Van Tramp adventures 2018
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Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Tall chief and a rock concert
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/tall-chief-and-a-rock-concert/
[size=medium]Early on a Thursday morning we packed up and left our cozy but shady spot in Bruceport. By the end of that day we needed to arrive at a reserved RV Resort camp site, 3 hours away. You might be asking, why are they camping an hour out of Seattle in a RV resort? And the answer is that my son would be joining us for the weekend, flying into Seattle the following day. We still had a work day to deal with on the driving day, but we really wanted to knock an hour or so off the drive before. The dogs were a bit confused, but we were up and rolling with a thermos full of coffee. Just over an hour later we were pulling in to our spot for the next eight hours, a rest area on the side of the highway. Sure, it was a no-frills sort of place, but it got the job done, literally.
As soon as Kerri closed the lid to her laptop, I got Big Blue rolling. We still had a two hour drive to complete, through Olympia and Tacoma before we would arrive at Tall Chief RV Resort, our home for the next two nights. We arrived at Tall Chief near eight o’clock – after a quick trip to the local grocery store and Bev’Mo. By the time we started looking around the large resort for a camp site, it was getting dark so we could so almost nothing under the heavy tree cover. Not that there was much available with nearly every site either occupied or reserved. Eventually we settled on a site and crashed for the night.
Friday was a long day for me. I had to pick up a rental car, setup our tent (for my son) that we have been carrying around for months just for this weekend, get to the airport to pickup my son, and finally attend a concert in Seattle with my boy. Not only was it good to see my son, who I haven’t seen since the holidays, but it was fun to hit up the concert with him. Afterwards though, I still had an hour drive to get back to camp where Kerri had the entire day and evening to herself. I don’t know what she does when I’m gone… it’s a mystery to me. She was lying in bed watching a TV show when we returned, so all seemed to go well. Moose was extra happy to see Timmy, practically crying as he bounced up and down to get into his arms. There was a short reunion between them before I had to call it a night. I’m too old for rock concerts and going to bed past midnight. I was out before my head hit the pillow.
[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/tall-chief-and-a-rock-concert/
[size=medium]Early on a Thursday morning we packed up and left our cozy but shady spot in Bruceport. By the end of that day we needed to arrive at a reserved RV Resort camp site, 3 hours away. You might be asking, why are they camping an hour out of Seattle in a RV resort? And the answer is that my son would be joining us for the weekend, flying into Seattle the following day. We still had a work day to deal with on the driving day, but we really wanted to knock an hour or so off the drive before. The dogs were a bit confused, but we were up and rolling with a thermos full of coffee. Just over an hour later we were pulling in to our spot for the next eight hours, a rest area on the side of the highway. Sure, it was a no-frills sort of place, but it got the job done, literally.
As soon as Kerri closed the lid to her laptop, I got Big Blue rolling. We still had a two hour drive to complete, through Olympia and Tacoma before we would arrive at Tall Chief RV Resort, our home for the next two nights. We arrived at Tall Chief near eight o’clock – after a quick trip to the local grocery store and Bev’Mo. By the time we started looking around the large resort for a camp site, it was getting dark so we could so almost nothing under the heavy tree cover. Not that there was much available with nearly every site either occupied or reserved. Eventually we settled on a site and crashed for the night.
Friday was a long day for me. I had to pick up a rental car, setup our tent (for my son) that we have been carrying around for months just for this weekend, get to the airport to pickup my son, and finally attend a concert in Seattle with my boy. Not only was it good to see my son, who I haven’t seen since the holidays, but it was fun to hit up the concert with him. Afterwards though, I still had an hour drive to get back to camp where Kerri had the entire day and evening to herself. I don’t know what she does when I’m gone… it’s a mystery to me. She was lying in bed watching a TV show when we returned, so all seemed to go well. Moose was extra happy to see Timmy, practically crying as he bounced up and down to get into his arms. There was a short reunion between them before I had to call it a night. I’m too old for rock concerts and going to bed past midnight. I was out before my head hit the pillow.
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Mount Rainier National Park
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/mount-rainier-national-park/
[size=medium]With my son in town for a visit, the three of us (and two dogs) piled into the van and took off for the mount – Mount Rainier to be exact. Although I have had a single day-trip into the park back in 2013, Kerri had not been to Mount Rainier in her past travels so it was a nice notch to add to her belt. Our plans were pretty simple – to just find a place to boondock outside the Northern side of the park on the first night and drive around the North-East corner and wrap South on the second day. There I had a hike that I really wanted them both to experience before a night’s camp in the official campground. Lastly, we would cut directly through the park (and up the Mount itself) and into “Paradise” itself on our final day.[/size]
[size=medium]
We didn’t get all that far on day-1. We tried to visit a few waterfalls along the route, but the weekend crowds were thick as usual, being this close to a large metro area. Only a couple hours of driving and we had entered the National Forest and turned ourselves down a gravel road to find a spot to call it a day. We were not the only ones with this idea of course, so we had to venture further back into the forest to avoid some crowds, eventually finding a secluded enough spot to park the van and whip out the chairs to relax and hang out with my son over a beer (the first time we have had a beer together).[/size]
[size=medium]
One of the reasons I wanted to boondock one of our nights this weekend was to finally get to shoot my new rifle – bought a few months back in Nevada – with Tim. After a bit of scouting of the immediate area to ensure we had a safe location and no one was camped behind that area, we pulled out the gear and gave the new piece a solid run-through while Kerri and the dogs hung out in the van. Our shooting together has always been time well spent. It has been a great Father-Son bonding as I educated him on guns and gun safety time in our past. Yet somehow this time felt different, like he knew more than I did about our activity. He’s been shooting since before he was 10 years old and I’ve always stressed safe and responsible shooting. It was nice to see that at age 20 all that education stuck. He’s always been a smart kid though, making it easy on me to teach him something at which time he masters it in no time, exceeding my skills in the process.[/size]
[size=medium]
The next morning we set out to make the wrap around the North-east corner of the park and then South. This would bring us to the National Park’s Ohanapecosh Campground where we nabbed a spot early in the day then set out to conquer a short hike out to the Patriarch’s. The Grove of the Patriarchs trail was one I visited in my previous run through this area. It blew my mind then and I talked it up to Tim and Kerri before we arrived. Memory seems to really distort the truth at times. Or maybe it was just the different between Summer vs Autumn visits, but the Patriarchs just didn’t seem that big a deal this time around. They were trees. Old trees. But they were actually quite average. Maybe it is experience that is the real distorter – what was once awe inspiring is surpassed one day and you never really realize it until you go back and kill that memory of awe. We were back at camp fairly early. Early enough to simply relax with my son and see some of the nearby sights to the campground.[/size]
[size=medium]
On our final day in the area we drove up and into the park-proper. The main, and only, road that traverses through/over Mount Rainier – Stevens Canyon Road – will bring the traveler to Paradise, literally. Up at the top of the park road is an extremely picturesque are reminiscent of Going to the Sun road in Glacier, but much shorter. Full of wildflowers and big views that even the smoke from California and Canada could not ruin. On our way up we passed by numerous water falls and other sights for Tim and Kerri to view and photograph.[/size]
