Alaska Trip Day 3

Day 3
Oak Harbor
Miles motored: 43
Miles sailed: 0

Today was much better than yesterday. It still had its challenges, but we might be starting to get a routine down. If we are going to get to Glacier Bay in the time we have allotted, we need to do about 25 miles a day minimum…that is not allowing for any days we can’t leave because of bad weather, or days we just want to stay and play on a beach. We decided this morning to leave as soon as we woke up and try for a long day so that we could see how it would work out. I have to say things went pretty well.

I took the morning shift down below and Tor weighed anchor and motored us out of Port Madison and on our way to Oak Harbor. I changed diapers, nursed the boys, made oatmeal for all of us, fed the boys and got them down for a nap. Then I got to hang out in the cockpit with Tor on a GLORIOUS sunny morning (seriously, we’ve completely lucked out on great weather to start our trip, yay!!) and I had cell service so I could keep up with my blogs and forums, a guilty pleasure for sure!

When the boys woke up from their nap I nursed them and Tor took over boy care while I ran the boat. It was blowing pretty hard and we were headed right into it, but it was sunny and I was able to stay warm enough so I really enjoyed it. Tor made us lunch (scrambled eggs with chard in tortillas, yummy and the boys liked the greens, score!). When it was time for nap I put the boys down and they slept well.

About 4:00 we arrived in Oak Harbor and bee lined it for the fuel dock and pump out. We were there for a little while and I needed to start cooking dinner, so while Tor took care of the fuel and pump out I started cooking. The boys were getting a little fussy and I almost pooped my pants when I saw Lars reach up to touch the hot cooking surface on the stove. I grabbed him and he started howling so I ran his hand under water and well, it turns out it was likely my reaction that caused him to start crying and not that he had actually burned himself…thank goodness! Man is it difficult to child proof a boat, none of those off the shelf child proofing solutions work here.

We planned on anchoring out and not staying at the marina so Tor got us off the dock and towards the anchorage. By this time the boys were starving and LOOSING it. As soon as we got anchored we got the boys set up in their booster seats in the cockpit and got them some dinner and they were just fine! We all had pork chops and the boys had baked sweet potato and avocado both of which they proceeded to decorate the lines and the winch in the cockpit with. In the midst of screaming babies I only got the pork chops cooked for Tor and me, so we ate some sliced jicama and red pepper along with our pork chops, not a usual combination, but not bad either.

Lars tried to decorate the lines in the cockpit 

Odin actually shoved avocado and sweet potato in the winch handle hole...thanks kid.

After the boys went to bed Tor and I sat in the cockpit and washed diapers. It was a beautiful sunny evening, and washing diapers went quickly. Since I had cell service I texted back and forth with my mom and briefly talked to my sister too. It’s really nice to be able to communicate so easily, that is a change since we launched the boat 5 years ago.

Sunset and clean diapers

A couple of milestones for the boys today: Odin got his 6th tooth, and the boys didn’t have any bottles today!!