Stormy at Birch Bay!

P

Pat Anderson

New member
Saturday, March 14, 7:40 p.m. - it is rainy, the wind is howling, looking out our picture window, the Bay is angry with white caps today. It is dark but we can see a light on a boat way out on the Strait of Georgia. Our thermostat is turned way up and we are warm and comfy here in our little hideaway! We love this place!
 
I was planning on going up to Decatur Island on Sunday afternoon for the night. Just checked the forecast...20-30 knot winds rising to 25-35 knots. 4-6 foot seas. I think I'll go Monday instead...
 
Pat Anderson":2h0wjcdr said:
Our thermostat is turned way up and we are warm and comfy here in our little hideaway! We love this place!
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Pat, do you have any photos, or a description, of what I understand is your vacation home at Birch Bay? Sounds very nice!

Warren
 
The Crab Palace has to be seen in person, Warren. A special, cozy place on a bluff looking out to sea. Not a fancy mac-mansion - simply a marvelous place for weekend or retirement. Years ago we met Pat and Patty there and have fond memories of good times with the Crabby Ones.
 
OK, Warren, since you asked! Probably more than you want to know!

Birch Bay is just south of the Canadian border, the next bay down from Boundary Bay on the Strait of Georgia, about 17 miles north of Bellingham. Captain Vancouver anchored his ships in Birch Bay while exploring the area. I enjoy imagining seeing his ships out there when I look out the window!

Our Birch Bay house was built in 1940 in Lynden, and was moved to Birch Bay shortly before we bought it. The picture below is actually the back, as the front faces the water view. The place is about 700 square feet, 400 on the ground floor, 300 on the second floor, on a 7,600 square foot lot on the bluff one block up from the Bay. It has a very steep pitched roof, and the upstairs rooms are sort of attic-like. The stairway is more like a ladder than a stairway! Our view is of Patos Island directly out the window. We can also see Saturna and Tumbo in the Canadian Gulf Islands.

We had been coming to Birch Bay for vacations with my parents ever since I was a kid, staying in rental cabins, then in our travel trailers. Finally we just decided we loved it so much we needed a place, so we bought it in 1989.

The State Park at the other end of the Bay has wonderful clamming and mediocre oystering. Crabbing used to be good but has not been so hot for quite a few years now. Ruth and Joe and Bill and El have had the famous fried clam dinner, while Jim and Joan got beef (but that's another story)! Any Brats who are going to be in Whatcom County should PM me, come and sit on the deck, drink beer and eat great fried clams with us!

Outside we have a wonderful wine grape arbor (Roger - tell me when you are ready for you cuttings!) growingsiegerebbe grapes, and a few fruit trees, but we envision ultimately tearing out the grass in the front yard and turning it into natural landscaping and a vegetable garden.

We will retire here in a few more years, and can hardly wait. We'll be here May through August for sure, and hopefully cruising in sunny, warm places the rest of the year!

Actually we have very few pix of the place. Maybe have to remedy this one of these days! Here are some of Bill's pix...

Pat & Patty, Bill & El:
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Birch Bay summer home:
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The view:
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Pat,

As a member of the legal community, you should know (I know you know) these pictures are cruel and inhumane punishment to all of us out here in "Brat" land. Best comment for the plate of clams is.....mmmmm! For those of you have partaken, I am sure you enjoyed them along with the quality liquids, that were sure to be there, to wash them down.

Doug
 
Ah, Doug - that brings up another whole marvelous topic about the Crab Palace, and Pat and Patty - the story has something to do with owning a brewery and brew pub ... but that's another whole tale and better told over a glass of good snoqualmie ...
 
Today the weather at Birch Bay gave us about everything possible! Rain, snow, wind, bright blue sky and sunshine! Right now it is back to windy - not good boating weather on the Strait of Georgia at the moment! But the menacing Strait is still gorgeous!

We're about to have dinner now and then head back to the "real" world (Fall City). Patty asked me yesterday whether when we move here, will it still feel like vacation all the time? I'm banking on it!
 
Pat Anderson":3gnsz00a said:
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We're about to have dinner now and then head back to the "real" world (Fall City). Patty asked me yesterday whether when we move here, will it still feel like vacation all the time? I'm banking on it!
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We wondered that same thing with the house we built in the Tropical Tip. We built it 5 years ago as a vacation home, not intending it to be our one and only. I wondered if we enjoyed the area because it was great, OR because it was our escape from the real world of work and schedules. Would it still be as good when we weren't getting away from it all to be there? Turns out, yes. As I'm sure it will be with the Crab Palace with you two. It is a great place and we could see the attachment you feel.

