Day 7 - ASA104 on-water final day

I wake up in time to catch the sunrise. It's gorgeous but calm - guess no sailing today. Though 'red in the morning'... After taking some photos I go back to sleep, hoping for the best.

Waking up again at 8:30 - wish granted. It is now cloudy, cold and windy! Cool! The wind is mostly from the South, which is roughly where we need to go. So it will be close hauled, lots of tacking, lots of heeling.

And it is. A very fun, very technical sail all the way back to marina entrance at Anacortes. Along the way a narrow passage between two islands, against a strong tidal current. We manage it though not without some effort. What a way to end the voyage!

Back in the marina, first is the glamorous task of pumping out the holding tanks. The boat has three heads (toilets), each with its own 20 gallon tank. They have to be pumped out individually. Cleanup is minimal but nonzero. We wear latex gloves, same as before.

Below is the approximate track for the entire voyage. Not sure exactly the distance covered, but I am more advanced as a person now. Seriously. Learn something every day.

We finish up with more cleaning of the boat and then a farewell lunch. It's about 3pm now. Heading South will put me in rush hour in Seattle and Tacoma. So I take a bit of time to check out Anacortes - there is a view point, shipyards, and more.

I've often wondered how the propulsion system is set up on ferries so when I saw one hauled out of the water, I had to stop and see. Unfortunately the propeller facing me is removed for service but it gives me an idea of how this works. A quick google confirms it. Cool.

Eventually I head South and the traffic is actually not too bad, until I get to Seattle. So rather than be stopped on the freeway for half an hour, I exit and find a random spot on google maps, on South side of Magnolia. It's a tiny park, just a couple hundred feet of beach. I'm almost tempted to launch the kayak that's in my car. If I hadn't spent the last five days on the water, I definitely would have. But as it is, I'm content to just sit and watch for a bit.

Then back on the road, still some traffic but basically uneventful drive home. One of the most memorable birthdays. What will I do next year? And how will I use the new skills/knowledge? We shall see.