A Little Matter of 20 Cents

I received an letter in the mail the other day from the Port of Edmonds.  Though I had stayed at the Edmonds marina on my first cruise, I couldn't imagine any reason that they'd want to send me a letter.  Did they lose my payment?  Were they angry with me about my liberal interpretation of the "Reserved" signs on the guest dock?  Were they thanking me for all the fame and fortune that my visit brought them?  I hurriedly opened the letter and found this:

Two dimes taped to an invoice.  When I registered at the Edmonds Marina, the moorage fee for Solitude III came out to $19.80.  As I had arrived after the port office closed, I enclosed a $20 bill with my registration card into the after-hours drop box.  I can't say I really cared about the 20 cents that I overpaid, nor was I expecting to get change! 

What I find particularly interesting is not that they returned my 20 cents, but that they spent 46 cents for postage to send it to me!

What's Cuter Than a Pinniped?

A baby pinniped, of course!

A mother harbor seal will often seek out a nice, safe spot for their pup to haul out while she goes off in search of food.  This little pup's mother has apparently come to the conclusion that a busy boat ramp is the perfect "safe place."

Bowsprit Cam

From the same people who brought you "Gaff Cam,"  here's a new view.

Small World

The Pacific Northwest has been suffering a heat wave recently.  Hoping to beat the heat, a friend and I went out sailing the other day.  A wise choice as it was cool enough on the water to actually enjoy a magnificent day!

I had forgotten to top up the fuel in the outboard's massive 1/4 gallon tank before leaving the dock, and we were just exiting the Snohomish River when fuel starvation struck.  As I bound towards the motor, jerry can in hand, I looked up and, much to my surprise, saw a Devlin Winter Wren bearing down on me.  I recognized her instantly, Nil Desperandum, with Captain Larry Cheek aboard.  Larry wrote about his experiences building Nil Desperandum, and reading his blog provided both motivation and a voice of sanity when I was building Solitude.   I've met Larry and his wife briefly in person and been aboard Nil Desperandum twice at the Wooden Boat Festival.  And now, here he was, circling his boat around me, asking if I needed help!   What a small world!  Thanks for standing by to render aid, Larry!

Fortunately, I was quickly able to splash of gas into the tank and  get the noisemaker up and running again.  Shortly thereafter, the engine was silenced again, this time deliberately, and my friend and I were enjoying a great day sailing!

Nil Desperandum, under sail.  Larry is modest about her, but she sure is a fine looking boat.