Trip log: Port Ludlow

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This past Friday was the first free Friday evening we have had in a while. We are still working on AV’s fun-to-suck ratio (now 13/813), so getting out of town was paramount. Destinations were tossed about like bouncy balls; none would stay put. Bellingham, to the marine surplus? Quartermaster or Gig harbors for wilderness or culture? Fortuitously, both Daniel and I had far-flung friends in town. Sailing offers were offered and accepted and Friday evening found us pushing off F Dock with Joey and Kagan, headed to Shilshole Marina to pick up Laurie and Susan.
We sailed across to Port Madison in a good breeze and sailed onto our anchor to stop and have dinner in the cove. I am disappointed that I missed the anchoring (I was below coordinating dinner/warming up) as it’s much more salty than than motoring up to it. After our lovely picnic, we motored back to Shilshole to drop off our guests.
Daniel and I sat wistfully at X dock for a few minutes before deciding north was destination enough. I made a pot of coffee and brought up our hats and peacoats (it’s June! What the heck?!). We dropped our lines and headed out.
Two hours later, cold and sleepy, we docked at Edmonds for the night. Refreshed, refueled, and with a goal in mind we headed northwest in the fog in the morning.
We set a general course for Mats Mats, a sweet and quiet little anchorage near Hood Canal. A weather front gave us wind from the north which means beating to windward the whole way. This is my least favorite point of sail as it is the least comfortable (most heeling), but the winds were mild so we were able to put up all four sails and scoot nicely at about 5 knots.
AV is proving to be a tidy and helpful boat. Once the sails and rudder are balanced to the wind and course she holds there with very little tending, leaving time to nerdle around on deck, polishing brass or replacing flag halyards. This weekend it was the old and grimy (and rotten and unsafe) jib net. About halfway there Daniel overheard the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftan checking in for a battle sail in Port Ludlow, which is very near Mats Mats. Timing was perfect and we watched the battle from AV and then decided to follow them into Port Ludlow and be social.
This provided the first of several odd crossing/course change situations. It was mysterious and a bit disconcerting to see folks alter course to get *closer* without obvious cause, until we realized they were taking pictures of the boat. Which made it disconcerting, but flattering.
I know I ought not get too pleased, but she really is the prettiest one.