When we listened to the weather forecast last night, we learned that there was a one-day weather window for getting across Johnstone Strait. If we’re lucky and the forecast is accurate, we hope to make it all the way to Port Hadlock today — 72 miles.
It’s still dark when we pull the anchor at 0630 hrs this morning. The sea is absolutely flat calm, and we can see for miles. You don’t get great traveling conditions like this very often this time of year. The only fly in the ointment is that military operations, using live ammunition, are scheduled for today in the Whiskey Quebec Small Arms Test Range off Whidbey Island. It took us awhile to figure out where Whiskey Quebec was, since it isn’t indicated as such on the chart. Al called the Coast Guard and found that in order to avoid being blown up, we’d have to set a course close to Smith Island, on the west side of the shipping lane, until we got close to Partridge Point. Luckily, it was a Neap Tide, so there weren’t any ugly tide rips off Point Wilson.
The weather held all the way across Johnstone Strait and as far as Port Hadlock, where we anchored for the night. It had been a long day, but the weather was so great, that it was actually very pleasant. However, the autopilot seems to be acting up. We’ll have to have that checked when we get to Seattle.
Summer Cruise Aboard "Jubilacion" 2017 