[size=medium]
It’s been a long time since Tim cruised in Big Blue with me, and he is a much larger guy than previous. He had to spend all the driving time in the back of the van. Not a whole lot of conversing can take place at those distances, so he entertained himself in other ways, including taking a nice photo or two from a perspective only he had – the view of how we travel, from within. It cute as heck to see Moose there in his travel-spot, and for those that remember my National Parks lapel pin collection you can see their new home in the van above our heads.[/size]
[size=medium]
In the end we went ahead and rolled all the way back into the Seattle area to stay at Saltwater State Park, just a few miles south of the Se-Tac airport where Tim had a flight out of the next day. We celebrated the successful weekend with an almost-delivered Chinese food meal. Kerri had to go find the driver who was completely lost by the concept of a campground. While a beautiful campground, the novelty of jumbo jets flying *directly* over us – every…sixty…seconds – on approach to the airport grew tiring quickly. Somehow we slept through the night anyway.[/size]
[size=medium]
It was a good time hanging out with Tim, and showing both him and Kerri another National Park. The unfortunate part, and a worry for me, was that Kerri had to deal with not one Tim (me), but two of us, for three and a half days. One of us alone is a tough enough job, but two? Well that is just torture! I am feeling more and more compelled to apologize to Imelda who not only had to live with me for 20+ years, but had to deal with both of us for more than half of those years. That must have been much more difficult than I ever gave her credit for.[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/mount-rainier-national-park/
[size=medium]With my son in town for a visit, the three of us (and two dogs) piled into the van and took off for the mount – Mount Rainier to be exact. Although I have had a single day-trip into the park back in 2013, Kerri had not been to Mount Rainier in her past travels so it was a nice notch to add to her belt. Our plans were pretty simple – to just find a place to boondock outside the Northern side of the park on the first night and drive around the North-East corner and wrap South on the second day. There I had a hike that I really wanted them both to experience before a night’s camp in the official campground. Lastly, we would cut directly through the park (and up the Mount itself) and into “Paradise” itself on our final day.[/size]
[size=medium]
We didn’t get all that far on day-1. We tried to visit a few waterfalls along the route, but the weekend crowds were thick as usual, being this close to a large metro area. Only a couple hours of driving and we had entered the National Forest and turned ourselves down a gravel road to find a spot to call it a day. We were not the only ones with this idea of course, so we had to venture further back into the forest to avoid some crowds, eventually finding a secluded enough spot to park the van and whip out the chairs to relax and hang out with my son over a beer (the first time we have had a beer together).[/size]
[size=medium]
One of the reasons I wanted to boondock one of our nights this weekend was to finally get to shoot my new rifle – bought a few months back in Nevada – with Tim. After a bit of scouting of the immediate area to ensure we had a safe location and no one was camped behind that area, we pulled out the gear and gave the new piece a solid run-through while Kerri and the dogs hung out in the van. Our shooting together has always been time well spent. It has been a great Father-Son bonding as I educated him on guns and gun safety time in our past. Yet somehow this time felt different, like he knew more than I did about our activity. He’s been shooting since before he was 10 years old and I’ve always stressed safe and responsible shooting. It was nice to see that at age 20 all that education stuck. He’s always been a smart kid though, making it easy on me to teach him something at which time he masters it in no time, exceeding my skills in the process.[/size]
[size=medium]
The next morning we set out to make the wrap around the North-east corner of the park and then South. This would bring us to the National Park’s Ohanapecosh Campground where we nabbed a spot early in the day then set out to conquer a short hike out to the Patriarch’s. The Grove of the Patriarchs trail was one I visited in my previous run through this area. It blew my mind then and I talked it up to Tim and Kerri before we arrived. Memory seems to really distort the truth at times. Or maybe it was just the different between Summer vs Autumn visits, but the Patriarchs just didn’t seem that big a deal this time around. They were trees. Old trees. But they were actually quite average. Maybe it is experience that is the real distorter – what was once awe inspiring is surpassed one day and you never really realize it until you go back and kill that memory of awe. We were back at camp fairly early. Early enough to simply relax with my son and see some of the nearby sights to the campground.[/size]
[size=medium]
On our final day in the area we drove up and into the park-proper. The main, and only, road that traverses through/over Mount Rainier – Stevens Canyon Road – will bring the traveler to Paradise, literally. Up at the top of the park road is an extremely picturesque are reminiscent of Going to the Sun road in Glacier, but much shorter. Full of wildflowers and big views that even the smoke from California and Canada could not ruin. On our way up we passed by numerous water falls and other sights for Tim and Kerri to view and photograph.[/size]
[size=medium]
It’s been a long time since Tim cruised in Big Blue with me, and he is a much larger guy than previous. He had to spend all the driving time in the back of the van. Not a whole lot of conversing can take place at those distances, so he entertained himself in other ways, including taking a nice photo or two from a perspective only he had – the view of how we travel, from within. It cute as heck to see Moose there in his travel-spot, and for those that remember my National Parks lapel pin collection you can see their new home in the van above our heads.[/size]
[size=medium]
In the end we went ahead and rolled all the way back into the Seattle area to stay at Saltwater State Park, just a few miles south of the Se-Tac airport where Tim had a flight out of the next day. We celebrated the successful weekend with an almost-delivered Chinese food meal. Kerri had to go find the driver who was completely lost by the concept of a campground. While a beautiful campground, the novelty of jumbo jets flying *directly* over us – every…sixty…seconds – on approach to the airport grew tiring quickly. Somehow we slept through the night anyway.[/size]
[size=medium]
It was a good time hanging out with Tim, and showing both him and Kerri another National Park. The unfortunate part, and a worry for me, was that Kerri had to deal with not one Tim (me), but two of us, for three and a half days. One of us alone is a tough enough job, but two? Well that is just torture! I am feeling more and more compelled to apologize to Imelda who not only had to live with me for 20+ years, but had to deal with both of us for more than half of those years. That must have been much more difficult than I ever gave her credit for.[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Fort Flagler State Park
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/fort-flagler-state-park/
[size=medium]Two hours away from Seattle – way out at the tip on a little island – is Fort Flagler State Park. This would be our home for the next few days to avoid the heat wave coming into the greater Seattle area. We chose this park partly because of it’s location to the water, but also because of our following week’s plans to re-visit one of our favorite places in the USA; Port Towsend.
Pulling in on a Tuesday afternoon and having to leave by Friday afternoon didn’t leave a lot of time to do much outside of our normal work hours. Though we did take a nice little hike the first day, we never got back out on the trail in the remaining days. The area was still smoked in heavily by all the fires in California and Canada, massively altering the sunsets. We were lucky enough to have a campsite facing to the West and with nothing impeding our view to the bay.
With it being the greater Pacific North West (lots of trees in every place to camp) we were struggling with our power situation, going as far as to have to move Big Blue out to the beach for a day of work – and sun. That wasn’t bad at all I must admit.
