Our series of Boating Experiences workshops continues next month on Friday, October 9th at the Northwest Maritime Center at 10am. (note this is not on Saturday because of weddings!) Our speaker is Captain Christopher Hanke, the Port Captain for Puget Sound Express, our local whale watching company operating out of Port townsend and Edmonds. Captain Hanke says “I am third generation at Puget Sound Express. I was riding in a car seat at 1 year old crossing the Strait on board the Red Head. I have worked as a captain at Puget Sound Express every summer since 2009. I also have had the privilege of sailing on schooner Martha across the strait several times, as well as crewing the offshore trip she did in 2014-2015 down to Mexico and then to Hawaii.” Captain Hanke is out on the Straits of Juan de Fuca almost every day and he knows these waters about as well as anyone around. Specifically, we have asked him to talk about what are the best methods for crossing, how to evaluate the different weather and sea-related reports to predict what a small boat would experience, how much to take currents and tides into consideration, and what other considerations we should think about. He will probably also talk a bit on whale watching and critter cruises that might be useful to a boater. So, join us at the NMC for what will no doubt be a very interesting presentation from someone who can give us lots of insight for our own Straits transits and crossing. No RSVPs needed, just come!