8/22 Lake Union

We’re on the boat, and we have no other means of transportation, so our trip has officially begun. We brought a final load of clothes and supplies to the boat this morning and returned home to wrap up things there. Mom & Dad Ames came over about 2 o’clock to take us down to the boat and return the car – parking here is pretty tight, especially for long term.

The weather forecast for today called for rain and temperatures in the low 60’s. The forecast for the rest of the week calls for warmer temperatures and sunshine. The first day of cruising to anywhere up north is usually the longest day, and rather than hurry up and leave in a cool drizzle, we decided to stay put for this evening. We have great moorage, and the price is right! We’re on the end of the dock with a view of the boat traffic that passes between Portage Bay and Lake Union under the University and Ship Canal bridges. As usual, the forecast wasn’t entirely accurate – it warmed up nicely and we didn’t have much rain at all after 3 o’clock. Hope the forecast for good weather the rest of the week is spot on .

Our only other passenger for this trip is our cat Tribble. She earned her sea legs last year, so hopefully as a seasoned veteran will spend less time hiding under the couch. She’s already explored the boat from stem to stern and is on a much quicker adaptation schedule than last year. She must know there are no other guests on board, as she’s already claimed the bunk in the guest cabin as her own.

Adjacent to our tiny parking lot, and up against the approach to the University Bridge is a huge blackberry patch. I went on a little blackberry picking excursion this afternoon and picked a few cups. The mass of vines extends up 20 or 30 feet, and the really nice and ripe berries are of course out of reach. Eye level and below have been recently picked, and although there are plenty of berries that are black, I’ve found that if they don’t literally fall off in your hand, they aren’t ripe enough to be sweet. There was a band of ripe ones that were apparently beyond the reach of some previous pickers, and that provided my supply.

You never know quite what you’re going to see cruising along here, and later this afternoon we saw a dinner and dancing party. They were on a log raft that was powered by a small electric outboard. They had a table set at one end, and there were three or four couples dancing some formal numbers, like waltzes, tangos and rumbas. They cruised by at a small fraction of a knot, and I was surprised that tiny electric motor could move it at all – they were definitely going at quarter impulse speed.

While the dance party was cruising by, Erin was busy in the galley fixing our first on-board meal. She sautéed some Italian turkey sausage, peppers, onions and garlic together, then mixed in some angel hair pasta and a light sauce made with the pasta water and some juice from a can of diced tomatoes. That was topped off with some grated cheese. It is definitely worth a repeat later in the trip.

Since we’re already here and ready to go, we’ll get an early start tomorrow morning – but not too early if we want to reach Deception Pass at slack current. We plan on cruising north up Saratoga Passage between Camano and Whidbey Islands, out through Deception Pass and across Rosario Strait to the San Juan Islands. If our timing is off, we’ll make a right turn at the Swinomish Slough and cruise through La Conner and past Anacortes instead.