[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/fort-flagler-state-park/
[size=medium]Two hours away from Seattle – way out at the tip on a little island – is Fort Flagler State Park. This would be our home for the next few days to avoid the heat wave coming into the greater Seattle area. We chose this park partly because of it’s location to the water, but also because of our following week’s plans to re-visit one of our favorite places in the USA; Port Towsend.
Pulling in on a Tuesday afternoon and having to leave by Friday afternoon didn’t leave a lot of time to do much outside of our normal work hours. Though we did take a nice little hike the first day, we never got back out on the trail in the remaining days. The area was still smoked in heavily by all the fires in California and Canada, massively altering the sunsets. We were lucky enough to have a campsite facing to the West and with nothing impeding our view to the bay.
With it being the greater Pacific North West (lots of trees in every place to camp) we were struggling with our power situation, going as far as to have to move Big Blue out to the beach for a day of work – and sun. That wasn’t bad at all I must admit.
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Arriving in Port Townsend again
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/arriving-in-port-townsend-again/
[size=medium]OK, so this may sound weird, but the last two weeks were all decided on this week’s reservation in Port Townsend. The dates that we could get booked at the Point Harbor Marina decided all the other; including my son’s visit and everything leading up to it. It has been two years since our last visit to PT and we were both looking forward to it. As you may have guessed, PT is easily one of our most favorite towns in the US.
Alas, we had a single night to burn before we could pull into our reservation at the marina. Originally we were going to take up an asphalt space at the Casino not far down the road, but as we were driving that direction we got word that [size=large]Leigh & Brianhttp://www.aluminarium.com/ were in camped in the Port Townsend fairgrounds. A few minutes later and we were pulling up to not one, but two aluminum hotdogs! It turns out that John and Laura (who we ran into recently) were also there, camped right next door. A night of sitting around a propane camp fire with cocktails and friends would do just fine. And as the evening progressed we all got a visit from Lucas & Marybeth of @leftnleaving and @goingstag as well. Brushing up on those socializing skills.
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Photo-Aug-24-8-33-48-PM.jpg[/size]
It’s always exciting to have an impromptu get-together of this size. To meet new folks and to catch up with some that we haven’t seen in a while – it’s all good. And, as luck would have it, the [size=large]Watsonshttp://www.watsonswander.com/ (I swear they are following us) would pull in the following day making it five couples in the party.[/size]
Kerri and I only stayed at the fairgrounds a single night, arriving for our reservation at the marina the following day after restocking our supplies for the week’s stay, or so we thought. As is customary, we forget an item or two from the grocery list, so on Monday we decided to take the 1.5 mile stroll to the store to remedy that. Along the way we explored the hundreds of sail boats parked in the marinas. We are clueless infants on the entire subject, but we can’t help but to daydream about our future plans to be sailing. I even took it so far as to bother a local working on his boat to ask a few questions. Those questions resulted in a tour of his boat, which Kerri and I both fell in love with. As luck would have it, it is also for sale and now we can’t stop talking about it. In fact, we are seriously considering changing our plans for the next 18 months (which amount to exactly nothing) and going for our dream now. First we need to educate ourselves a bit and look at what else is out there, but you will be the first to know.
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_4133.jpg
[/size][/size][/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/arriving-in-port-townsend-again/
[size=medium]OK, so this may sound weird, but the last two weeks were all decided on this week’s reservation in Port Townsend. The dates that we could get booked at the Point Harbor Marina decided all the other; including my son’s visit and everything leading up to it. It has been two years since our last visit to PT and we were both looking forward to it. As you may have guessed, PT is easily one of our most favorite towns in the US.
Alas, we had a single night to burn before we could pull into our reservation at the marina. Originally we were going to take up an asphalt space at the Casino not far down the road, but as we were driving that direction we got word that [size=large]Leigh & Brianhttp://www.aluminarium.com/ were in camped in the Port Townsend fairgrounds. A few minutes later and we were pulling up to not one, but two aluminum hotdogs! It turns out that John and Laura (who we ran into recently) were also there, camped right next door. A night of sitting around a propane camp fire with cocktails and friends would do just fine. And as the evening progressed we all got a visit from Lucas & Marybeth of @leftnleaving and @goingstag as well. Brushing up on those socializing skills.
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Photo-Aug-24-8-33-48-PM.jpg[/size]It’s always exciting to have an impromptu get-together of this size. To meet new folks and to catch up with some that we haven’t seen in a while – it’s all good. And, as luck would have it, the [size=large]Watsonshttp://www.watsonswander.com/ (I swear they are following us) would pull in the following day making it five couples in the party.[/size]
Kerri and I only stayed at the fairgrounds a single night, arriving for our reservation at the marina the following day after restocking our supplies for the week’s stay, or so we thought. As is customary, we forget an item or two from the grocery list, so on Monday we decided to take the 1.5 mile stroll to the store to remedy that. Along the way we explored the hundreds of sail boats parked in the marinas. We are clueless infants on the entire subject, but we can’t help but to daydream about our future plans to be sailing. I even took it so far as to bother a local working on his boat to ask a few questions. Those questions resulted in a tour of his boat, which Kerri and I both fell in love with. As luck would have it, it is also for sale and now we can’t stop talking about it. In fact, we are seriously considering changing our plans for the next 18 months (which amount to exactly nothing) and going for our dream now. First we need to educate ourselves a bit and look at what else is out there, but you will be the first to know.
[size=large]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_4133.jpg
[/size][/size][/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Marina life, free crab, and lots of drinking
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/marina-life-free-crab-and-lots-of-drinking/
[size=medium]The week’s stay in PT consisted of the usual work-week activities, of course. We were also able to walk into town to spend our first work morning drinking our brew with a view looking out over the marina. All other mornings I could not get Kerri out of bed early enough to go to the coffee shop again. That girl seriously enjoys her time in bed in the mornings, so Moose and I would take a short walk around the Marina shoreline. He sniffed everything at ground level, while I sniffed all the sailboats for sale.
Each day a dozen or so boats would pull in or out of the marina, each having to pass Big Blue glaring and cursing at them. Or maybe I am getting it all wrong. Maybe he is a tired old man ready for semi-retirement. All his recent minor-breakdowns are a clear sign of the later I suppose. At the time I was struggling to find the solution to another issue he was having (now resolved). It sure seems never ending in recent months.
Around mid-week a gentlemen came to the van and asked if we had a lighter. His stopped working and he was trying to BBQ lunch. Of course, I’m prepared for every possibility in life so I loaned him my lighter and settled back into what ever I was working on when he arrived. A half hour later he returns with my lighter and two servings of steamed crab on a platter. I suppose that means I’m winning in the karma-game still. While I have no interest in eating crab, Kerri was happy to put my serving to good use. It sure made her happy, which makes me happy too.
Just about each evening we were out and about on the town with friends. It was a lot of socializing, a skill which has not been all that commonly used so far this year. Dinner and drinks for a birthday among the crowd on one night. Drinks and a movie on another. A brewer for more drinks on another before Kerri and I went to an underground bar for a round by ourselves. Seeing a theme here? These Airstream folks are drinkers I tell you.
