Since Aurora came into our lives in February, the passion has been sailing rather than blogging about it. But now – this unseasonably cold late August Sunday – when I am bundled comfortbly under a duvet in the aft cabin with a nice view of the storm clouds rolling in. I’ve just installed a little antenna for an Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Jack has spotted all the big ships out in the shipping lanes. He’s reading off information about their names, call signs, speed, heading, length, destination, and how far away they’re from us. Coming and going most anywhere from the moorage here in Port Hadlock requires us to cross main shipping lanes from Seattle, Vancouver, Haro Strait and out into the Pacific via Juan de Fuca. In the thick fogs that characterize the month of “Fogust” it’s good to know that the Victoria Clipper is 12 miles away but approaching at 31.5 knots. We’re picking up ships 25 miles away!

But I digress. Between February and June Aurora sailed to Victoria, Seattle, circumnavigated Marrowstone and Indian Islands, and has done numerous day sails around Point Wilson and at the head of Admiralty Inlet, once guarded by three still fine Victorian forts: Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Fort Flagler on Indian Island, and Fort Casey on Whidbey. In addition, we flew to the Bahamas and charted a 36′ Beneteau for a cruise of Abacos and I did a race series in a speedy 24′ Martin on the Columbia. No time to blog.