Cruise Highlights

April 21-23rd, 2023 Kingston Marina

Hello Milltown Members-  Once again Milltown members have proven to be an intrepid  group of boaters.  We had a total of 23 boats join us in Kingston for the weekend.  Those who came on Friday got to practice sailing upwind and those who left on Sunday got to practice downwind sailing.  It is amazing how quickly you can get somewhere when the current is with you and the winds are blowing!

We had the pleasure of hosting again this year so we had the traditional cruise book theme based on the children's book,  "A Boy and a Bear in a Boat".  It's a fun read with lots of adventures about how the two managed to get through several "unforeseeable anomalies".  Based on the adventures of the book we had the annual Team Trivia Challenge and the winners got to have their photo taken with the trophy.  The Feed the Sea Monster Relay was a bit of a challenge but great fun for the ferry traffic and pedestrians to watch (we had our activities at the very public Gazebo at the Kingston Ferry Terminal).  One of the winners of the Scavenger Hunt out did themselves; people were supposed to bring us something that starts with the letter "S".  So they brought us a photo of "the Spencers on the shore with a shell and the South Whidbey Street sign" behind them.  Everyone had such clever ideas!

We had lots of time to visit on the dock and got to meet new members.  The potluck was delicious.  The staff at the Kingston Marina are very friendly and worked hard to make our cruise enjoyable.  We look forward to going there again for the October Fest Cruise on October 13-15, 2023.  

Many thanks to everyone who participated and helped to make this cruise a success.  Look for an email soon about the next cruise, which will be to Langley over Memorial Weekend, May 26-29th.

Your Fun Cruising Captains,

Grant and Linda Albert

March 10-12th, 2023 Port Ludlow Marina

• October 7-9th, 2022 Kingston Marina

Hello Milltown Members- What a fantastic club cruise we had this last weekend to Kingston Marina!  Pam Dittrich was our host and it truly was a wonderful event she put on for us.  Not only did she make a delicious home-made beef stew for everyone, but she worked her magic and made sure we had beautiful warm, sunny skies for the whole weekend.  Thank you Pam!

We had lots of social time on the dock plus all the fun activities to celebrate Oktoberfest.  The weiner toss and hammerschlagen competitions highlight the skill and coordination of our club members.  The potato poop in the bucket and barrel roll relays show that we really know how to laugh and have fun!  Unfortunately we didn't have time for the history of Oktoberfest lecture and trivia, so now you will have time to get prepared for next year.

This was the last pursuit race of the year and the racers were disappointed because of light to no wind.  The seas were calm and there was very little current which gave us the next best event of the cruise; the whales!  Many of us saw a grey whale working it's way north, then came the best Orca show we personally have ever seen.  Many of the cruisers who came on Friday got to see lots of Orcas surfacing and swimming around.  As someone said, "it was magical".

We had 20 boats at the dock, including the 2 Sea Scout boats that came Friday night and left Saturday.  We are impressed with how much the scouts are learning about boating and navigation.

We will put some photos on the Milltown web site.  With this email we have attached a photo that is very special.  It's the full moon shining on the water, which we call "Silver Water".  Can you see the ferry crossing through it?

Many thanks to Pam and everyone else who helped with the planning, organizing and clean-up.  We look forward to seeing everyone again at the last club cruise of the year, which will be on Nov 25-27 at Langley.  More infomation will be coming later.

We hope to see you tomorrow (Wed) evening at the clubhouse for the general meeting.

Your cruising hosts,

Grant and Linda Albert

S/V Mei Li

• Sept 2nd -5th, 2022 Oak Harbor Marina

• August 12-14th 2022 Poulsbo Marina

Hello Milltown members-  This last weekend definitely confirmed why the Pacific Northwest is the best place to live!  The weather was fantastic and for those of us fortunate to spend time on the water it was truly a gift.  Plus being able to spend time with our boating friends at a friendly and accommodating marina just about made everything practically perfect in every way!

Many thanks to our hosts, Kristi and Mike Rimkus on S/V Hooligan.  They had their hands full keeping all of us entertained; we had 20 boats plus a couple who came by car.  That's over 40 people!  But Kristi and Mike were cool and calm and well prepared for all of us.  

Saturday morning Kristi and Mike took us on an excursion to the Farmers Market which was well stocked with delicious produce, potent spirits and beautiful crafts.  Saturday late afternoon they fed us a bountiful buffet of delicious appetizers, all supplemented with more yummy treats from the cruise attendees.  

