Not a breath of wind greets me as I climb out of the cabin on Tuesday morning. The day dawns warm, and just gets warmer and warmer with sun glinting off glassy seas.
With only 13.4 nautical miles to cover to get to Blake Island, I leave the Des Moines Marina with the motor set just above idle. As Whisper quietly motors past the Des Moines fishing pier, I look down and see the bottom 20 feet down, like looking through aquamarine-colored glass.
The mirror-like water and stifling heat give the morning a surreal feeling. A couple of days into this week of solo sailing, and I am thinking of some lyrics from Elton John's "Rocket Man" -- I miss the earth so much I miss my wife...It's lonely out in space...On such a timeless flight!
Turning north, I steer Whisper along the eastern shoreline, past Normandy Park and Fauntleroy. The variety of ways landowners have tried to stop bank erosion is interesting, and I wonder at the cumulative impact of so much hardening at the interface of land and water. Past Three Tree Point, I turn westward and cross the traffic lanes, arriving at Blake Island State Park after 4.1 hours of travel.
It is mid-afternoon and hot. I dig out my lawn chair, pack a bag of drinks, snacks and a book, and sit near the beach in the shade, watching boat traffic pass between Blake island and the Seattle shore.
Ship's Log 
