Visit to Port Townsend

Driving Arnold's RX7 I made a visit to Port Townsend on Tuesday and Wednesday were I saw friends and revisited places.

The first thing that I did when I rolled into town was to visit good old Safeway for a $50 Verizon phone card and some minor things. In the store I ran into Sue Hoover and confirmed that we would meet at the co-op for lunch shortly after noon as planned. I then drove to the boat yard and visited Mark, Seth, and Zee at Shoreline Marine Diesel. I was fortunate to see Zee, who was in the middle of a fiber glass job (on a cold and damp wintry day, which could not have been easy). Mark produced the spare throttle cable that I had ordered as well as a starter switch for the SABB that was far superior than the one I had purchased in Richmond (i.e. much better water protection) at less than half of the price (less than $12). He also gave me four copper "banjo" washers for my tappet cover.

I then drove over to Port Townsend Rigging and saw Dan, Lisa, and Shannon. They were closed for business but fortunately for me they were on the premises hard at work reorganizing the place. I thanked Dan for the book on rigging that he had sold to me. I had read it it cover to cover and it had opened my eyes to the issues of rigging management. I told Dan that I had left Fremantle on this circumnavigation under the impression that the new rig was good for at least six years and that I wouldn't have to worry about it during the cruise. He told me that you can destroy a rig in 24 hours under the wrong circumstances (e.g. loose rigging with high loads). I expect to be as finicky about my rig tuning as I am about diesel fuel cleanliness for the rest of my sailing life.

Sue and I had lunch at the co-op then went to her house. After setting myself up in her guest room I told her that I would get out of her hair for a while and had what must have been a 90 minute nap on the comfortable bed. When I woke up it was still raining outside so I hung around in the comfort of her warm living room until our dinner visit to the home of "Aug" and Dianne, a couple that Brenda and I had met briefly (thanks to Sue) during our stay at Port Townsend.

We had a wonderful dinner visit to Aug and Dianne at their home in Kala Point. Aug and Dianne have the gift of producing superb wines and they have an arrangement where they trade their wines for salmon straight off the fishing boat, if I heard correctly. So awaiting Sue and me was a beautifully laid out dinner table with the center piece of salmon cooked to perfection.

Aug and Dianne are sailors with a boat and know Central America well from their many overland visits to the area. We had great conversations on boating and travel and I got good information on the climate, culture, and places of interest in the area, particularly Costa Rica. I mentioned to them Burl and Jean, who lived on Kala Point Road and would be neighbors of theirs. Unfortunately I could not recall Burl and Jean's last name (Davies) and Aug & Dianne could not place them,. I left with a bottle of their fine wine which I had enjoyed over dinner. My thanks to Aug and Dianne for a wonderful visit.

Early on Tuesday morning I was able to help Sue out by bringing her back home after she dropped her car off for some mechanical work. After a long chat over breakfast I visited the boat haven where I took photographs of Sue's boat "Quantum Leap" with its new cockpit spray dodger, as well as Robert Benoit's boat "Maya". Pachuca had been berthed next to Bob's boat and I had kicked myself for leaving Port Townsend without a photograph of either Bob or his boat.

I then went to the nearby coffee shop ("Port Side Cafe", I think.) and phoned Bob's home and left a message with his wife. Bob soon called but unfortunately time was too short and we could not arrange a meeting. I realized then that I should have telephoned Bob the previous afternoon as soon as Sue had given me his telephone number but I've had a lot a practice at not doing everything perfectly and didn't beat myself up too much. Anyway, we had a good chat and I was able to thank him again for the marvelous book on small boat adventures that he had given to me.

I also telephoned Doug Roth and told him that the refrigerator that he had repaired was working so well that we had been forced to dial back the thermostat to about 25%. I knew that with these repairs only time can verify that there is not a tiny pin hole or a small amount of moisture to cause a failure. Doug appreciated the feedback and I gave him my thanks and wished him a healthy and happy 2010.

By then it was almost noon so I returned to Sue's house to pick her up for lunch at "Sirens", a popular watering hole, with Burl, Jean, and Francis. Sue had not met these fine people and I was sure that she would enjoy their company. When we arrived the three of them were at a table having a chat over glasses of beer and it was great to see them again. Soon we were introduced to Burl's brother and his daughter, grand daughter, and son-in-law, where were visiting from Hawaii; but they were on the move and we were left on our own.

By then Sue and I had come to realize that the street addresses of Aug & Dianne and Burl & Jean placed their houses very close together. If fact, they were next door neighbors. Burl & Jean knew about them but had never met them. Anyway, it is a small world and out of this may come a visit next door for a cup of sugar.

As I had expected the conversation was interesting, entertaining, and lively and before I knew it about 3 hours had passed and Sue pointed out that time was running out for me to be able to drive back to Kingston in the daylight. The painful moment had come to once again say good bye to these wonderful three people but I promised to return one day.

Sue telephoned the repair place from her home and learned that her car was ready so I was able to drop her off on my way back to Kingston. I told Sue how much I had enjoyed my time with her and thanked her for her hospitality.

I drove back to Kingston with a home baked fruit cake from Sue as well as the bottle of wine from Aug and Dianne. On the drive back I reflected on how Port Townsend is sort of a psychic black hole for me: once I enter its influence I find it extremely difficult escape the pull of its people and its good vibes. ... Sort of psychic gravitational waves I guess.

Anyway, the last 30 minutes of my drive back to Kingston were in the dark but pulled into the carport safely at 5.30 PM.

The first photo shows Sue (left), Aug and Dianne. Then there is Arnold's RX7 with Sue's house in the background. Next is Bob's boat Maya. (Note the Monitor wind steering.) The next two are of Sue's boat "Quantuum Leap". Note the great hand holds on her new cockpit dodger. (I wish that my boat looked that neat.)

And finally, lunch at Sirens. From left to right: Sue Hoover, Jean and Burl Davies, Francis, and the well-fed Robert.