It has to happen sooner or later for every long-term couple.  Has it happened to you?  In our case it only took twelve years.  Lisa and I gave each other the same greeting card for our anniversary on Sunday, both purchased at the same store.  How funny!

Speaking of anniversaries, for our anniversary Lisa and I went to Rosario Resort on our sailboat Syntony.  And because the winds were predicted to be stronger than our comfort zone, we asked Gary (work associate and longtime sailor) and his wife Wendy to accompany us on our outing, and they did.

We had a wonderful time sailing on Syntony.  Yes, you read that right, sailing.  We sailed the whole way home from Rosario Resort and it was fabulous.  Gary learned to sail from his father Tom.  Tom sailed at the San Diego Yacht Club and was named Yachtsman of the year in 1972.  Tom taught Dennis Conner how to sail (How funny is that!).  Dennis won the America’s Cup four times in the 1970-80’s.  Needless to say, Lisa and I received a good education from Gary.

I have cut short the life of my two tomato plants, but not before they offered up some fruit.  The tomatoes became too wild and unmanageable.  Although, they were simply doing what they are suppose to do... grow in size, but the gardener didn’t know how best to prune them as they got taller and bushier.  I have since become educated and I’m starting over.

And finally, getting caught up on our trip to Corvallis and Philomath a few weeks ago to see Kevin and Janet.  On our way through Albany we stopped at King Cone (a long time family tradition) and grabbed a couple of ice cream cones.

On Friday night we enjoyed the company of the Cornelius clan.  Hey, who’s that little girl attempting to get into the grownup’s picture?

K&J took us out to Finley Wildlife Refuge on Saturday for a walk on the boardwalk.  The boardwalk was built in honor of Janet’s father, Homer Campbell.

I went into work yesterday and cleaned out my office.  It’s hard to describe the emotions I was feeling.  I’ll simply leave it at that.

Thursday was my last day in the office of Public Works at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.  When I got home from work on Thursday, Lisa had “Celebration” music playing in the house, and grabbing my arm, we twirled around for a quick dance.  I had requested from my supervisor that I not be given any recognition when I left.  I simply wanted to go quietly, and I did.  So when I got home to find things not so quiet, I was completely surprised.  Thank you Lisa for celebrating my departure from government service.

I have mixed emotions about leaving.  One of the great things about the job was working with numerous good contractors.  Many were excellent, hardworking, and honest people.  One of the contractors I have especially enjoyed working with over the years sent me an email this week:

“I was surprised to learn that you will be leaving NAVFAC soon. You will be greatly missed.

I have sincerely enjoyed working with you these past few years and have always found you to be knowledgeable, reasonable and perhaps most importantly, fair. You have been a key advocate for Valdez Construction and I (we) have always greatly appreciated your desire to be unbiased and to see both sides.

In case I don't see you before you go, I wish you the best in whatever new endeavors you choose after NAVFAC. It has been a pleasure to know you.”

Ian called us a few months ago and asked if Lisa and I would be willing to host an outing on the sailboat (Syntony), in the San Juan Islands, for him and some of his buddies.  That request was the catalyst that got us focused on getting the boat prepared for this year’s sailing; scrubbing down the interior and putting a new coat of oil on the teak woodworking, replacing the foam in all the cushions, cleaning the fabric, refinishing exterior sun damaged woodwork, etc.  When the boys showed up at the sailboat on the afternoon of April 7th, Syntony was ready for its first getaway of the year.  Lisa stocked the galley with tons of food and paper products, had installed new carpet runners for the floor, provided towels, sleeping bags and pillows for everyone (what a great hostess).

Our first destination was Rosario Resort on Orcas Island.  Since there was little wind we motored along the east side of Blakely Island, turned west through Obstruction Pass, and then north into East Sound, arriving at Rosario Resort late in the afternoon.  Because of light winds we had no difficulty docking the sailboat.  Getting into, or out of, a boat slip is one of the most challenging things one can do when piloting a sailboat, especially with any kind of wind.

