A delayed penultimate post

A view of the filming barge from aloft.

Canada was pretty well awesome!

We had a great showing for the Richmond Maritime festival. 

Oddly enough we were docked next to the mock up of the Lady Washington used to film episodes of the TV show, Once Upon a Time. Some filming had been done on the actual Lady a few months prior.

Jett and I onset.

Shipmate Jett(who had been aboard for the filming) and I wandered ashore to find the shoot taking place in the town proper. Steveston being the full time stand in for the “New England” town of Storybrooke. Multiple groups of Lady Crew attempted to get a drinks at the very fine looking Hole in the Wall pub which ended up being no more then a fake business set up as dressing for the street filming.
Dang!

 

The filming

The festival was  blast, recently restored bunk houses, shipyard, and canneries from Steveston’s rich maritime history. The area was full of walking street performers, music, art installations, crafts, and model ships.  We receive over 1,500 walk aboard tourist each day! Whew, it was tiring.

Costumed reenactors meet...costumed sailor.

Coooooooool.

Our Bo’sun, Sabrina, lead the crew on an outing to the Asian Night Market in Vancouver, where we were all dazzled with strange foods, feats of stamina, and some fine head-wear. 

There are tentacles in those tentacles.

Hat swap!

Shipmate Katie conquers her fears!

Victoria native and Bo’sun’s Mate, Ryan, was happy to be in his home country, but it was not long lived as we cast off lines and made our way out of the Fraser back to Point Roberts and through US customs, returning southward & towards the sun.

  

This post is a little delayed, as I am being plunged back into life ashore. I’ll soon finish up with another post about the last days of my recent tour on the Lady. Hopefully more adventures to follow.

Ryan, atop the fore.

Too close to call

Since departing from the Quinault Paddle, we have turned north. A few days transit brought us to Blaine, WA. Just on the very northern edge of the US. So close to Canada, in fact, that our cellular modem was registering in British Columbia, and we had to shut it down to avoid roaming charges. We have since setup an temporary international plan, just in time for us to actually cast off dock lines and make way on up to the Common wealth in earnest early early tomorrow morning.

We've had an exciting few days. Seasoned crew Calen and Patty have taken off, as well as our wonderful Two-week trainee, Johnathan. Their bunks have been turned over, though not the place in our hearts, and we are graced with three brand new Two week-ers. A trio of wonderful individuals, Freeman, Bailey, and Katie are learning well, and working hard.

We had a light wind, but very entertaining battle sail. Lady won handedly, raking Chieftains stern several times with full broadsides, cries of their anguished defeat wafting across the waves for hours...to be replaced with raucous dockside revelries as crews from both boats came out, had a few, and gave the royal send off for our departing shipmates. Instruments were broken out and a great number of sea shanties were sung. I very much enjoyed my first go at leading the call and response for Paddy, Lay Back as well as introducing some people to Blue Nose. I heard some new ones as well, that I am hoping I can tuck into my repertoire for later.

Great big Flags'le

After a day of maintenance and crew training, we had a very full sailing for a film shoot. A small camera crew came on board, dressed us in wardrobe and gathered stock footage for a particular show...that I'm not supposed to name.

We spent the day setting, dousing, and maneuvering as well as monkeying around in the rig (my personal favorite) to "look busy" and "do sailor-y stuff". Shooting from Lady, another small vessel, and from a small RC octo-copter they got some pretty neat footage of us climbing in places we're normally not allowed to climb. Yay!

Mom, don't read the last paragraph...oops

Today was a day for tours and maintenance. Plenty of lookers on. Some paint was touched up, crowjack lifts were end-for-ended, and Sabrina made up a new Main-Topsail-Halyard-Tie.


It's been a good week. I am looking forward to a shower, some cards, and sleep.
Then, off to Richmond, BC and the maritime history festival!

Our Canadian Boatswain's mate is called home.

These neat little guys have been puttering around Blaine Harbor.

Rare view of some of our 20th century technology.

The film crew

Boatswain Sabrina and Engineer Robert, having some fum aloft.

Kissing the main truck.

Pulling a Jack Aubrey, Standing on the T'gallant yard

No photos, just words.

An experience of a lifetime.

Lady anchored near Quinault, crew stood easy. We had just finished a quite night all together in the aft cabin, enjoying a respite from the days adventures.  Bleary eyed we ascend to the deck to find the ripples around our anchorage aglow.

The surface cascades with light as we toss deck buckets into an ocean of magic. Specks of green shimmer in our hands with each dip or cupped sample. Iridescence flows through the scuppers and arcs of brilliance flash with each cast of a line, or swish of a boat hook, or a plunge of a frolicking, shivering sailor.

We are surrounded in luminescence, bright enough to outline the fish swimming in the murky depths, but too dim to be captured by the camera's skeptical eye.


With each and every disturbance the water turns the color and brightness of a Fourth of July glow stick. Splashes send waves of light across the surface, and anything wetted sparkles with flecks of light. The echo of a constant surf tears across the bay like Minnesotan pines roaring in a December storm. My shipmates laugh and play for hours before one by one slipping off to bed or standing reflective watch on the quarterdeck.

This is what we are living for. This is why we sail the reclusive and spiteful sea.
I wish I could better share this moment of magic, but at least I'm lucky enough to have it tucked away, for myself.

A relaxing day in La Push

The Lady Washington is riding at anchor here in La Push. It was a good long day, following the flotilla of canoes and support boats on the 50+ mile transit from Neah Bay. On my afternoon watch, we received word of a canoe needing assistance, and were there, ready to assist as their support boat sent them a towing line.

