The Daring Duo stayed at Posey Island Tuesday night, after a chaotic navigation through Roche Harbor, jammed with Holiday Boaters and a less than cheerful greeting from US Customs.
They left Posey Island at 7:00 AM yesterday and Alan Randall and I were waiting for their return at Washington Park, just West of the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. I picked them up coming out of Thatcher Pass, South of Blakely Island as they began to cross Rosario Strait. They hit Rosario with an Ebb tide and we could see that mid channel was looking pretty gnarly. As they hit the main part of the channel, their cross channel progress turned into a "We're Heading to Victoria" direction. We watched them through the binoculars till we lost site of them as they sailed past out of site, south of Washington Park. About 30 minutes later they rounded the corner, close to shore and pulled into the gravel beach amid Champagne, cheers and tears. I asked Sue what that ride felt like and she responded, it was a bit rough, but OK.
We gave them a complimentary glass of Champagne, before their feet hit the water and then big hugs all the way around, and that was when we noticed they had lost some weight. I think Sue and Robin would easily qualify as Lightweights now.
After we unloaded Barbara, we pulled the duct tape off from the inside and saw that the damage from the grounding was more extensive than cosmetic. The interesting thing is that there isn't corresponding damage on the outside. But on the inside you can see when the force of the pounding exposed thewood. Barbara's bottom looks scrapped as you might expect and had a lot of barnacles that had started to grow. But nothing that some more sanding and paint won't take care of.
On the ride home I started to hear some of the stories that I'm sure will slowly trickle out over time. Like meeting Bob and Marilyn Hale the couple who publish the wonderful Waggoner Cruising guide and the Crew of the Coastal Messenger, a modern day continuation of the famous Mission Ships that
provided Religious services up and down the BC coat for more than a hundred years.
We will get the "trip" pictures up soon.
