Fun Weekend on Destiny! Photos added, just scroll down.

[CaptainScott]

A great weekend! A very tired Captain and crew! LOL!

Well, I don't want to bore you all but we had a fantastic weekend!
If you have nothing better to do and feeling like reading my ramblings, I hope you enjoy!
MY story is nothing like Mario's though!

Thursday night Diane and I went to the local casino to see Tim Conway perform live! Just before the performance we hit the penny machines just for giggles. I hit a $130 payout on less than 20 bucks spent! NICE! I pocketed the bucks and headed to the show! The show was fantastic!

Once or twice a year we meet with a sailing group that we've known for a long time. We all eat drink and be merry. Taryn, our daughter, has grown up knowing these folks. Since she was young, Diane and I have always had lots of fun but we are very careful since our young daughter is soaking it all in. This year was the very first one she did not go to. So . . . . We over did it a little . . . . or a lot . . . . or . . . I'm not sure . . . . whatever . . . .

Friday morning we fueled up and left the dock before 9:00 AM! Yeah ahead of schedule! The weather was exceptional! 60 degrees, sunshiny and dead flat calm! We motored up Saratoga Passage. Our cockpit is inclosed so we were in T-shirts and jeans basking in the sun and warmth! Diane went below to get breakfast made. I was sitting in the cockpit with Auto steering and suddenly I spied a spout of water of in the distance! WHALES I yelled! As Diane scrambled back into the cockpit I grabbed my camera and headed to the bow! Diane took the helm and guided us closer to the whales. They were making a straight line headed past us and in the opposite direction. I managed a few shots of the two grey whales as they past our port side in the beautiful sunshine! NICE! As fast as they appeared, they were gone. We motored on! We had a leisurly passage throught he Swinomish slough. Exiting the slough however was a bit exciting. You see the Native Indians are still allowed to crab We literally had to zig and zag continously avoid the crab pots in the channel.

Seven and a half ours after leaving the fuel dock we arrived in Anacortes to find we were the 4th of 5 boats expected to arrive. One of the other boats was not so lucky with the crab pots and ended up with a mess on his prop. A diver was scheduled to come out Saturday to assess the damage. Friday evening was fun. A local arts and craft show made sure all the restaraunts in town were packed. We ended up in a biker bar at the end of town. Since it was only 7:00PM the place was empty. Lots of laughs were had and stories were told. After a delicious dinner we headed back to our separate boats with the exception of Diane and I. We were invited to Tony and Ginette's Scepter 42 for night caps. For those interested, Scepters are BEAUTIFUL! More stories, more laughs and more rum were had. The bottle ran dry at 2:20 AM so Diane and I struggled back to Destiny. We were out like lights in seconds flat.

Saturday moring we woke up to a day promising to be nicer than the day before! We were not dissappointed! Tony and Ginnett made breakfast for all and the hot tea was very welcomed!
Our Corgi made friends with the Westy. They literally ran circles in the cockpit around the pedistal and between the legs and feet of all. The diver arrived very early. While he cleaned the rope off Les's boat prop and shaft we used our under water video camera to check Tony and Ginettes boat. Found the rudder skeg and quite a few mussels on it. The diver came up and no damage was done to Les's boat! YEAH! Tony asked the diver to clean the mussels off and to check the zincs. Since they were bad, Tony hired the diver to change his zincs however West Marine did not have his prop zinc. After chatting more we discovered Tony and I have the exact same prop and I carry spare zincs! One of my spares went on Tony's boat and my lights finally came on. Hey, while your there, change my zincs too!!! LOL! Yeah so now Tony has zincs, Destiny has zincs, Les's boat was fixed, and the diver had a pocket of cash! We were all happy! The diver left and the 5th boat of our group arrived. About 2:00 PM the drive in folks began to arrive and we ended up with about 25 folks hanging out! Nice! Wine was poured, snacks were shared across several boats and we had a great time! Dinner time came and off to a restaraunt we went! We had a great time, more stories and laughs were had and everyone was smiling! After dinner we all headed out. Some of the drive in folks headed home, Tony and Ginnette went to there boat with there guests early to catch up on missing sleep from last night and the rest joined us on Destiny. More spirits, more stories and laughs . . . . . when some how . . . . . some where . . . someone said lets mess with Tony and Ginnette while they sleep . . . . . ideas included spinning there boat around, moving it to another dock, moving it to the pump out station which is an island in the middle of the marine, or even moving all of our boats to the next dock over leaving them alone . . . . Someone still with sense suggested giving the amount of consumed spirits just maybe we should not ,move boats around. We really don't want anyone getting hurt or worse going in the water.
So . . . . . . we all agreed to heel Tony's boat. Heh heh . . . Tony had a halyard we could grab without boarding his boat. We used our sailing skills and ability to tie knots to add a 50' line to his halyard. We now took this line off the beam of his boat over Destiny and through our aft sail triangle and then down to the furthest dock cleat away we could find. With enough folks you can heal a 40'er substantially! Yes, you can!! We cleated the line off leaving Tony's boat at a substantial heal!! I put my camera to good use and took many photos! We decided to leave them like this over night! Standing on the dock we had 10-15 folks 45-65years old, giggling and laughing at our work when . . . . . . Port Security came walking down the dock. Good Lord, now what . . . . . . So I intercepted him before he walked up to the whole group and explained the intentianal listing of the Scepter and that all was well. He rolled his eyes and very coldly asked if this was our idea of naughtical humor! I smiled and said . . . . why, yes, yes it is! He rolled his eyes turned and walked away! Whew! Now its 1:30 AM so we broke up and headed back to our boats while some went to their hotel rooms.

