Puget Sound Adventure by Eric Sorensen

Below is an account of our outing which was good but didn't see any competition, just survival in the puffs. The Ship Canal is the stretch of water between the Ballard Locks (Puget Sound) and Lake Union. The distance is about 2 miles and it was blowing from one end meaning a tough beat home in a waterway about 100-150' wide with lots of traffic.

July 9 (Tuesday)
I got off work at 2:10 PM and met up with Larry Delaney at the Honda dealer on 99 and 220th in Lynnwood. We then provisioned up at 7-11 thing and headed south in the Big L towing the newly named (on the beam) Jah Mon II. We stopped by Gove’s Cove to look at a 42’ Discovery that was for sale for $65k but noted it was too rough to think about. Larry was intrigued by the different boats. Good shopping place with prices and options clearly labeled. I found an Islander 36, 1978?, that was in good condition outside, locked up, for $37k. It was a potential ride for me when I get to stop working. It had lots of nice options including, auto helm, pressurized water, diesel heat, propane stove and refer, roller furl headsail, etc… Larry was looking at starter boats and we decided he should be looking in the 25-30’range. He liked the 44’ Jeaneau for $110k but that would be a real stretch for him to start with. We also showed Jah Mon II to Noelle who was also going out on the Duck Dodge. We checked the wind speed and found it to be a steady 9 knots. We told her to look for us. We then checked at Sea View East for JP and Phil to show them the little boat, no one was home so we went to the 14th ST launch ramp next door. We got Jah Mon II rigged and I asked Larry to walk behind to make sure the boat would stay on the trailer as we launched… Learning experience!!! As I was idling towards the ramp the boat just jumped up on it’s transom and tried to leave the trailer. I stopped and wondered what the heck??? A nice fellow came over and pointed up and low and behold there were utility lines that had tipped the top of the mast and levered the boat off the trailer very easily. We tipped the boat sideways on the trailer and were able to get under them… Good thing they were telephone wires with that aluminum mast! The windex was not even affected. However, after launching we tried to raise the sail and found the halyard had jumped the sheeve and we had to unstep the mast and re-rig it. After that and raising the sail. Larry very carefully boarded with the first ever voyage with two bodies in Jah Mon II. We had a good puff or two and were heading down the Ship Canal at near 8 knots and I asked him for a drink of water, since I had dubbed him wine steward and rail meat. NO WATER! By this time it was near 6:00 PM and I decided that we would just sail up to the Locks and back and forego the Duck Dodge. It starts at 6:00. We had a good sail with lots of puffs and wind directional changes. Larry and I stayed dry for the most part. One round up and a couple of water surges over the leeward side in the puffs. We had a great run back to the launch downwind and arrived back around 7:00 PM. Within 30 minutes we were heading, in the Big L with Jah Mon II on the trailer, to Gas Works Park to observe the Duck Dodge from the shore. We walked out and both of us were amazed at the number of yachts… about 100! Larry asked me then "Do they ever run into each other?" I was about to answer when I heard this strange thump and I looked near the weather mark and a small slow 20’ boat on starboard had tee boned a J-29 who was on port tack. No major damage but the J-boat’s ego was totally deflated. Larry and I did a photo documentation of all the boats and then headed back to Fremont to find parking… which amazingly enough was easy to find for the car and trailer, and then we found the nearest Thai restaurant to our parking spot. There are a bunch of Thai places near there. Ours was great! Pud Thai and some Halibut and Aspargas on rice with a couple of SingHa beers. We left the city around 9:00 pm and I was in bed and exhausted around 10:20! It was a great adventure. Maybe we can go on July 23rd.!!! I shall enquire of Sir Lawrence of Glen Eagle.

July 7 (Sunday)
Doug and John drove down separately because of John’s domestic issues with his step daughter (15 years old going on 30) and we headed down to Lake Stevens for Dolf. We shot a round with my score going at 8 and John and Doug shooting a 10 which was a PR for Doug. We then had lunch and drinks and shot some pools at BC Macdonald’s in Lake Stevens. A most excellent watering hole. My club sandwich was too much to eat. I managed ¾ of it and had to send back the last bit. The soup I had (split pea) was good too.

Count Enrico Alfredo Ferrari
Griffin Hill Farm