M17 #375 – SWEET PEA

The evening was nice and quite at Jarrell Cove.  I wake to this scene –

Small cove by the State Park dock.

After breakfast I go to the State Park dock to complete few on-land tasks, cross the cove to get gas at Jarrell’s Cove Marina and head for Hope Island State Park (there are two Hope Island parks … this is the one in South Puget Sound).

There isn’t one breath of wind all the way to Hope Island.  Glad I was able to collect fuel!  I motor the length of Pickering Passage and arrive at Hope the early afternoon.  Some aquatices are going to meet me and we will enjoy the evening on the State Park buoys.

After John and Dave arrive we go looking for the clump of buoys on the west side of the island.  Well, all but two are filled and there are going to be four of us.  Like Eagle Island there is no protection from wakes or waves so rafting isn’t an option.  The guys decide to go to Jarrell Cove where I opt to stay as Olympia is tomorrow’s destination.

The evening is quiet and only a few wakes rock the boat.  Under sail I cast off the buoy and sail in a light breeze for a couple of hours.  As the wind dies I fire up the motor and arrive at Olympia’s Swantown Marina.

These are very nice facilities, though it is a walk to the downtown Olympia to see the sights and collect groceries.

Nice bathroom, shower and laundry facilities at Swantown.

A top notch recycling center at the marina!

Here I’m meeting up the the Potter Yachters, a group of West Wright Potter sailboat owners (NOTE: I’ve linked the www-site of International Marine – the company no longer builds boats and the site is just for reference), that are conducting the 16th Annual ‘All The Usual Suspects’ Messabout.