Gary, there was actually one other boat on the dock with us. They came in about the same time. And just before we left, a sail boat came in and anchored. It really was a nice place to walk the trail, but a very small cove with quite a bit of current when the tides were changing. Neophyte, I was aware of the VTS from prior knowledge and my charts. I used the internet to find the proper channel for the area. I don't think I was required to call them, but I was cutting directly across the shipping lane and only going hull speed. So kind of wanted to let them know I was there, and also find out if anything was in or out bound that I would need to be looking for. I do have an AIS transceiver on my boat, so I'm sure they probably could see me anyway.
Had a quiet night on the guest dock at Bellingham, and then headed back over to Northwest Marine Industries this morning. Harvey (Sleepy C) got up pretty early to catch a ferry from his home, and then rode his Motorcycle the rest of the way. Was great to finally meet him, and then we all enjoyed a very interesting tour by one of NMI's owners, Michael, of the C-Dory plant. Very interesting to see how the boats are built, and to also learn about some of the business issues that have to be dealt with. Like everybody else, getting parts is a real issue and one thing that really stood out in my mind was that NMI's costs can go up quite a bit even after someone has put in a purchase order for a boat. Michael said they try to make the best of that, but many times things have to be ordered as they go along, and those costs may be quite a bit more than they were when the initial purchase order was made. So the boat may end up costing more for the manufacturer to make than what they planned on when the boat was ordered. (That cost is not passed on to the previous buyer.) And while he has some great experienced employees that have been with him for some time, he is still finding it hard to replace them (just like every other employer). The other issue is that these great employees are getting older and will eventually retire. The pipeline is open for some apprentices! Michael is very much into supporting our vets, and the new boats now have a small sticker with the American Flag that says Made in the USA. Three boats were getting ready to go out the door, and there were a number of others under construction. Those brand new boats sure look nice! Cat-O-Mine John, I saw a tomcat there that would be my next boat if I were to upgrade again. Ok, it wasn't a TomCat, but it was a Catamaran, and 32' long I believe. Michael said he had that in 6' waves, at 30mph, still drinking coffee without spilling a drop! Anyway, I was entirely impressed with the build of our boats and it gave me that more confidence in the C-Dory! After that, Harvey went to lunch with us, and then we parted and went our separate ways.
I had planned to spend tonight back in Eagle Cove on Cypress Island, but all the balls were taken, and I didn't want to anchor. (I think anchoring is frowned upon now in the shallower waters due to the eel grass.) Before pulling into Eagle Cove to check it out, we heard boats talking about whales in Hale Passage... But we were already well past there, so didn't bother to go back. We ended up back at Cap Sante this evening, in a slip close to the sling. Got C-Traveler cleaned up and pretty much ready to sling out tomorrow. Been a great trip in the PNW, but looking forward to getting back to salt-free water! Pictures to follow in a while, or tomorrow. Colby
) Colby
Michael was explaining that due to the shape of the hull, the water coming under the tunnel is forced to flow a lot faster, almost putting the ride on air.
