The assorted ramblings of an owner of an old boat…
This was one of those weekends that was on the radar for a while as a possible boating weekend. This was Victoria Day, a long weekend for Canadian friends and rumor had it a few of them were planning to head for Sucia.
I had a few occasions that required celebration before heading out on the boat.
Continue reading “Ahhh, Sucia…”
For this installment of Boatable Burgers, I’ll be featuring another Anacortes location – Dad’s Diner.
At 906 Commercial Ave, Dad’s is a short walk – literally only minutes away – from the Port of Anacortes’ Cap Sante Marina. Open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday, Dad’s has become a popular local spot since opening in February of this year.
The atmosphere is fun and inviting, with a vintage eclectic decor. Ample seating is available either at tables or along the bar. Shelves display old guitars, radios, toys, and other cool artifacts that give the space a classic diner feel. The menu is written on a blackboard, amongst the “Wall of Dads” – a collection of framed pictures of customers’ fathers. The place has a really cool vibe.
Owners Fletcher McLean and Neil Stuchal cheerfully greet customers. Fletcher has an amazing ability to remember names. Visit a few times, and he’ll remember yours. Neil is hard at work in the open kitchen, creating the dishes that make up Dad’s menu.
I decided to try the Bacon Cheeseburger. The patty is a generous portion of brisket, ground in-house, topped with smoked bacon that is also house-made. Being of good Norwegian heritage, I chose Jarlsberg cheese from the several cheeses available. The bun is a Schwartz Brothers Bakery brioche bun that is lightly toasted, bringing all of the fresh ingredients together for a great burger. Crisp hand cut Jo Jo potatoes are served on the side, making this is a plate of food that won’t leave you hungry.
This would have to be on my short list of favorite burgers.
The menu offers variety for the non-burger types, and there is not much that comes out of the kitchen that is not house-made or locally sourced. Their breakfasts are amazing. They offer beer on tap as well as some great bottled sodas.
For my seco
nd installment of “Boat Porn”, I give you the brochure featuring the entire line of 1970 Tollycraft Yachts. This was the year that Jolly Mon was built, so this piece is near and dear to my heart.
1970 was the third full year that the PLiCOR hulls were produced, and the new 40 Tri-Cabin was unveiled, replacing the classic glass over wood 38 Tri-Cabin.
I have stacks and stacks of pieces waiting to be scanned, but for now check out the offerings from Tollycraft in 1970, and the accompanying 1970 price list, and feel free to save or print a copy if you’d like!
I purchased a new boat toy. A kayak.
I’ve had a kayak that I’ve carried on board for several years, an Advanced Elements Advanced Frame inflatable kayak. It’s gotten quite a bit of use over the years, and I’ve had a lot of fun quietly exploring anchorages while getting a little exercise in the process.
What I found, though, being an inflatable I wasn’t using it as much because of the assembly and breakdown required. It took only a few minutes to have it ready to go in the water, but the breakdown and clean up involved kept me from just tossing it in the water and going for a paddle.
Last summer in Desolation Sound, one of my friends, Danny, loaned me his kayak- an Equinox 10.4 purchased at Costco. I was instantly impressed, and added it to my list of future boat toy purchases.
A few days ago, Jonathan from Briar Patch called to say Costco was offering a $50 instant rebate, bringing the price to $250, which included a decent paddle. He was getting one. The next day, I did too.
At just over ten feet, it comes packed in a huge cardboard box. At my local Costco, I wrestled one on to a flatbed cart and successfully managed to navigate through the checkout and out to my truck in the parking lot without taking out any little old ladies or clearing any store displays of their contents.
Shortly after getting home and unpacking the kayak, which comes ready to paddle, I launched for a maiden voyage.
Continue reading “We Could All Use a Good Paddling…”
On a recent weekend trip to Bellingham, my burger research led me to visit the Boundary Bay Brewery. It’s my duty.
Located approximately one mile from the Port of Bellingham’s Squalicum Harbor, it’s within walking distance with some worthwhile stops along the way. Not far off course, about mid-way is Pacific Marine, with it’s huge assortment of used marine “stuff” as well as nautical books, charts, and artwork. When you reach the brewery, directly across the street is the Bellingham Farmers Market, open every Saturday of the season.
The Boundary Bay Brewery is a popular spot in downtown Bellingham, and as we found out, they do not take reservations for lunch on weekends. With a packed house lunch crowd, our party of seven had to be split up over two tables. Had we wanted to wait a while, they would have been happy to accomodate us, but we were hungry.
I decided to try their burger topped with bacon and pepperjack cheese. The menu described local beef on a “pretzel bun”. I elected to forgo fries for a salad.
The burger was nicely presented with a generous side salad and all the accompaniments you would expect. The meat was lean and flavorful, the bacon thick sliced. The meat was cooked a wee bit more than I prefer, but it was still juicy. The bun had an interesting crisp texture and flavor unlike your average hamburger bun. Altogether a good burger. The salad was excellent, and I actually dove in and finished it before even starting on my burger… I would definitely have this combination again.
Others at my table had a pesto salmon sandwich that looked very good, and reports indicated such, as well as a nice-looking plate of fish tacos. The menu is varied, so there’s probably something for every taste. Some desserts passed by that looked pretty amazing, too.
They brew several beers, their IPA being my favorite ever. I refer to it as my “measuring stick” IPA that I compare all others to. They offer bottled beers for sale, and sell and fill growlers. All ages are welcome in the bistro, offering a family-friendly menu and atmosphere.
The Boundary Bay Brewery is worth a visit if you find yourself in Bellingham, by water or by land.
