Our 4th of July cruise to Reid Harbor on wonder-filled Stuart Island is fast approaching. The calendar has made it easy this year by making the 4th a Saturday. So,… What’s up for the weekend?
The “cruise” officially starts on July 2. Of course plan your crossing of the strait for best conditions, but you will want to arrive on the 3rd at the latest. The current is in our favor for morning departures from PT that week. Crossing conditions dependent, I plan to arrive on the Thursday, the 2nd. Whoever gets to Reid first should lay claim to the largest float. Any interlopers on “our” float should be informed they are welcome to join with us but that our club’s boats will be flooding it as the day progresses. It’s a good idea to tie with your bow facing west for likely wind direction so to protect our back decks. Plus, we should be prepared to raft up with the bigger boats adjacent to the float. This may mean re-arranging once we’re all there.
We will start the weekend activities with the usual and essential “happy (we made the crossing) hour” on the 2nd. Begin the 3rd with chatter, coffee/tea, and planning. Then round out the day with a potluck in late afternoon on the float.
Saturday is the 4th of July when we’ll dress up our dinghies for an early afternoon parade around the harbor. Prizes will be awarded for “best” entrants at the late afternoon BBQ. We will have some decorations for those unprepared with their own.
Last bit of information for those interested is talk about possibly returning south via the east side of Whidbey.