Eagle Harbor

Seattle Skyline from Eagle Harbor

I have taken to heart a comment from someone who was aboard last Thursday night. "It's all about perspective, our city is so different from the water." Everyone agreed that seeing something you see everyday from a little different angle, brings a freshness and new appreciation to it. The comment was made about the Seattle skyline from the water as we were racing.

This weekend we wanted to meet up somewhere with our friends, the Giffords, who are getting close to their departure time for heading . But being close to their departure time means that they are feverishly working on a to do list that must be "to-done" before they can leave. So instead of meeting them in one of our local destinations that we are trying to explore, we went to where they live on their boat, Eagle Harbor. I have been to Eagle Harbor many times, even via the water as the ferry terminal for Bainbridge Island is halfway into the harbor. We have also been to see the Giffords on their boat at their marina, but we have never come all the way into the harbor on a boat (avoiding the ferry was at the front of my mind). It definitely brings that new perspective to a somewhat familiar place.

On Saturday, after Brad spent some time at work and I gave the house some needed attention, we skirted around the edges of the Ballard Seafood Festival on our way down to the boat. The boys had lunch while Brad got fuel for the outboard and around 2:30 we headed out. I wanted to sail and Brad obliged me. As it became apparent that we would have pretty good wind all the to Eagle Harbor, Brad got into the spirit and quickly rigged the spinnaker. We had a beautiful run down the entrance buoy to Eagle Harbor (with a ferry headed our direction).
We figured out a dinner trying to use up some of the New Zealand provisions complimented by a quick walk to the local Town and Country Market. We had a cocktail with the Giffords and then proceeded to Capaz for dinner. The boys watched Atlantis. Behan and I did a little surfing centered around cruising sites, while the big boys played with the windlass (trying to figure if we indeed have anchorability - it calls for further inspection involving daylight and less wine). Behan and I were coaxed into the cockpit to watch a beautiful, just past full moon rise with a slice of the Seattle skyline visible through the mouth of the harbor. Good company and port made for an incredibly memorable evening, though we all agreed that once we are sweating in the tropics, we will look back blissfully on last night's need for fleece!
Waffles have been recommended to us by several people as a must aboard, so dusted off our waffle iron (since kids came on the scene, I must admit that waffles come in the frozen form in our lives) and tried it our for breakfast. I can definitely see where it could be a very social event.
More surfing and connections with all sorts of cruising info rounded out Behan's and my morning as Brad and Jamie worked on Totem's anchor chain (one of the last things in their garage needing to come to the boat) and then onto Capaz's windlass.

The Baker boys have begun some work on developing a logo for Capaz. As mentioned before, it means "capable" in both Spanish and Portuguese. That's kind of hard to work into a logo, but we are thinking something with a yin and yang using a shark and dolphin (or mahi-mahi). Please feel free to submit any ideas you might have!!!!!

Bryce sailing the RC Boat