We left Des Moines on Friday, where Bill's boat had been in a boatyard for work.

Robinson Point on Maury Island

Bill is busy on the foredeck as we cruise south toward the Tacoma Narrows.

Freighters are common in the sound. We always have to be on the lookout for them.

Yours truly at the helm. (2)

Point Defiance marks the Tacoma Narrows, entrance to the south Puget Sound.

Approaching the Tacoma Narrows bridges.

East span of the bridges. The nearest is the new bridge.

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Supplies being delivered to McNeil Island. The McNeil Island State Correctional Center is located here.
The only residents on the island are associated with the MISCC. The rest of the 66319 sq mile island is a wildlife sanctuary.
The Birdman of Alcatraz was an inmate here from 1909 to 1912.

Johnson Point

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Dofflemyer Point marks the eastern side of the entrance to Budd Inlet.
Budd Inlet is the southernmost body of water in the Puget Sound area. Olympia is located at the southernmost extreme in Budd Inlet.

Dofflemyer Point Lighthouse was one of the first in the state to be automated, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

We saw the Adventuress moored as we headed to the guest dock in Olympia.

We moored at Percival Landing in Olympia. This park is downtown, with a view of the capital dome. (2)

I'm told Olympia is environmentally freindly; the piles in this tidal flat all had birdhouses on them.

These high power "cigarette boats" filled the guest moorage during the day Saturday.
These boats typically have twin engines with over 1,000 total horsepower. The boat in the foreground has twin 900's.
Fast, but I wouldn't want their fuel bill!

The Olympia Farmers Market is next to Percival Landing, just north of the downtown core.

This is where we moored. Except during the day Saturday, we had the dock to ourselves.

Bill has the helm as we leave port on Sunday

Leaving Budd Inlet, we can see Squaxin Island past Dofflemyer Point.

Nearly 6 hours after we left Olympia, we reach the entrance to Gig Harbor.

Gig Harbor Light

We moored at the Tides Tavern guest dock.

We ate dinner in the tavern where we had a good view of the boat and the harbor.

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Panorama of the northeastern shore of Gig Harbor from where we moored.
We stayed the night moored up at the Tides, and returned to Seattle on Monday.

Alki Point Lighthouse marks our return to Elliot bay and home.

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