The backside of a gale and ecology report

Waiting for a replacement part for the auto pilot kept us in Port Angeles for four days, which gave us time for some of the smaller to-do items that will make life aboard more pleasant. We spent three evenings with our friend, Tom Anderson, including the opportunity to see "Return of the River" , a documentary on the history and removal of the two dams on the Elwah River that flows out of the Olympic Mountains just west of Port Angeles.  Primarily focused on the pulp mill and lumber, taking out the dam was very controversial to the locals.  Many town folks thought it was silly or even irresponsible to tear down two working sources of electricity. Exciting for me was that given solid scientific evidence, people will apply the info to their decision and change their minds.  The dams were built in the early 1900's without any fish ladders or other accomodations for the environment.  The salmon shrunk down to almost nothing immediately.  One old Clallum woman talked about cleaning a fish that took three steps to go from the tail to the head.  A picture of her carrying it over her back showed it to be as long as she was tall.  But the 61 degree water in the two reservoirs far exeeded the 32 degrees that was the normal salmon habitat and disease plagued the young, decimating their numbers.  Silt backed up behind the dams leaving little in the river for the salmon to use to lay eggs upon and a decimated population became almost extinct.

It has been five months since the dam was removed and the salmon returned immediately.  Approximately 72 acres have been added to the Elwah delta, creating habitat for Dungeness crabs, clams, other shellfish, beds for smaller fish to lay eggs, and nesting for terns and other birds.  As we 

passed by, thousands of birds wheeled overhead, feasting on the life of the new habitat.  Up river, elk, deer and other animals are moving into the basins that were once lakes, the Clallum people are fishing again,  and local bird habitat has flourished.  In general, bird habitat for the Salish Sea had dropped severely, consequently, bird populations have dropped.  Hopefully, we will be able to find more ways to support and protect nature.

On the other side of this success story was our disappointment to discover no recycling in Port Angeles and muliple signs of clear cutting.

We took one day to sail out to Neah Bay and appreciated staying at the Makah Tribal marina.  We waited there as a gale raged on Saturday, my 68th birthday, January 17th.  Blowing 40 and gusting to 50, but with a forecast that the winds would drop to nearly nothing by Monday afternoon, we decided to leave on the back side of the gale.  We slid out of Neah Bay on Sunday the 18th around 4 in the afternoon.  It was a compromise of trying to let the wind die down some but still having some daylight to get ourselves stable.  We put a reef in the sail (basically a tuck to reduced the size of the sail, commonly used in storms to lessen the amount of yardage aloft), and stepped out into 20 - 25 knot winds coming against us from the south with 14 to 16 foot seas.  I have often said (bragged?) that I never get sea sick, and,unfortunately, quickly had to eat my words.  Vomiting over the rail and getting it on deck, I'm thinking, "Ugh, and now I have to clean up after myself as well," when WHOOSH I am whooped upside the head with a wave and both me and the deck are clean.  It was dark quickly and I spent the rest of the night in bed while Jerry rode out the rest of the storm.  By morning, it had warmed to 40+ degrees and much had settled, including me. I was ready to take my turn at watch.  

It took six days to San Francisco, taking turns 24/7 to watch for other ships, whales, storms or any danger.  Night watch quickly became a favorite, enjoying the stars and the beauty of the bioluminescence, prompted by the wake and fleetingly sharing their eerie glow.  We enjoyed living in our new home.

The heater helped us stay warm.

The galley served up stews we had made before we left.

We found ourselves enjoying life aboard.  Still, sailing under the Golden Gate was a pleasure.

Time with family has been precious but we leave here tommorow, Wednesday, 1/28 to continue south.  In one week, we traveled about 750 miles as the crow flies, gained approximately two hours of sunlight per day, and some 25+ degrees of warmth, enjoying an unseasonable warmth of 68 degrees on Sunday.  This morning we woke to hundreds of preening pelicans at our doorstep.  Once expected to be extinct because of DDT and now prolific again.

We look forward to warm winds and following seas.