It was warm and sunny, with just the right amount of breeze, and downwind both days.  Dinner was delightful.  This probably happened on some Langley cruises in years past.  And we will probably have those conditions on a future Langley cruise, maybe even next year, so you should save the date and plan to attend next year’s edition.

However, that wasn’t exactly what happened this year.  Three CYC yachts (Mistral, Outlaw, and Wind Dancer), crewed by intrepid CYC yachts persons, completed the epic journey from Shilshole to Langley (inside of Whidbey Island) this year.  Saturday started out as a downwind romp in a very brisk southerly.  Some of us were even treated to a view of the US aircraft carrier Nimitz heading out to sea. 

Reality checked in at Edmonds where we encountered the convergent zone, featuring (initially) strong north breeze, followed by serious rain and colder air.  At this point, the crew of Charlotte made the decision to go home, watch the final episode of Ozark, and snuggle with the cat.  Wind Dancer and Outlaw continued on to Langley.  Wind Dancer proved the value of having an autopilot and a very large dodger that everyone could sit under, while steering with the autopilot.  Mistral had come up on Friday, so the crews of the three boats took a short walking tour of beautiful Langley, (the rain had stopped by this point), then all had a marvelous dinner at Primo Bistro, staying there and talking until closing. 

Sunday came with lots of sunshine in Langley as various crews went up into town for coffee or lunch.  Wind Dancer had the luxury of pancakes and blackberries for breakfast on board.  Breeze was minimal, so Sunday finished out with a pleasant motor back to Shilshole.  All’s well that ends well.

Be sure to check out the Cruising tab on the CYC website and sign up for some cruising fun this summer and fall.