Sailor Superstitions

And how did Jan and Doug anger the sea gods.....

Changing the name 

Once a boat has been christened it is important to honor the sea gods with a renaming party.  During the party you implore the powers of the sea to bestow good luck upon the ship.

Leaving port on Friday

One theory is that this superstition has its roots in the crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday.  To this day many mariners will not leave on a Friday.

Black Bags

Black bags are deemed to be bad luck for mariners

Red sky at morning sailor take warning
Red sky at night sailor's delight.

Primarily this adage is related to weather.

Cat on board

The only cat that brings good luck would be a black cat.

Women

While ubnclothed women have the power to calm the sea gods, clothed women bring bad luck at sea.  We are just going to have to work on this one since Jan is quite insistent on clothing.

Bonus

If you noticed that neither Jan or Doug had eyes tattooed on their eyelids so that they could watch for danger when they slept you can go directly to the head of the class.

Good things that have come in the summer interrupted:

Puerto Vallarta Reunion in Penticton

Doug and Jan both earned their Life Master ranking while at the Penticton Bridge Tournament.  Great to see both our PV and our Washington friends during our stay.

We got to spend time with old college friends, Kristie and Bruce as well as the unphotographed Wayne and Martie who have returned from India.

Jan had lunch with Janet and Janna at the Skamania Lodge.

Jan and Doug caught a nice 15 lb chinook off Port Townsend.  we caught it on the wonderful new rods that Ron (Doug's son) and his fishing partner made.  They are wonderful - you can feel every flip of the tail through the rod.  

Angering the Sea Gods

Doug and I got the bigger-boat-bug a couple of years ago. We looked in California last fall and toiled many hours over internet brokerages.

Our New Boat

This spring we found our last boat - a 55 foot Pilothouse Symbol which we renamed without ceremony: SeaDrifter.  She is a beauty with three staterooms, two heads, a washer/dryer,  a spacious salon and dinner seating for 8.  The galley is lovely with granite counter tops, a trash compacter, a dishwasher  and a Miele/Gaggenau range and oven.  

The interior wood is maple which lends an airiness to the sometimes gloomy northwest. 

The Pilot House

Old friends, Bruce and Kristie joined Debra, Ralph, Doug and me  for a crab feast.  I really did not believe that we could catch more crab than we could eat.  But I was wrong try though we did! 

It was a Friday morning when we left  Puget Sound.  Although our season was shorter than is typical it promised to be a good trip.  We even remembered to stash our black suitcases on board to fly south to the family reunion.

  

First on the agenda was a trip through the Ballard Locks to resolve some electrical issues. Navigating the Locks with a fishing boat tied alongside was a bit of a challenge but our crew (Debra and Ralph) made it happen. 

Crewing through the Locks

The Hiram Chittendon Locks were built in 1906 to link Puget Sound with Lakes Union and Washington.  Prior to the building of the Locks there was a stream that flowed out of the Lakes and into the Sound.  Today there is are two sets of locks that allow boats of all sizes to navigate the 22 foot difference on a mean tide.

Jan Handles Lines 

We left  Seattle after a breathtaking sunrise over the Cascade Mountain.  We spent our next night anchored in Port Ludlow.   Dreaming of big prawns we cleared customs in Bedwell.   The Canadian Customs came on board and asked if you had any citrus or pets on board.  No citrus and Jan pointed at our only pet - a wooden tabby she bought in Paris.

We provisioned in Nanaimo and headed north.  Ten miles out of Nanaimo we dropped a valve in the port engine.  This is not a good thing at all.  Many $$$$$

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Hauling the SeaDrifter in Port Townsend

Removing the Engines through the Salon Floor

Without realizing it we angered the sea gods in six different ways.  Can you find the six superstitions embedded in the text and pictures?  There will be a short blog tomorrow with the answers.

Miss Lia Graduates

It is with great pleasure that we celebrate (belatedly) the June graduation of our granddaughter, Lia, from Manson HIgh School.

A SMILING GRADUATE!

HAPPY LIA!

 Lia's mother, Maria lived with Jan many years ago and our connection has brought together two cultures and created a loving bond between our families.  Jan has always been Lia's grandma and that is such a pleasure for all.

JAN, LIA AND MARIA

Over time our bond has come to include Maria's siblings and Lia's cousins.  No trip to Manson is complete without a wonderful family gathering that features great food from both cultures.

MARIA AND CARLOS

Lia will join her cousin, Carlos, at Eastern Washington University.  Carlos is the first of his family to attend college.  This summer he is working two full time jobs so that he can start his junior year.  He is studying police science and wants to work in juvenile probation.

SANDRA AND JAN

In the Mexican culture no celebration would be complete without a fiesta.  Lia's graduation was a wonderful carne asada at her aunt and uncle's home.  It was for Jan an opportunity to see old friends from her Manson years.

Being a parent is never really easy and to be a single parent has its own challenges.  To celebrate a new chapter in Maria's life she took a vacation with us.   We stayed on the new boat in Olympia and took some small trips including one to Victoria.

Years ago Jan's brother sold this Shinto shrine to the Greater Victoria Art Museum.   Great trip to celebrate a job well done by both Maria and Lia!  Too bad you had to work, Lia!