[/size]
[size=medium]We did do one thing that was not-drink related; Kerri and I visited Soak on the Sound again for an hour in our own private bath. Not only did we need a good bath, but we could always use some relaxation with our hectic lives (yea that was sarcastic).[/size]
[size=medium]
Finally, on Friday we had to move out of the Marina and back to the Fairgrounds for another night hanging out with everyone around the propane fire pit and – you guessed it – some drinks. Over the course of the week, many good times ensued. It was great to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen in months. I even learned how I would react when a dog ignites his tail in the fire pit… it was a good thing to know. I didn’t even spill my drink in the process.[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/marina-life-free-crab-and-lots-of-drinking/
[size=medium]The week’s stay in PT consisted of the usual work-week activities, of course. We were also able to walk into town to spend our first work morning drinking our brew with a view looking out over the marina. All other mornings I could not get Kerri out of bed early enough to go to the coffee shop again. That girl seriously enjoys her time in bed in the mornings, so Moose and I would take a short walk around the Marina shoreline. He sniffed everything at ground level, while I sniffed all the sailboats for sale.
Each day a dozen or so boats would pull in or out of the marina, each having to pass Big Blue glaring and cursing at them. Or maybe I am getting it all wrong. Maybe he is a tired old man ready for semi-retirement. All his recent minor-breakdowns are a clear sign of the later I suppose. At the time I was struggling to find the solution to another issue he was having (now resolved). It sure seems never ending in recent months.
Around mid-week a gentlemen came to the van and asked if we had a lighter. His stopped working and he was trying to BBQ lunch. Of course, I’m prepared for every possibility in life so I loaned him my lighter and settled back into what ever I was working on when he arrived. A half hour later he returns with my lighter and two servings of steamed crab on a platter. I suppose that means I’m winning in the karma-game still. While I have no interest in eating crab, Kerri was happy to put my serving to good use. It sure made her happy, which makes me happy too.
Just about each evening we were out and about on the town with friends. It was a lot of socializing, a skill which has not been all that commonly used so far this year. Dinner and drinks for a birthday among the crowd on one night. Drinks and a movie on another. A brewer for more drinks on another before Kerri and I went to an underground bar for a round by ourselves. Seeing a theme here? These Airstream folks are drinkers I tell you.
[/size][size=medium]We did do one thing that was not-drink related; Kerri and I visited Soak on the Sound again for an hour in our own private bath. Not only did we need a good bath, but we could always use some relaxation with our hectic lives (yea that was sarcastic).[/size]
Finally, on Friday we had to move out of the Marina and back to the Fairgrounds for another night hanging out with everyone around the propane fire pit and – you guessed it – some drinks. Over the course of the week, many good times ensued. It was great to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen in months. I even learned how I would react when a dog ignites his tail in the fire pit… it was a good thing to know. I didn’t even spill my drink in the process.[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Hoh lota boondocking
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/hoh-lota-boondocking/
[size=medium]Big Blue has been getting a workout this week. Not one, not two, not three, but five different locations in and around the Hoh rain forest area of Olympic National Park. It all started with getting out of town for the Labor Day weekend. To avoid the crowds we didn’t want to go to any established campground, and since we hadn’t been boondocking in whole weeks (!) we needed to get back out in the wild. Kerri, as is now customary, scouted and bookmarked a bunch of possible locations on the maps. And after restocking supplies we set out to spend the weekend, at least, in the rain forest surrounding the national park. A few spots turned out to be a bust, but we eventually came upon a welcoming little spot in the forest. There was nothing all that special about it – just a clearing large enough for Big Blue and far enough away from asphalt to be alone for the rest of the evening. The dogs could run free, which they desperately needed. We could – and did – walk down the tree covered dirt road to look for mushrooms and what ever else resides in the forest.
[/size]
[size=medium]Our second day consisted of hours and hours of scouting dirt roads. We had actually stumbled onto a perfect spot within minutes of starting our day but I argued to keep looking anyway. I don’t know what came over me as I am usually the one arguing to stay put and Kerri the opposite. Nearly four hours of trying this and that dirt road can get very exhausting, so by late afternoon I was getting grumpy and fully regretting my early decision. Finally, at the dead end of barely-marked dirt road we found our spot to pull over and enjoy the forest a bit. There wasn’t much around so no one would be camped anywhere near us during our one night stay, which is just how we like it. Kerri and Moose set out for an hour or so of mushroom hunting while I setup camp and took the time to relax my tired brain (hey, driving is hard).
[/size]
[size=medium]On our final weekend day we decided to roll back into the town of Forks to restock those two items we usually forget before heading out. I know, I know. You’d think we would have gotten our shit together with remembering our shopping list, but we are who we are. What it did allow to happen was a surprise meetup with Adam and Jenn (and Imogen) of tinyasscamper.com who just happened to be passing by on the highway and saw Big Blue in the grocery store parking lot… nice! So we caught up over a lunch at the slowest Mexican joint in town, which worked out great. Always cool to meetup with other travelers on the road.
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[size=medium]Stuffed with tacos and burritos we set back out to find our work-week location. We didn’t have to do a lot of scouting as we had already set our sights on this spot we saw earlier in the morning. It was not the easiest to get too as it involved a few hundred yards of driving over large river rocks but Big Blue made it, nice and slow. Set about 150 feet from the Hoh River was a small sandy nook in the trees that we fit into just right. With the river to our south we had all the sun we wanted during the days.
[/size]
[size=medium]It was here that we settled in for our work week and some mostly-alone time. I did get a random text on my phone one afternoon, “Moose is down by the water if you are wondering” (Moose carries my phone number on his tags). I replied with a simple “yea he does that, he is OK if you are. I can come grab him if you want”. Another reply from the texter saying they were fine with him visiting. After I finished my lunch I walked down there to see Moose sitting on the lap of one of the two 30-something girls parked river-side in their van. Moose invited them to Big Blue for drinks later and we all ended up hanging out for the evening trading stories. They were from Ohio and brand new on the road so we offered up a couple tidbits of advice as well as our extra fire extinguisher (yea, we told that story too).[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/hoh-lota-boondocking/
[size=medium]Big Blue has been getting a workout this week. Not one, not two, not three, but five different locations in and around the Hoh rain forest area of Olympic National Park. It all started with getting out of town for the Labor Day weekend. To avoid the crowds we didn’t want to go to any established campground, and since we hadn’t been boondocking in whole weeks (!) we needed to get back out in the wild. Kerri, as is now customary, scouted and bookmarked a bunch of possible locations on the maps. And after restocking supplies we set out to spend the weekend, at least, in the rain forest surrounding the national park. A few spots turned out to be a bust, but we eventually came upon a welcoming little spot in the forest. There was nothing all that special about it – just a clearing large enough for Big Blue and far enough away from asphalt to be alone for the rest of the evening. The dogs could run free, which they desperately needed. We could – and did – walk down the tree covered dirt road to look for mushrooms and what ever else resides in the forest.
