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WE GO CHRISTMAS CRUISING
By Bob Hale
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January 5, 2005. By huffing and puffing we were able to get the new Waggoner to the printer in early November instead of early December, so for the first time we were able to take the boat on the several December Christmas boat cruises in Seattle. We went out four times. The first was the annual Special People's Cruise; two more were following the Argosy Christmas Ship parade; one was the Chet Gibson Memorial boat parade. No two of these cruises were the same. If you haven't taken part in any of these cruises, I urge you to consider doing so next December. Here are some thoughts:
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Special People's Cruise. Sponsored by Seafair, with most yacht clubs participating. Non-yacht-club boats can get complete information from Seafair. We signed up for three developmentally disabled guests plus a counselor-chaperone, which was just right for our 37-foot powerboat. I skippered, my wife Marilynn was to be in charge of food, beverage and guests. Our longtime friend Carol Murphy came along to help. To my surprise, the club assigned Steve Hazlerig, who owns the beautiful Delta-built Solara, as an additional assistant. Steve is an excellent boatman, and in the dark of night with boat traffic all around he was a huge help. Marilynn and Carol Murphy were able to focus all their attention on our guests.
If you haven't taken part in a Special People's cruise and have a boat that can take a few guests, I recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity next December.
Argosy Christmas Ship. Argosy Cruise Lines, which operates several excursion vessels in the Seattle area, has a small ship ablaze with white lights that makes a number of cruises in Lake Washington and Puget Sound. The schedule and routes are published in the newspapers, or you can contact Argosy. Different choral groups are on the Christmas Ship each evening. The ship goes to various locations, where bonfires have been set, and gives 15-20 minute concerts. Decorated pleasure craft join the fun.
Our first trip was on a weeknight early in the schedule, and not many pleasure craft were out. Piece of cake. The second trip was on a weekend evening late in the schedule, and the lake was covered with decorated pleasure craft. With everybody going 8 knots and digging big holes in the water, I had to saw away on the helm violently to maintain course. Next time I'll lay well back and outside the pack. Once at a destination I can work in close to the Christmas Ship to listen to the concert.
Chet Gibson Parade. This parade, sponsored by Queen City Yacht Club, goes back to the 1940s. There's no real point to it, other than to tour Lake Union and Lake Washington, entertaining all ashore with one decorated boat after another. The parade is very well organized, with lead boats and anchored boats with strobe lights at the turns.
General thoughts. The Special People's Cruise needs only a limited, set menu of food, definitely no booze, and enough help on board to keep everything running smoothly. The other cruises are perfect for friends and co-workers, and the menu can be more extensive. We served salad each night, with various pre-made main dishes reheated in the oven. One night it was Costco lasagna; another night it was Marilynn's famous clam chowder; another night one of her fail-safe caserole dishes. Munchies of course, pop, juice, wine, eggnog, whatever.
It's important that any boat decorations not obstruct the helmsman's view ahead. I ran from the lower station, and the first night our Christmas lights led along the rail around the front of the boat. Those lights destroyed my forward vision (thank heaven for Steve Hazlerig's extra eyes!). Immediately after the first cruise the rail lights were re-routed to clear my forward vision, and that was better.
The helmsman has a full-time job running the boat in darkness with traffic on every side. All the social side was left to Marilynn. While I was the Diet Pepsi guy each night, during the Chet Gibson parade the skippers of two boats in front of us shared cheer with their guests and began weaving around. I got past them when the chance came, and worked to expand the separation.
We ran the radar, but when things got crowded it didn't add anything. Electronic navigation was a big help, though, especially for finding the Webster Point Light returning from Lake Washington, and for steering a course between the unlighted buoys that mark the channel through Union Bay to the Montlake Cut.
Cabin heat is a must. Even with cabin heat, guests will want to wear warm coats and hats, and warm socks. Coats can be removed inside the cabin, but they're awfully nice when you're out in the cockpit.
Do we intend to do it again next year? You bet. v
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