Marjorie on...

After holding in Westport, Washington for 4 days due to wind not cooperating, we will be making the next leg of our journey today.  Late last night we worked through a data entry of longitude and latitude on buoyweather.com for the next 96 hours sailing. This tool gave us wind and sea conditions for the next 4 days.  that was cool.  I have been struggling to piece together times, locations and wind sea conditions in a sequence. Finding a tool like 'Marine Passage' is most helpful. Regardless, we'll be heading south today to the land of sun and warm.  First we have to get through the muck.

It bothers me that the NOAA Eureka site I use for our coastline weather and sea conditions has been down the last 2days . I sent the webmaster an email this morning.  Hopefully that problem will be fixed soon.

Marjorie

Sailing vessel "Marjorie" 59', Spirit of Tradition, Blue Water Cruising Ketch is moving on from Port Angeles, Washington to Sausalito, California  We wait at her appointed home in Port Angeles, Washington to be joined by her people.  The owner, Gardner Baldwin, will be here on Thursday.  The remaining crew moves in Friday to begin our journey on Saturday, June 23rd to  Sausalito, California. 

The boat, Cascadia, we were to be traveling with on the 17th of June went on ahead as we had issues with a crew member attempting to come in from Canada without a work visa...bummer.  He got turned back and we were instantly short handed.  This was an emotional set back for my Captain, Tracy Obert.  He contacted a former Swiftsure crew member, Alexia, who was able to step up and help us out, hoorah! Also Anne, my dear friend and sailing instructor, allowed me to put a quick email to her sailing buddies to help us find a replacement quickly. It worked! Jon, a captain with NW offshore experience will be joining us.  Thank you Anne!

Cascadia, only having been sailing one day is now in port at Astoria having faced 30-35 k wind on the bow.  This is a tough ride.  Their motor quit on them twice and sailing south into the wind makes it very difficult to actually "sail".  I've been almost constant contact with them today getting updates.  My heart was in my throat as Anne tells me they were being escorted across the potentially horrific bar entrance on the Columbia River by the US Coast Guard.  I had just spent a week long with Anne on a sailing course in the San Juan Islands earlier this month.  Her brother Tom is the owner of the sailing yacht, Cascadia.

To follow Cascadia's journey visit their live blog here:

 http://www.sailblogs.com/member/cascadia/?xjMsgID=274902

They made it safely to harbor in Astoria and are waiting for a response from a local marine services company to have their fuel checked for possible debrie that might have been loosened while getting tossed around on the waves at sea.  More updates to come.