Sundown Sailing Adventures

Kim and I have just returned from our first extended leave from Sundown since we moved aboard in September. As we prepared to fly back to Colorado for a visit  with family in Fort Collins, we had mixed emotions about leaving our new home for a month. We’ve been so focused on repairing, rebuilding and refreshing Sundown for four years, and most recently making her our home that can move with wind power, leaving her was hard. But we checked over everything, closed seacocks, turned off systems and checked our docklines one last time and walked away. We were about to add another another item to our list of “first times.”

To start, we began a new relationship with the Washington state ferries. Until we left, our experience with the big ships—Yakima, Hyak, Samish and Klahowya—are that they present navigation challenges as they transit to and from the islands at 17 knots or about 20 miles per hour. Because they’re working vessels, they always have the right of way. They also throw a big wake that can make a beautiful anchorage not so pleasant.

Our new relationship began as we stepped aboard Yakima to start our trip east. These ferries are the backbone of commerce here. Raw materials for building, stocking stores and other supplies load on and off along with school buses and people on foot and on bicycle. They move from island to island and from island to the mainland. The day we went to Anacortes, the wind was blowing another gale and it was barely noticeable on board. We would not have been traveling to the mainland that morning in Sundown! So we took our first trip using the Washington State Ferry system.

We stayed overnight in Seattle with my sister and brother-in-law and flew to Colorado the next day. This was my first time coming back Colorado. The hustle and bustle of Seattle and Denver were a nice reminder of how nice it is to not be around there all the time. This was also my first time since I went to Colorado State University in 1981 that I was in Colorado without a motor vehicle of some sort. I was grateful that we had friends and family available to help move us around and let us use their vehicles.

Kim commuted by bicycle as much as possible, but the weather was not ideal for that. Even so, we both helped lead a bicycle ride to view Christmas lights for FC Bikes and I presented a winter bicycling presentation in Greeley,  Colorado.

Kim worked almost every day we were in Colorado, as she had deadlines looming. I was able to help her a bit, but spent most of my time with my mom and dad. It was great fun seeing the friends I could, but I am sorry to have missed seeing others (Larry and Barbra, Molly and Matt, Betz, and Darren…just to name a few. The month flew by too fast!). We also got to visit our dog, Seren, and meet my daughter Ashley’s new puppy, as well as Chad and Amanda’s new puppy. It’s interesting how quickly our comfort zones evolve. While in Colorado, we didn’t feel it necessary to listen to the weather twice a day, or even once  (something we feel is imperative when living on the water), although I did routinely check the weather in the San Juans. It was easy to fall back into our old lifestyle, although I have to admit, no fault of friends and family, I was ready to come back after two weeks.

When we flew back to Seattle, we spent a few days at Shawn and Jon’s so I could build a set of stairs in their home to replace a ships ladder they’ve used to get from the main floor to the upper floor for a couple decades. While there, we were able to hook up with my friend Josh at the restaurant Heyday in my sister’s neighborhood. Josh and I cooked together ack in the 80s at the Lookout Inn in Brooklyn, Maine, and have not seen each other for at least 25 years. It was great to catch up. Josh spent some time as the cook aboard the Schooner Bowdoin from Maine Maritime Academy and is an executive chef now.
A few days ago, we traveled back to Sundown. I was very anxious and excited as we approached Deer Harbor. I wondered if we would find everything in order. I wondered how it would feel to be back on board. Would it feel like home? To say the least, it does. Comfortable, warm and cozy. A couple days ago, we sailed to Bellingham to pick up our new sails. It was a beautiful ride for seven and half hours. Next up: we’ll wind our way back to Deer Harbor and plan our first real shakedown cruise to Desolation Sound in February.