With ants in our pants to go cruising, now that our AC repairs, other upgrades and maintenance are done, we set off for a local cruise once again. The official excuse -not that we truly need one- was to check and ensure that Enfin is ready for the next upcoming trips.
The weather forecast was for strong SE winds, so we decided we'd go hide in Reid Harbor on Stuart Island. We love this beautiful State Park, and going back would also close a chapter: It was in Prevost, on the other side of the island, that we learned of my Dad's passing.
The beautiful sunshine of the first day soon was replaced with blustery skies, with wind gusts making their way to the small dock.
Initially we had neighbors at the dock who were also seeking shelter from the storm, but they left at first opportunity, leaving us to continue and enjoy the bay for ourselves.
One of the neighbor was a Nordhavn 43, a real nice couple, who'd just bought their boat and were enjoying the area. They had just upgraded their anchor to a modern Rocna, and offered us their "old" Delta at a price we couldn't refuse. The Delta is a generation more modern than our old Bruce: Now I'll have to find a way to fit it on our bow roller. One more job to do back in Anacortes when we get back.
Enfin performed flawlessly during the storm, our usual little cocoon of warmth and safety so we're now looking forward to heading South towards Mexico.
The first main stop will be Portland, where I'll leave for France for my 2 year end of treatment CT scan. We intend to take our time, probably exploring Puget Sound first. In the five years we've been in the region we never made it down there, always preferring the Islands or British Columbia. We figure we can't leave the area without at least having a look!
After Puget Sound we'll head West to Neah Bay, the extreme NW point of continental USA, before heading down to Astoria.
That will mean doing the passage across the mouth and bar of the Columbia river again. We always treat the bar with lots of respects, so we will make sure to have time in Neah Bay to wait for the best possible weather window and timing to cross it.
Once the gale passed over us, we made our way back to Anacortes. The route was a little more crowded than usual, probably a sign that the better weather is arriving. A lot of ferries!
The verdict is in: Enfin and crew are ready to start heading South. We'll finish a few last minute things here before we resume our cruise.
Let's head South!
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