[/size]
[size=medium]Our second day consisted of hours and hours of scouting dirt roads. We had actually stumbled onto a perfect spot within minutes of starting our day but I argued to keep looking anyway. I don’t know what came over me as I am usually the one arguing to stay put and Kerri the opposite. Nearly four hours of trying this and that dirt road can get very exhausting, so by late afternoon I was getting grumpy and fully regretting my early decision. Finally, at the dead end of barely-marked dirt road we found our spot to pull over and enjoy the forest a bit. There wasn’t much around so no one would be camped anywhere near us during our one night stay, which is just how we like it. Kerri and Moose set out for an hour or so of mushroom hunting while I setup camp and took the time to relax my tired brain (hey, driving is hard).
[/size][size=medium]On our final weekend day we decided to roll back into the town of Forks to restock those two items we usually forget before heading out. I know, I know. You’d think we would have gotten our shit together with remembering our shopping list, but we are who we are. What it did allow to happen was a surprise meetup with Adam and Jenn (and Imogen) of tinyasscamper.com who just happened to be passing by on the highway and saw Big Blue in the grocery store parking lot… nice! So we caught up over a lunch at the slowest Mexican joint in town, which worked out great. Always cool to meetup with other travelers on the road.
[/size]
[size=medium]Stuffed with tacos and burritos we set back out to find our work-week location. We didn’t have to do a lot of scouting as we had already set our sights on this spot we saw earlier in the morning. It was not the easiest to get too as it involved a few hundred yards of driving over large river rocks but Big Blue made it, nice and slow. Set about 150 feet from the Hoh River was a small sandy nook in the trees that we fit into just right. With the river to our south we had all the sun we wanted during the days.
[/size][size=medium]It was here that we settled in for our work week and some mostly-alone time. I did get a random text on my phone one afternoon, “Moose is down by the water if you are wondering” (Moose carries my phone number on his tags). I replied with a simple “yea he does that, he is OK if you are. I can come grab him if you want”. Another reply from the texter saying they were fine with him visiting. After I finished my lunch I walked down there to see Moose sitting on the lap of one of the two 30-something girls parked river-side in their van. Moose invited them to Big Blue for drinks later and we all ended up hanging out for the evening trading stories. They were from Ohio and brand new on the road so we offered up a couple tidbits of advice as well as our extra fire extinguisher (yea, we told that story too).[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Olympic wanderings
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/olympic-wanderings/
[size=medium]Kerri had been talking up a campground for a few days. She stayed once back in 2014 – just a few months before we met – and liked it. The plan was to settle into the South Beach Campgroundalong the coast for the two final nights in our work week. We pulled in just after sunset, but as is becoming normal in recent years, the campground was full. Not just full of campers, but full of big-rig RVs that are clearly going to be staying out the full term of their camping limits. A half-dozen generators were purring away within earshot and the view to the beach was blocked by a 12 foot tall wall of swoosh graphics and awnings. Even if there was a space available, this would have been an awful place for us to stay even a single night.
We are no rookies at this though. Kerri had a backup spot right down the road. I bet you are tired of pictures of Big Blue tucked away in some overgrown forest, but that is just how it is going to be for a bit longer. Once again, down a dirt road just far enough to exit the National Park boundary is space with no one else around. No big rigs. No generators. No swooshes. Just a little cut out into the forest large enough for Big Blue to back in and enjoy a peaceful night or two away from the crowds, or so we thought. The crowds were nonexistent, but the peace was hard to come by the first night. The problem with public lands, especially in Washington State, is the logging trucks. The roar up and down just about every dirt road surrounding the Olympic National Park 24 hours a day. They were nice enough to wait until we got into bed and asleep before they started, but after that it was every 45 minutes or so… all night.
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[size=medium]Having gotten use to the sound of the trucks crashing by, we stayed a second night anyway as we have been moving way too often this past week. Saturday morning, after a thorough combing of the area for mushrooms, we set out for our weekend plans of “I dunno”. We scrapped the idea of continuing south and re-drove the same highway north that we just came down two days prior. Along the route – kinda – is the world’s largest cedar tree. Who doesn’t love a big tree right? So we popped in for a quick hello. Yea, it wasn’t the most exciting thing in the world, but why not.
We continued north, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca Hwy, with hopes of staying at Salt Creek State park, where we have stayed once before back in our first year together. We knew it was only s slight chance that there would even be availability on a Saturday night so we were keen on the lookout for a dirt road that might call out to us. As luck would have it, and not too far from Salt Creek, a brown sign led us to an OHV trail and a path leading off of it. We had found yet another spot to call home for a night. Luckily the pacific northwest rain started up and the OHV traffic was mellow, leaving us to claim the land all to ourselves. Again, not the most scenic place or anything, but it kept us out of the crowds for the remainder of the day and the night.
In the morning we had decided to head back into Port Townsend, ferry over to Coupeville, and stay near Oak Harbor, where a boat is for sale what we wanted to see. But, as luck would have it the ferry crashed (seriously) earlier that day, shutting down the ferry system for the rest of the day (and as it turns out, for the immediate future). We were stuck in Port Townsend on the very weekend we did not want to be in town (Wooden Boat Festival and all). The fairgrounds would be our home once again and wouldn’t you know it, the tinyhousecamper.com family was there as well. We have a night to ponder our plans for the following week.[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/olympic-wanderings/
[size=medium]Kerri had been talking up a campground for a few days. She stayed once back in 2014 – just a few months before we met – and liked it. The plan was to settle into the South Beach Campgroundalong the coast for the two final nights in our work week. We pulled in just after sunset, but as is becoming normal in recent years, the campground was full. Not just full of campers, but full of big-rig RVs that are clearly going to be staying out the full term of their camping limits. A half-dozen generators were purring away within earshot and the view to the beach was blocked by a 12 foot tall wall of swoosh graphics and awnings. Even if there was a space available, this would have been an awful place for us to stay even a single night.
We are no rookies at this though. Kerri had a backup spot right down the road. I bet you are tired of pictures of Big Blue tucked away in some overgrown forest, but that is just how it is going to be for a bit longer. Once again, down a dirt road just far enough to exit the National Park boundary is space with no one else around. No big rigs. No generators. No swooshes. Just a little cut out into the forest large enough for Big Blue to back in and enjoy a peaceful night or two away from the crowds, or so we thought. The crowds were nonexistent, but the peace was hard to come by the first night. The problem with public lands, especially in Washington State, is the logging trucks. The roar up and down just about every dirt road surrounding the Olympic National Park 24 hours a day. They were nice enough to wait until we got into bed and asleep before they started, but after that it was every 45 minutes or so… all night.
[/size][size=medium]Having gotten use to the sound of the trucks crashing by, we stayed a second night anyway as we have been moving way too often this past week. Saturday morning, after a thorough combing of the area for mushrooms, we set out for our weekend plans of “I dunno”. We scrapped the idea of continuing south and re-drove the same highway north that we just came down two days prior. Along the route – kinda – is the world’s largest cedar tree. Who doesn’t love a big tree right? So we popped in for a quick hello. Yea, it wasn’t the most exciting thing in the world, but why not.
