The weather window has closed. The forecast is for winds 15 to 20 knots out of the southwest. So, we’re pulling the anchor in the dark again, hoping to get as far as Port Madison before it gets ugly. The wind is only blowing about 5 knots as we leave Port Hadlock. We’re hopeful that maybe the forecasters got it wrong.
However, as soon as we got through the Port Townsend Canal we could see the dark line on the horizon, indicating wind up ahead. When we got to that dark line, we knew we were not going to make it to Port Madison. By now, we’d be lucky to make it to Apple Tree Cove, where we holed up last year.
The closer we got to Point No Point, the uglier the seas became. By now, the wind was gusting to 35 knots out of the southeast. We were headed right into breaking seas. Al tried to hug the coastline, hoping to get into some lee. But there just wasn’t any protection. We slogged on, eventually getting around Point No Point, only to be faced with more ugly seas.
We pounded to weather for what seemed like forever before finally making Apple Tree Cove. Then the wind dropped to 25 knots. We decided to try to make Port Madison, a much more comfortable anchorage than Apple Tree Cove.
We eventually made Port Madison and anchored just outside the inner anchorage, where we could look out and see the conditions onto Puget Sound, just in case the wind dropped enough for us to make Elliott Bay today. By the time we finished dinner the wind had dropped to 15 knots and the seas had flattened considerably. So, we pulled the anchor and headed for our slip in Elliott Bay, only 7 miles away. We lucked out, and the wind continued to drop. In an hour, we were tied up in our slip. Home.
It’s good to be home, but we’re already looking forward to next year’s cruise.
Summer Cruise Aboard "Jubilacion" 2017 