Looking at it from the negative side, there were no serious mistakes or mishaps. The worst thing that happened was that the refrigerator quit working again. We didn't run aground, drag anchor, run into anything, run out of fuel, get lost, .... On the positive side the SABB diesel performed superbly, as did all other systems on the boat. The diesel engine was important - not just because it needs work for a leaky head gasket, but also because I had never used the engine so much until this trip. I used to Hate running the engine and would rather languish in the doldrums for hours rather than use the diesel. Now I accept the throbbing of a diesel engine hour after hour as part of boating. Other than the sail from Bedwell Harbour to Vancouver we motored 95% of the time - 60.8 hours according to the engine hour meter.
And let's not forget the wonderful experience and memories that get to keep forever.
As expected the weather calmed down today and we weighed anchor at 7.45 AM. We had chosen this time to make the best of the cycle off adverse and favorable currents during the day. In fact the current did not have as much impact as we had expected. For a short while we got down to 3.5 kt but for most of the day we traveled at over 4 kt and made our final run for Pt Wilson doing 6.8 kt.
At 3 PM we dropped anchor in 10 m of water just south of the Port Townsend ferry dock.
At lunch time, between the Dungeness Sand Spit and Dallas Bank Brenda noted that there seemed to be quite a bit of activity at our stern. I told her to relax and enjoy lunch. Then I had a look and saw right away that it was a nuclear submarine (a "boomer") being escorted by two tugs. (For some reason she didn't find this information relaxing.) Soon we noticed two Coast Guard boats as outer escorts for the sub. They were on our track and overtaking us so I had my lunch beside the VHF radio which was tuned to Ch 16. Within minutes a Coast Guard boat was hailing "sail boat under engine heading east and north of Sequim Bay". I replied that I was an Australian registered sail boat under power heading east ahead of two tugs escorting a submarine and although I didn't know where Sequim Bay was I figured that it was I whom they were trying to contact. He asked me to switch to Ch 09. On Ch 09 I gave him my call sign which I said is broadcast by my AIS transponder. After asking my boat name he suggested that for my own safety (We know what that means!) I alter course to starboard. I told him that I was altering course three zero degrees to starboard. After a disclaimer from him to the effect that although I was heading into good water the welfare of my boat was my responsibility and if I thought that I needed better water I should call him, we terminated the conversation. Brenda and I then used the cameras and camcorder to capture the images as the group went by.
Question: Why is a US Coast Guard boat escorting a nuked-up trillion-dollar Boomer not running AIS? If secrecy is a problem (and how can you keep a flotilla of 5 ships in broad daylight secred?) they could run their AIS in passive mode. That way they could hail boats unambiguously by their call sign.
Brenda was interested to see many migratory birds along the way. She thinks they were the Red-necked Phalarope which move to the southern hemisphere to spend the northern winter. Some get to Rottnest.
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