We continued north, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca Hwy, with hopes of staying at Salt Creek State park, where we have stayed once before back in our first year together. We knew it was only s slight chance that there would even be availability on a Saturday night so we were keen on the lookout for a dirt road that might call out to us. As luck would have it, and not too far from Salt Creek, a brown sign led us to an OHV trail and a path leading off of it. We had found yet another spot to call home for a night. Luckily the pacific northwest rain started up and the OHV traffic was mellow, leaving us to claim the land all to ourselves. Again, not the most scenic place or anything, but it kept us out of the crowds for the remainder of the day and the night.
In the morning we had decided to head back into Port Townsend, ferry over to Coupeville, and stay near Oak Harbor, where a boat is for sale what we wanted to see. But, as luck would have it the ferry crashed (seriously) earlier that day, shutting down the ferry system for the rest of the day (and as it turns out, for the immediate future). We were stuck in Port Townsend on the very weekend we did not want to be in town (Wooden Boat Festival and all). The fairgrounds would be our home once again and wouldn’t you know it, the tinyhousecamper.com family was there as well. We have a night to ponder our plans for the following week.[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
A change of plans
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-change-of-plans/
[size=medium]We left Port Townsend for our second time in a month. Kerri, as usual, had a few pins on a map that we wanted to see, but this time the pins were of a different species than before. Normally we are off to scout, and camp, some random dirt road or beach, but this week we were to hold a counter-clockwise route around the Puget Sound, all of it on asphalt.
A few posts ago I mentioned that we toured a sailboat in Port Townsend. Well, since that time we haven’t been able to stop talking about it. A ton of reading and video-watching took place in the immediate days following the boat tour. We were crushing on this particular boat pretty hard but wanted to do some due diligence in regards to looking at what else is out there. So, Kerri put together a list of boats in the greater Seattle area and we called on those brokers to setup dates and times to view each of them.
With that last sentence typed, we have officially brushed aside the rest of our 2018 plans and have begun looking at purchasing a sailboat for our future travels. We have committed to spending at least the next few weeks touring boats in the area and learning more about the whole process if nothing else. We can always pick up our tramping again at any time.
Our first boat viewing was an hour and a half south in Gig Harbor in a few days time. It being the end of our weekend, we drove down there and found a place nearby to settle in for a few work days. On Wednesday we met up with our first broker and toured our first boat as potential buyers.
Well, to be honest, we knew this was not a boat to buy, it was a major project needing way too much work. What it did accomplish for us – and the entire reason we had it on our schedule – was to see what a boat in that price range would look like. A major project was putting it nicely, and neither of us want to sit around for two years working on a boat before we can start sailing. Seeing what that lower price had to offer, we were becoming more confident in the price of our crush-boat in PT. And that was what we both needed, a little confidence in the whole idea of shopping for a sailboat, but it is just a start.[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-change-of-plans/
[size=medium]We left Port Townsend for our second time in a month. Kerri, as usual, had a few pins on a map that we wanted to see, but this time the pins were of a different species than before. Normally we are off to scout, and camp, some random dirt road or beach, but this week we were to hold a counter-clockwise route around the Puget Sound, all of it on asphalt.
A few posts ago I mentioned that we toured a sailboat in Port Townsend. Well, since that time we haven’t been able to stop talking about it. A ton of reading and video-watching took place in the immediate days following the boat tour. We were crushing on this particular boat pretty hard but wanted to do some due diligence in regards to looking at what else is out there. So, Kerri put together a list of boats in the greater Seattle area and we called on those brokers to setup dates and times to view each of them.
With that last sentence typed, we have officially brushed aside the rest of our 2018 plans and have begun looking at purchasing a sailboat for our future travels. We have committed to spending at least the next few weeks touring boats in the area and learning more about the whole process if nothing else. We can always pick up our tramping again at any time.
Our first boat viewing was an hour and a half south in Gig Harbor in a few days time. It being the end of our weekend, we drove down there and found a place nearby to settle in for a few work days. On Wednesday we met up with our first broker and toured our first boat as potential buyers.
Well, to be honest, we knew this was not a boat to buy, it was a major project needing way too much work. What it did accomplish for us – and the entire reason we had it on our schedule – was to see what a boat in that price range would look like. A major project was putting it nicely, and neither of us want to sit around for two years working on a boat before we can start sailing. Seeing what that lower price had to offer, we were becoming more confident in the price of our crush-boat in PT. And that was what we both needed, a little confidence in the whole idea of shopping for a sailboat, but it is just a start.[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Penrose Point State Park
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/penrose-point-state-park/
[size=medium]
Following out first official viewing of a sailboat we had to settle in for a few days before our next viewing in Seattle. Luckily, we didn’t have to travel far with Penrose State Park only a few miles from us. Penrose is a quiet little campground – at least this time of the year – with just over 80 sites. Heavily wooded, we had to hunt for a site that would allow for a little sunlight each day. Our chosen spot was in an entirely empty loop so we could sleep with our curtains open of we wanted… or so we thought. No matter where Big Blue is parked he draws a crowd. So on the second day another van pulled up to take the spot immediately beside us, ignoring the 70+ other open sites in the campground. I can’t figure it myself, but some people are drawn to camp as close as possible so that we have to curtain-up at night and bring the dogs in during the day so they do not bark constantly.
It’s been a while since our last proper hike so Moose, Kerri, and I set out for a morning hike out to the point. As usual, Kerri was prepared for mushrooms. Moose was prepared to pee on everything. I just wanted to get off my butt for a change. Kerri and I talked about the boat we just saw and the possibilities of the boats we were going to be seeing in the coming days. So many “what ifs” and “I wonders”, but we are so excited to be doing this. Other than the quick hike we stayed hunkered down working and researching more boats.
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https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/penrose-point-state-park/
[size=medium]
Following out first official viewing of a sailboat we had to settle in for a few days before our next viewing in Seattle. Luckily, we didn’t have to travel far with Penrose State Park only a few miles from us. Penrose is a quiet little campground – at least this time of the year – with just over 80 sites. Heavily wooded, we had to hunt for a site that would allow for a little sunlight each day. Our chosen spot was in an entirely empty loop so we could sleep with our curtains open of we wanted… or so we thought. No matter where Big Blue is parked he draws a crowd. So on the second day another van pulled up to take the spot immediately beside us, ignoring the 70+ other open sites in the campground. I can’t figure it myself, but some people are drawn to camp as close as possible so that we have to curtain-up at night and bring the dogs in during the day so they do not bark constantly.
It’s been a while since our last proper hike so Moose, Kerri, and I set out for a morning hike out to the point. As usual, Kerri was prepared for mushrooms. Moose was prepared to pee on everything. I just wanted to get off my butt for a change. Kerri and I talked about the boat we just saw and the possibilities of the boats we were going to be seeing in the coming days. So many “what ifs” and “I wonders”, but we are so excited to be doing this. Other than the quick hike we stayed hunkered down working and researching more boats.
