Close to the Water: Eating on a Small Boat
The finished flatbread.Its secret flavor ingredient is powdered milk. I was patting out some bread dough on the floorboards of Row Bird when a voice called from above, “Are you making bannock down there?” Although I love…
Close to the Water: Stitch & Glue
When the need for a new dinghy arises, a reluctant boat builder goes to work "I’m going to start building a wooden boat this weekend,” I told a colleague one Friday last December. It was casual workplace chit-chat, but deep…
Close to the Water: Sketching the Sea
Sailing a small boat is like moving a paintbrush across the water. It’s slow, thoughtful, and requires a careful, continuous attention to detail. A typical cruising day for me covers just 10 to 15 nautical miles. On a pretty…
Close to the Water: The Log of Row Bird
No matter the size of the vessel, a log book still has a place aboard. When I tell fellow sailors that I keep a log for my 18-foot sail and oar boat, they mostly look puzzled. Why would I want to do that? I see them wonder.…
Close to the Water:The Fourth Dimension
Joining the party aboard the E&E Paddlefish. It was well past my usual bedtime when I was invited aboard the Paddlefish, along with my friends Mia and RJ. The Bee Gees were pumping through speakers; tinsel and disco…
Close to the Water: The Best Gift
Able to be carried, Tim’s peapod is a good size for his adventures. On a rowing trip from Seattle to Port Townsend, I was taking a break atop a bluff, looking out toward Whidbey Island, when I noticed a 18-foot, gaff-rigged…
Close to the Water: A Dream Boat Saved
Boats are dreams. The ones we want, the ones we build — even the ones that just sit collecting rainwater. All of them embody those aspirations. The dream boat represents different aspects of our identity and personifies the…
Close to the Water: My Boat Crush
For some people, a friendly sailing community is a big part of the appeal of the Scamp. When I first saw a Scamp sailboat, I thought it looked like an oversized children’s bath toy. It seemed to bob around sitting too high…
Wooden Boat Festival 2022: A River of Stories
I’ve always thought of the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend as a broad, winding river full of stories and adventures. Each time I attend, I jump in with a destination in mind, but once in the current, I’m pulled along…
Close to the Water: Feeling the Love
The author rows across a calm stretch of water. When I pulled up to the customs dock on San Juan Island on a sunny September afternoon, I was feeling good. Over the past six weeks, I had traveled some 200 miles down…