Saturday Afternoon Drama

High winds had been forecast for yesterday afternoon here in Anacortes.  Woooeeee, they weren't kidding!  The marina clocked sustained winds of 35 to 40 mph with peak gusts of 55 mph.  Nearby the gusts exceeded 70 mph...like a Texas-sized tropical storm.  A local weather guru said it was an extraordinary storm for August in the NW, possibly the strongest ever recorded.

The winds wreaked havoc in quiet Padilla Bay.  We witnessed a number of heart stopping nautical dramas.

Here the winds are whipping up Guemes Channel, the main water route to Anacortes.

Waves lining up in Padilla Bay just outside the Cap Sante Marina.

Several boats were anchored just outside the Cap Sante Marina.  The high winds put those boats' anchors to the test and as you can see, two unfortunate boats couldn't meet that test.

This sailboat was already on the rocks of the marina breakwater when we ventured out.

This large ketch was anchored some distance from the breakwaters, but we anxiously watched as it drug it's anchor toward shore and then bumped along the rocks.  We later learned it's motor was not functioning so it was completely at the wind's mercy.  Miraculously it did not appear to incur severe damage.

Eventually it ended up opposite the other, doomed sailboat.

Inexplicably, a few boat captains decided to make a harrowing return to the marina at the height of the storm.
 

We watched this valiant (or foolish) little sailboat for more than an hour as it made its way across Guemes Channel safely to the marina.
 

This big racing sailboat was faring only a bit better making its way down Guemes Channel when it turned and found refuge in the lee of the Guemes Ferry Dock.

Conditions had calmed significantly when this picture was taken.

And where was the Molly Claire?  Why resting placidly in her very protected, covered slip on C Dock in the Anacortes Marina.