In John H wrote:
On Tue, 25 May 2004 10:30:10 -0700, "Lloyd Sumpter" lsumpter@dccnet.
com wrote:


Very nicely written, Lloyd. Sure enjoyed reading about your trip.
Makes me want to move to Seattle, almost.


John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!


Don't forget Seattle's image of non-stop rain, impenetrable fog, and
everything covered in moss. Everything you hear about the Pacific
Northwest is true. We get an average of 857.6 inches of rain a year,
and radar is essential to just motor over to the fuel dock an average of
256 days a year because of the fog. It's cold most of the time and it's
a damp, bone-aching cold. The tide range averages 70 feet and the
currents through the islands run an average of 46 knots. And wind- hey,
we're happy when the wind across Bellingham Bay drops to 40 knots with
gusts to 60.
The weather is gloomy, dark, and foreboding. Everything
is wet all the time. Mt. St. Helens already blew up, and it's common
knowledge that Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams are about to.
Captain Vancouver didn't name it Deslolation Sound for no reason. His
other names were right on, too. Deception Pass, Cape Caution, Cape
Disappointment... very accurate, very descriptive. Sucia Island- this
was named by the Spanish and it's accurate, too. It means "foul bottom"
and they meant it. They couldn't get their anchors to hold, so they
wised up and left.
There are glaciers that would just as soon drop a
million tons of ice on your boat as look at you. Go ashore up the coast,
and if the mosquitos don't eat you alive the grizzlies will.
The
Pacific Northwest is a terrible place to run a boat. I don't know why
we do it- a bunch of masochists, I guess. All I can say is don't fall
into the trap those of us who are stuck in this cold, wet, foggy,
miserable place were lured into. I grew up in Hawaii, for God's sake,
and look how low I've sunk. Take my advice and stay away. Far, far
away.
Don't say we didn't warn you.

JC