The Shakedown Cruise: Cypress Head to Blind Bay

The Shakedown Cruise: Cypress Head to Blind Bay

Riding comfortably in a specially made harness that hovers over my stern is Enzo. My female human likes to name everything, so let me introduce you to the family.  Hal is a Heater and the grandfather of the family.  He has been across the country several times in their semi-truck, spent time in their tiny house, joined them in their 19’ Micro Minnie in Alaska, camped with them through the Yukon, and is now sailing with us.

Tabasco is a diesel-powered Heating System, and his cousin, Challulah, is the fireplace, who often refuses to catch fire or hold a flame. My Female Human will utter under her breath, You Little Bastard—and then, like an errant child, he wooshes forth and tries to burn her eyebrows off.  Her face lights up, like the old witch who opened the oven door in Hansel & Gretel. This routine went on until my Male Human gave him a thorough cleaning and replaced his fuel pump. Only then did I learn his name was Chalulah, not Little Bastard.

Then there is the Highfield Dinghy, or as my Humans say, “The Ferrari of Dinghies.” Naturally, he earned the moniker Enzo and proudly carries a 20 HP Tohatsu Outboard Motor on his rear; to be fair, I carry both.

While I have been slicing and careening through the brisk waters of the San Juan Islands, Enzo has been happily swaying just above the cold spray; but that changes today, here in Blind Bay, when Enzo will get his bottom wet.

My female human does not know how to swim. Yes, she took lessons at the YMCA in Nashville and then again at a private pool in Queen Creek, Arizona; but she has never been where the ‘edge of the pool’ is so far away or where the water is ‘over her head’. She cautiously walks around me, holding onto the new lifelines on my perimeter, and always wears her Sally Mustang — (personal flotation device). I told you; she names everything.

Since she is a new sailor and swimmer, it should come as no surprise that she is also a new dinghy driver.

Over the next few days, my male Human will give her lessons with Enzo, and it will be a good test for all of them.

Blind Bay is a small but calm and lovely anchorage. There was a big rock protruding from the surface as we entered, but it was not a problem to navigate around it. My Humans took Enzo for his first ride—and that ride was to the Shaw General Store.

The General Store Building is celebrating its 125^th Anniversary this year, 2024, but the General Store business is the oldest in the San Juan Islands.  My female Human loves its original wooden floors, old shelving, and mementos from years ago. 

She is one of those people who can imagine herself in different times and eras. She has a tremendous imagination, from being an only child to growing up in the country on Indian land. As a young girl, I am sure she imagined herself in all sorts of worlds and circumstances. My male Human was mainly shocked at the $14.00 he spent on a four-pack of beer.

We spent two nights here. My humans barbecued and finished some projects, including reassembling my newly varnished cocktail table. They tested it and then toasted it. It’s so beautiful that my female Human made a video.

Our second day at Blind Bay also included a project: replacing the battens into my new Main Sail. Until this point, that new crisp, clean, glistening white mainsail has remained unused; waiting in her cover for the day to hoist it high. Well, this might be that day!

A batten is a long piece of thin fiberglass that goes horizontally inside my sail. It helps my sail keep its shape so that I can effectively catch the wind.

Ullman Sails made my new sail in Anacortes. Specifically, Kelly Sears, Steph Jarvis, and my Humans loved working with them. Kelly is a very experienced sailor, spry with a corny sense of humor, and he gave 110% to crafting my sail while also helping my Humans understand it and install it, which had to be done twice! My spine has what are called Harkin Cars, and the sail had to be specially fitted to accommodate them. Ultimately, they were all good friends, exchanging information to follow each other’s journeys and offer assistance where and if needed. Kelly gave my female Human a hat, which she wears with pride. He also gave her a coveted bottle of wine from the Okanagan Valley in Canada. It is from a vineyard called See Ya Later. She hasn’t drunk it yet, because she is saving it for a special occasion, but I can tell she is counting the days until it hits her palette.

My Humans were having great success with the battens, but then the wind came up fast and hard, so they had to stop. They got two out of five, and Kelly had given them some great tips on how to slide them in with ease. They will get the others when the wind dies down.

And if you want a glimpse into how this journey started, check it out here.

Until Next Time…. Fear-Less/Adventure-More!

S/V Gypsea Explorer and her Humans: Heather & Chris