Attacked by Bill Gates' bodyguards!

Well, okay, not REALLY ... but we did sail right up to his house in Medina (just outside of Bellevue) on Lake Washington. As we approached, 3 bodyguards immediately came out from the house (or, perhaps, their own house within the ridiculously large Gates' complex) and peered at us suspiciously through their binoculars.

We set out yesterday morning just as the light fog began to lift for some sailing in Lake Union and Lake Washington - what a beautiful day in January

In Westlake marina - sails still folded up. Pre-sail checkup done, ropes untied ... and we're off!

Goodbye, Seattle! Making our way out through Lake Union to Lake Washington

Kenmore Air seaplanes taking off and landing in the lake right next to our boat. The "right of way" is as such: sailboats must yield to rowboats/paddlers, motorboats must yield to sailboats, and planes must basically try to not hit anybody (haha). There's also other 'right of way' rules amongst sailboats (which way the wind is coming from/into your sails, your own direction/tack) which determine which sailboat must yield to the other, but I haven't learned THAT much yet. Apparently taking advantage of these yielding rules is what those super fast race boats in the Americas Cup try to do - it's not just a flat out race, you have to strategize as well.

Lake Washington was like glass today - not any particularly hard sailing, but the silence out there was beautiful. Just our boat, nobody else around.

Bill Gates' mansion. Yes, it's the ENTIRE picture ... there's even an entirely separate wing leading to the boathouse off to the right out of the picture

Grilling steaks on board!

Mt Rainier from Lake Washington

Got some light wind as we were returning to the dock, so we let unfurl the main sail and the Genoa headsail

Back in Lake Union

Returning home from Lake Washington, teaching Rachel and Brad the basics of preparations for docking. I'm helping Rachel to turn the boat into the wind while Kyle teaches Brad how to prep the main sail.