Not a Show Queen

Lest anyone think that Compadre is a "show queen", housed in a comfortable boat shed until she ventures out for the occasional wooden boat show, I thought I might post a few pictures of us enjoying one of our favorite cruising areas, the South Sound.  In later posts we'll take you along on future cruises, but to get started I'll post some pictures from past cruises to give you a sense of what we've experienced.

Approaching Tacoma Narrows

The south part of Puget Sound is a broad area of islands and interconnected waterways, with many comfortable spots to anchor and enjoy the scenery.  But unlike the more popular San Juan and Gulf Islands to the north, South Sound is delightfully uncrowded in summer, and almost deserted the rest of the year.  As I mention in the "About this Blog" page, it is possible to go for hours down there without seeing another boat.  While there are a few small marinas scattered throughout the area, the city of Olympia offers the only real chance for shopping or a restaurant meal.  Instead, the attraction here is peace, quiet, and beautiful scenery.

One of our favorite spots, and the one where you are likely to encounter at least a few other boats, is Jarrel Cove.  Located in a very sheltered bay indenting Harstine Island, Jarrel Cove is the site of an excellent marine state park as well as a small

At anchor in Jarrel Cove

commercial marina with a fuel dock and store.  It's a delightful place to anchor for a day or two, and when we visited in September this year, Compadre was the only boat moored at the park.

Other favorite spots include Eagle and McMicken Islands.  These tiny islands are both state parks, and offer a few mooring buoys and the opportunity to go ashore and explore.  But there isn't a lot exploring to be done, as the islands are just a few acres in size; a few minute's walk takes you

McMicken Island and Mt. Rainier

completely around (provided that the tide is out of course). And did I mention Mount Rainier?  If the weather is clear, and often it is in the summer, the views of Mt.  Rainier are spectacular from almost anywhere in the South Sound.  The views from  McMicken and Eagle Islands are particularly impressive.

As members of Bremerton Yacht Club we enjoy many privileges, one of which is our our outstation at Oro Bay on Anderson Island.  Facilities include a nice dock with electrical power and a picnic shelter onshore.  It's a great place to tie up for a couple days and visit with other club members.  But  

At the dock in Oro Bay.

it is not uncommon to be there by ourselves, with perhaps a Herron or a few Kingfishers for company. 

At anchor -- Oro Bay

 A collection of Compadre cruising pictures would not be complete without a view from the wheelhouse.  Cindy is an avid gardener and flower lover, and when we're onboard we're rarely

Underway on a calm, South Sound morning.

without flowers in the wheelhouse to brighten the day.

Regardless of whether we're cruising in South Sound or farther north, we are always aware that Compadre is a special sight for those onshore or on the water.  We're sometimes annoyed that boats seem to be "aiming" for us when we're underway, and some boats will come quite close before turning away on a safe heading.  They mean no harm of course -- they only wish to have a closer look.  We can't fault them for that!