We took our first boat trip of the season to Blake Island for the weekend. This crane was outside our marina in Commencement Bay. It was a beautiful morning but a little cold. The sky was clear and bright. The water was calm but full of debris. We left to join our friends Saturday morning after spending the night on the boat.We cruised up the Colvil Passage on the west side of Vashon Island. It was quiet but being cold we cruised from inside the boat. The were some boaters who joined us on such a nice crisp morning. It was a two hour boat ride to Blake Island, enough time for me to cook breakfast.
We arrived at Blake Island around 10:30 am to few spots left. We got lucky and were able to dock near our friend Ed and Carol. They had arrived 30 minutes prior to us and let us know there were not many spots left so we picked up speed to get the spot. By noon all the spots were filled and people were cruiseing in to find no spots and not staying. Jack was happy to be out on the boat.
Dana spent most of the day laying in bed getting some much need relaxation time. Jack and I left him to his rest and went visiting. Later in the afternoon Dana took Jack for a walk to check out the fire wood that was left in one of the shelters. When he got back he saw a raccoon on our back deck. I was in the boat totally unaware of our little visitor. The raccoon ran down the dock onto the back of Ed & Carol's boat and under the dock. Jack found the raccoon under the dock and tried his best to get it to play. He spent an hour chasing the raccoon under the dock until we finally dragged him away. Every time he went back out side he looked under the dock.
After dinner we went up to one of the shelters for a bon fire. It was a crisp clear night and we could see the lights of Seattle. It was a beautiful sight. I wish I had my camera. We saw about five deer in the field and Jack just quietly watched them graise. It was a cold night but the fire was warm.
Sunday it was time to head home. We cruised the same way home but thi
s time with Ed & Carol. We like the Colvil Passage because there are no ships that use that route. The were other boaters heading home at a fast pace but we were happy to cruise slow with our friends. Part way down the passage we stopped to retrieve a bumper. This is the best way to collect them. It was tangled in the middle of a debris field.We got back to the dock around 1:00 pm. Other boaters we there and we visited for a while. Boaters are such a friendly lot.
We had some minor boat issues but these are normal for the first real trip. We seem to have a problem with getting bad gas and will probably spend another boating season fighting this problem. We also had a problem lighting the propane on our fridge. I was able to wait to fix it when we got back since Blake Island now has power at the docks. Next weekend they are calling for rain but I would still like to spend the weekend at the boat even if we don't go out.
