WHAT’S UP, DOCK? August 2010  NW Yachting Article

Friday Harbor Waterfront Views

By Cap’t Cr’Ahab

I’ll tell you what’s up. For one thing, the mood of visitors to waterfront is up from last year. More smiles, more energy, more people wandering around. Possibly related to the fact that the sun is also up higher this year (the Coriolis Effect, look it up), and local daytime temps have been 1.7 degrees warmer than last. Wear a hat. Of course then, the moon is also lower, making the tides very squirrelly and the nights a bit longer. And yet, even with that, many of the good folks in the Visitor Slips on G and H docks look as if they haven’t had quite enough sleep, and to my practiced eye, they appear maybe a little “groggy”. The Bakery Boat also reports brisk sales of hot coffee, cinnamon rolls, tarts, quiches, scones and muffins to these sleepy slips, and has been selling out the entire stock there, much to the dismay of the boaters on the upper alphabet docks.

August in Friday Harbor is County Fair time. The fairgrounds are just up Spring Street, left on Argyle, and a few blocks further. Or, for you boaters on G and H docks, dogleg left at the liquor store, keep going. For you boaters in the upper alphabet docks, dogleg left at West Marine, keep going. Voted the “Best County Fair in the County”, the fair runs from Thursday August 18, through Sunday Aug 21. Food Court, beer garden, marionettes, amusement rides and arcades, jugglers, zucchini races, sheep, llamas, steak bbqs, fresh pie and local ice cream, tons of kid’s activities and vendors. And for you visiting boaters, this is the very best opportunity to observe some of the more elusive local island residents in their natural environment. Watch the Lopezian Sheep to Shawl team strip a sheep naked, spin its wool into thread, and then finally knit a nice shawl or sweater for the sheep to cover its indecency. By the end of the Fair, all of the Lopez sheep are sporting new sweaters and shawls for the winter. Watch the Waldronite flower growers sweep the blue ribbons with their barely legal cross pollinated crocuses. And, if you are class conscious, try and spy the Trustafarians, characterized by shabby, but very clean, vintage clothing, and an unusually peaceful and tolerant attitude. If you have kids or grandkids on your boat, buy them an entrance ticket, give them some cash, and turn them loose, it is the safest place on earth for them to roam free. Tell them you’ll be in the beer garden, watching the live music. Then be there.

If you’re coming to visit via the big green/white/iron oxide ferry, park your land yacht in Anacortes and walk on the ferry, as there is a handy shuttle from the ferry dock to the fairgrounds. Walking on saves you money, and even more importantly, precious island time, as you don’t have to put your car in line. Just walk on to the ferry 20 minutes before departure time. Fair winds.

As I scribe this here prose with my only good hand, crab season begins tomorrow. I’ll be up early, long before the G and H dock crowd, and be out there on the crab banks, hunting Moby Claw, the Great White Crab, the one what bit my paw. And Moby, he don’t eat no chicken, no fish heads, no, no, he eats man-flesh, specially fingers, and other such protruberances. Don’t even ask me what I use for bait, cause I ain’t telling. And mark you my words, when I catches him, and I will, I’ll take me a bite outta his left claw, just like he done me, and then I’ll be tossing him back into the saltchuck, to live his remaining life in shame and fear of me, Capt Cr’Ahab. If you want to go crabbing for Moby your own self, you can rent boats, crab pots, crabbing gear, cooking pots, and even regular bait right there on the waterfront at Friday Harbor Marine. Come on out and hunt this beast, if you dare. Aargh for now, Capt. Cr’Ahab.

Starting on July 3, visitors to the Port of Friday Harbor have been treated to the delivery of fresh, still warm from the oven baked goods from local bakeries.  Each weekend morning, the Bakery Boat loads up with fresh cinnamon rolls, quiches, croissants, muffins, tarts, and scones, and other tasty treats, and at 8:00 begins trolling the marina. The sound of the ship's bell, accompanied by the slightly off key exhortations of the crier coax tired boaters out of their bunks and onto the fantail, where they gratefully receive the sweets, and a cup of fresh coffee.  Deliveries can be pre-arranged by calling 378-6202 prior to the departure time. All proceeds go to the Capt Cr'Ahabs Fund for the Care and Feeding of Crustaceans.

Many boat batteries are installed in locations which make it impossible to visually check the water level in the cells.  Proper water level is essential to a long battery life, and a low battery will soon fail.  We have several systems for automatically filling batteries to the proper level.  This photo shows a bank of 8D batteries with an auto fill installed.  This system will pay for itself many times over.  

NEW Stabi Craft Runabouts are on the way

Here are the two new boats, getting the canvas tops fitted. Next, they will be moved to Master Marine in Burlington for new Suzuki 50hp and 90hp 4 cycle outboards, and etching and bottom paint. Then, on to the Line X dealer in Mt Vernon for a protective coating on the cockpit aluminum. If everything goes on schedule, we will pick them up next Thursday, and launch them Friday. We will install GPS chartplotters, anchoring systems and safety equipment, put on the registration numbers and begin breaking in the engines. They should be ready for in water demo rides and rental by June 30th.