3/31/16 - End of the Silence

It has been a long while since my last update and quite the adventure it has been. My family and I were finally able get out of our small home and move to a much larger, more comfortable and better-located one. And most importantly, it is out of King County! Yes, our new abode lies further south, in Pierce County.

Ultimately, we are closer to my wife's work, to American Lake near Fort Lewis, and closer to the mountains.

View from the north end of Lake Tapps, towards Mt. Rainier

I was fortunate to find a home where my Mutt could be stored in a garage, out of the elements. I also have space to dry my sails after a wet day, out of the way of everything else. I am super excited to be back on the water soon.

More updates will follow soon.

6/26/15 - Mutineer/Buccaneer Camping at Charbonneau Park (Burbank, WA)

We were able to attend this year's Chrysler boat get-together (June 18 - 21) in eastern Washington, near Burbank. It always takes place on the shore of the Snake River, just before it flows into the Columbia, at an Army Corps of Engineers campground. It is a nice place to camp or RV, and especially for families. I took mine and we had a blast.

We weren't fortunate enough to leave Thursday night when the event began, but as soon as I got home from work Friday, we took off and arrived at approximately 8:40pm, with just enough daylight to set up camp. We pretty much didn't get to bed until 11:15 because the kids would not go to sleep.

The next day we cooked breakfast, then headed out on my friend's Mutineer. I took the two older ones while my wife stayed with the little guy. We had a good time with some decent wind, and we got to throw some rubber ducks overboard and have the boys reach down and collect them. They really enjoyed that part.

Afterwards, we went and played in the river at a quiet sandy marina at the base of the campground cliffs. The water was about 2.5 - 3.0 feet deep all the way out about 50 feet from the shore, so there was ample room to play in without too much worry.

Later that evening, after showering and cleaning up, we attended a joint barbecue at another group member's camp site. It was a very busy, yet very fun day. The kids crashed hard, and my wife and I finished off the day watching the sun go down in our camp chairs.

On Sunday (Father's Day), we ate a simple breakfast and then packed up camp and headed home. On the way back, we stopped at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Ellensburg for lunch. We eventually made it home around 3pm and everyone crashed for naptime except me. I had to unload the van and put everything away while I still had energy.

All in all, the trip was a success. The boys and my wife had a lot of fun, and I was able to get out on the water again, even if it was only for a few hours.

Upcoming events:

- ALSC Monthly sailboat races: Saturday, Sept. 26. Skippers' meeting @ 11:00am. Meet at the floating clubhouse on Wilcox Island, across from Bill's Boathouse

External Links

- Current Manufacturer of the Mutineer - http://www.nickelsboats.com/sailboats-c-2/mutineer-15-p-12.html

- Mutineer Class Association - http://www.mutineer15.org/

- American Lake Sailing Club (ALSC) - http://www.sailnut.com/american-lake-sailing-club