We had dinner in the lounge, listening to a very skilled piano player who seemed to use every black and white key in front of him, moving up and down the scales with ease.  It was great fun listening to him play.  Rosario Resort offers a fabulous deal for boaters who come in the off season.  Free use of the spa and exercise facilities.  And that is what we did the next morning.  We felt like resort guests, not just sailors mooraging for the night.  Once again, we found ourselves with no wind, so we motored south out of East Sound on our way to Friday Harbor, stopping at Picnic Bay to have lunch (how appropriate).

When we arrived at Friday Harbor the wind was blowing from the south.  We contacted the harbormaster and he said we could use any available slip on “G” dock to park our sailboat.  Slowly motoring down the fairway between “G” and “H” dock, I identified slip number 22 on my port side to dock the sailboat.  Miscalculating the strength of the wind I turned too late, and failing to give the boat enough power, the sailboat began, what turned out to be a slow 360 degree turn.  Men and boys, on the dock and on boats around us, were scrambling every which way and that to make sure we didn’t whack Syntony into the dock or into any unwary boats around us.  Miraculously, Syntony turned completely around.  Unscathed we continued nervously down the fairway looking for the next open slip.  Number 44 on our port side was in my sight.  This time I turned sooner, but still not soon enough.  Déjà vu.’  Similar events began to unfold before our panicky eyes.  The bow of the boat made it into the slip, but the stern picked up the wind and was passing beyond the dock and was going to take us out of the slip once again.  A young man on the dock witnessed what was happening and came to our rescue.  One of the boys quickly threw him the bow line and then most of the boys jumped off the sailboat onto the dock to manhandle Syntony into place.  Once Syntony was tied off we could all breathe a sigh of relief.  This was not my finest hour.  How embarrassing.  I still had a lot to learn about docking a sailboat in the wind.

When I checked in with the harbormaster, to register Syntony for the night, he asked what slip our sailboat was in.  I said, “Well we started to dock in slip 22 but ended up in slip 44.”  The confused looked on his face said it all.

The next morning BJ arrived on the 10:00 ferry from Anacortes.  BJ joined us on Syntony and we motored out of Friday Harbor heading east, then south between San Juan and Lopez Islands.  Our intent was to motor around the southern end of Lopez Island on our return trip to Anacortes, but we could see fog in the distance and turned around on a path that would take us around the north end of the island.

To get to Skyline Marina (where we keep the sailboat) you have to go through Burrows Pass, located between Burrows Island and Washington Park.  As we were motoring through Burrows Pass, Lisa, Erin (and baby Reagan), and Marie were in the park, on the hillside above us, waving and taking pictures.

When we got to the marina the girls got onboard and we took them for a quick trip around Burrows Island.  Returning to our slip on dock “D” I piloted Syntony into the slip like a professional.  Yes, I must appear like I know what I’m doing, especially when Lisa is around.
 

While we were on our outing in the islands, Lisa took the girls around the area and showed them the sights.  See picture below.

While sailing with "the boys" on our trip into the San Juan Islands, I picked up a sailing magazine from the marina.  The article from the magazine is below and talks about human ballasts.  Human ballasts are the members of a sailing crew who sit on the upper edge of the sailboat when the boat is heeled over and sailing in high winds.

SAN FRANCISCO - A group of protestors recently assembled outside the St. Vincent Yacht Club to protest treatment of race crews, specific all the subjugation of humans to the mind numbing humiliation of serving as human ballast during regattas.  Protestors carried signs reading "Meat is dead" and "People are people too" while marching alongside larger than life paper mache’ effigies of T-bone steaks wearing foulies, and links of sausage draped over a lifeline - images fast becoming symbols for the movement.

"It's just cruel," stated a protestor who asked not to be named.  "The treatment of rail meat is a global problem that has got to be addressed."  He went on to elaborate on the cramped conditions, inadequate time for activity and movement, cold and wet environment, and often inhumane treatment of race crews.  "Sometimes they are addressed simply as "Meat."  I mean, who does that?  I grew up on a farm and even the animals we ate had names."

