Friday, July 15
The day dawned with a promise of glorious weather. This was to be Whisper's debut with the Northwest Potters, and I had washed and waxed the hull to make our 2005 P-19's burgundy hull gleam in the sunlight. But in our haste to launch, we managed to put a significant gouge right through the gel coat on one side. Whisper was perfect no more!
Trip pages, including narratives and pictures, are available at http://nwpotters.org/2005trips/DocktonPotterParty/index.htm. Use King County's interactive map viewer to visualize Dockton County Park.
It was about 2:00 pm, the tide was just past slack, and we were extremely anxious to get on the water and attempt to intercept Hamada and Second Wind as they emerged from their passage through the Narrows. There was plenty of pressure at the launch as a lineup of fisherman waited for us to get Whisper rigged and launched.
 As we motored out of the Point Defiance launch past the Tacoma Yacht Club, I glanced at the rigging to make sure all was ready to unfurl our striking Egyptian Cotton mainsail and genoa...and saw I had forgotten to rig the boom vang, and that the genoa sheets were still wrapped around the furled headsail! And then we saw Hamada and Second Wind coming around the point!
After we cleared the ferry route, I handed the tiller to Jan while I scrambled to fix the rigging...before Derek and Jim could see how unprepared I really was! With a gentle breeze off our port bow, we raised sail and glided out to greet them. I'm sure we looked completely calm, but for several minutes, the scene was disorganized bedlam as we fixed what we had forgotten to do while launching. Whisper did seem a little coy as she presented her bow and starboard side to Hamada and Second Wind, hiding for the moment her new portside scar.
With our first significant ding out of the way and the boat properly trimmed, we hailed Hamada and Second Wind, and fell into formation, trailing slightly out of respect for their journey through the Narrows...and because we had packed so much stuff on board that Whisper was sailing sluggishly in the light wind!
We had sailed to Dockton a few weeks prior as a rehearsal, making today's passage to the park uneventful. Knowing we were new to the group, we moored stern first in the slip, tacitly inviting others to visit.
 It was getting quite dark by the time the rest of the group arrived. On the Harry P, the mainsail slugs had jammed high up on the mast. Derek assisted Frank in unjamming them with a boathook, saving the hassle of dropped the mast.
 It was about this time that I realized this was a very relaxed group of folks. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, but also self-contained and respectful of each other. We immediately felt at ease. After introductions and some visiting time -- including many inspections of Whisper! -- we worked up a quick dinner before heading to shore for the evening campfire.
Saturday, July 16
 We had hoped to visit some friends on Vashon Island on Saturday morning, but they were still out of the country, so we had a slow, pleasant morning of cooking, reorganizing, visiting, and preparing to sail.
 About 11 am we cast off from Dockton and motored into Quartermaster Harbor in search of wind. (This time, I had the sails rigged and ready to go!) Looking at the few wind ripples on the water, it appeared the wind was going to build slightly out of the east, so we headed out of the wind shadow of the eastern shore to the west side of the harbor where we picked up a light breeze, enough to fill the genoa. We sailed an intercept course back to the group still ghosting in the near-shore calm.
Sailing loosely as a group, we headed for the mouth of Quartermaster Harbor, tacking back and forth in the light headwind. After many tacks, we noticed a houseboat moored near the western shore was not falling astern. Our forward progress was being perfectly matched by the tidal current, preventing any forward progress. In company with Harry P, we fired up the outboard and motored into open water where we caught some sporadic wind.
Jeebie Gee, a restored gunter-rigged P14, stuck with it and eventually did sail out of the harbor under wind power.
Clearing Point Dalco, I looked up Colvos Passage and saw darker water, remarking to Jan it looked like whitecaps were about to form. No sooner had I said that than we got hit broadside by strong gusts of wind with all sail raised. We pointed Whisper into the wind, furled the genoa and dropped the main, and enjoyed the rest of the crossing under motor. As we neared Gig Harbor, the front that had blown through and unnerved us passed, leaving a stunningly beautiful afternoon in it's wake. The lighthouse at the harbor entrance was glowing in the sunlight that danced off of every wave.
 Our mother ship, Kokomo, was waiting opposite the Tides Tavern, impossible to miss. Helping hands assisted in rafting us to Kokomo's port side, and we enjoyed another round of introductions.
No cooking on the boat on Saturday! Instead, Frank ferried us in Kokomo's tender to the Tides where we had a nice dinner and chatted. A glass of port, some sweet treats and pleasant camaraderie in Kokomo's cockpit under a star-filled sky marked the close of a great Potter day.
Sunday, July 17
On Sunday morning, the mood was a bit more somber as folks prepared to head back. Hamada and Second Wind were going to "shoot the rapids," riding the flood tide through the Tacoma Narrows.
 Around mid-morning, we motored slowly to the head of the harbor to wish Hamada a safe passage, then we found a space barely long enough for Whisper on the public dock. We strolled through the art show that was underway, and visited with my sister who had found us at the dock. After lunch, needing to get home but delaying as long as we could, we headed out of the harbor toward Point Defiance.
On the way to the boat launch, we dozens of seals leaping and playing in a large tide rip. What a great way to cap an eventful first outing for Whisper! |
Ship's Log 
