7/31/2013 - First Posting for 2013 - We start for Mexico via the US West Coast

We've been working on True North since last year's trip around Vancouver Island, getting her ready for our next adventure - Mexico via the West Coast.  Now we have begun our trip.  The Haines family saw us off as we left Anacortes in fog, which slowly thinned as we motored towards the San Juan Islands.  We are in Friday Harbor tonight, in the heart of the San Juans.  Anne and I have been joined by Lance for the trip to San Francisco, we've received our briefing from our "weather router", and everything looks good.  We leave at 7:00 AM tomorrow, heading South to Juan de Fuca Straight, then west out to the Pacific ocean.  If all goes well, our next stop will be in San Francisco!

And to start it all off, we had a glorious red sky here in Friday Harbor tonight - "Red sky at night, sailor's delight".

True North in Friday Harbor with a "Red Sky At Night"

This year, we are using a Delorme InReach SE device to track us.  Every four hours, it sends our position to the Delorme Web site.  You can see the track by clicking the link at right "2013 Route - US West Coast".  If you click on one of the points, you will see a box with lat/lon, speed, and also a little "Message" icon.  You can click this and send us a text message, and we can reply through the InReach.