In addition to raising awareness of the issue, the aim of the protest was to unveil "The Pledge," a list of recommended ethical on-board best practices for enlightened racing vessels.  Such practices include:

"Free range" crews should be allowed to stand and roam the vessel in order to forage and mate as they would in nature.
Use of only locally sourced, cruelty free winches and handles.
Empowerment focused, consensus-based decision making is to replace outdated power structure, designed to oppress the crew and bend them to the will of the skipper.
True "Vegan" crews may use no human ballast at all.
Ceasing the use of vessel crews for the testing of makeup, experimental drugs, and emerging profanities.

"We're in the process of submitting The Pledge to the ISAF for global implementation, but for now we're encouraging voluntary compliance and self-certification."  Skippers adopting the pledge will receive a framed certificate and a ribbon for participation that can be displayed in the place of awards for top finishes.

More information can be found on various activism blogs or in hand written notes tacked to the bulletin board at your local independent co-op.

The article is so nonsensical it needs no commentary from me.

This is what we have been seeing this week on our evening walk.  Lisa is pictured.

Chelsi, Eric, Aspen, Oakley, and Birch came out for a visit a few weeks ago.  We had a wonderful time with everyone and we got out of the house daily to see the sights.  See photos below.  Of course it rained every day, only clearing up the day after they left for Idaho.  Chelsi said she jinxed the weather.

Just prior to leaving Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2005, I penned a departure letter and sent it out to my HP friends and work associates.  My email was genuinely welcomed and I received numerous emails expressing gratitude for the things I had written.

I penned a similar letter for my departure from government service and sent a draft copy to a work associate, Gary Tobin, asking Gary to review the email before I sent it out.  Gary wrote back and said, “Don't send it.  People will be offended.”  I thought to myself, “Wow, people in government service need to get a life.  There is nothing negative about the letter, and how could they be offended.”

Not wanting to let the idea die I asked another work associate, Sara Lane, if she would read what I had written.  I told her what Gary had said and that it was important for me to know if she had a similar perspective.  After Sarah’s review she sent to me the following, “I really appreciate the sentiment, however I can see what Gary is saying.  Some people may misinterpret.  It’s not that it is offensive, but people extract from writing what they will.  Just as I extract a nice prompt to pick up and move on, others might extract a condemnation of who they are if they are stuck in a routine that they cannot exit for personal, medical, financial, or emotional reasons.  Individuals must come to a revelation on their own, just as you have.”

After talking with Lisa we decided it best that I not send out a departure letter this time.  I will quietly set sail into the sunset without any announcement of my leaving.

It is quite telling, the difference in response to basically the same expression, sentiment, and communication.  People in the private sector of business (HP) were advocates; those in government service would find reason to be offended.  Yes, quite telling.

Lisa went into the local Weight Watcher's facility to talk with them about signing up for their weight loss program.  Lisa is wanting to lose 10 pounds by our Hawaii trip in the fall.  Not surprising, they would not sign her up.  Even though Weight Watchers changed the enrollment rules, Lisa failed to meet the minimum maximum weight requirement.  Sorry dear, you look fabulous!

It has been a good month since I posted to our blog and I have a lot to catch up on.  Let’s begin with this story and in a few weeks I should become current.

The sun slowly melted into the grey horizon.  No orange, red, or pink colors would be visible in the sky this evening.  The lapping waters of Shallow Bay gave a slight rippled reflection of the darkening tree line along the shore of Sucia Island.  There we were, on a 34 foot sailboat called Libertas, having just finished a rough 16 nautical mile journey from Friday Harbor, barely able to believe this scene might become a regular occurrence.  Lisa and I sat in the cockpit of Libertas and thought, “So this is what sailing is all about?”

Libertas (meaning Roman goddess embodiment of liberty) is one of a number of sailboats in the fleet of Anacortes Yacht Charters.  The 34 foot Catalina was a comfortably sized boat for the four of us.  Mark Brown, our instructor, Austin Murphy, another student, and Lisa and me.  We were lucky to be onboard this particular sailboat.  In many respects it is similar to our 36 foot Catalina.

