Did we get new pets? A couple of dogs? Feline friends?
Parakeets? None of the above.
Meet Io and Callisto, our new orange kayaks. (Only named,
really, to tell whose is whose – foot rest adjustments, etc.)
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| Io and Callisto |
These are some of Costco’s finest – chosen by us for length
(short!) and weight (light!). At 9’6” and 37 pounds, they’re about the best we
could do. Brand: Emotion; Model: Glide.
They were delivered Friday so on Saturday morning we loaded
them into Europa’s cockpit and made our way to Gig Harbor for the weekend. We
needed to spend some time figuring out just where they are going to be stored
aboard Europa – we have a couple of ideas and need a trial run before we head
north next week. (Still haven't figured out how to secure them - we'll work on that this week.)
We arrived at noon to find both of the buoys at Jerisich
free, so we snagged our favorite rather than anchor this time. While not as
crowded as a couple of weeks ago, there were still a lot of boats there…and a
very busy public dock.
The weather didn’t exactly cooperate, but Saturday afternoon
got better and better. We hung out for a while before giving Io and Callisto
their first paddle.
If you are wondering about the names…well, here goes. Many
are aware that our Ranger Tug is named after Nick’s favorite Carlos Santana
tune…Europa. (Best guitar solo ever…according to him.) While that is the
name of a Phoenician princess (Greek mythology), it is also the name of one of
the moons of Jupiter. So, we stuck with a theme and named the kayaks after two
of the other principle moons…Io and Callisto. (I think the unofficial name of
our dinghy is Ganymede…the fourth major moon.)
Saturday afternoon we took an hour and half paddle around
Gig Harbor. The kayaks are just what we expected…not fancy and very serviceable…perfect
for what we need on the boat. A little tricky to get in and out of from
the boat, but we’re getting better at it. I found that keeping a bungee handy
to secure the side of Callisto to Europa’s swim step, or a dock, gives me just
that bit of added stability to maneuver.
Sunday was a beautiful day and we took a couple more paddles,
as well as a much-needed walk. (Many people along the Gig Harbor
waterfront are not inclined to social distance very well!)
Sunday afternoon, we were pleasantly surprised to see a dude
come by on his SUP with a keg of beer! Yep, free pours. Not sure if he bought
the beer or Gig Harbor Brewing donated it…I hope the latter. Anyway, Nick got
the last cupful, and it was a super fun spectacle.
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| Keg with a Personal Flotation Device! |
My other photos include one of the Paige Marie – what I assume
is one of the local fishing fleet – taking a little spin. She was back in an
hour or two. This boat did the same thing when we were here a couple of weeks
ago. (I'm hoping they have found a way to be entrepreneurial!) Also, our pre-Mexican dinner margaritas Saturday afternoon…our loud NutriBullet
blender always makes heads turn our way if we have neighbors. 😊
(They know what they’re hearing…and they’re jealous.) Oh, and a family of geese.
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| Paige Marie |
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| Yummy! |
We woke to rain this morning and headed back to the Foss
mid-morning.
We are busy with our plan to head north for the first part of our
summer cruising. Mac is now in daycare so the world is once again our oyster.
Well, not quite, there is still a pandemic going on. Planning our itinerary has
been tricky. As it stands, we will head to places that are “opening” so that we
are not spending time in areas that don’t really want us. State parks will be open
and we’re assuming there will be great crowds of boaters – which we’d like to
avoid. So, for now, our destinations look like those in the western counties.
Stay tuned, as the plans keep changing.
