Sailing the Karina C

8/05
Foggy day in Port Angeles. Today we were going to hike the 4 miles to Walmart, but I prevailed over Anita and we took the bus. I had the heater on last night and this morning.
We went off in quest for a cell phone to use in the USA. We bought one (Jim has the #) and we will use it primarily to check in for Customs. We also bought a few other little items. One of the bigger items was a torque wrench. I saw the same one in Canada for 4 times the price.
In the afternoon we met another couple, Bob and Gail aboard Soleil. They are interested in buddy boating to Neah Bay. They are heading for Astoria. We are going to miss Astoria (I hope). We are heading over to their boat to play cards and maybe do some music this evening.
8/06
Stayed in port I took pictures of the customs boats. These guys are serious about their security! One boat has 4x300 hp outboard engines! This thing can cook along fast.
8/8
We got going the next day (8/7) at 0400. We dodged crab pots going out of the harbour in the dark. Once we got out of the harbour, we were bucking into 3-4 foot seas with light winds in our face. The seas were as a result of the converging tide and gale that passes through the night before. We took a lot of water over the bow. This soon filled up the chain locker and we found the window in the forward berth leaked seawater onto our bed. Oh well, the sleeping bag needed a wash anyhow. About halfway to Neah Bay, the seas flattened out and the visibility dropped in the drizzle. We made it into Neah Bay just short of 1300.
After a quick snack, Anita went to the Laundromat to wash the salty bedding. I went off in quest for a new fuel filter for the diesel heater as the heater packed it as soon as we arrived in Neah Bay.
I managed to buy the last tube of 3M 4200 in Neah bay at the general store. Woohoo! I quickly rebedded the window as Anita did the laundry. The Laundromat is not very secure and we were advised that the locals are rude to visitors using it. So Anita stayed and tended the laundry. We found the laundry behind a gym next to a blue rental unit in a blue shed. It is quite obscure and not generally known to folks. We got back in time to have supper with Soleil.
After a delicious supper and a little music, we made it to a cold Karina at 1900. I set to work on the heater as I wanted to be ready to go South if we wanted. By 2230 (what a long day) we made it to bed with the heater fixed. We slept in the salon as the forward bunk was still wet.
We slept late this morning. I got up and did the 0800 Great Northern Boater's Net and Anita dozed away until 0915. I went up and got power for the day.
After breakfast Anita set to work with the hair dryer drying out the bedding in the forward bunk while I type up the blog.
We are loosing our weather window but I am not too concerned as another will open later this week and this is an OK little town with a good general store, so we can be comfortable here. We are going for a walk today as we may elect to lay on the hook for a couple of days until the weather improves.
This is a pretty nice little town, so we will stay for a few days and wait until the weather turns nice so we can continue our trip.
We have decided that tomorrow we will go out and lay on the hook for a few days and wait for better weather. We walked the town today. I took a picture of Anita holding out her long hair in front of a sign that said "no tressing."
I finally got my curiosity satisfied as I was walking up the dock. I was amazed by the number of people wearing camouflage outfits out on the water. I asked, "Why do you wear that out on the water?" "So the fish can't see me" he answered. "It is dry and waterproof."
"If you ever needed rescuing, the coast guard would never find you wearing that."
"I never thought of that. I guess I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

It was time to leave.