Day 440 FINALLY!!!

Finally it happened!!  We had wind to sail and not just 5 or 10 knots.  Oh no, we had 20 to 30 knots of wind!!! Yes, that's right, we actually got to put up the sails and progress through the water without an engine running!

We awoke to wind coming right into Port Browning and didn't even bother to have breakfast before we upped the anchor and set out.  Other sailboats were ahead and behind us.  All trying to get out while the wind was good.  Once we rounded Gowlland Point off South Pender Island, up went the mainsail with a reef just to try the waters and see what they had in store of us. 

We headed Southwest down Boundary Pass with lots of other boats--both power and sail all around us.  Some of the sailboats had up some sails and some were bare pole.  With our reefed mainsail(you don't put it all up, only about 90%) we rolled out some of the Genoa sail.  That's the big sail at the bow.  We rolled out about 30% to allow us to make some headway toward weather.  Not enough, so out came more till we had out 60% of it.  Off we went heeling to starboard and getting to speed of over 9 knots.  The wind grew and big container ships started coming up the channel toward us.  As we reached Turn Point on Stuart Island, we rolled in all the Genoa and put up the Forestaysail--actually is more like a Jib sail but farther inboard.  It was perfect.  We dodged the first ship at the point and kept tacking down the pass. 

On came another container ship.  Off to the left we went to avoid him.  The first time we passed by Turn Point many month ago, we got passed by a freighter on each side of us.  We went right between the two of them.  Let me tell you, those boys are BIG!!  You stay out of their way at all costs.

We were now on the South side of Stuart Island heading down Spieden Channel just North of Roche Harbor where we had to check into US Customs.  The winds were still blowing in the mid 20 knot range and we were not looking forward to heading into their docks in that kind of wind.  I called the customs office at Friday Harbor(larger local office) to see if we could just drop the anchor in the harbor and wait a while for the wind to drop.  The answer was NO.  You have to go to the customs dock before you ever drop and anchor on US soil, even if the soil is under water.  We passed lots of large kayaks as they played just North of the entrance to the harbor.  We dodged other boats--some sailboats with just a bit of sail up and a lot of power boats coming in.  Tracy went on deck and put on the fenders and dock lines once we entered the harbor while I zigged and zagged around avoiding everyone.   It is sure a lot busier now than when we were here late last year.   

We scoped out the customs dock(while avoiding other boats heading for the marina) and just got lucky as a large power boat left just as we got there.  In we went, and with the help of three kind souls on the dock, got all tied up.  The wind had dropped some but was now in the direction that pushed us away from the dock.  Never a fun thing.

The rules are as follows when you come into the customs dock.  Tie up.  Only the "Skipper" gets off the boat and brings all necessary documents(passports, documentation papers for the boat, the decal number for customs that you MUST(they get huffy if you don't have it coming into the US) get before you ever leave the US.  No drivers license is required.  I keep all this information in a clear folder so that I have it all together when I need it.  

Then the questions start: How many on board?  Any liquor?  What did you spend while out of the US?  How long were you gone?  Any fresh vegetables or fruits?  Pets?  Do you have any meat--goat or lamb on board.  Where is your home?  Telephone number?  Where do you normally keep your boat?--Now this one sort of stumped me, as being "cruisers", we don't keep Zephyr any one particular place.  Once I told him that, he said that was fine and made the appropriate notations to our file.  Once we were checked in, Tracy took down the Canadian flag we have to fly as long as we were in Canadian waters.  The agent commented that Tracy understood the correct procedure on taking down the flag.  I guess most don't realize that until you are checked in with customs, you are still out of the country as far as they are concerned.  All in all, they couldn't have been nicer.  We talked to another of the agents before we cast off and he commented about the winds outside that harbor.  He'd been told by another sailor that the winds were up to 50 knots.  Glad we missed that gust.  We told him how much fun we had had just getting to sail for a change.  He told us we made the power boaters look bad just being out there playing.

We were heading for Garrison Bay just South of Roche Harbor but he suggested we go around Henry Island rather than go through Mosquito Pass.  It would be much safer for our boat.  So off with the dock lines and out we went.  Back into the wind and around Henry Island.  As we headed down the West side of it, we saw another sailboat heading North going downwind with his spinnaker sail up.  Now in 10 knots of wind, that's one thing, but he was doing it in 25+ knots of wind.  Now that guts and a far more experienced sailor than the two of us are so far.  We've spent most of our sailing lives doing up wind sailing rather than downwind sailing.  Another boat was sailing downwind with his Genoa and mainsail out on either side of his boat. That's called "Wing and Wing".  

Once South of Henry Island, we headed into the pass to Garrison Bay but found it quite congested with boats so we went just a bit farther and ended up in Wescott Bay(48 35.817N  123 09.172W).  Down went the anchor but it ended up being just a bit to shallow so up it came again and we chose a better spot.  Down she went and into the muddy bottom which was good because the wind was still blowing even in this protected harbor.  The DuoGen loved it.

We tidied up the deck--stowed the forestaysail and tied down the mainsail and we were set for the afternoon, what was left of it.  We got into Roche about 1330 and made it into Wescott about 1530 so it was time for some relaxation to let the bodies relax after an actual day of sailing.

It was strange working on deck in that kind of wind.  I felt very much at home out there.  A feeling of almost calm came over me as I sat out there setting up the sails.  All was well and right at that moment.  I was where I was supposed to be.  Out in the winds and waves, one with them and Zephyr.  It was as great day for all of us(except the furr people).