Port Townsend, part 1

“Point Wilson is the corner where Admiralty Inlet turns into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On an ebb, a nasty tide-rip can build immediately north of Point Wilson, and stretch well across the mouth of Admiralty Inlet. If it’s a big ebb and opposed by strong westerly winds, the seas in the area are not merely nasty, they are dangerous. They are high, steep and close together.” I read this in my Waggoner Cruising Guide later, after arriving here in Port Townsend. So, this is my story. Got up early and departed Friday Harbor just before 7am with a great 3 kt current pushing me out the San Juan Channel into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Since this crossing was a little over 20 miles, I decided rather than running slow as I usually do, I’d put C-Traveler up on plane and get across a little more quickly. Passed the Cattle Point Lighthouse, dodged a few logs that were flushed out with the current, and enjoyed a mostly smooth crossing until abeam Smith and Minor islands. Past those there was a little more chop as the winds were maybe 10mph out of the west. While the ebb out of San Juan Channel was behind me, the ebb out of Admiralty Inlet was ahead of me. And I found 4’ to 5’ standing waves as I approached the Inlet. Boat was pretty much thoroughly bathed in salt water by the time I passed the Pt. Wilson Lighthouse and arrived at the Point Hudson Marina in Port Townsend. It was about 9am when I arrived, and even though check in is not until 1p, the marina assigned me a temporary slip, until a regular slip opened up around 11a. I spent a little time washing C-Traveler down with fresh water, and doing some house cleaning. At one point I stopped to watch the marina shop lower a Ranger tug with their travel lift. Apparently it was having engine problems and it didn’t look like they were able to fix it, as TowBoat US took it away. After the sail boat left my assigned slip, I moved over to it. The marina facilities are in some buildings that were part of a military base that housed Navy, Army and Coast Guard personnel for over 20 years. Those buildings are quite prominent on the water front as you come around the point. The marina has a narrow breakwater entrance just past the point. It also has a fairly tight bend in it which restricts the length of vessels that can come in.
After lunch, I spent most the afternoon walking around town. Really a cute town with older buildings from the 1880’s-90’s. There are a number of art shops, along with various other shops, restaurants and other buildings. The downtown area is along the water front, while the residential area is on the bluff behind the town. Northwest Maritime is also located here, with a lot of history in boat building. The facility also has a ship simulator and also provides different programs for younger students.
(Too many photos for one footprint, so this is part one of two.)Baca lagi