The Home Stretch



Celebration at Point Hudson Cafe

Today the wind is howling and the rain blowing sideways as we sit cozy, comfy aboard Got d’ Fever in Seattle at Elliott Bay Marina.  After rounding Cape Flattery, we decided not to stop at Neah Bay or Port Angeles on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  We knew a strong storm front would reach the area by the weekend so we continued to Port Townsend located in northwest Puget Sound, arriving around 5pm - a 30-hour journey from Astoria.  To celebrate our accomplishment and safe arrival, we went out to dinner at Hudson Point Café next to the marina – a chance to relax and reflect.  Even Java sensed the excitement and seemed jubilant to be back in familiar waters.  The following morning we were off again, heading south for Seattle.  The beginnings of the storm were soon upon us with 20-25 knot winds which created choppy wind waves; but of course without any added ocean swell – oh, this is nothing we thought, we’ve seen worse!  The phrase from the Truman Show movie came to mind, “is that all you got?” 




Point No Point Lighthouse - Hansville

The winds then picked up to 33 knots around the north tip of Kitsap Peninsula at the Point No Point Lighthouse as we passed Hansville, Washington.  Continuing south, we kept to the far side of the shipping lanes to avoid those fast moving cargo ships and kept an eye out for ferries on their regular runs.  

Discovery Park Lighthouse - Seattle

As we rounded Discovery Park Lighthouse, Seattle came into view shrouded in clouds, home at last.  We pulled into our assigned slip at 2:30pm on September 27^th with the wind blowing, lashed down Got d’ Fever, and set up housekeeping as if we had never left.  

Arriving into Seattle

Out of nagging curiosity we checked on the coastal weather conditions:  25-40 knot winds with gusts to 55 knots, ocean swells from 21-23 feet and building! A sobering thought, we had avoided the approach of a gale-force storm!