No matter where you go or what you study, it’s best to have a home base or a benchmark. So the second year of Tidal Life begins with an introduction to how to Whidbey Island, the place it all started.
Whether living on Whidbey or visiting, water is the number one consideration. Water surrounds the island, it defines the beaches everyone comes here to enjoy, and it falls from the sky. A lot.
Whidbey Island Garb and Gear
Spring
In spring, Whidbey’s longest season, wear a light, water resistant jacket everywhere. Usually with a hearty sweater underneath. Be sure to wear a t-shirt underneath that. Jeans or khakis. Bring rubber boots, hiking shoes, running shoes, dress shoes and flip flops. It’s best to have at least two options in the car at all times. Some like the Birkenstocks with socks thing. Personally I find them useless, except for cafe sitting. Which can be done quite well in hiking boots.
Summer
In summer – which starts July 5 – I advocate a tank top and a jacket, but keep that hearty sweater near to hand for after sundown. Jeans and shorts. The flip flops are my staple and the hiking boots vie with casual sandals for second most worn. Forget the Birkenstocks, they’re slow.
Fall
In fall – which doesn’t attack in earnest until late October, though it lobs grenades from mid-August on – instead of the tank top, opt for a long sleeve t-shirt and augment the sweater with a fleece pullover. The rain coat is a must, no Bireknstocks, your socks will only get soggy if you’re going anywhere but the coffeehouse. Hiking shoes, running shoes and loafer or deck shoes are the keys to marching through this season.
Winter
Winter begins a few days after New Year’s, lasts until the last weeks of February when there is a mini-spring, then returns until roughly tax time. Start with the raincoat. Zip in that insulated lining. Bring the fleece and the sweater, the long sleeve t shirt should probably be a thermal mock turtle, a silk version for dress occasions. Jeans. Hiking boots or Sorels, leather tennies, dressy loafers with thick soles. Forget the Birkenstocks with socks except for sitting around the fireplace.
No matter what season, or what you’re planning to do, always pack a spare pair of socks.
Remember the unofficial Whidbey Island motto: What’s an Umbrella?
My, Emotions Come and Go so Quickly Here As we get closer to leaving for our cruising adventure, the excitement has faded a little, submerged under a tidal wave of last minute work. House cleaning and upgrades, tying up loose ends, distributing things we’re donating to the appropriate charities, figuring out how to mow the…
Defining the Intracoastal Waterway Depending on who you listen to, the Intracoastal Waterway might run from the Canadian Border to Miami, or from New York’s Hudson River to Texas, or from Norfolk, VA to the Florida Keys. But however you describe its ends, the ICW is not a nice, straight canal, but a series of…
On a sunny afternoon in mid-December the woods at South Whidbey State Park – where huge, old growth firs allow only filtered light to reach the forest floor – were chilly and damp. But beyond the trees I could see that the beach, on this almost Christmas day, was merry and bright. On a sunny…
1. Take down all canvas. Reduce windage and potential damage. This includes biminis and dodgers. Take down roller furled jibs, take down the main sail. Yes it’s a lot of work, but those with canvas up fared far worse than those without. 2. FENDERS, FENDERS, FENDERS Put out all the fenders you’ve got, and then…
Winter sailing on the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic City to Cape May, New Jersey. We skedaddled from AC as soon as there was enough light. The morning was cold and I skated around the frozen dock as I cast us off. For our third mid-winter day offshore we again enjoyed freezing temperatures, sunshine and big, soft…
Diver, cinematographer, and marine biologist Florian Graner knows well what lays beneath the surface of the Salish Sea. Florian lives on Holmes Harbor, and dives regularly from the beach off of his Whidbey Island neighborhood. He also dives and films in many other parts of the world, and has worked on films such as The…
One Comment
Yeaaaa! She is afloast but moored to the post in the mainstream of her beloved Whidbey Island! Spend the seasons collecting cameos of the pulse and flavor of life.
Yeaaaa! She is afloast but moored to the post in the mainstream of her beloved Whidbey Island! Spend the seasons collecting cameos of the pulse and flavor of life.