Coho Ho Ho Field Trip – Port Townsend
The Coho Ho Ho is a rally taking sailors from Seattle to San Francisco each year. We joined the Coho Ho Ho last year since we plan on taking the trip in the future. At the end of the seminars there is a field trip to Port Townsend with a tour of PT Rigging’s and PT Sails. The seminars were remote this year, so it was also a great opportunity to meet in person.
The weather forecast for the weekend was not in our favor. When we left Friday morning it was a cloudy day. We were fortunate to have 15 – 20 knots of wind behind us most of the day. It was a great sail and one of the only times we have been able to sail all the way from Seattle to Port Townsend.
Just as we made the turn to into Port Townsend Bay it started raining very hard with almost no visibility. At one point, two anchored sailboats appeared on both sides, just 10 meters away from us at the entrance. Anna was driving while papa J was outside setting up bumpers and dock lines against the rain with his heavy rain suit on. The rain stopped shortly after we docked.
We stayed on the boat that evening. We didn’t do much as the weather kept reminding us that we are in Pacific Northwest. Where the weather forecast can change hourly throughout the day. Staying inside and trying to be dry. I didn’t bring any winter clothes for both me and O. How it is possible to feel like winter in the middle of June!
Saturday it rained off and on all day. O and I went for a walk on the beach and another walk later for ice cream at the nearby Safeway. PJ was away most of the day at the workshops.
The tour of PTR was very informative. Their attention to detail was very obvious and have a strong focus on rigging for offshore sailors. As sailors themselves they spend a lot of time ensuring the reliability of the rig as well as the efficiency of the system.
We plan on having them perform some work on Karuna over the next few years. I’d like to make reefing more efficient, add a pole, and improve the preventer system. Anna would really like to have a mast pulpit or as most people call them granny bars added. A year before we head south, we will probably have them pull the masts and replace the standing rigging.
We decided to head back on Sunday morning and not attend the tour of PT Sails. We purchased new sails last year and enjoy getting home earlier on Sundays so we can enjoy the evening.
When we left on Sunday, Papa J let me back Karuna out of the dock. Which made me nervous, but I pulled through. I told myself I have to have to step up my game about sailing. When we take off sailing to Thailand in the next few years, there will be just us three most of the time. We have to be self-sufficient and work as one unit.
We tried to motor sail back but there wasn’t enough wind. We kept the main up for stability and headed back to Seattle. By the time we made it back there was almost no wind.
The weather wasn’t the best but I’m glad we made the trip. Good to be out and together. We talk more when spending time just us.
It’s a pre-trip for summer sailing coming up in a month.
I can’t wait! If summer will ever come!!