Blog post # 3
Once again they hit the road north; the delays for repairs weren’t that time consuming. Stopping along the way for snacks and last minute supply shopping breaks up the drive, plus gives Mike a chance to apologize for calling Tom an idiot. They arrive at Deception Pass State Park boat ramp in late afternoon and park the boats side by side in a level area of the parking lot. The kids take off exploring the park and fishing docks while the adults organize the boats. Tom and Mike help each other with rigging and stepping masts. Soon Tom is backing his boat down the ramp stopping just short of the water to unhook the bow eye and discuss their next moves. Mike is on the dock holding the lines, Tom begins to back the trailer into the water. At the last second Mike notices the brake lights and yells wait wait, but it’s too late, they had forgot to unplug the trailer lights and the hot bulbs all pop as cold water floods around them. The boat floats free and is quickly tied to the floating dock. Mikes boat goes in the water next and is tied behind Toms, their homes for the next week eagerly tugging at the lines waiting for the adventure to begin. Unfortunately there is no fresh water rinse hose so they are forced to leave their salt water doused trailers to the corrosive forces of nature.
They have planned to cast off at low tide when the water in Deception Pass is slack. Since it was now low tide they had no time to lose, the water would soon be coursing back through the narrow pass increasing velocity by the minute. Everyone boards the boats and put on their pfd’s except Tom. Tom explains he is a good swimmer and with all the help and two boats he will be perfectly safe. As fate sometimes gets the last word it is fitting that Toms son at this very moment loses his balance and catches himself on the boom. The very same boom that Tom had forgot to secure swings over and soundly whacks him in the head leaving him throbbing and slightly dazed. Tom’s wife after seeing that he is still alive demands he either go in the cabin or put on his life jacket. As they approach the pass Mike is relieved to see smooth water and little current, but in the distance he can see Rosario Strait and a slight haziness warning of possible fog forming. For safety the boats keep a short distance apart and it is difficult yelling so Mike radios Tom to alert him of the possibility of fog reducing their visibility. When Tom responds his transmission is so poor Mike asks if the radio is working right. That’s when Tom realizes he forgot to screw the antenna on to the top of the mast. Their plan is to reach James Island State Park a distance of about 10 miles, with the incoming tide pushing them along Mike expects to be in the little protected anchorage in about two hours.
