Memorial Day weekend

We got about a six minute break in our usual weather*over the Memorial Day weekend and the friends we cruise with grabbed this shot of our boat as we were on our way to Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island.* Moments after this shot was taken the clouds came back and we were enveloped the rest of the weekend in a soupy mixture of fog, rain, and volcanic ash.* The only things we saw for the next four days were the radar and plotter displays.* The hideous weather we have here is why the boat still has all its rail covers on it.* But it was a nice moment while it lasted....

Thanks for posting up.

And in case you are wondering, down here on the Texas coast it is about 7000 degrees with no wind and at least 7000 percent humidity.

But we do get this.....

-- Edited by Baker at 17:06, 2008-05-28

Those are manatees, right? I can see why there is all the concern for protecting them. All we get here are Orcas and they've become so fed up with the whale watch boats they've started attacking them and eating the whale watchers.

Nice flag.

All we get here are Orcas and they've become so fed up with the whale watch boats they've started attacking them and eating the whale watchers.

We spent a couple of nights in Victoria on a chartered Nordic Tug a few years ago.* One of the businesses that uses the inner harbour dock across from the Empress is the whale watching enterprise, "Prince of Whales."* Really.

They dress the victims - er,*customers -*in these dirty old bright orange exposure suits and make them walk from their ticket office a half block down the street to the dock.* I always expected to see leg shackles connecting them together.* They all looked half humiliated and half disgusted (the sharing an exposure suit thing looked pretty gross).

Quit exaggerating, it wasnt that hot!!
Speaking of weekend, whats going on this weekend?

Marin, you should have headed South. We headed out late Sat. to Port Ludlow, sun and warm (low 70's). Sun. was nice as well. Went over to Mystery Bay and tied up to the park dock. Kids even went swimming, though our kids will swim in anything that isn't frozen. Maybe a sign of the times with fuel prices, but we were told at Port Ludlow a week earlier that there were no slips available so anchoring was our option. Once we got there, turned out there were enough no shows that all 4 boats in our group got slips. BTW, we hadn't been to Mystery Bay for 15 years. It is still a nice quiet place and the volunteer dock host was very helpful. Fort Flagler is a short dink ride away and a fun place for the kids to run around.

Hold it....disregard my lat post. Yeah Marin is right. The weather is and continues to be horrible. Anyone in their right mind wouldn't think of coming to Puget Sound, what with the rain, winds, locusts, more rain, invasive mussels, yes it's best to stay away...

Too late Max.*

We're gathering in the south*and all coming up to your neck of the woods!

By the way Marin, beautiful shot of your boat!* Those GBs sure are stylish!

Mike in Brookings

Ooops - found the picture.* They were wearing red suits, not orange.

But I can still see why the orcas would try to get rid of them.

Turnabout's fair play.* Right at the end of our six minute window of visibility over Memorial Day I swung our boat around and took a quick photo of our cruising companion's boat.* I managed to get it just before we were enveloped in a drifting cloud of volcanic ash and light rain.* This is Dorothy and Carey Worthen's 36' lobsterboat.

Dayum, that is a fine boat!!! Thanks for postin'. Where has Carey been?

Carey has been working in the field for FEMA in the wake of the flooding last winter in southern Washington and Oregon. He is back now obviously, but I don't know if he still looks at the forum.

Marin don't let anyone know he's part of FEMA, that's secret squirrel stuff. Didn't you know that FEMA folks are all lazy good for nothing idiots? Just listen to the news media.

Interestingly at the Fire Academy/FEMA training site in Emmitsburg a couple weeks ago my City had a disaster preparedness class and mock disaster to solve for about 75 City workers. Fire, police, public works, admin, etc. all were part of the drill. The majority that I saw were buying Fire Academy souvineer shirts instead of FEMA shirts which is who put on the training.

I'm still amazed that the local City and State folks were held harmless and the Feds got all the blame. Even the folks who refused help immediately after the storm complained that the rescue wasn't "fast enough" once they decided they needed help. Some refused assistance several times before complaining that "no one helped me".

Not that I have any opinions about who's fault it was or anything..........

Ken

Found a video showing how the weather turned just after Marin's six minutes of visibility (ignore the "iceland" part - it's to mislead the potential charter customers)

Chris
Marin and I had to deal with the same kind of weather on our trip home Tuesday following Memorial Day. Life's a bi---! One of these days were moving out of this hell hole.

Baker
What do you think of a boating buddy who exposes your biggest secret. I've been dodging bullets ever since Katrina. That's why I moved up here.

Carey

Carey wrote:

Chris
Marin and I had to deal with the same kind of weather on our trip home Tuesday following Memorial Day. Life's a bi---! One of these days were moving out of this hell hole.

Baker
What do you think of a boating buddy who exposes your biggest secret. I've been dodging bullets ever since Katrina. That's why I moved up here.

Carey

Click to expand...

I personally think FEMA did exactly what they were chartered to do.* It was just the media that twisted it into the story that it became.* Anyway, don't wanna turn this into politics.* Carey, come around more often.* We miss ya!

John
Thanks for the welcome home. I was away, working this winter, and just too busy. When I got back it just took a while, and an e-mail from Marin to remind me to check in with all ya'all.