Mike led us through a rousing game of Black Jack, which was a challenge trying to keep everyone following the rules.  It was a lot of fun albeit a bit out of control in the end however he did have the best prizes to give away!  One lucky cruiser won a free boat bottom cleaning. Thank you Mike for your creative flexibility and ability to not only change the game location but to also modify the rules on the fly to fit the new venue.

For the evening several of us went on the Art Walk throughout the town, some of us headed to the ice cream shop, and some of us stayed on the dock and had relaxing conversation around the fire bowl.  Thank you Chip and Marianne for bringing it again (I bet everyone was surprised to learn that it floats!)

Our next Milltown Cruise will be to the Oak Harbor Marina.  More information will be coming about the planned activities.  We already have boats assigned slips for this cruise.  If you have a slip reserved and your plans have change, would you please let us know?  We have new members who would like to be able to join us at the dock.

Happy Sailing,

Linda and Grant Albert

MSA Cruising Fleet Captains

• July 9-24, 2022 Progressive Cruise to San Juans

Hello Milltown Cruisers-  Most of us are back home after a wonderful 2 week club cruise throughout the San Juan Islands.  The weather was fantastic, the winds were light and the scenery was beautiful.  How fortunate we are to have such a great destination just hours away.

We had as many as 13 boats with us at many locations and as few as 2 when the boats split off for separate routes on the way home.  Several boats joined us for the planned itinerary and others took off to explore other destinations, including Canada.  We had plenty of time for relaxation, trail walks, bird watching and visits with our boating friends.  We also had a few minor normal boating challenges. But with Milltown Sailing Association members there is always group problem solving. In the end all of the engine, battery, and anchor issues were put right and everyone kept on enjoying the cruise.  Plus we had lots of practice reading charts for tides and currents. 

Besides the beauty of the San Juans the best part of the trip was being with our boating friends.  Many thanks to everyone who helped with the logistics.  Examples included Carl putting on his diving suit and fetching Dena's sunglasses (he had to fight off a curious crab), Dena finding Henning's missing cell phone (for some reason it was in her purse), Mike helping fix Brian's outboard, John picking up groceries for people, Grant and James working together to get an anchor unstuck and then untangled, Mike keeping everyone informed of where we could get ice (the islands really do run out of ice), and Leanna & Carl helping fix Henning's battery.  These are just a few examples of all the teamwork that went on to make the cruise a success.

We hope to see many of you at the next cruise to Poulsbo (August 12-14) or and at the Clubhouse for the next monthly meeting coming up soon on August 10th.

Until then -- Happy sailing,

Linda and Grant Albert

MSA Cruising Fleet Captains

• June 10-12, 2022 Port Ludlow Back Bay

May 27-30, 2022, Langley

Hello Milltown Members- 

We had a record setting group of participants at the annual Memorial cruise to Langley last weekend.  There were 23 boats, one 12 ft teardrop travel trailer and several drivers who came to the marina to join in with the fun and friendship that has become a staple for Milltown cruises.  Many thanks to Janet and Bill on the sailboat My Sunshine for hosting this wonderful weekend.  They kept us well fed with breakfast sandwiches, muffins, fruit and never ending coffee.  But the best of all was Bill's delicious home made lasagne he made for everyone.  It smelled unbelievably good being warmed up in the boats and served to all of us patiently waiting on the dock.  What a fantastic meal we had with everyone else providing the salads, breads and desserts.  

The traditional Beer Can boat race was again very competitive with lots of time, talent and thought put into the construction of the boats.  Perhaps not too surprising that a young child won the race with her simple design that she didn't spend a lot of time over engineering.  It was wonderful!  Another adult participant made the comment, "I can't believe I spent all day building something just to watch it sink"!  That about sums up the challenge of the Beer Can Boat Race.

On Sunday Captain Grey Bread made a guest appearance to officiate the annual Boat Renaming Ceremony.  One boat, SV Wiley B, has been officially renamed and we wish the owner many years of good fortune and fair seas.

As everyone probably knows the weather went from lots of wind, some sun, rain, wind, rain, wind, and more rain.  Good thing there was a Pursuit Race over the weekend so the wind didn't go to waste.

Thank you to everyone for helping with set-up, take-down, docking boats, sharing food, etc, etc.  A special thank you to Janet and Bill for making this cruise such a success with good memories for all.