Our last sunset in Neah bay.

Weighing Anchor by hand

Tops'ls were set then replaced with fore & main topmast stays'ls during the forenoon watch as an attempt to stabilize us from the 7-10 foot swells which frequently sent our deck heaving and a rolling. However, with a strong headwind we had to take those down as well and simply rely on the 350 horsepower Scania to motor us along.

Enjoying the Landscape

Canoes paying us a visit.

One of the support boats motoring out to greet us  and shuttle groups aboard for tours.

 

We got a tour of the US Coast guard tender, Jeffery Foss. This was one of TWO 15' long diesel engines supplied by a combined supply of 85,000 gallons of fuel.

Arriving at our destination we dropped anchor and furled the sails as the Lady continued to pitch and roll around us. La Push is a small unprotected crecent of sand with beautiful rocky bluffs and tall island on either side. With no breakwater between us and the ocean, we had a rough night of it. Anchor watches kept a close eye on our position with crew dressed in our racks, ready to leap to action in the event we started to drag.

Everyone is glad that the weather had mellowed. Little breeze, warm weather, and infrequent waves is a pleasant accompaniment to a slow day of  letter writing, shore leave, and chit chatting. Our ships steward, Liam lazily played his accordion as a reef bouy's fog whistle hooted, and crewmate Patty and I took brief, refreshing dips in the 52 degree Pacific surf.

Liam takes anchor watch bearings while our our crew stands easy for the evening.

Jet playfully hauls in Hawaiian Cheiftain's small boat, Payley, to shuttle our crew ashore for festivities.

My favorite thing is climbing aloft

Laura on the shrouds.

Crew aloft...not skylarking. doo do-doo

Down the straight, Paddling time.

Lady Washington at anchor.

Well, we've finished up our latest adventure and returned the scouts to Bellingham.


Some trouble with our RADAR and heavy fog delayed Lady Washington's departure, but Hawaiian Chieftain carried on. Just this morning, we have joined up with them and anchored in Neah Bay.

Keeping an eye ahead while in transit.

We are here for the Quinault Paddle, a large gathering of canoes from surrounding tribes. This year it is being hosted by the Quinault nation, we have been invited as guests of the event in hopes of strengthening relations between Gray's Harbor's historical mission, and that of the indigenous people.

Lady and Chieftain in Neah Bay.

Crew craft night!

Fog over the San Juans.

As signs of good will, we have dressed our head-rig with cedar boughs and peace tied our guns.

It is an exciting event, and we are being treated with greetings and songs from many canoes as they passed us here in the bay. Various groups are coming aboard for tours and a elder from the Suquamish tribe will be staying aboard.

Canoes on display for the Quinault Paddle.

Weather is going to be rough tomorrow, so they've decided to delay the departure of canoes and other vessels by a day. This will give us time for some much needed rest and maintenance.

 I should get some rest before my anchor watch at 01:00.
Cheers!

Island hopping, and back to the internet

Woo, Back to civilization.

The view from bow watch. Not too bad, eh?

Anchor watch under the full moon.

We've been island hopping in the San Juans for the last few days. Exploring with a group of teenaged "Adventure Scouts". It's been great so far. They're a really fun group, and are picking up on the rough points of tall ship sailing. I'm on the long boat crew, ferrying camping groups ashore on Gray's Harbor's 2-ton Long boat the Capt. Matt Peasley.




The best part?
The kids are totally into sea shanties!
I've been getting requests to sing this one, or that one. We've been keeping rowing rythms with everything from South Australia to Bring 'em Down. AND they treated me to their own version of Diamond with the refrain sung in a round! Heck yeah!

I was able to spend last night, camping on Sucia Island. It's was nice to stretch  my legs while we hiked out to the sand stone caves. The kids did a lot of climbing, and I was able to follow them up a series of tunnels back to the trail at the top of the cliffs. All of it, a blast!


Winds have been fair and weather is wonderful. We were able to enjoy some swimming, swinging from splat lines off the catshead into one of the warmer bays (as well as practice some MOB drills).

Taking a swing at it!

The Lady holds station off of Cyprus Island.

 Lady Washington seems to have welcomed me back into her loving embrace. I've been enjoying being back aloft, and have the new experience of weighing anchor with a tradition rig. Hoisting the 250lb fish anchor each morning, by hand, with the windlass.

Our long boat underway.

 Inside the sea caves.

I am relaxing aboard tonight and the boat has dipped over to Anacortes for fuel and little crew respite ashore. The local beer is good, and cell phone and internet service has been restored.

I'm sorry to see one of our volunteers, Steven and two crew members, Emily and Charlotte taking off in Bellingham, tomorrow. But I suppose, eventually, we must all return to that other life ashore.

  Until then, good sailing and keep the shanties coming!

Hawaiian Chieftain, in the mist.

Another Day, Another Sail

Look at that gorgeous furl!

Hey all,
It's been a great day.
Some much needed maintanance, (sanding and varnishing hatch covers, wooo?)
Tours and an evening sail.

I got recertified for going aloft and I think I'm getting back into the grove of things.
Furled the main t'gallant sail this evening, all by myself!

A few more pictures.
We take on Boyscouts tomorrow early early in the AM, then set off for a week in the San Juans.
I'm not sure about internet/phone accesibility for a few days. So I'll post if I can.

Cheers!

Our dear Lady Washington.

On the dock.

Both boats, end of the day.