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There's a certain serenity you get when you combine
the sights and sounds of a sailboat on the water. The softness of
the waves combine with the power of the wind, creating a symphony
between the elements of nature.
"The view from the water is far greater than the view of the
water," Captain Bryan Diehl said, as he navigated his sailboat
through the peaceful waters of Ludlow Bay. "If you're
not on the water, you're missing half of it."
Based at the Port Ludlow, Washington marina, Diehl's
Captain Bry's Port Ludlow Charters offers the novice and experienced
a chance to sail the usually calm waters of the surrounding areas.
Captain Bry's started up, when the much-repeated question,
"Who runs sailboat charters?" kept crossing the bar Diehl
was tending.
"Port Ludlow really needed the service," Diehl decided.
"A lot of families come here and not everyone golfs. Then again,
I've also had a lot of kids learn to sail while their parents
golfed."
Diehl already had the boat, the Cygnus, a 26-foot
Hunter sloop. Once he got his United States Coast Guard license
as a Master of Power and Auxiliary Sail, he was in business.
Diehl chuckled when he recalled his most memorable
charter thus far, "We took a family of six from Chicago. Four
kids, ages 4 to 10. When the boys showed up, they told me right
off the bat, they had wanted to go to Disneyland for vacation."
The sail to Friday Harbor was magnificent. Sea lions, herons and
other critters played on cue, as the Cygnus sailed by.
"The boys went crazy catching dog fish. They just had a blast,"
Diehl recalled. The killer whales and the bald eagles had them entranced.
"When they got off the boat, the boys all said it was the best
trip they ever had. They don't want to go to Disneyland. They're
booked again for this year."
Another popular cruise — with Diehl, as well
as his clientele — is a Sunday cruise to Pier 66 for a Seattle
Mariners game. He's always game for whatever the customer desires.
"It's their cruise completely. I'm totally flexible,"
Diehl said. "It has to be fun."
Moonlit cruises, spreading cremated remains, crabbing, whatever
the customer wants to do.
Diehl offers cruises all year long. In December, he
offers a lighted Christmas cruise — which is not for the meek.
It's really cold.
A popular Captain Bry cruise is a couple hours around Ludlow Bay,
Klas Rocks (aka Seal Rocks), and Admiralty Inlet to the entrance
to the Hood Canal. The tour offers amazing views of Mt. Rainier
and Mt. Baker, as well as the Olympic Mountains. Lots of submarines
cruise these waters, too.
"These are very protected waters," Diehl reassured the
wary.
Snacks are available. On longer trips, Diehl's wife Piper demonstrates
up her flair for catering.
The Diehls bought the Cygnus for their sailing honeymoon.
They moved here seven years ago to be caretakers of an estate across
the bay from the Port Ludlow marina. Every morning, they'd
wake up and see the marina. So, when their daughter was born five
years ago, they named her Marina.
"She definitely is a water child," Diehl said. "She's
my ‘First Matey' and my little tour coordinator."
To arrange a cruise, call 360-437-0602, or e-mail bryan@captnbry.com.
His Web site's at www.captnbry.com.
"When I can have this much fun, share it with other people,
and get paid for it, it just made sense," Diehl decided. "Besides,
around here you have to be pretty creative with the opportunities,
or you're underemployed."
Diehl also scuba dives, offering maintenance and overboard recovery
services. "People who do not normally get along, get along
on the water. You put people on a boat and they're happy. It
stimulates senses that don't normally get stimulated. It's
exciting!" Diehl promised. "The whole rest of the world
goes away."
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