Empathy for Ever Given
Avoiding crab pots, collisions and the joy of docking.
Yesterday we sailed Traveler from Anacortes to Port Townsend to stage her for tomorrow's offshore voyage.
Ned called for an 08:00 departure and our crew, which included guests Lee, Lisa and John untied from the dock at 08:03.
The trip began with a classic Pacific Northwest fog as John took the helm and guided us through a slalom course of crab pots and floating logs.
Once the fog cleared, the wind picked up a bit and we were able to make way under sail for a few hours as we approached the Salish Sea shipping lanes intersection. The wind eased as the current increased the wave height, so we dropped sails and bounced our way into the shipping lanes.
There is a visual technique for determining if one's vessel is on a collision course with another. It involves sighting a line directly to the approaching vessel while lining up a fixed object beyond such as the point of an island or a cloud. If the approaching vessel is moving forward to the background, she will pass in front. If falling behind, she will pass behind. If the background is fixed in line for a period of time, a collision is likely.
The Peugeot Sound is loaded with ferries and shipping vessels - massive shipping vessels, which have no responsibility to change course. We negotiated with three of these monsters as we bobbed our way toward the marina.
Cleared of the shipping lanes, we approached the marina. Hailing on VHF channel 66, we were assigned to Dock D, slip number 241 and told to tie port side, bow in. I was at the helm.
Sailing can sometimes be excitement in slow motion. A breeze picked up as we passed the breakwall and entered the marina. As we slowly moved along in our 29,000 pound 40 foot steel boat, passing within feet of multi-million dollar vessels, the crew scanned the marina markers to locate Dock D. When we finally confirmed our turning point I had gone too far. This necessitated a maneuver similar to a three-point turn in a car with bald tires, on ice, surrounded my Lamborghinis, or at least it felt that way to me.
So, in a state of mild panic, I turned Traveler around and headed back out of the marina, passed the breakwall, steered a 180 and headed back in for a second time. The same boat owners waved once again with confused, and perhaps worried, looks on their faces. This time Traveler made the turn into Dock D as we realized that slip 241 was quickly to our left. The breeze seemed to enjoy pushing the bow where I didn't need to go as I came into the slip at an angle that would have made the boat owner to our right, fortunately not home, very nervous! We bumped the dock as Lisa fended off our neighbor's boat and John, Ned and Lee quickly and efficiently jumped to the dock, pulling and lashing lines to secure our (and everyone else's) boat.
I'm sure you remember the recent event of the Ever Given, the quarter-mile long shipping vessel that blocked the Suez canal for 6 days. The captain blamed the wind. I can relate. I think Ned should take the helm when we reach the Panama Canal.
Beautiful lady on that boat!! 🤗🤗