day twenty - tea for the tillerman

Morning comes with blue skies, gusty southwest winds that shake the trees along shore and an invite for tea at the farm house.  How nice.   My phone app tells me the front is at least a few hours away.

I tie up at the pier then walk up the hill to the farm house.  Genevieve has set out the tea, some cookies and a little bag of treats for me to take on the trip.  We spend a long time sitting on the porch talking, a very enjoyable time and it strikes me once again that the boat that I built to get away from people has instead caused me to meet new and smart and interesting people up and down the coast.  We take a short walk around the beautiful then head back to the pier to say goodbye.  

Instead of returning to Salt House Cove I head northwest up Queenstown Creek to Ditchers Cove, a shallow area that I think will be better protected from the coming winds.  Anchor down 10:45.  Clear skies and it is getting hot.  I set up the boom tent and relax in the shade.

Gusts shake SPARTINA and they get stronger so I lower the mizzen to see if there will be less rattling about in the wind.  The boat does ride calmer that way.  I relax and catch up on the logbook, checking in now and then with the weather app.

Just after 3:00 clouds start moving in, at first just a grey overcast, then dark swirling shapes.  I pay out a little more anchor line.  

The front arrives at 3:20, a sudden blast and the wind swings immediately and distinctly from southwest to northwest.  I watch my GPS to make sure we are not dragging anchor.  We are not, but SPARTINA swinging at anchor before and after the front arrives make for an interesting track.

The leading edge of the front moves on, the winds remain out of the northwest but they are not as gusty.  Rain comes and goes.  Cooler winds arrive at 4:30, then stronger and swirling winds at 4:50.  I am dry and comfortable under the boom tent, enjoying the view of the weather out the back.

Calm with light rain in the evening.  

 Beef stroganoff for dinner.