Haul out time! PCA Gold has lasted well.

On recent trips I've been appalled to see heavy slime on the hull of Aeolus. She is no racer, but I abhor the thought of extra drag on her efficiency. I looked closer and even saw barnacles on the part of the rudder that the prop wash hits. No Way!

I dove on the prop to scrape off the barnacles on the rudder and a few off the prop as well. Doing this in the Salish Sea means getting into 50 degree water and let me tell you, it's cold! I wear a farmer john wetsuit and a swimmers cap, and that is just enough. I'm too cheap to get a full suit and booties and all that for my occasional dives on the boat. I find the hardest part is the first minute. Once the arms and neck freeze, it's fine!

So it is time to haul out. I have been using West Marine PCA Gold for the past several paintings and have been happy with it. It has been two years since our last haul out and during that time we have done a 900 mile circumnavigation of Vancouver Island and a trip to Princess Louisa. Several thousand miles of water over the hull and it is just now wearing out.

I will also reapply the lanocote I have found effective on the prop. I get a long period of clean prop from lanocote in this way.

I'm also looking forward to hauling out in Port Townsend for the first time. I used to always haul at Jensens in Friday Harbor. A great local shop that I loved supporting, and had advantages. For one, and most importantly, you could work on your own boat!

Port Townsend also allows you to work on your own boat, and for us DIY sailors this is essential. All the yards in Anacortes make you pay them to do your paint or anything, and that is both expensive and absurd. So long as tarps are used there is no reason a professional is any safer for the environment than a DIY. And I know I do a better job as it pained me last time to watch someone else apply my paint.

So hauling will give me an excuse to traverse the eastern Straits again, which is always guaranteed to provide surprises and beauty. I'm not planning to do any major work or surgery, but you never know do you?

Tumbo Island never disappoints!

For Memorial Day my family took off for Tumbo as we have the past several years. This was our first voyage from Anacortes. It turned out to be a bit longer, but also more scenic, compared to the trip from Friday Harbor. It was right about 30 miles to Tumbo on a straight line.

Like a space ship approaching a distant world

It was ebbing on Saturday as we began our journey north. I am still learning the peculiarities of the currents there on the eastern side of the San Juans. You more or less avoid the main channels and try to catch eddies wherever possible. We made our way north and enjoyed the immense beauty of Lummi Island and Cypress. What grand places.

Dinner!

There is something magical about Boundary Pass that goes beyond the international boundary. In fact, the only reason it is the international boundary is because it is so special! As a large gap between otherwise thickly packed islands, it is both a major water drainage and transportation corridor. Whenever we cross it we know we will be accompanied by harbor porpoises and seals. We have seen Dalls porpoises as well, but not in years.