Mid-Sound - May 2024

Portland to Seattle Roundtrip

Aquila’s home port is Portland, Oregon. Every spring, we set out on a month-long cruise—always somewhere interesting. This year, we pointed the bow north, bound for Seattle and points in between.

We had four weeks to wander. After that, we needed to be back in Portland—one way or another.

Meet the Crew

Passagemaking

Aquila’s a modest 36-footer, so keeping things organized matters. Space is tight, and everything has its place. On longer runs, everyone gets their own berth, and we rig lee cloths to keep folks from getting tossed when the sea is lively.

We only cook in flat water and it’s not fancy. Underway, it’s mostly snacks, sandwiches, and the occasional can of soup. Simple and safe is the rule when the boat’s moving.

Getting up the Coast

Neah Bay and Sekui

It's shallow under the docks in Sekui. There's 2 feet under the keel and a falling tide. We have only two hours to visit

We sailed up the coast from the Columbia River. Neah Bay is always a special landfall and we look forward to the Korean food at the marina. This year, we arrived just a few minutes before closing and got a great meal.

By the Bay Cafe served us an excellent lunch in Sekui

A Heading Error

We had a navigational error off the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I’d laid in a course to clear Duncan Rock, just outside Cape Flattery. Looked solid on the chart. But Cameron raised a flag—said the line I’d drawn would run us aground.

I checked again. It looked right. I still don’t know how I missed it. I called it my mistake, and we continued to Neah Bay.

The next morning, the numbers were still off. We spent an hour recalibrating the heading sensor, and eventually, it came back to life, reading correctly again.

I’m convinced solar activity scrambled the electronics. The magnetic compass isn’t reliable—we’ve got too much gear nearby throwing it off.

I know the rule: trust your instruments. But that day, they lied—and for a while after, too.

The Northern Lights in Port Townsend

I don't remember it like this, but it could've happened

We've seen a number of wrecks on the way. Every one reminds me to check the shaft packing, look in the bilge and close the valves when I leave the boat

We discover a city. We named it Seattle

We lock through Ballard and Tour the Lakes

Stunning May Skies

The Port Townsend Canal

The Port Townsend Ship Canal offers a sheltered route to Port Ludlow and points south. The tide can run hard through this pass and it's fun to navigate.

We've had good wind and set the spinnaker to sail through.