Port of Kingston

Misty and rainy and 54 degrees for the day. Cruised up the Hood Canal with a 1 kt ebb current behind me, and then when I got around Foul Weather Bluff into Puget Sound, I decided to put it up on plane with 2 kts of ebb current on my bow. Also wanted to get to Kingston a little earlier. I’m very much enjoying the Sound and places I have not been before. Hood Canal was perfectly smooth today.
Turning into Puget Sound, I started getting a little chop. A number of interesting sights today. First, I was overtaken by a Navy Tug “Deception” YT 810. I didn’t really give it much thought other than I knew it came out of the Navy Base Kitsap. It was running without a tow.
Coming under the Hood Canal floating bridge, I did a little more googling to see what the facility was on Point Hannon. Looks to be a Hood Canal Mariculture site. Or Kelp farming. Also noticed some items on Point Hannon that might be native related. Pt Hannon, otherwise known as Whiskey Spit, has been a meeting point for native peoples, mariners, fishers and loggers for hundreds of years. Native tribal members tell of tribal gatherings, ceremonies, and ancestral canoe burials going back for some time, and continuing to the present day.
Just prior to Foul Weather Bluff, I found out where the “Deception” was going. Several Naval and USCG support ships and a Navy Submarine were in the area. I suspect Deception was going to tow or help bring the sub in at the Hood Canal bridge. Wish I could have been closer, but one of the USCG small boats, with a guy manning the machine gun on the bow, intercepted me and asked that I turn towards the eastern shore away from the sub. I did ask about taking some pictures, and they said as long as I turned my bow away from the sub, I would be ok. (Mind you, I was already about ½ mile away. They then proceeded to be my “wing man” for a good distance. (Running on my port side and just behind so not to block my pictures). I got a number of photos of the sub from the distance. About abeam the sub, the small boat running beside me broke off, and a larger USCG support security boat provided security.
Turned the corner at Foul Weather Bluff and picked up my speed. Some nice homes along the western shoreline. Went around Point No Point and took some pictures of the lighthouse there. Just before entering the breakwater into Port of Kingston, I saw a large sailboat listing on the beach. That’s what happens when you anchor too close to shore at high tide and the tide goes out. Actually, in this case, I guess the sailor did it on purpose. The marina staff said that he did that so he could remove some line that got wrapped around his prop. I think most folks would prefer to hire a diver or dive themselves. But I guess as long as nothing breaks on the hard, you can stay dry and save money.
After checking in at the marina office, I walked around town, found some ice cream. Also found a geocache. The Washington State Ferry had a line of cars waiting, that extended for several blocks. This marina is pretty nice. Great customer service by all the staff, fast internet. And FREE showers. (Most charge a quarter for 2.5 minutes.)
Update to my planned itinerary for tomorrow. I had planned to go anchor in Poulsbo tomorrow, and then into Bell Harbor marina on the Seattle waterfront for Saturday. Now I’m thinking of going through the locks and anchor in Andrew’s Bay in Lake Washington. I’ve already been to Poulsbo, and I’ve locked through so many other places, thought it would be interesting to check out the locks here. Since I haven’t mentioned it before, the rest of my itinerary after Bell Harbor is, Des Moines, Vashion, Tacoma, Gig Harbor Olympia (may spend two nights, but not definite yet,) Shelton, Jarrell Cove, Gig Harbor (or somewhere else on the way to Port Orchard), and finally Port Orchard, where my truck and trailer are.Læs mere