cruising

  • Garrison Bay | Friday Harbor | Home

    We hiked up Young Hill Sunday morning with Tracey & Steve, then lunched at the Madrona Bar & Grill in Roche Harbor. On Young Hill: After hanging out on the boat for a while, the four of us dinghied over… Continue reading

  • Orcas in Garrison Bay!

    I’m not sure I’d have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes! We had just pulled our pizzas off the grill when I looked up and saw two big black fins go by. I grabbed my… Continue reading

  • Boating Again!

    Good to be back on the water! This trip began Thursday with a trip to Skyline Marine Center for a “haul & hang.” This is a short (1 hour or so) haul-out for pressure washing and scraping of the keel… Continue reading

  • Roche | Bellingham | La Conner

    It poured rain in Roche Harbor for a bit on Monday (4/21) and then cleared for a decent day. Got in a nice walk and a paddle. Not much going on this time of the year, and we were alone… Continue reading

  • Ganges, Salt Spring Island B.C.

    Firstly: I failed to note that the $101 we spent for a night’s moorage in Sidney is Canadian dollars, so about $70 U.S. It was a bit windy Wednesday so we opted for a third night in Sidney. Still beautiful… Continue reading

  • BOARDED!

    Yep, finally boarded by the Coast Guard. Just a matter of time, really. More about this in a bit. Instead of departing Tacoma on Saturday morning, we stuck around to wait for a little bit better weather. Since the Daffodil… Continue reading

  • Lopez & Orcas Islands

    If I had to pick one place on the planet to spend my remaining days, it would be Lopez Island. Thankfully, I am not having to do that, so let’s just call it my favorite place to visit. And it’s… Continue reading

  • To the boat…but no boating.

    Saturday, after a lunch celebration (St. Pat’s/birthdays/spring/new home) at Sierra & Brian’s in Queen Anne (with the Northend Motts), we continued north to spend a couple of days on the boat to take care of some tasks. Nick met the… Continue reading

  • Back on the Water

    Overjoyed was the word I used yesterday to describe how I feel about being back aboard Touch of Gray. It’s a new year and we are excited to get the boat out of mothballs and prep for the 2025 cruising… Continue reading

  • 2024 Summary, & Updates

    Last year we described the cruising season as being exceptional because of sustained fair conditions. As I stated in my 2023 summary post, “a good six months of mostly decent weather.” This year was a bit different. Still a glorious… Continue reading