[/size]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
A weekend of sailboats
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-weekend-of-sailboats/
[size=medium]Saturday, Sunday, and Monday we hopped around the greater Seattle area viewing numerous sailboats for sale. By the end of the weekend we had seen eight boats, each taking about two hours of our time to talk with the broker and inspect. Add in all the driving too and from each marina, and we were pretty darn tired by Monday afternoon when we settled in at the Marina in Anacortes, WA for a few nights.[/size]
[size=medium]
We checked out a 40 foot a Hans Christen in downtown Seattle, which was not only beautiful as all heck – as you might expect – but way too large for us. We were learning fast. The differences between a 37 foot and a 40 foot boat is not a simple 3 feet. As it turns out, it is about 10 feet in overall length difference. The costs to buy, park, maintain, and insure a boat increases exponentially with every single foot and a 40 foot boat was proving to be out of our league.[/size]
[size=medium]
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[size=medium]In Bellingham we saw numerous boats, one of which is now our top contender. Sure, we fell head over heals for the boat in Port Townsend but boats like this new one was exactly why we were spending the time looking around. Not only was it designed by the same guy who designed the one in Port Townsend, it was in the same basic condition (as far as our untrained eyes can see) and a huge $38,000 cheaper on the asking price. Also, our broker’s office is within a stone’s throw of this boat so it would be easy to get questions answered and even another look at it if need be.[/size]
[size=medium]
After a boat viewing and a couple nights in Anacortes, we drove down to get on the ferry to return to Port Townsend for a proper viewing of the original boat. Now a full circle, we were finally going to be able to see this one with a true buyer’s eye. That happened mid week and while we do still love that boat, the price tag kept us looking back at the one we fell for in Bellingham.[/size]
[size=medium]
I have been unable to focus for the past week and haven’t gotten any work done since we started researching and looking at boats. Brain power dedicated to working only trickled in for me, and so my output suffered. Not a total loss though, as we both have become much more educated in sailboats, boating vernacular (I don’t think I have every used that word in my life), and all things boat-buying. It’s been a bit of a blitz the past two weeks since walking the docks and stumbling onto our original love. Some folks I’ve ran into say they shopped around for a year or more before they found the boat for them. We are lucky to have found three really good matches, each with their own pros and cons, all in the general area. Now we just have to pick one, make an offer, and start the whole process of becoming it’s new owners.[/size]
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-weekend-of-sailboats/
[size=medium]Saturday, Sunday, and Monday we hopped around the greater Seattle area viewing numerous sailboats for sale. By the end of the weekend we had seen eight boats, each taking about two hours of our time to talk with the broker and inspect. Add in all the driving too and from each marina, and we were pretty darn tired by Monday afternoon when we settled in at the Marina in Anacortes, WA for a few nights.[/size]
[size=medium]
We checked out a 40 foot a Hans Christen in downtown Seattle, which was not only beautiful as all heck – as you might expect – but way too large for us. We were learning fast. The differences between a 37 foot and a 40 foot boat is not a simple 3 feet. As it turns out, it is about 10 feet in overall length difference. The costs to buy, park, maintain, and insure a boat increases exponentially with every single foot and a 40 foot boat was proving to be out of our league.[/size]
[size=medium]
[/size]
[size=medium]In Bellingham we saw numerous boats, one of which is now our top contender. Sure, we fell head over heals for the boat in Port Townsend but boats like this new one was exactly why we were spending the time looking around. Not only was it designed by the same guy who designed the one in Port Townsend, it was in the same basic condition (as far as our untrained eyes can see) and a huge $38,000 cheaper on the asking price. Also, our broker’s office is within a stone’s throw of this boat so it would be easy to get questions answered and even another look at it if need be.[/size]
[size=medium]
After a boat viewing and a couple nights in Anacortes, we drove down to get on the ferry to return to Port Townsend for a proper viewing of the original boat. Now a full circle, we were finally going to be able to see this one with a true buyer’s eye. That happened mid week and while we do still love that boat, the price tag kept us looking back at the one we fell for in Bellingham.[/size]
[size=medium]
I have been unable to focus for the past week and haven’t gotten any work done since we started researching and looking at boats. Brain power dedicated to working only trickled in for me, and so my output suffered. Not a total loss though, as we both have become much more educated in sailboats, boating vernacular (I don’t think I have every used that word in my life), and all things boat-buying. It’s been a bit of a blitz the past two weeks since walking the docks and stumbling onto our original love. Some folks I’ve ran into say they shopped around for a year or more before they found the boat for them. We are lucky to have found three really good matches, each with their own pros and cons, all in the general area. Now we just have to pick one, make an offer, and start the whole process of becoming it’s new owners.[/size]
highdesertranger
R.I.P HDR
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ah boat fever. highdesertranger
One of the best two days of your life, the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Steady there Van-Tramp there are a few Escapees out there that have done what you are doing, be sure to reach out to several such people before you buy. A lot of them spent their first year of ownership in dry dock fixing unseen problems and modifing their boats to their likes. Have you sailed any of these boats?
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
bullfrog said:
We do have some friends and relatives to lean on for some questions and answers. We also got a buyer's broker, which has been great. And we are doing full surveys on the boat and motor ( waiting on that now) which includes a haul out and sea-trial. The process is much like buying a house, with lots of hoops to jump through to get it done right, but we have all the time in the world
What about the dogs?
Any issues with sea sickness?
Are there short term (week or two) charters available where you could test everyone's 'sea legs'?
[img=316x316]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/8f/db/9b/8fdb9b99f0dc311f862ea08b0012d61b.jpg[/img]
Any issues with sea sickness?
Are there short term (week or two) charters available where you could test everyone's 'sea legs'?
[img=316x316]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/8f/db/9b/8fdb9b99f0dc311f862ea08b0012d61b.jpg[/img]
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Even weathered sailors get sea sick and I suspect we will too. It is something we considered over the past two years leading up to the decision to go sailing at some point in our near future. The fact is, Kerri gets car sick too and it doesn't stop her from riding in a car all the time. We will get through that issue as we do any other .
