep and get enough rest to then make it through the rest of the night. The risks of this approach were that I’d make some dumb mistake associated with being very tired. Well, this was my plan and I was commited to implement it. So, with Marian in bed I watched the helm until about 1:00am. At this point I woke Marian and she took the helm. I collapsed in the saloon and fell fast asleep. About an hour later I heard some radio chatter between Bill and Patrick and that woke me up. I sent Marian back to bed and watched the helm until Marian woke about 8 or 9. All in all watching the helm that night was not very difficult. I had enough to keep me occupied and I was very satisfied with the result. 
As the sun rose we had calm seas and almost no wind. Alanui, Paloma and Wayward droned on into the daylight. 
Patrick Coonan, his wife Susan & 7 year old son, Jonathan, arrived that evening after a rough day at sea. They had left Edmonds that morning and spent most of the trip in dense fog. It was difficult since they needed to cross through the traffic lanes of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Then, the winds picked up and tossed them to and fro’ for a very uncomfortable ride. Poor Jonathan actually got sick after passing Point Wilson. Not a fun day for them at sea, and I think they were pleased when they finally made it to Port Angeles.
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.
