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[Bruce Bateau]

After sailing around, looping a few islands, plowing new underwater furrows in the mud with my centerboard, the rain let up a bit but the wind died....

[Bruce Bateau]

A gentle wind came up and I sailed downriver into other sloughs and backwaters. Nestled within the national wildlife are historic net sheds, duck shacks,...

[Bruce Bateau]

Well, soon after we hit bottom, it started to rain. It was a pleasant soundtrack and I soon fell back asleep. I woke up and Row Bird was afloat again,...

[Bruce Bateau]

I didn't have any real destination in mind and since I was solo, I didn't have to negotiate about where to spend the night. I thought if I could push...

[Bruce Bateau]

I eventually found myself in the main channel, one that was straight enough to have been shaped by people at some point- why? Who knows?

...

[Bruce Bateau]

When I got to the first fork, I thought I was heading into the main channel, but I found a counter current and lots of wood.

Anyone see a...

[Bruce Bateau]

I'm kind of lagging on finishing this, sorry folks...

I headed past a few modest slough-front houses and saw some fun boats like this home-made...

[Bruce Bateau]

And here's the cabin with the bedding removed and gear organized:



And here's what happens after we're too lazy to put bedding...

[Bruce Bateau]

I'll add that building a boat is wonderful thing. Dreaming about how and where the boat will be used is a part of the pleasure. And then of course, there's...

[Bruce Bateau]

There are only a few, ahem, boats in progress, though most of them look they could leave at some point.

As you leave the narrow entrance...

[Bruce Bateau]

It was a weird August- super hot, then later there was wildfire smoke and the whole PNW got toxic air. Finally, after hiding out for a few days in the...

[Bruce Bateau]

Well, we got some pretty good interest and at one point we had five boats signed up. Two Oughtred designs, a Diaz, a CLCt, and a Sparkman/Stevens affair....

[Bruce Bateau]

If you're thinking of builing a pram, I heard that the have completely re-done the gunwales... it's worth calling Duckworks to find out.

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