About Your Captain

In 1973 my younger brother took me sailing on the Columbia River. He had purchased a Catalina 22. The sail was only about 5 hours long. I was so taken by the experience that I purchased a Catalina 27 within a week. My wife and I enrolled in a power squadron class at the Tigard High School. The more I learned and the more I sailed, the more I liked it.

Discovering the unbelievable beauty of the Willamette and Columbia River system was indescribable. Within about one year of purchasing the Catalina 27 and while on vacation to Disneyland, I chartered a 33 ft. Ketch and sailed my family to Catalina Island. It was my first ocean sailing and it was fantastic. It also got me looking for that “bigger boat”, that “longer voyage”. Within about a year I purchased a Bill Garden designed 41 ft. Ketch. It was December. The boat was purchased at Gove’s Cove on Lake Union in Seattle. That’s a long way from my home, in Tigard Oregon and the south sound won’t get you there. I did not want to pay the Washington sales tax.

The one dollar purchase of a tax exempt card earned me that right. But the boat had to be out of Washington State in approximately 90 days. Now my wife thought trucking it or hiring a delivery crew was the solution. I knew better. The only Prudent thing to do would be to sail it home. Yes down through the Ballard locks, out through Admarality Inlet, out the strait of Juan-de-Fuca and down the coast of the Pacific Ocean to the Columbia River Bar. Then just 100 miles more and we're home. Simple. Well my want to was huge but fortunately my judgment was stronger. I knew we were not experienced enough at the time to safely do that. Again the solution to me was simple. We would gain the experience, then make the trip.

We sailed that boat day and night for nearly two months. During good and bad weather. We sailed
the North and South Sound, the Strait of Juan-De-Fuca, and Georgia Strait. We made land falls (many of them at night) at Gig Harbor, Port Townsend, Pleasant Harbor in the Hoods Canal, Port Angeles,
Victoria Canada, Roach Harbor & Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, the Rosario on Orcas Island,
Fishermans Bay and Mackaye Harbor on Lopez Island, we sailed Rosario Stait. Anchored off Decatur, Blakely, Sinclair & Guemes Island and on and on until one day in February.

I was to take the boat from Friday Harbor to Neah Bay, the jumping off spot, to the Pacific Ocean. My wife had returned home to let the kids know we still love them more then the boat. That took at least a week and they weren’t real sure about dad. I spent the next week side tied to a log raft waiting for a favorable weather window to make the coast run. I will remain forever grateful to the Captain of the Martha Foss tug who hailed me making me welcome to secure to his log raft. Neah Bay is a poor anchorage in bad weather. The anchorage area is covered with stone used as ballast on yesterdays sailing vessels. Most of it less than 100 lbs. They removed the docks during winter back then.

During our trip down the coast the weather deteriorated rapidly. I decided to claw for sea room. Our crew of 5 persons rapidly diminished to my wife and I. Brothers Leon, Michael, and his wife Linda were completely inundated with sea sickness. We found ourselves in forty foot seas, winds 45 to 55 knots & Gusting stronger. When I had reached 65 miles off shore I decided to heave-to. We stayed hove to some 30 hours. When we got under way again it was a real ride. A broad reach on 30 footers, a reefed mizzen and working jib averaging 9 knots, surfing to 13 knots. When we reached the Columbia River Bar the crossing was awesome. Forty footers and breaking everywhere except on the red line. The Coast Guard insisted on ushering us in and we were grateful. We were boarded and inspected when we got in over the bar. We received no deficiencies or tickets.

To that point and time my navigation was accomplished by dead reckoning using compass, depth sounder, radio direction finder, charts, calculating set and drift, reading the coastal pilot to mention a few.

Each year for the next four years I would sail from Portland back to the San Juan Islands. Most of these voyages were done during winter months. The reason for this, I was an Excavating Contractor. Summer months were too busy. By now you can see I was hopelessly hooked on sailing. " A Sailing junkie to say the least."

In February 1997 I purchased “Promise” a Hudson Force 50. She was another Bill Garden designed Ketch. For the past ten years I have continuously refit and up graded her. During this project I have also sailed her back to the wonderful waters of the San Juan Islands. The north and south sounds. I have sailed the Pacific Ocean between Vancouver Island and Mexico four times and with few exceptions - alone (Single handed).

I and Elaine, (The most wonderful mate a sailor could find) sailed her to Hawaii in 2002. Elaine’s vacation time would not allow her to make the return trip. I sailed promise home alone. It was awesome and the most wonderful experience of my life. When the Columbia River Bar came into sight, I found myself laughing with joy and yet crying real tears that the voyage was coming to an end.

The following year a Frenchman I had met while anchored in Radio Harbor on the big Island of Hawaii called and asked me to deliver his 60 foot Aluminum Ketch from Hawaii to Mexico. It was challenging, it was successful, and it’s another whole story.

There are those that know me that believe I have been foolish for placing myself in harms way. Single handing, winter time passages, etc. I understand their reaction. I cringe watching extreme skiers, people scaling vertical rock columns. Not to mention those who choose to climb Mt. Everest.

I do not believe that I was foolish. I wanted to become a master of my passion for sailing. I wanted to prove myself, to myself and without putting others at risk. To that end I have succeeded. I hold a United States Coast Guard License as Master of steam, motor and auxiliary sail vessels to 100 gross tons.

I have no intentions or desire to take passengers into dangerous or challenging situations, but I have prepared myself, and my "vessel", to keep them safe should they ensue.

I look forward to ushering you and yours into the world of sailing. The beauty, adventure, excitement, tranquility, and unbelievable pleasures.

Welcome Aboard!

Your Captain, Warren Brown

• U.S.C.G. 100T Master
• Medical First Responder