More Room for Wine…

North to Alaska Seattle Series 2008

13 September 2008

Lat N47.39.003

Lon W122.18.81

Yes, that’s right…now that we have all those new holes (hatches would actually be the technical term) in the sole (soul) of our little Cutthroat, we have definitely created some additional wine storage. That’s right, we have three new hatches that are going to be perfect for storing wine bottles, in addition to providing access to the fuel tank. Yet another plus for the summer of “Operation Enduring Pain.” As the military names their operations, I think this really captures the essence of our summer vacation. Enduring Pain does it for me! Rog agrees!

To fill you all in on the latest in our quest for pure fuel and engine reliability, let me catch you up on the last couple of weeks in beautiful Seattle, WA. We took the boat through the Hiram Chittenden Lock into Lake Union and under six bridges (all but one of which had to be raised) to Portage Bay just shy of Lake Washington where Jensen Motor Boat Company is located. The trip through the lock was interesting, but fortunately uneventful. We only tore off one of our inflatable fenders as we were lifted up the 28 feet to access the lake. We were tied up to the north wall with another sailboat tied abreast of us. The fender managed to inadvertently line itself up with one of the cutouts in the lock wall and hang up the fender. These are some really slimy walls and I would have personally donated the fender to the lock god, but Roger retrieved it. What a man – I do love him dearly! Since we had to wait for almost all the bridges to open for us, it took about 2 ½ hours to go less than 5 miles. We also hit the lock at dead low tide making the 50 foot required lines barely reach the top of the lock. We just bought new lines for this anyway since ours have really taken a beating in the surges in marinas in Mexico and Hawaii. Now I wish they were even longer…but oh well, we’ll probably only need to do the lock once again when we return to Shilshole Marina. The bridges remain closed during rush hour from 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM. One of the shipwrights, Charlie, joined us on this trip and he was a huge help in getting the lines up to the lock attendants. It was helpful having a third person aboard – especially since I really didn’t have a clue where we were going, nor had we taken the boat through any lock system before. While it wasn’t the Panama Canal or anything, it was pretty cool and yet one more memory for the summer.

Our time at Jensen Motor Boat Company has been a mix of both frustration and enjoyment. The frustrations centered around having people cut holes in your boat, the stench of diesel fuel for days on end, and the expense that we would have preferred to avoid. On the plus side – the people have been wonderful – they couldn’t be more helpful and responsive, not to mention real craftsmen. They provided us with lists of things to do, places to go, and even the use of the yard’s pickup truck. How great is that! The yard sits just on the edge of the University of Washington’s Medical Center. The town is centered around the university with lots of places to eat, shop, and the best prices for beer that we’ve seen in a long while – imagine that – cheap beer in a college town! Go figure.

Jensen Motor Boat Company was established in 1927 and a trip to their website is worth your time www.slomoshun.com/jensen.htm. There are also lots of pictures in the Gallery Tab at the top right of this page. It’s like taking a trip down memory lane – a cross between Mystic Seaport and the Island Packet factory. A mix between both generations. They have been in the wooden boat building business since inception and remain one of the local experts in refurbishing old wooden boats as well as working on new boats. Today they build racing boats for competition as well as provide top-notch shipyard services throughout the Pacific Northwest. They still use the original old wooden lift and have a system of hauling sailboats out of the water whereby a submersible platform, called a rail way, is lowered on a sloping platform under the water and then the boat is pulled up onto dry land by a cable system that was salvaged from the area logging industry, powered by an old truck engine. It’s fascinating to watch and has a 50 ton capability. There are only a few of these systems in existence and it is how Cutthroat will be hauled out next week to have her bottom painted. The yard thrives today with full-time shipwrights that number about 25. This is one busy place! While they are fully capable of doing 21^st century work, many of the tools are old from the wood-working to the metal shop where just about anything needed on a boat can be manufactured. The parts bins are all vintage the 1920’s and 30’s, and look like my grandfather’s tool room. The founder, Tony Jensen, started out as a musician before becoming a shipbuilder, and today there remains a space for a guy who builds guitars from scratch up in one of the old lofts. The family’s original residence is located upstairs to include a piano and a beautiful view of Portage Bay. This is still used by the family and has been occupied since we’ve been here. Steve and Pete who operate the yard today for the grandson of the founder are happy to give tours of the facility and share the history of this wonderful facility.

Our dinghy, Crewcutt is getting lots of use up in the lakes. The Seattle Yacht Club is just down the way, and it’s been a convenient dinghy ride over to sample their beer and food. It’s a beautiful old clubhouse which sports a very active Junior Sailing Program. We see them out practicing daily. That brings back lots of great memories. Also, the University of Washington’s boating facility is also close by. They are active with team rowing and go back and forth right behind us as they practice early in the morning and again in the evenings.

Cutthroat is now back to optimal working order. Our confidence is restored and we look forward to a fantastic cruising summer next year. We leave the area for Rob John’s wedding on Sunday so the boat will remain up in the Lake until our return on Sep 29^th while the bottom is painted and wood receives a fresh coat of cetol. Then we will move her back to Shilshole Marina and put her to bed for the winter.

As this leg of the adventure is coming to a close, it’s definitely taken some unanticipated twists and turns. But that’s what you can expect when the plan is complicated, the distances far, weather uncertain, and you must rely on people and all things mechanical for your safety and survival. It’s just part of the deal…and a great deal it is, too! Now we head back to Florida for the winter and our other life for the next six months. While it’s a bit more predictable, it’s not shaping up to be boring either. With lots of family time, another Mediterranean Cruise (on our favorite damShip, the Prinsendam), a ski trip to Utah, and who knows what else, it looks like we’ll remain busy! As we did last year, I’ll do updates from time to time to keep you in the loop, and let you know how the plans for Cutthroat’s 2009 Adventure are progressing. We want you to continue to be a part of it!

Love to all,

Roger and Elise

s/v Cutthroat