Trip to Jarrell Cove from new home port in Olympia with South Sound Sailing Society

Since moving Aeolus down to her new home in Olympia we have been busy with life and work and not going out, which is a shame but understandable given the incredible and lengthy time aboard this past summer. On a recent trip to the Optometrist she told me about the South Sound Sailing Society and we joined them on a trip to Jarrell Cove this weekend as our first overnight get away from our new slip at Swantown. The club has both racing and cruising folks, and organizes a number of cruises over the course of the year.

Calm seas going and coming were welcome. This is in Case Inlet. 

We left Swantown after a lazy Saturday morning, and didn't depart until 10:30 or so. Would have left later but the current in Dana Passage was turning to flood around 12:30 and we didn't want to make the trip any longer than it already was. The wind was calm, and there was ground level fog and mist throughout the day. Flat grey world.

Aeolus, of course, is well suited to these conditions since I can steer from inside the warmth of the nicely heated cabin. The trip from Oly at 5-6 knots takes about 3 hours or so, depending on currents. You have to go around Harstene the long way since the State engineers built the bridge to Harstene with a clearance of only 31 feet!!! Don't know the laws really well but had assumed it was illegal to impede the navigation of waterways. Because of this obstruction, you have to go the long way around which adds no small amount of distance. I don't have an exact number but it is certainly an hour or so.

It felt so deeply good to be on Aeolus, watching the landscape slide by unchanging in the grey. We had quite a sighting of harbor seals and sea lions in Case Inlet. Nice to see the megafauna down south here. Must be plenty of fish for the sea lions to hang around. As always, we leave screens behind and passengers typically alternate between napping and reading while we are underway. Much needed.



We joined about six other club members at the Jarrell Cove docks. There are a tone of mooring balls in the cove, and maybe a few small spots to anchor. We never use docks since we typically go places where there aren't any or because we prefer the solitude and quiet away from docks. I also really notice and enjoy the motion of a boat at anchor. The slow pivots and changing views of the stars imparts the impression of a greater movement cosmically, which I enjoy.

The gathering of fellow cruisers from the club was a ton of fun. On the Saturday the event organizer did a fantastic job and we had the annual dinghy race around a mooring ball and back. Though the competition was veteran and stiff, Amy and Owen took home the championship! Owen rowed blindfolded while Amy navigated. Evidently they had some clever signaling systems that they both understood, which kept them from yelling out things like " Go left!" and "The other left!".

The lovely trophy, kept for the year and to be defended!

We had a chili dinner and potluck of other tasty things. Stories were told, lies were spread thinly, and everyone knew they were lucky to be there. Jarrell Cove park itself is pleasant enough in a domestic way. You can drive to it, so that makes it of a sort we don't prefer, but it's nice enough. Even has heated bathrooms. There is a small loop trail you can hike but it has lacked trail maintenance in too many years as it is flooded for great lengths. The park should ask the Washington Trails Association if they could arrange some trail work to address the drainage issues they have. Easily solvable by their expertise.

SV Jolly Rumbalow a lovely C&C 34 making good time on the way home

We came back in what turned out to be 10-15 knots of wind and motored since it was on the nose. Some faster boats, like a lovely C&C 34 sailed and did not fall far behind. The forecast had warned of winds 20-30 knots but we didn't get that. And the day lacked rain and was only partly cloudy. Altogether a perfect day for traveling the South Sound! Warm by January standards, probably around 50, and just enough wind for fun if wanted to sail, but not so much it was lumpy if you motored.

We needed to get away in the same way we always do. Boat sleep and no distractions from home, screens or the news. We played Uno, and read. Just breathing the fresh salty air makes us happy. Thank you Space Ship Aeolus for yet another restorative journey. There are many more little pocket anchorages to explore while Aeolus is down South here. She and we will always long for the northern waters and the wildness they provide, but South Sound does not lack for places to spend a lovely evening.