Shilshole Blog

Just a quick note to let you know we arrived last night in Ucluelet. First internet and cell phone opportunity since Victoria.
All is well.
More to come.

The plan was to go to Port Angeles today, but plans can change… After listening to the weather forecasts, we braced ourselves for another day of motoring against headwinds. So we motor out of Point Hudson Marina, round Point Wilson, and find a very pleasant breeze N of NW. Why not try sailing for a little while? Continue Reading »

After a four and a half day passage I finally arrived in Suva.
Two of the passage days had light wind and I read a book each day and two had a bit too much wind so I hung on and was thankful for the miles if not the ride. The passage through the reef at Suva is easy but exciting. Big rollers crashing on the reef on either side and as usual, the wind trying to blow you off course. Continue Reading »

Left Shilshole at 8pm. What little wind there was, blew against us, so we motored the whole way. We rode a moderate ebb current up north, which propelled us at speeds over ground of up to 9.9 knots (rounding Marrowstone Point – more typically 7.5-8.5). I think I hit a new personal record, covering the distance in just over 4.5 hours.
Never seen a clearer, calmer night.
Continue Reading »

I picked up the anchor, in Niuatoputapu, in a heavy rain squall at 7:00 this morning. I’m now about 10 miles out making 5 knots in 12-15 knots of East wind.
My first waypoint is Lakeba Passage, 270 miles away. Continue Reading »

You’ve dreaded it, you’ve seen it, you’ve felt it…. and now the end of summer is here!

Let’s send the season off with a bang, at the

End of Summer Sunset Cruise!

Soliton is casting off at 7pm sharp on Wed, September 21, with a full crew. We will sail to Point Monroe and back. If you want to join us, we could rendez-vous at the red & white buoy outside the breakwater (barring races), or hail us on channel 68.

Now that he has a modem for his SSB radio, we can look forward to more frequent updates from Harry:

How would you like growing up in a town with a name like that? I’m told that it means “Sacred Coconut”. Niuatoputapu is an old volcanic island with a barrier reef on the NW side of the island. Its not very high anymore; in fact on Sunday, Russ from Wandering Star, Don and Anna from Redwood Coast and I climbed to the top. We had to walk Continue Reading »

another installment from Harry, this time a little late (9/1/05):

Bon Voyage to Pago Pago ke7bip@winlink.org

Can you believe I’ve been here three weeks? Its really a nice place once you get used to the occasional smell of the fish processing plant and the litter in the harbour. I check out this morning and expect to leave Samoa about noon tomorrow. Continue Reading »