Our First Overnight Guests

In spite of busy schedules, we were finally able to coordinate a time to take Robyn, Gavin and Cohen out for an overnighter on July 9-10. We suggested Port Townsend as our destination because of the great time we had there for the casual cruise and they thought that sounded perfect. Our cruise was going along pretty much as we predicted until we heard the Coast Guard on the radio asking what our intentions were. As it turned out, four Coast Guard cutters, two patrol boats and four high speed inflatables were escorting a nuclear sub directly across our path.  It was also flanked on both sides by Navy boats for added security. We were asked to pass behind the sub so we stayed where we were and had the unique opportunity of watching the sub pass by. I would love to have taken pictures but because of the very large guns on the fronts of the Coast Guard boats I decided it would be wise not to do so!

When we arrived at the Hudson Bay Marina we spent the afternoon  learning about crabbing from our neighbors. We were able to borrow some necessary equipment that we hadn't known to purchase and Bob and Gavin went out to set out pot. In the end we did catch several crabs but all but one were either too small or females. The one rock crab we could have kept was barely large enough and not really worth the effort so we returned him to his home. One surprise that Bob and Gavin had was when they raised the crabpot one of the times, there was a huge starfish that had to have weighed 10 pounds. It took them both by surprise when it came up out of the water but unfortunately they did not have a camera with them. 

We spent a relaxed evening playing dominoes and Cohen slept wonderfully on the boat. Stargazer worked beautifully for two couples - even with a little one. The next day we had a lazy morning breakfast at the Hudson Bay Cafe and then returned to Everett around 3:00pm.