When Lisa and I tell people about our sailboat (named Syntony, meaning to be in harmony with nature) or our upcoming sailing travel plans, we always get a reaction: “Oh wow, that is so magical and amazing!”  On the one hand it can be pretty magical.  The San Juan Islands barely seem real, and that’s not even getting into the occasional dolphin, seal, or whale siting, or the pristine beaches hidden in remote coves.  But it can also be exhausting and cramped depending on sailing conditions and where we happen to be anchored.  Like almost any travel that takes you outside of your comfort zone, it’s worth it 95% of the time.

Sailing as a form of travel is pretty much like taking your house from place to place, kitchen (or galley, in sailor-speak) included.  Your house just happens to be the size of a large walk-in closet, and more often than not, it's rocking back and forth or tipping one way or another while sailing at a 30-degree angle.

Like any respectable Anacortes-style shoebox apartment that happens to be a sailboat, Libertas has a small galley.  Its got a two-burner stove and an oven that both run on propane and, generally speaking, work quite well.  The whole setup is gimbaled, meaning the stove and oven can rock counter to the boat’s movement, helping to prevent hot pans and spoons from going flying as the boat leans and rocks.  The sink had two faucets, one of which is connected to two 40-gallon tanks filled with freshwater.

Though the boat is relatively small, it has incredible built-in storage capabilities. Every bit of counter space visible in our little galley opened up to become storage for food, cooking supplies, spices, and more.  Food is also stored beyond the galley in a large space under the port settee (bench on the left hand side), or in a starboard cubby.  We quickly became accustomed to the fact that, on a boat, it makes perfect sense to have your clothes stored next to a basket of apples and oranges.

Lisa and I shared a bed in the front cabin of the boat.  Austin made his bed in the dining room (saloon) by dropping the table and adding a cushion on top, and Mark made his accommodations in the rear cabin located under the cockpit.

We began our adventure at 9:00 Friday morning at Anacortes Yacht Charters in a classroom setting.  Mark reviewed the parts of a sailboat, identifying parts of the sail, definitions, rules of the road, navigation, and sailboat safety.  At the end of the day we took the first of three 100 question exams, one taken each of the first three days.  Passing was 80% or better to get certified.  Lisa and I received similar test results (96, 97, 100), so similar you would have thought we had cheated, but we didn’t.  Like any respectable married couple we simply collaborated.  

After class we loaded our provisions on the sailboat, enough food and beverages to last the duration of our voyage.  Since we were “local” we chose to sleep in the comfort of our own bed that night, arriving back at the boat at 8:30 the next morning.

When you are new to sailing you think that you're going to sail off into a lovely sea of quietude and peace. We found this is profoundly untrue.  When we set sail the waters were calm and there was barely enough wind to maintain forward momentum.  By Monday the winds were blowing at a constant 25 knots and the waves were crashing over the bow of the boat and in our faces.  Our tranquility turned to fury.  When it comes to inclement weather, we learned that the sailboat can withstand a whole lot more than a person can withstand.  Sailboats are built for wind and wave and that’s why sailors love to sail and frown on motoring.  We had a lot to learn about sailing.

While we sailed and motored to Friday Harbor on Saturday (located on San Juan Island) we were educated on all things sailing.  We stopped and anchored off Spencer’s Spit (learning the fine art of anchoring) and made ourselves lunch.  Following lunch we unhooked the dingy from the sailboat and motored to dry land to stretch our legs and collect agates along the beach.

Arriving at the Friday Harbor Marina late in the afternoon, we tied the boat up to the dock, took our second written exam, and then had dinner in town with Austin.  Every time we have been to Friday Harbor we have not had a good dining experience.  We got a recommendation on Italian cuisine and tried it out.  Finally, a restaurant in Friday Harbor worth eating at!

Next morning we cooked our first meal using the stove and oven in the galley.  The galley is definitely a one person operation.  While eating breakfast we developed our sail plan for the day, checking current directions, winds, etc.  Hmmm, small craft wind advisories for later in the day, winds 15-25 knots.  Need to keep an eye on this development. 

