Possible destinations: Blake Island, Poulsbo, Kingston, Port Townsend, Gig Harbor, Tacoma, possibly even the southern San Juan Islands such as Lopez or Friday Harbor.
The boat has ample storage, but not all of it is convenient. Feel free to bring what you like, but plan on storing it in small separate storage lockers on the boat. I like to keep the main cabin tidy for shared use and not littered with giant duffel bags and backpacks and coolers. Packing in smaller bags or stuff sacks is advised.
You may want to negotiate sleeping berths with the other guests ahead of time. The vberth can accomodate two, but two tall people will play footsie at the narrow end. Some guests prefer to have it to themselves, which is OK depending on how many are on board. In the main cabin, there is a pilot's berth with a clever little foot well which serves well if you are less than 5' 8", and there is a large berth that converts to be big enough for two friendly people or one large person by themselves. I sleep in the small cabin aft of the navigation station.
Hardy souls sometimes sleep outside when the weather is fair. A hammock can be slung on the foredeck, and you could sleep in the cockpit or the foredeck if you bring a sleeping pad. Camping on shore is an option at some places like Blake Island. And some places offer shore-side lodgings where other folks can meet us or if the boat is quite full, some can come for the journey but sleep at a hotel or B&B on shore.
Things to bring:
- Sleeping bag, pillow
- Non-marking shoes, and optionally some other footwear for shore party hikes or strolls. Sandals or beach shoes if it is nice.
- Clothes for any possible condition in the weather forecast. Full raingear including pants and boots are recommended if there is any rain in the forecast. A warm hat is always a good idea. In the cockpit there is sheltered seating for two people: everyone else faces the full wrath of the weather (you don't want to be down below when the weather is bad). I have two extra sets of foulweather gear, excluding boots, which you can claim if you alert me in advance.
- I usually bring separate "around town" raingear in addition to my heavy marine foulweather gear. Your call.
- Toothbrush, etc. for your personal hygiene needs
- Quarters, towel, shampoo, etc. for pay showers if they are available where we are going. All marinas have pay showers. Blake Island even has some.
- Sunglasses and sun hat and sunscreen. Glare and reflected UV can be formidable.
- Reading material
- A game to share if you like
- Earplugs and sleeping mask if you think they will help you. There is also a supply of new unusued earplug on the boat. The vberth has full light control, but sleeping in the main cabin can be quite bright in the mornings. You should probably get up anyways...mornings are some of the best times on the boat. We are much more into early mornings than late nights when on the boat.
- Discuss meals and food ahead of time. The galley is pretty well-equiped but doesn't have everything you might expect of a home kitchen. The inventory of spices, oils, etc. is pretty limited. If we are going to a town, we usually dine out and you will only need snacks, drinks, and food for the passage to and from the destination.
- There is always Starbucks Via instant coffee on board, and a french press is available if you want fresh brewed coffee in the morning.
- You can bring music or video entertainment to share on a USB flash drive. Bluetooth streaming to the boat's stereo works too.
The experience for a weekend trip will vary depending on whether we are tied up at a dock for the night or not. If we are anchored or on a park buoy, we will have the dinghy to get to shore, and the head or bathroom on the boat will be more heavily relied upon.