Dock carts at the ready, we loaded up everything in Anacortes that we would need for our trip to Steamboat Slough near Everett. Greg and Natalie handled the heavy lifting, as my back was still on the questionable side. Carolyn and Julie (Greg’s mom and cousin) were our able crew for this first venture on our own.

Natalie started the day by making spiced apple cider for everyone and we watched the marina come to life from the back deck. It seemed as though everyone on the dock came by and admired KJ; while that was fun for the first several encounters, we were all ready to head out of the marina fairly soon.

Our route took us down the Swinomish Channel through the town of La Conner. The Rainbow Bridge is visible in the background. We saw plenty of wildlife ~ river otters, sea lions, harbor seals, herons, osprey.

The trip took several hours and we finished up by anchoring just off Jetty Island while we waited for the railroad bridge tender to open the bridge. Another round of cider was served and most of us took naps and relaxed in the sunshine.

How many 10 year olds can say that they’ve piloted a 66 Ton ship? Natalie took the helm for a significant part of the trip and as you can see from the photo, she takes her job quite seriously. She did an awesome job ~ I was quite a proud mama.

We’re living aboard completely now and getting everything out of the house. Further updates as events warrant!