Sunday morning I awoke early since Destiny was the breakfast boat. OH good Lord, I thought, there's Tony, standing alone staring at his boat. I came out and promptly started to apologize for our activities . . . . . . Tony just laughed. I guess Tony and Ginnette were wide awake and watching the activities. I gather we entertained them greatly as they watched a bunch of over indulged idiots acting like kids! However . . . . Tony's guests slept through it all. One of them woke up after a nights rest in the quarter birth where the cushions are slippery. His sleeping bag also was slippery. He sat up as he awoke and promptly slide right out of bed onto the cabin sole!! So I guess it was all worth it! LOL!

Breakfast was good, and by 10:00AM Destiny was the last boat left and the dock and we were being assisted by the last of the drive ins in leaving our slip. Again it was dead calm however much cooler. Our motoring home was uneventful with the exception of a small front that blew through. in a period of about 30 minutes the wind went from flat to gusting to 22kts then back down to about 4 kts steady. We slogged through it all since we just bushed from the weekend.


We arrived by 6:00 PM at home absoultely beat but grinning ear to ear from all the fun. My son reminded me that Monday morning I promised to take him to the airport. Oh yeah, what time are you coming over? 3:45 AM! Oh man . . . .

So today I sit here writting this in desparate need of just 40 more ours of sleep!

I have many photos, especially of the Scepter . . . . . however I have not looked at them yet so I can't speak for the quality! LOL! If there is interest, I can get them posted with my ramblings . . .

Scott

[J. Austin]

Great times Scott,
Truly a fine example of why we all love the cruising life.
Cheers to you and your bride for enjoying yourself this early in the season. I'm beginning to become jealous of you northwest boys.
Getting to have a long season and all.
as far as pictures, really, we want to see them all!
Great post, great times, but get some rest, the next weekend is almost here!

[EmergencyExit]

Oh you crazy kids !

[CaptainScott]

OK, Here are some photos!

Took me this long to post them on my own site . .. .

Alo note I have not published any photos of other folks. They have not seen them yet! LOL! . . . . and some are good . . . . . heh heh!

Single Grey whale


Two Greys!


Destiny from the fordeck


Cascades


Since we pass Whidby Island Naval Air base we got an air show!




Our new Corgi, Mina, at 10 Months old


Docks at dusk


A listing 42' Scepter!


Mina tuckered out after a LONG weekend!

[Alanhod]

[Mario G]

Looks like a great time Scott I have some nice pictures of our trip when my camera cord is found. We past an air base also, that was cool watching F-15 buz by.

It sounds like you all know how to have a good time. I think I'll try your way next time.



C-26 Shaken Knot Stir'd
C-22 Don't Wake me

[EmergencyExit]

When the Northwest-raised (teen years in Anacortes) mate saw the Cascades scroll by there was a big "aawwwwww".

(You, Sir, are at some point going to cost me a trip up there, you know that right ?)

[CaptainScott]

(You, Sir, are at some point going to cost me a trip up there, you know that right ?)

I hope so! Then you'd feel obligated to come on by and say hello!!!

heh heh!!

Scott

[EmergencyExit]

Deal !

[tgentry]

Nice story and pictures, Scott. Nice to know I'm not the only one who hasn't grown up yet.