(no subject)
Public libraries are amazing things. Anywhere you go, you can get books and internet access. Sweet.
Since my last entry... Zoe and I drove to Bellingham along some great alternate routes. No interstates for these sailor chicks. We drove through the Cascades which was amazing. We stopped for a pee break in Levinworth which is this crazy little Bavarian town in Western Washington. We then stopped for espresso in one of the many espresso shacks that line the highways. Best idea ever!
Got to Bellingham around 9 to discover very few people on board and that Monica (Clearwater cook from Fall 2005) was on days off. Bummer! Zoe and I wandered around Bellingham that night. Returned to sleep in the Adventuress' deck house. It was so nice to sleep on a boat again. She is one sexy boat. Great lines, lots of brightwork. A shiny white hull. Hung out with the crew the next morning-- great crew. I really like the captain. She seemed relaxed and in charge. I think Zoe will have a great time with them this summer. Zoe, Nick and I went on a pre-breakfast mission to the local food coop. The most difficult part of the mission was the yellow curry. They had green and red but no yellow.... So Nick got on his brand-spanking new cell phone (one of those guys who you'd never expect to get a cell phone much less carry it everywhere) and called the boat to find out what to do. He was totally That Person standing in the store debating over the cell phone what to buy. Oy.
From Bellingham we drove across Whidby Island to the ferry to Port Townsend (PT, to the locals). Another drive along alternate routes! They're sooo much nicer. Maybe they take a little bit longer but it's totally worth it. The ferry ride was nice too. Got to stand outside the whole time and watch the Olympic Peninsula approach. *sigh* Plus the ferry was named the Klickitat. Heh. Clitattack. Heh.
Port Townsend itself is full of yachts. Lots of Carhartts and yachts. I'm not sure how I feel about it. It reminds me of the really ritzy places along the Shore or in the Hamptons. Places I don't really feel comfortable and don't really want to. But it has a great view of the water. Ugh, breathtaking. The hostel is on a hill in a State Park with a lawn and right on the water. The blue just spreads out before you like forever.
Today we drove to a nearby port, Port Hadlock. We went to visit the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. We got the tour and everything. I've had this strong desire to build a beautiful lapstrake boat for awhile now and this would be the place to learn how. They have 6, 9 and 12 month programs where they spend the first three developing the necessary wood working skills which I lack. I would learn so many things that I want to learn to do. From boat design to rigging to block building to sail making to joinery. But it's bloody expensive and I don't know what I'd do with it afterwards. After this summer I might have a better idea. I really enjoy maintenance and restoration of large boats. Maybe working in a boat shop/museum somewhere. *shrug*
Tomorrow I fly out of Seattle at 3pm. Amazingly enough I'm not ready for this part of the trip to be over. I'm looking forward to being in Chicago with people I love but I can't help but feel like I'm tearing myself away from the water. I really don't know how I'm going to feel about sailing on fresh water-- it's just not a concept I fully grok. I can easily live for 5 months without salt water, done it before, and I will be sailing which will be a distinct improvement over college. I'm looking forward to the Manitou, tho-- aside from the fact that I'll be a deckhand for 5 months, sailing daily and gettng days off with Joee to wander Michigan, I get a chance to experience pretty much all of the different options available to a sailor. I'll be doing more educational programs and windjammer cruises (which are basically just sailing around with passengers on board) and public day sails. And, right after I join the boat, we'll be sailing up to Mackinaw to do programs there. Awesome.
In another window I'm looking at research activity at University of Washington. They have two profs (including the biology department's chair) doing biomechanics of marine species. That's totally what I want to do! However, at least one of them is at Friday Harbor which is in the San Juan Islands. That's just north of where I am right now, in that cut out in the northwest corner of Washington State. Also known as, in the opposite direction of where I'm going tomorrow. Hmmm.
It's time to go enjoy my last few hours on the West Coast. I like it here.
Since my last entry... Zoe and I drove to Bellingham along some great alternate routes. No interstates for these sailor chicks. We drove through the Cascades which was amazing. We stopped for a pee break in Levinworth which is this crazy little Bavarian town in Western Washington. We then stopped for espresso in one of the many espresso shacks that line the highways. Best idea ever!
Got to Bellingham around 9 to discover very few people on board and that Monica (Clearwater cook from Fall 2005) was on days off. Bummer! Zoe and I wandered around Bellingham that night. Returned to sleep in the Adventuress' deck house. It was so nice to sleep on a boat again. She is one sexy boat. Great lines, lots of brightwork. A shiny white hull. Hung out with the crew the next morning-- great crew. I really like the captain. She seemed relaxed and in charge. I think Zoe will have a great time with them this summer. Zoe, Nick and I went on a pre-breakfast mission to the local food coop. The most difficult part of the mission was the yellow curry. They had green and red but no yellow.... So Nick got on his brand-spanking new cell phone (one of those guys who you'd never expect to get a cell phone much less carry it everywhere) and called the boat to find out what to do. He was totally That Person standing in the store debating over the cell phone what to buy. Oy.
From Bellingham we drove across Whidby Island to the ferry to Port Townsend (PT, to the locals). Another drive along alternate routes! They're sooo much nicer. Maybe they take a little bit longer but it's totally worth it. The ferry ride was nice too. Got to stand outside the whole time and watch the Olympic Peninsula approach. *sigh* Plus the ferry was named the Klickitat. Heh. Clitattack. Heh.
Port Townsend itself is full of yachts. Lots of Carhartts and yachts. I'm not sure how I feel about it. It reminds me of the really ritzy places along the Shore or in the Hamptons. Places I don't really feel comfortable and don't really want to. But it has a great view of the water. Ugh, breathtaking. The hostel is on a hill in a State Park with a lawn and right on the water. The blue just spreads out before you like forever.
Today we drove to a nearby port, Port Hadlock. We went to visit the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. We got the tour and everything. I've had this strong desire to build a beautiful lapstrake boat for awhile now and this would be the place to learn how. They have 6, 9 and 12 month programs where they spend the first three developing the necessary wood working skills which I lack. I would learn so many things that I want to learn to do. From boat design to rigging to block building to sail making to joinery. But it's bloody expensive and I don't know what I'd do with it afterwards. After this summer I might have a better idea. I really enjoy maintenance and restoration of large boats. Maybe working in a boat shop/museum somewhere. *shrug*
Tomorrow I fly out of Seattle at 3pm. Amazingly enough I'm not ready for this part of the trip to be over. I'm looking forward to being in Chicago with people I love but I can't help but feel like I'm tearing myself away from the water. I really don't know how I'm going to feel about sailing on fresh water-- it's just not a concept I fully grok. I can easily live for 5 months without salt water, done it before, and I will be sailing which will be a distinct improvement over college. I'm looking forward to the Manitou, tho-- aside from the fact that I'll be a deckhand for 5 months, sailing daily and gettng days off with Joee to wander Michigan, I get a chance to experience pretty much all of the different options available to a sailor. I'll be doing more educational programs and windjammer cruises (which are basically just sailing around with passengers on board) and public day sails. And, right after I join the boat, we'll be sailing up to Mackinaw to do programs there. Awesome.
In another window I'm looking at research activity at University of Washington. They have two profs (including the biology department's chair) doing biomechanics of marine species. That's totally what I want to do! However, at least one of them is at Friday Harbor which is in the San Juan Islands. That's just north of where I am right now, in that cut out in the northwest corner of Washington State. Also known as, in the opposite direction of where I'm going tomorrow. Hmmm.
It's time to go enjoy my last few hours on the West Coast. I like it here.