It’s February so it must be time for snow and the first cruise of the year. Bellevue received record snowfall this winter. The temperature spent an unusually lengthy time below freezing so the three consecutive storms just piled up the snow. Here is a picture of our cozy house after the second storm. One more to go.
The main roads were clear enough for me to get out and check on the boat. I was a little worried about the prolonged freezing temperatures since I don’t winterize the fresh water system, engines, or head. The temperature of the surrounding saltwater doesn’t get much colder than 50 degrees in the winter and it radiates warmth that keeps the systems from freezing. To reduce the chances of frozen water lines, I simply shut off the water pump, open the faucets and drain the water. The electric engine heaters keep the coolant at 70 degrees; that heat also helps keep things from freezing inside. Here is a picture of the dock on the way to our slip and a picture of Fiddler. You can’t see the heavy snow piled in the bow that made the boat sit about 2 inches deeper in the water. I shoveled it off before I left for home.
Then a week later the snow melted and it was time for the MBYC Winter Cruise. We decided to go a day early and the weather was spectacular! It’s only a couple of miles to Bell Harbor Marina from our slip but it is so nice to get on the water after a long, dark winter in the PNW. You can see from the pictures below what a gorgeous day it was. Several other MBYC boats also arrived early.
Cathleen and I took advantage of our proximity to the Six Seven Restaurant at the Edgewater Hotel and enjoyed a lovely belated Valentine’s Day dinner. This is also where we were married so it’s a special place for us to dine.
The rest of the MBYC boats arrived the next afternoon and the cruise began in earnest with a happy hour where everyone brought a covered dish to share. The following day Evan stopped by and we walked to Pike Place Market and had lunch. On the way we could see the demolition of the Alaskan Way viaduct underway. The tunnel that replaced it recently opened to traffic. 
Later we were one of four boats that hosted a happy hour before everyone went to dinner on their own. Our good friends David and Jackie, who live downtown, joined us for the happy hour, as did Evan. We later walked to David and Jackie’s for a delicious dinner and then watched a really bad movie. Watching a really bad movie is a tradition at Christmas for the four of us. We were unable to coordinate our schedules over the holidays so it was Christmas in February. Thankfully in the morning there were Bloody Marys on a nearby boat and breakfast burritos! The drinks included a piece of chicken, a waffle, and lots of veggies, so we didn’t go away hungry.
We returned to our slip at Elliott Bay Marina with full tummies, many great memories, and our boating appetites whetted for the upcoming season!
Fiddler 