The dogs are another issue. One is 14 years and we are confident he will "go to college" before we actually start any major voyages. Moose on the other hand is only 5 and is very much a land based dog. He would not be happy with a life on a boat. He does have family (my son and ex) in Colorado that he would be very happy with and they have repeatedly said they want him. I could keep him, forcing him into a life that is not right for him while making myself happy, or think about what is best for him. Ultimately it is a decision that he will make but I suspect he will be staying ashore when we shove off which could still be a ways out
The dogs are another issue. One is 14 years and we are confident he will "go to college" before we actually start any major voyages. Moose on the other hand is only 5 and is very much a land based dog. He would not be happy with a life on a boat. He does have family (my son and ex) in Colorado that he would be very happy with and they have repeatedly said they want him. I could keep him, forcing him into a life that is not right for him while making myself happy, or think about what is best for him. Ultimately it is a decision that he will make but I suspect he will be staying ashore when we shove off which could still be a ways out
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
We made an offer on a boat
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/we-made-an-offer-on-a-boat/
[size=medium]So, here we are back in Port Townsend. Back at the same exact site at Point Hudson – which we left not too long ago. Here is where it all began a few weeks ago, and now we are full circle and having looked at all the boats – plus some – we wanted to see. We were ready to rank them and make an offer on our top pick. It wasn’t all that difficult for us. We had decided pretty firmly on one of the boats we toured in Bellingham – a 1979 Baba 35. So on Friday we filled out the paperwork and sent it in to our broker to make an official offer on the Baba. A few hours later we got word that the offer was accepted![/size]
[size=medium]
So excited we were that we spent a good chunk of a weekend day on-board, going through every nook and cranny and even getting the engine started for the first time (for us). Everything looks better and better each time we go on the boat, and the motor started right up and purred for the 15 minutes we left it running.[/size]
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[size=medium]We are only part way to owning our first boat. The next few weeks are going to be rough. We have to get a general surveyor (inspector) out to inspect the boat both in and out of the water as well as a sea-trial (test drive) – now scheduled for the middle of October. This will tell us more about the overall condition of the boat; if there is any rot, leaks, age of wiring, holding tanks, etc. Then an engine surveyor will tell us more about the diesel motor onboard, which appears to be the original motor from the late 70’s. We both suspect that it will be time for a rebuild or replacement soon down the road, but that still fits in the offer amount as well as our timeline. We have years before we would do any over-ocean sailing and it is only before then that we would have to do the deed. In the meantime, we can putter around on an aged motor while we learn and explore the Puget Sound.[/size]
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It is all very exciting. It isn’t easy to keep focus on anything else at this point, the boat just creeps back in. In the few week wait before our surveying appointments, we are going to head back into the wild as van dwellers in hopes of taking our minds off the imminent purchase (or not).
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https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/we-made-an-offer-on-a-boat/
[size=medium]So, here we are back in Port Townsend. Back at the same exact site at Point Hudson – which we left not too long ago. Here is where it all began a few weeks ago, and now we are full circle and having looked at all the boats – plus some – we wanted to see. We were ready to rank them and make an offer on our top pick. It wasn’t all that difficult for us. We had decided pretty firmly on one of the boats we toured in Bellingham – a 1979 Baba 35. So on Friday we filled out the paperwork and sent it in to our broker to make an official offer on the Baba. A few hours later we got word that the offer was accepted![/size]
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So excited we were that we spent a good chunk of a weekend day on-board, going through every nook and cranny and even getting the engine started for the first time (for us). Everything looks better and better each time we go on the boat, and the motor started right up and purred for the 15 minutes we left it running.[/size]
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[/size][size=medium]We are only part way to owning our first boat. The next few weeks are going to be rough. We have to get a general surveyor (inspector) out to inspect the boat both in and out of the water as well as a sea-trial (test drive) – now scheduled for the middle of October. This will tell us more about the overall condition of the boat; if there is any rot, leaks, age of wiring, holding tanks, etc. Then an engine surveyor will tell us more about the diesel motor onboard, which appears to be the original motor from the late 70’s. We both suspect that it will be time for a rebuild or replacement soon down the road, but that still fits in the offer amount as well as our timeline. We have years before we would do any over-ocean sailing and it is only before then that we would have to do the deed. In the meantime, we can putter around on an aged motor while we learn and explore the Puget Sound.[/size]
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It is all very exciting. It isn’t easy to keep focus on anything else at this point, the boat just creeps back in. In the few week wait before our surveying appointments, we are going to head back into the wild as van dwellers in hopes of taking our minds off the imminent purchase (or not).
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B and C
Well-known member
Looks sweet! Good luck.
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Practicing the art of self distraction
https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/practicing-the-art-of-self-distraction/
[size=medium]As it turns out, there are a lot of boats in the Puget Sound area, many of which are in need of surveys (inspection). This in turn causes the surveyors to be booked many weeks out, to our dismay. So we are trying to distract ourselves from how far the big date is away. The 15th of October was the earliest we could get a survey done on the boat we put in an offer on.
It has been months since we arrived on the Oregon coast line to beat the summer heat in the mountains. Since then, the ocean – or a bay – has been in our daily life. It’s been long enough, so we high-tailed in the direction of the nearest mountains – the North Cascades to be exact. We had time to kill and nothing to do for weeks, so we got back to our life on the road to track down a little excitement before something big happens in our lives.
We did stay a few nights in a county campground on a small lake at the base of the Cascades, thinking we would burn away the work week there. It didn’t take long (literally after a single night) for Kerri to announce that she was ready to move on. She has taken to this van way of life hard. Unable to hold still even for a few days now, she is like a nervous cat, ready to pounce on the next great van-adventure no matter what day of the week it is. Personally I wasn’t feeling like getting back to the driving, so we hung around another night before a local meth-head convinced us to move along. So we did.
Only 30 minutes up the road, we met up with the Watsons again at a nearly-abandoned campground further into the Cascades. You may find this hard to believe, but not only were the leaves just beginning to fall off the trees and the temperatures very comfortable, no one else was camping. It seemed just a few days ago that I was complaining of the crowds, and now no one is out. It’s great! We had a restaurant, hot tub, bar, laundry, showers, and arcade room all to ourselves… well almost. There was a roving gang of bunny rabbits to came out twice a day to eat the grass and taunt Moose. Damn cute little fellas. Brings me back to my childhood when I had a lop-eared rabbit myself.
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https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/practicing-the-art-of-self-distraction/
[size=medium]As it turns out, there are a lot of boats in the Puget Sound area, many of which are in need of surveys (inspection). This in turn causes the surveyors to be booked many weeks out, to our dismay. So we are trying to distract ourselves from how far the big date is away. The 15th of October was the earliest we could get a survey done on the boat we put in an offer on.
It has been months since we arrived on the Oregon coast line to beat the summer heat in the mountains. Since then, the ocean – or a bay – has been in our daily life. It’s been long enough, so we high-tailed in the direction of the nearest mountains – the North Cascades to be exact. We had time to kill and nothing to do for weeks, so we got back to our life on the road to track down a little excitement before something big happens in our lives.
We did stay a few nights in a county campground on a small lake at the base of the Cascades, thinking we would burn away the work week there. It didn’t take long (literally after a single night) for Kerri to announce that she was ready to move on. She has taken to this van way of life hard. Unable to hold still even for a few days now, she is like a nervous cat, ready to pounce on the next great van-adventure no matter what day of the week it is. Personally I wasn’t feeling like getting back to the driving, so we hung around another night before a local meth-head convinced us to move along. So we did.
Only 30 minutes up the road, we met up with the Watsons again at a nearly-abandoned campground further into the Cascades. You may find this hard to believe, but not only were the leaves just beginning to fall off the trees and the temperatures very comfortable, no one else was camping. It seemed just a few days ago that I was complaining of the crowds, and now no one is out. It’s great! We had a restaurant, hot tub, bar, laundry, showers, and arcade room all to ourselves… well almost. There was a roving gang of bunny rabbits to came out twice a day to eat the grass and taunt Moose. Damn cute little fellas. Brings me back to my childhood when I had a lop-eared rabbit myself.
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