The next cruise is an anchor-out at Back Bay in Port Ludlow on June 10-12th.  More information will be coming soon.

Your MSA Cruising Captains,

Grant and Linda Albert (S/V Mei Li)

 April 29 - May 1, 2022, Kingston

 March 11-13, 2022 Port Ludlow Marina

Hello Milltown Members-  The Cruising season has begun!  We had a fun and successful cruise to Port Ludlow last weekend.  Many thanks to Valerie and James Stein for hosting this cruise.  They did a fantastic job of helping us celebrate Saint Patricks Day with the always fun Limerick Contest.  We also got to show off our artistic skills by creating artwork highlighting the culture and history of Ireland.  Once again we are impressed with the many talents Milltown members have!  We even had  big bon fires both Friday and Saturday nights using up all the drift wood the Port had removed from the marina.  Valerie and James made sure that we had lots of nourishing snacks.  The variable weather (sun, rain, wind, sun, big squall!) kept our hosts challenged with the group activities but thanks to their flexibility we had lots of time to gather together to talk with old friends and make new ones.  Plus both Valerie and James were always available to help grab a line as boats arrived and departed.  Thank you!

We had a record 15 boats, one Pickup Camper and one RV.  The Sea Scouts brought 2 boats full of scouts and it was really fun to get to know them and share boating experiences.  We look forward to seeing them on future cruises.  Saturday morning 22 people had a refreshing nature hike up to Ludlow Falls.  

The first Pursuit Race of the season was a challenge for those of us who came on Friday with light wind.  Boats coming on Saturday had great wind but Sunday was the day for a challenging race with lots of wind across Admiralty then the challenge of lighter wind after crossing Possession Point.  Watching from behind (!) it looked like 4 boats almost crossed the finish line at the same time.  That's what I call an almost perfect Pursuit Race!

Our next Milltown cruise will be April 29-May 1st to Kingston Marina.  We will be sending information later about how to reserve a slip and what adventures you can expect on this cruise.   We have chosen the children's book, "Where the Wild Things Are", by Maurice Sendak as the theme for this cruise.  

Always keep sailing,

Grant and Linda Albert

MSA Cruising Fleet Captains 

 November 26-28, 2021 Langley

October 8-10, 2021 Kingston

Hello Milltown Members-  what a memorable weekend we had with 13 boats that came for the the annual Oktoberfest Celebration at Kingston Marina.  Many thanks to Pam, Sue and Margo for nourishing us with streusel and schnapps, and for keeping us entertained with Oktoberfest activities.  Hammerschlaggen had a few modifications this year which the participants quickly excelled at.  The Weiner Toss and Potato Poop Relay Races kept us laughing and energized.  We couldn't help thinking, "would we let our kids/grandkids play these games????"  But of course we would because they are so much fun!  Plus the games really highlight how strong and young-at-heart we Milltown members are!  You can see some great photos on the Milltown Facebook page (thank you Dennis Pearce).

Thinking back we wonder where else can you have warm sunshine, glassy seas, gusty winds, rain squalls, thunder clouds, hail, heavy rain & a double rainbow.  Not to mention orcas, seals, & herons feeding at the dock.  Plus a sail boat race & the challenge of dodging freighters, cruise ships, ferries & crab pots.  Not to mention being with boating friends to share stories, skills & knowledge.  And all of this happened over 48 hrs and just 16 miles from home!  

Let's do it again!!

Our last cruise to the year will be the weekend of Thanksgiving, Nov 26-28th at Langley.  More information will be coming.

Thanks again to everyone who made the Kingston Cruise a fun and memorable one, especially Pam, Sue and Margo.  

We look forward to seeing all of you at the Milltown 40th Anniversary party at the clubhouse this Saturday, Oct 16th, 6:30pm.

Happy Cruising,

Linda and Grant Albert

MSA Cruising Fleet Captains

S/V Mei Li

Labor Day 2021 Oak Harbor

Hello Milltown Members- What a wonderful way to end the Milltown Summer Cruising Season with the annual Labor Day Weekend Cruise to Oak Harbor.  We had 18 boats come and go during the weekend with several people joining us by car.  Margo and Sue hosted the Pirate themed party and what a fun time for all.  Deciding who won the best dressed pirate costume was a tough decision, especially since not only were the costumes great but the people actually acted like pirates!  And the watermelon contest really highlighted people's creativity.  It's amazing what people can do with a spoon, a paring knife, legos, carrots, bananas, smoke house almonds and a bottle of rum!  

