We spent our last few nights in Portland at the City Dock right next to the River View Marina. Not a bad view at night with all the lights from the bridges and downtown. No amenities on the almost free dock but it’s right downtown and that was a big…

For thousands of years, we have gone to sea. We have crafted vessels to carry us and we have called them by name. These ships will nurture and care for us through perilous seas, and so we affectionately call them “she.” To them we toast, and ask to celebrate… KISMET….

We’ve been planning this dinner ever since we saw Patti & Eric in Sandpoint, Idaho, in August. Tonight it was finally time to meet kids and grandkids, see a new home and share a meal. It was one of those nights that you never want to come to an end….

Two nights ago, we finally got to meet Ross’ girlfriend, Naomi. We live so far away from Ross and opportunities to connect are so few. So these five days in Portland with Ross and Naomi are very precious to us. They both took time off work several days to sightsee,…

On our own this time dropping Kismet into the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. We took our time and eased the trailer onto the boat ramp and into the water. Because we were going slow it took us about an hour to complete the whole process. Finding a spot to…

After a few minor fixes and upgrades we prepare to depart from the Ranger Tug factory in Kent, WA. Kenny (below-left) helped us get on our way by checking tire pressure and helping with hitching the boat to our truck for the first time. We’ll be heading to Portland, Oregon…

After a walk through the market, and dinner still warm in our tummies, we were treated to a full moon and the bright lights of downtown Seattle. A great way to end our stay on the water in Washington State. We’ll take the boat out of the water and drive…

On the Boat – Bell Harbor Marina A day of shopping produces a feast on the boat tonight.    

Pike Place Market – Seattle, Washington The flowers come in all shades of pinks, golds, reds, purples, oranges and more. A bounty of color and freshness to behold.

Pike Place Market – Seattle, Washington Meats, sausages, pastries, cheeses, olives, peppers and salads. The Pike Place Market is a one stop shop.

Pike Place Market – Seattle, Washington A little bit of this, a little bit of that… Wash it, peel it, chop it and fry it all up.

Pike Place Market – Seattle, WA Soon after tying Kismet up to the dock at Bell Harbor Marina, downtown Seattle, we headed up the hill on a mission. We would secure ingredients for dinner, which will be made on the boat tonight. One of our most favorite spots in Seattle…

We didn’t linger too long in Bremerton after the Ranger Tugs Rendezvous because we had a really interesting cruise planned for today. We said our goodbyes to new boating friends and shoved off the dock late morning. Just around the corner from Bremerton sits Blake Island, a 476-acre Washington State…

The next post is going to make your mouth water. Check back in a couple days to see what we’re talking about.

The People… We Love Our Tugs We arrived in Bremerton on Wednesday so that we could take care of some chores before the festivities began – we were the third boat to arrive in the harbor. Over the late afternoon and early evening, and the whole next day, the tugs…

The Boats… They’re Everywhere Sixty-eight Ranger Tugs and Cutwaters in one place, at one time. They were many sizes, from 21 to 29 feet. If set end to end they would have measured 1,768 feet or one-third of a mile long. A rainbow of colors were represented from yellow, dark…

Not long after we set the hook for a peaceful night at anchor in Oak Bay along comes this racing skull with mostly women aboard. I think we provided some amusement as they had a ton of questions about the “cute tug boat.” We knew they were a friendly and…

Nothing can be sweeter than a slice of homemade island blackberry pie, unless it’s being able to connect with good friends who live on Lopez Island. When we were making plans to revisit the PNW again this year we immediately let our friends Dave and Judy know we were coming….

Succcess! After two nights on anchor in Garrison Bay we called Roche Harbor Marina early Sunday morning and were put on the waiting list. We only waited a half hour or so before they called us in. The busy harbor was in stark contrast to our previous night’s surroundings. With…

On our way to the Roche Harbor Customer Appreciation festivities. Apparently, if you are in Roche Harbor on this special day you are invited to this amazing party. Your choice of many fine wines, tasty seafood sandwiches and live band were the highlights of this party, all put on to…