of course i'd planned my spot accounting for the 15' tide, but of course the boat swings around on its long rode (which in effect gets longer when tide goes out), the bay bottom isnt uniform, and now here i was stuck, stern-first.
OK i could wait for tide to come back in (which was happning slowly as we speak), but impatient, i went to the bow (which was free), leaned way out, tugged gently on rode, and sure enuf this weight redistribution was enuf to free us.
Next shock was i only had a half-tank o gas! Remember i filled last-thing yesterday. (Despite being super-careful, I even got a polluting terminal spluge out of the spout, into the water, which was embarrassing. This whole process is so crude: there must be a better way. ) It must'v been filling too fast. Nothing to do but return and try again. Which is what i did. (Sign on the wall there: "Boating is like standing in a cold shower, in front of a fan, tearing up $100 bills.") And then off!
Another grey day, flat sea, which predictably got rougher as i approached the ocean. Today was an important day that i'd worried about. Tho i'd been in what i call "Big Water" before on this trip. this would be the only day that i was actually out on the unobstructed Pacific Ocean as i poked out around Cape Caution. (Surely the name could be worse.)
Grey days are for some reason scary to begin, the foreboding. I hadnt been able to get a weather report: no cell, and weather radio channels were un-readable as well. On the other hand, weather reports really dont mean too much, cuz it's different everywhere and changes all the time. All i could do was go out and see for myself. If it was too bad, i'd poke into some cove somewhere & wait it out. Or die. Or something.
The waves were 5', big to the point of roller-coaster, with additional possibility of drowning. video:
But like anything else scary that goes on & on, when nothing actual bad happens, it must be ok, i can handle this. All the way past Cape Caution and into Fitz Hugh Sound. And the sun came out.
Finally stopped mid-afternoon when i ran out of charts, need to plan. Headed toward an anchorage listed in the Cruising Guide, but spotted a cute alternative on the way, tiny, empty (like everything out here), & with character. 2 videos:
1 comment:
This flat glassy video is just beautiful. I guess for ‘cruising’ that would be the preference. But if drowning is on your list of possibilities, I suppose the 5 foot waves would be the way.
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