Anchors Are For . . . . .

Not so long ago a fellow marina neighbor had his ground tackle laid out on the dock, cleaning the chain rode and then planning to re-mark the chain in 10' lengths. We had talked about using a white or bright orange blaze (sprayed Rustolium paint works very well). Said neighbor decided to leave all this ground tackle on the dock as he headed out for a three day cruise to the south Sound.

Wrong.

Sure he was not planning to anchor - - there are great moorages in Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Olympia. But that's not the issue.

Some years ago we had exited the locks and just cleared the West Point buoy, making for the Bell Harbor Marina in downtown Seattle's waterfront. The sea was choppy, the sun bright and reflecting off the water back at us. A bit breezy, so with the reflection we had slowed down to about 5 knots. Suddenly the starboard engine shuddered and stopped, then the port engine. A quick shift into neutral, both engines restarted, but when engaged quickly shut down again. Trouble. Something had probably fouled the props.

Now adrift the wind was pushing us towards the shoal Magnolia Bluffs, so we prepared to drop anchor. My son David manned the winch, and as we drifted to shallower water, when the fathometer read 15 feet (tide was flooding) he let go the anchor. Now, secure and riding comfortably, we called Vessel Assist, suggesting that they bring a diver.

Long story short, it took close to three hours to cut loose a very long six-inch thick hawser that was adrift just under the surface, now a ball around the props and shafts. Three hours, five dulled knives, and who-knows how many hacksaw blades, but we were clear. The diver reported no visible damage, so once we finished the paper work, thanked the VAAA crew, raised anchor, we were off again.

Anchoring is not just for a fun way of "hanging out" in a cozy cove. It is also one's "emergency brake." Don't leave home without it.

Moons. Marinas, and Manufacturers

You might almost title this posting M & Ms, and M.

Last Monday brought back memories. My family and I were camping at Howard Prairie Reservoir, a beautiful lake a few miles east of Ashland, Oregon. Now a 1,900 acres recreational spot rated by some as the number one recreational area in Oregon, at that time it was a simply a rather primitive campground with wonderful boating. We had towed our Glen-L 13' sail boat there behind our VW bus. Aptly named "Aquarius" (What else? This was the 60's!) she was a great trailerable lake boat - - plywood hull, cat-rigged, wood mast, heavy, and had been trucked to many northern California lakes over the years.

That night we were stretched out under the stars, listening on the car radio to Walter Cronkite reporting the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. Up there in the high hills without any ambient light, the sky was crystal clear, the Moon very bright, the campground hushed in silent awe.

Gazing up it was so terribly hard to imagine a person actually walking on that surface. It boggled the mind. It stretched comprehension. It was unreal. But it was real. And that made it all the more amazing. Even now, four decades later. It still seems unreal even knowing that it truly was.

Some reality is awing. In today's economy, some reality is downright depressing.

Today's Kitsap Sun brought the news that the heralded Bremerton Marina is in trouble. It's a beautiful facility. We walked it a couple of months ago. Now it's 225 slip capacity is only at the 31% level. A casualty of the recession, according to Cary Bozeman, former Bremerton mayor (and Bellevue mayor before that) and now the port's chief executive officer, "We're at the end of being in the boating business anymore", although he does see the marina succeeding when the economy rebounds.

While maybe steering away from future marine activities, according to the Sun the port is showing some interest in a future possibility, the re-developing of the old Seabeck marina, the dream and hope of good friend Erik Bentzen. You'll find more on line about the Bremerton Marina and Seabeck.

But it's not just marinas in trouble. As the Boating Industry magazine points out, for months we've known that GM and Chrysler were headed for bankruptcy, as well as two of the largest RV manufacturers, Fleetwood and Manaco Coach. Now the second-largest boat manufacturer, Genmar, last month filed for Chapter 11. Genmar is the builder of 15 premier brands of recreational boats which include, Carver, Champion, FinCraft, Four Winns, Glastron, Hydra-Sports, Larson, Marquis, Ranger, Scarab, Seaswirl, Stratos, Triumph, Wellcraft, and Windsor Craft. Genmar's CEO called this "a perfect tsunami."

Frankly, I'm not sure how to tie all this together. Perhaps like an open ended mystery, you, dear reader, can create your own story endings. Good luck!

For me, I think I'll just continue to gaze and wonder, and also throw in some of that trust that carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and perhaps a bit of moon dust to boot.

Happy Fourth!

I've always thought of myself as more of a world citizen than that of a particular state. Born in Canada, first five years of my life in what was then Ceylon, now Sir Lanka, back to Canada and then to California until post-highschool. Fifteen years in the Canadian Army with most overseas duties being United Nations roles (blue shoulder patches and blue berets being de rigor of the day), university in Quebec, then eventually back to settle in the United States.

I can remember during the heady post WWII days, probably many of you can, too, thinking of there being a world citizenship. Living in the San Francisco Bay area when the United Nations had its formational meeting in that city in 1945 probably had an impact on a twelve year old's thinking.

For years I was a "landed immigrant", aka a "Green Card Carrier", never thinking much about this except when voting came up, or when pleading a cause for immigrant (say Hispanic) workers. Then thirteen years ago I was naturalized and "admitted as a citizen of the United States of America."

In the 1960s my mother, a Canadian, had applied for USA citizenship. When she eventually came before the judge to be sworn in, for the first time she heard the naturalization oath and its clause "to bear arms in defense . . . " She refused. Some time later, when this clause was removed from the oath, that same judge contacted my mother, administered the revised oath during a private session, and my 70 year old pacifist mother became a US citizen.

I probably still think of myself as a sort of world citizen. I'm proud of my USA citizenship. Not forsaking my roots, I have what Canada calls "duel citizenship"; the USA does not recognize anything duel, much the pity.

So to my new adopted country, after those many years of being a homesteader here on your land, I say with all the rest of you,

Happy 233rd Birthday, America!

Happy Fourth of July!

Photo: Grandkids Caymon and Naomi raising the flag, the ensign, aboard the Lady Mick

Canada Day 2009

To our Canadian boating friends - - HAPPY CANADA DAY

Today is Canada's 142nd birthday. It was in 1867 that the British Parliament passed the British North America Act, establishing Canada as a sovereign nation. At that time there were just four provinces. Now there are ten plus the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories, and the latest, the Nunavut Territory, created in 1999 and home to about 30,00 people, most of them Inuit aboriginal people.

Originally called Dominion Day, July 1st was restyled Canada Day in 1982.

And, yes, there is a Queen of Canada, Elizabeth II, who also happens to be the Queen of England, of Wales, and of Scotland. as well as of Australia, New Zealand, Antigua, Jamaica, Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Belize, St Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Papua New Guinea.

Now that should have you digging out the old Atlas!

So, Happy Birthday Canada, no worries, and long may your Loonies be on par.