Settling In
Hiya!
A month has passed, and I’m getting the hang of this new way of existing. As I’ve gotten to know Anacortes, I’ve found a little gem in the world. After a solid ten days of exploring, I’ve met a few locals.
Having waitstaff or business owners recognize me helps ease my fears of feeling alone while travelling solo. In fact, I managed to work out a trade with a local coffee shop owner who needed updates to his Square point of sale and website. With my two decades of business experience, I felt I could offer assistance. It worked out beautifully! Johnny was super appreciative of the rudimentary site I put together, I felt useful, and I enjoyed some of the yummy goodies he creates as payment. If you make it up to Anacortes, be sure to stop by Johnny Picasso’s to say hi!
Many of you might remember how unsure I was about leaving, knowing I wasn't ready to retire. It felt odd to step into the world, living away from the productive way I’ve engaged with the community for years. I thrive when I contribute to something bigger than myself. So, it felt counterproductive to embark on this cruising lifestyle. However, I made room for the possibility that I would find a way to meet this need.
Lo and behold, in the first place I spent time, I landed the ideal situation I had imagined—a work trade without money directly involved, benefiting both parties equally. Bonus: it cemented a friendship!
Let me backtrack a bit... How I met Johnny has another cool story! The Union Tavern is a spot I started to visit early on into my stay. The first night, I met a friendly dog by the door who gave me his sloppy lick of approval. Not a dog I would forget!
The next night, while I was reading outside the tavern, that same sweet pooch approached, tethered to his owner. They took the table next to mine, and I introduced myself to the owner—Johnny! As we chatted about my plans in Anacortes, he mentioned he knew a perfect crew member, a woman he felt was virtually my twin!
Johnny connected me with Tara, and he was right! After some texting, we met and hit it off fantastically! Tara has the skills and desire to help me sail down to San Francisco along with another savvy woman from Seattle, Marie.
One main thing I LOVE about having visitors: I get a clean boat! Of course, I do the cleaning, but the motivation is always welcome!
The following photos are of the three of us on an overnight to get a feel for how well we gel. If you can't tell by the pictures it went really well! So, I'd like to introduce my crew for the first leg of my journey south; Tara & Marie.
Now, for some of the exciting, new but not always fun, stuff I've had to face...
If you aren't up with your social media, or simply haven't connected with me there, let me fill you in.
The first day anchoring here in the bay, one of the first 5 or 6 times anchoring solo, I didn't get myself positioned far enough outside of the channel to be considerate or comfortable. I decided to reposition. While pulling up my anchor the 2nd new experience hit. I had dropped my anchor square on a derelict crab trap! What are the odds???
The weight of my anchor, filled with mud and seaweed but no crabs, made retrieval quite difficult. After a laborious 30-40 minutes of trap wrangling, I finally freed my anchor while also protecting my windlass (the electric anchor retrieval system). I was able to secure the trap to the side of my boat hoping to find a safer place for it to be. Didn’t want another unsuspecting boater to do the same thing I had.
After all of that craziness, I chose a much better location to re-anchor. Feeling way more okay I settled in for the night.
I was expecting Fish & Wildlife to collect the crab trap around 9:30 the next morning, but when I woke up something felt off. That’s when new experience #3 hit me!
As I poked my head out of the companionway into the 15 knots of wind, it became clear my anchoring job hadn’t held. I was dragging anchor! No bueno! A nearby neighbor hollered over the obvious, then sat back to observe the chaos as I frantically started the engine to retrieve my anchor once again.
Just a heads-up: it’s not an easy task when the wind is whipping you around and you can’t drive your boat and see the anchor at the same time. Captain Obvious offered to help, and I gladly accepted. He launched his dinghy and came over to guide me to the angle of my anchor so I could safely retrieve it. With his help, I prevailed! Yay me! Another new skill uncovered: I don’t quit! (Yeah, I should know that about myself by now.)
I searched for a new anchoring spot, this time far from the rocky shore and in an area less notorious for having a soft bottom. I also made the smart choice to pay out all 200 feet of my anchor chain, given the forecast for strong winds in the coming days. The weight of the chain helps keep the anchor in place, so in heavy weather, more is better!
Once you’ve felt that lack of control when your boat starts dragging anchor, the fear of what could happen if you were asleep or not there to catch it lingers awhile. It’s tough to want to not leave your boat unattended in case something goes awry. Knowing I couldn’t stay on board forever, I ventured ashore. Throughout the day I made my way back to the water’s edge several times to check on her. Lucky for me, she was holding strong!
The next morning brought new experience #4. Although heavy winds were forecast, there was no mention of them hitting 30-40 knots! I spent the morning white-knuckling it, watching not only my position but also the proximity of the boats around me. Thankfully, my anchor was holding. My other fear was what if one of theirs didn’t?! I could have easily found myself in a collision situation completely out of my control!
After six hours of enduring crazy winds, not only did my boat stay where she was supposed to, but so did my close neighbours. Unfortunately, three boats anchored in the softer bottom of the bay, closer to land, weren’t so lucky. Two powerboats and one sailboat found their way to the rocky breakwater. A sad day for those boat owners indeed!
I’ve begun to see Anacortes as a proving ground for myself. These unfortunate rookie mistakes happen, but not usually all at once. I’ve gained a great deal of knowledge, experience, and confidence here. It’s reinforced my commitment to this new sailing adventure. Not once did I regret my decision. I’m loving every minute of it!
I’m set to leave Anacortes on the 11th or 12th of September, weather depending. The first leg of my journey will take us to San Francisco. I plan to hang out there for a while and look for more crew to join me as I continue south.
In the meantime, I have friends visiting—one I haven’t seen in 30 years! And even my kiddo is scheduled to come up for a night. You know that makes me happy! I’m also due to receive a new mainsail, have my compass calibrated, and get a new chart plotter installed. All good things!
As I prepare for this next chapter, I reflect on how much I’ve learned and grown in Anacortes. Each experience, whether challenging or rewarding, has shaped me into a more confident sailor. I’m excited about the adventures that lie ahead and the connections I’ll make along the way. Here’s to embracing the journey and all the surprises it brings!
Stay tuned for more updates as I set sail into new horizons!
Until next time...
Love to you all,
Cheryl