The assorted ramblings of an owner of an old boat…
For the past several years – thirteen to be exact – late June has found me cruising to the annual Tollycraft Boating Club Rendezvous at Roche Harbor in the San Juan Islands. Each year is an opportunity to catch up with old friends, while making new, and checking out a bunch of beautiful boats. This year’s theme: “Destination Disney”!
I’ll let my friends with the club tell the story in my latest video, with a “Goofy” cast of characters – some goofier than others…
The Pacific Northwest weather might having thinking otherwise, but springtime is officially here. Just over half way through, we’ve had our share of “April Showers” – along with March, February, and… Bring on the May flowers!
With some free time and a forecast that looked okay, I pushed away from the dock for a few days for a much appreciated getaway.
For more information on the Motor Vessel David B, visit the Northwest Navigation Website and check out Christine Smith’s book, More Faster Backwards: Rebuilding David B.
For more information on the Kimball Preserve, visit the San Juan Preservation Trust
It’s October, and we’ve officially entered what is unofficially the “off season”. Given a few days of beautiful weather with nothing on the calendar, I decided to get away – even if only for an overnighter.
I keep Jolly Mon pretty well-stocked and ready to go throughout the year, so preparation for a quick trip is minimal if the opportunity arises. I grabbed a change of clothes, a few groceries and was under way with little delay. I didn’t have a destination set, but had a few in mind close to home.
I settled on James Island, someplace I hadn’t been for several years, but I’m very familiar with, having spent many family boating weekends there as a kid.
Check out the video below for my autumn visit to James Island.
I hope you enjoy my videos. I continue to learn more with each and every one, and hope to create a winter cruising series! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to keep up to date.
Mary LaFleur of Anacortes has enjoyed boating in the Northwest since she was young and looks back at some great memories of time spent on the water with her friends and family. But she understood that, it was because of the sacrifices of others she was able to enjoy her favorite pastime.
“It occurred to me,” she said, “while I was out there having a good time, someone somewhere on the other side of the world was standing guard.” LaFleur was referring to the men and women serving in the armed forces, and she was looking for an opportunity to express her appreciation.
Beginning in April of this year, she began contacting friends and associates, and in the span of four months organized the inaugural “Operation: Orca-Dungie” on July 20-21 in Anacortes.
Over the two days, a group of military veterans from the Northwest traveled to Anacortes where they were treated to a whale watching tour aboard the Mystic Sea on the first day, where they saw Orcas, Humpbacks, and a very rare sighting of a fin whale – a whale not seen in Puget sound for over five decades. Day two was spent crabbing and sightseeing aboard boats hosted by local boaters, and finished off with a huge crab feed.
“The Anacortes crab feed was one of the best experiences I’ve had as a vet!” one veteran said. “The Anacortes community really went all out for us.”
LaFleur thanks the many supporters who donated their time and resources in to making the event happen.
To help out, or for more information, contact operationorcadungie@gmail.com .
Check out a short video of “Operation: Orca-Dungie”
I just returned from the annual Tollycraft Boating Club Rendezvous at Roche Harbor, a long weekend packed with a lot of fun and fun people.
This was my twelfth rendezvous, and while each event is a little different, they’re all about getting together with boating friends, making new ones, and enjoying some time on the water.
Rather than try to describe it all, I’ll let a short video I put together tell the story!