We work so hard to have the house we want, in the neighborhood we want... and then we build or buy something else as an "escape" from that. :wink:

It was a treat for us to be invited to the Crab Palace! :D

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Pat & Patty,

Thanks for sharing the story of The Crab Palace. Birch Bay was one of my mother in laws favorite places when she was alive.

I posted the following on the Tug Nut Site. It gives you a taste of what it was like to be out on the water. We only saw one sail boat and one American Tug the whole trip.

We named our Tug Gratitude because life has been good to us even though we live on modest means. This weekend I learned again what I already know how grateful I am to have the privilege of being able to access the waters of the Great Northwest.

I just came off a stunning weekend. Friday, I left with a good friend who is a diesel mechanic for the Redmond Fire Department. We departed from Des Moines at 9:00 a.m. and headed down to Eld Inlet near Olympia. It was a Five Star Day with mirror like water and Mt. Rainier in all her glory. It took us only four hours with an opposing tide.

The purpose of the trip was a board of directors meeting in a member's family cabin. Cabin far nicer than my house.

Saturday with white caps forming we headed back home. It was equally beautiful but in an entirely different way. The clouds were right down on the deck making it quite ethereal and mystical. We could always see land but it was shrouded in clouds. The winds were building from the South to about 25 knots. We faced an opposing tide which was ferocious when we went through the Tacoma Narrows. The boat slowed to 3.9 knots at the low point with six foot waves boiling around us. Holes would open up in the boil that were the size of the boat. I had it on auto pilot and two of us stood right in the center line of the boat enjoying every minute of it. The boat was sound and the engine was doing due diligence at 2800 rpm.

Two very different days and each equally thrilling. The boat once again proved to be worthy of my respect for it.

The only challenge I had was trying to reset the anchor on Saturday morning. I dragged anchor a couple of feet over night and with the winds coming up wanted to be sure I had secure anchor for the day. I tried to set it at high tide and wanted to be a bit closer to shore to save my time in my dink.

Try as I might I could not get the anchor to bite. The wind was blowing and the current running strong. Finally I abandoned my efforts and managed to tie off to a neighbors buoy.

I continue to learn something every time I go out. I don't recommend challenging the weather but I was grateful to see how well the boat performed knowing that if I get caught off guard the boat has the ability to reach safe port.

We heard one or perhaps two "man over board" reports. If I were to retrace the weekend I would have either worn my inflatable or had the life jackets more readily available rather than stowed in the mid berth. I would rather be safe than sorry.

Owning a boat for our household really is pushing our limits but you can't put a price tag on the experience of this last weekend. I have buried 9 people in the last 18 months who were 50 or younger (I am a Lutheran pastor). I can say for sure that in my life time a great number of the high points have been on the water. It doesn't pencil out financially but it sure does when it comes to be life giving.

I sure hope we can hang on and get through this recession. We may have to pull our boat out of the Marina which has been a real luxury. I hate to lose the easy access. We are like many of you taking it one day at a time and taking every advantage we have of getting out on the water.

One grateful guy.
 
I took this photo on Friday while I was fishing near Gibson Pt on Fox Island. Thanks for sharing your cruise story, and helping me put a name to a beautiful boat. "Gratitude", nice!

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Robbi
 
Robbi,

I saw you and tried to hail you on the radio. Thanks a million for the photo. I didn't see you on Saturday when the wind was blowing and Pat & Patty were snug in Crab Palace and all other smart boaters were on shore.

Did you catch any fish? South Sound has been slow for fishing but it truly a fine catch.
 
This one wasn't on shore but was wishing I was. I had King Marine Canvas install the camper top on friday. The service was great and the materials topnotch. But one important lesson was learned. This top cannot be completely erected from inside the boat. Unless you are an extremely strong gorilla with extremely small fingers. So friday night tied to a buoy at Illahe. The storm blew in and it was a dandy. It poured rain all night, but the boat pretty much stayed dry inside. I was going to stay out the weekend but it was just too miserable. So I crossed back over to Eddy Vine and hauled out early afternoon on saturday. The trip across was uneventful but more than a little rough. It is a little disconcerting to see the big ones roll by and they are higher than the cabin top. Is there a trick to putting on all the side pieces of the campertop from inside the boat. If I snapped the snaps then the zippers wouldn't connect, but if i zippered first I couldn't stretch the canvas down to snap the snaps. It looked great in the shop but I just couldn't get it all together out on the water.
 
Ooh, nice find. I will give that one a try. I have been really remiss in not getting an album set up. Soon as the weather moderates I will get some pictures.
 
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