Passage Log: Ander’s Quest (1)
Friday, May 31st
The sailing vessel Quest is finally on anchor! The past week has been a whirlwind of activity. The owner of the boat, Anders, and I spent long days ticking off last minute commissioning items before the boat was splashed on the 29th of may. We welcomed aboard two crew members before the boat went into the water. Savannah is 24 years old and has some crew experience. Matt is in his 40’s and has his own 100-ton captains license, although most of his experience is on lakes and powerboats. Both will be an absolute pleasure to have along!
Splashing the boat was easy with our able crew. The engine fired up first try, and the boat could float! We docked at the launch, and moved over to Cap Santa Marina here in Anacortes later that afternoon. Quest spent two nights at the dock taking on provisions, bending on sails, and accomplishing last minute items. We almost lost a reefing line in the boom while putting on the sails, saved only by the cool heads of the crew and Ander’s 30+ years of mechanic experience. Excitement passed, and we left the marina this morning after taking on almost 300 gallons of fuel! I’m happy we have so much aboard - the winds can be light and variable as we get closer to Alaska. This boat uses a generator to keep the lights on, so it will be nice to have plenty of fuel.
So here we are, swinging on Anchor. I feel great. The crew is working well together so far and all the different boat pieces are coming together. This trip is a bit different than one’s ive done in the past, as its not a simple spring commission and launch. Its the very first one! Not only do we need to worry about sails and rigging and food… we need to think about getting silverware, creating onboard systems for people management, and so much more. Add two large dogs to the mix and there’s just a whole lot going on.
Fortunately, it feels like the weather is on our side. Besides a little drizzle during launch, it has been clear and sunny for the past two days. The forecast is calling for another day and a half of light winds, gradually increasing from the S. This will set us up well for our planned movement North. I haven’t decided if we’ll go through the Channel Islands or inside the main Straight of Georgia. Going through the islands provides protection against swell and the worst of the wind, but it can be tight and current will have a stronger effect. There will also be more traffic in the islands. The straight is an attractive option, as it will give us clean wind and tons of room to sail without obstacles to think about. I will continue to monitor the weather and make a decision once we have entered Canada.
Well, that’s about it for now. We need to buy a little more food, and I wish I had packed a couple more shirts and things. But those are great problems to have!