The three of us students practiced docking the sailboat before sailing north from Friday Harbor to Sucia Island.  Lisa was first to motor from the harbor and position the boat alongside the designated mark on the dock, exactly on the mark.  Good job Captain Lisa!  Austin and I also followed suite hitting the designated mark on the dock.  Our instructor decided we didn’t need any more docking practice and we sailed out of the harbor for Sucia Island.

By early afternoon the wind had increased enough to make our sailing trip more, well, more interesting.  We were sailing “close to the wind” and moving forward at 7 knots (this is fast for our sailboat).  Mark to this time to instruct us on how to correctly set the sails in high winds to get maximum performance, and then when it got too rough, how to reduce the sails (reefing the sails) and make the ride more comfortable.

When we arrived to Sucia Island, Mark took the helm and motored the boat into Fox Cove.  Along the banks of Fox Cove wind and wave have sculptured the sandstone rock into some fascinating fissures.  Sucia Island is considered the crown jewel of the state's marine park system.  It is consistently ranked as one of the top boating destinations in the world.  After a lot of picture taking we continued west into Shallow Bay and tied up to a mooring buoy for the night.  Once again we unhooked the dingy from the sailboat and motored to the island take a look around.  Back on the sailboat we all pitched in to make dinner and then, as the day was coming to an end, we reviewed test questions and took our last exam.

Sleeping “out” is not as quiet as you might think.  Even though we were sheltered in a bay, the wind and waves caused any loose fitting, bracket, or line to slap at the boat to create an almost continuous noise throughout the night.

Before sailing out of Shallow Bay the next morning we got into our rain gear and put on or life jackets as the weather was going to be unpleasant.  You could see from the bay how turbulent the water was just a few hundred yards out, past the protection of the island.  Mark said it was going to be a great day for sailing (but not so great for a couple of us unseasoned sailors).

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before we were sailing in 25 knot winds and rain on our way back to Anacortes Marina.  The weather was actually good for learning how to tack (a maneuver by which the boat turns its bow into the wind through the “no-go zone” so that the direction from which the wind blows changes from one side to the other), and performing “man overboard” exercises.

When our boat was a half mile from the marina the wind picked up and we began to be subject to gusts of wind well above 30 knots.  One gust was so strong it broke the nylon line that was tied to the dingy, and off the dingy went.  Luckily we noticed it happen and Mark quickly turned the boat around.  Our man overboard training from earlier in the day was going to be utilized.  Mark would be at the helm piloting the sailboat, Austin would us the grappling hook to grab the dingy when it was beside the boat, I would take the hook once Austin had the dingy line, and Lisa would be the spotter and would provide assistance as needed.  

Because we were close to the marina we had all removed our life jackets and stored them below.  In reflection that was a mistake.  Once the dingy broke free from its line, things happened very fast and there was no thought given to putting our life jackets on again.  After a couple of failed attempts (if the dingy had been a person they would have been dead), and once the dingy was finally alongside the boat, Mark, Austin, and I were at the rails reaching over the boat.  Just then we were hit with a gust of wind, heeling the boat over, and we all began to head over the rails.  Lisa was quick enough to notice what was happening and grabbed on to me.  I was holding on to one end of the grappling hook while Austin held on to the other.  With his other hand, he held on to Mark.  We were all hanging on to each other.  In hindsight we can laugh about how comical it must have looked at the time.  In reality it could have ended quite badly, with three of us in the frigid waters of Fidalgo Bay and Lisa attempting to hastily put into practice what she had learned earlier in the day.

Once we were at the dock in the marina we added diesel to the boats fuel tank and sucked out the waste from the onboard waste tank.  Once done, Mark attempted to turn the boat around but no luck.  The wind was blowing so strong it made turning the boat around almost impossible.  After four attempts, and by manhandling the sailboat, we finally got the boat turned around and headed to our boat slip.  Because of the wind Mark couldn’t get the boat into the slip and finally had to resort to backing it in.  Finally, we were back home safe and sound.

Lisa and I are glad we took the class and went on our sailing adventure.  We are now confident we won’t damage the sailboat or end up in Davy Jones locker.