My father and I, accompanied by my brother Sam and friend Michael, finally moved the boat from Port Townsend to Port Angeles yesterday. Despite the fact that the wind was in our face the entire time, it was a great trip. We started with motoring because the wind was completely gone, but after we rounded Point Wilson a west wind filled in. It got up to 25 knots by the time we got into Port Angeles. Anyway, it was absolutely fabulous to be on the water and the boat took everything with a very solid motion through the water.
I'm still working at adding structural support for the cabintop for when she is knocked down in the roaring forties. I have built a laminated arch that will be bolted through the fiberglass in the least supported part of the cabin. Now that the boat is much closer, I will be able to spend less time commuting and more time on getting the tasks done. We are also figuring out ways to secure all of the stuff that will be onboard, as well as work out power generation. Everything will be environmentally friendly, so we will install solar panels, and either a wind generator or a towed generator.
We still haven't chosen an exact departure date, but I plan on leaving some time in September or October to avoid the Hurricane Season in the tropics and arrive in the Roaring Forties in the Austral Summer.
Fair Winds,
Ryan