Our aging balancing skills were  tested with the Musical Circles game.  It helped to have a little luck.  Also, we got to get a little smarter by learning about what the pirates real names were.  Who knew that Blackbeard's real name was Edward Teach?    Makes you wonder what your pirate name would be??!?

Many thanks to Sue and Margo for the Muffins and Mimosas on the dock.  We had a fun and relaxing weekend with our boating friends and time to share our boating stories and future plans for enjoying the Salish Seas.

Look for an email soon about the upcoming anchor out cruise, Sept 24-26th.

Hope to see you at the General Meeting tonight at the Clubhouse.

Thank you,

Grant and Linda Albert

MSA Cruising Fleet Captains

August 6 - 8, 2021 Poulsbo

Hello Milltown Members!

We had another wonderful cruise, this time to the Scandinavian town of Poulsbo.  Dale & Edith (S/V Cielo Sin Fin) and Mike & Kristi (S/V Hooligan) were our co-hosts and they kept busy keeping us fed and entertained.  15 boats made the trip with warm sunshine and a gentle breezes and just a bit of light rain.  

Our co-hosts had some fun and different games for us.  One tested our navigational knowledge of North and Central Puget Sound, and the San Juans.  Thankfully our Cruising Director did fairly well with his knowledge of the Salish Sea.  It probably helped that he's a racer, too!  

Another fun activity was KUBB, which is a game that originated over 1,000 years ago.  Apparently the Vikings played it with bones and skulls.  Our co-hosts modified it so we used sticks and blocks instead.  Good plan!!  It was a test of hand-eye coordination which apparently is another skill that disappears as we get older.  Anyway, it was great fun for us and all the other people at the city park watching us.  The blocks are in a black, mesh bag and we will put it in the clubhouse storage room.  It will be fun to play again at other clubhouse activities.

It was so good to see our boating friends and have relaxing time at the dock.  As always the town of Poulsbo had lots of shopping and good restaurants to enjoy.

Many thanks to Dale and Edith and Mike and Krisiti.  You gave us a delicious and nutritious breakfast both days and fun opportunities for learning and laughter.  

Happy Cruising

Grant and Linda Albert

MSA Cruising Fleet Captains

July 10-25, 2021 Progressive Cruise to South Sound

Hello Milltown Members-  The Mount Rainier Vista Cruise was a success!  We had a total of 14 Milltown boats with most of the boats participating the whole 2 weeks.  Most of us followed the planned itinerary which took us to several ports, marinas and quiet coves from Everett to Olympia.  Some adventurous boaters took time to explore other amazing destinations in the South Sound.  The weather was spectacular for most of the trip, except for a few rain drops and clouds.  But eventually the clouds cleared and we had a marvelous view of Mount Rainier.  The wind was elusive for most of the trip, so the sailors in the group got to indulge for a few short hours before the wind died and the motor was back on.  This meant we were able to get to the dock or anchorage quicker and enjoy the peacefulness and relaxation that cruising is supposed to be!  We stayed 2 days at most of the destinations which gave everyone plenty of time to explore the surroundings, have relaxing time on the boat or dock, and even time for boat repairs and maintenance.

Many thanks to everyone for sharing this experience with us.  We are so grateful for the friendships we have developed through the years and how much we have learned from everyone.  We'd also like to thank everyone for working together and helping with docking, anchoring, reading charts, planning activities, etc, etc.  As someone recently said, "many hands make light work!"

Happy Cruising to all,

Grant and Linda Albert

MSA Cruising Fleet Captains

May 28-31, 2021 Langley Pursuit Race #2

Hello Milltown Cruisers-  What a wonderful cruise to Langley we had over the Memorial Day weekend!  We had 18 boats plus several drivers join us for the weekend festivities.  Many thanks to Janet and Bill on S/V My Sunshine for hosting this cruise.  There were some new club members joining the regular cruisers and Janet & Bill made everyone feel welcome.  The Beer can/soda can/water bottle boat race was great fun with lots of cheering.  The wind was just right to create a battalion of 3 boats that finished the race as a 3-way tie.  

On Sunday 'Captain Greybeard' made his inaugural appearance to perform the boat re-naming ceremony for three boats.  Welcome S/V Old Crow, S/V Invictus and S/V Hooligan.  If you have Facebook you will see lots of good photos of the weekend fun.

We also had the 2nd Pursuit Race of the year and it was a good one.  Friday was an upwind race that tested racers' skills for when to make the best tack.  Monday the sun was warm, the mountains were out and the wind was perfect for a downwind wing on wing or spinnaker run.  Milltown gave other boaters a pretty site with most of us with our sails out.  To make the race even better the Orcas and gray whales were out. We truly live in a beautiful place!

So we are officially starting the summer cruising season.  There will be more opportunities for practicing boating skills, sharing stories at the dock and enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  Emails will be coming soon about the next cruise which will be to Port Ludlow Back Bay on June 11-13, hosted by Marianne and Chip, S/V Endless.  The Progressive Cruise to the South Sound (aka Rainier Vista Cruise) will be for your choice of a 1 or 2 week long cruise with lots of options for making personal stops along the way.  This is scheduled from July 10 through the 25th.

See you out on the water soon.

Grant and Linda Albert

Cruising Fleet Captains

April 23rd - 25th, 2021 Kingston

Hello Milltown members-  Our second club cruise of the season took place last weekend at the Kingston Marina.  15 boats either sailed or motored over with several more people joining us by ferry.  The weather was typical for April, cold and wet, but we endured and had a wonderful time being with our boating friends.  The theme was from the book, "Swallodale" by Arthur Ransome, which gave us lots of opportunities for a scavenger hunt, Swallodale BINGO and the Best Frocks Butter Making Relay.  Lots of laughter and adventure!  Not everyone knew about the very nice beach next to the ferry parking, but it was soon discovered by those who participated in the scavenger hunt.  

We had lots of time to gather on the dock and visit with our boating friends.  Many thanks to those who brought fire bowls to help warm the cool mornings and evenings.  It was so wonderful to be able to reconnect with our boating friends after a long year of COVID precautions.  

Our next cruise will be the annual Memorial Day weekend cruise to Langley, May 28-31, 2021.  Janet and Bill on the sailboat My Sunshine will be our hosts again this year and we know we will have a great time.  More information will be coming about what you can expect for the weekend, but if you want to get a head start rumors are that there will be the very competitive Beer Can Boat Race again.  Also, there will be a boat renaming ceremony, so let Grant know if you're interested.

We have 18 slips reserved at Langley.  If you would like to join us, please email the following information to Grant and Linda Albert by May 18th.

• Your name and contact number

• Boat Name

• LOA

• Beam

• Do you prefer port or starboard tie?

• Are you willing to raft?

• What day will you arrive?

• What day will you depart?

Thank you and happy sailing,

Grant and Linda Albert

MSA Cruising Fleet Captains

March 12, 2021 Port Ludlow Pursuit Race

Hello Milltown members- Many thanks to Margo Hayden and Sue Marsden for once again hosting the annual Labor Day Weekend Milltown Cruise to Oak Harbor, with 15 boats in attendance and others coming by car.   Although the Music Fest was cancelled because of Covid, Margo and Sue made sure we had lots of good music with the theme of Jimmy Buffett.  Every year they come up with fun and creative activities to keep us entertained and this year was no different.  We had a scavenger hunt which got us off our boats and out exploring the local beach.  We had Jimmy Buffett Crossword and Trivia contests which were a real challenge except for one member who confessed that he was a "parrot head" way back in the '70s.  We played Pin the Tail on the Parrot and Bowling with Coconuts, which highlighted the fact that we really do lose balance and hand-eye coordination as we get older, but still a lot of fun!!  The final activity was the Watermelon Carving Contest which showed that some of us can do fantastic artwork with a watermelon and a dull steak knife.  If you look at the Milltown Facebook page you will see the entries.  Hopefully this will be an annual event.  

The prizes were great and the breakfast muffins and mimosas much appreciated.  Monday morning brought predicted winds (15-25 knots) which gave us a fast and wild ride home.  

Everyone did a good job following the Covid guidelines of social distancing and wearing masks when not being distanced.  It was wonderful to be with our sailing friends again.  We look forward to the next cruise which will be to Kingston, Oct 9-11th.  Our next email will give you information about how to sign-up for that cruise.

Happy Cruising,

Grant and Linda Albert

Cruising Fleet Captains