A familiar trio on a three-day boat trip: Myself, Kent Oldenburger and Bob Swenson in front of Kent’s 35-foot Trawler “Persistence” at the Blake Island Marina in Puget Sound.
The Three Amigos.
The Three Vikings.
Three Brothers From Different Mothers.
Or, as Bob Swenson suggested, “Oly, Lund and Swen.”
Whatever the moniker, the three of us have shared many journeys over the years. It’s a bond built on family and friendship. Kent Oldenburger is my brother-in-law. Bob was a groomsman in Vicki and my wedding, and a longtime friend.
For the past 13 years, it was the annual Lund family backpack trip that drew us together. This year, we traded the huffing and puffing up steep mountain trails for a more relaxing passage on Puget Sound’s waterways.
Kent owns a 35-foot trawler named “Persistence.” I had been on the boat a couple times on Seattle’s Lake Union, but never west of the Ballard Locks and the open waters of Puget Sound. Beginning at Nickerson Marina, where Kent’s boat is moored, the three-day trip featured overnight stops at idyllic Blake Island and the quaint Kitsap Peninsula town of Poulsbo, also known as “Little Norway.”
The route of our three-hour – make that three-day – tour. You would have had to have watched Gilligan’s Island to get that one.
As we motored along shipping lanes and dodged a Washington State ferry shuttling cars and passengers between Seattle and Bainbridge Island, we saw dolphins, seals, and tribal fishermen setting gill nets with the help of a “skiff boat.”
The fishing boat (in the background), also known as a “purse seiner,” releases a small but powerful “skiff boat,” which drags a wall-like net, eventually closing the loop at the fishing vessel to collect fish.We saw seals in the water and on marina docks. We worried beforehand we wouldn’t get a spot at the marinas at Blake and Poulsbo. You could say these critters helped “seal” our reservations.
The sights and sounds along the way, however, ultimately took a backseat to meaningful discourse. As was the case with our backpack trips, it was an opportunity for deep conversations. We talked about the state of our nation, the state of The Church in America, our “faith walk,” our hopes and dreams for the future, and yes, even our regrets.
Approaching the “small” Ballard Locks on our way to saltwater. The water level of the Salmon Bay Waterway, Lake Union and Lake Washington is higher than the Puget Sound.Waiting for the water level to drop in the “small” locks, Bob takes a picture of the surveyor boat behind us. I didn’t any “forests” in the ocean.
After we “drop down” to sea level, the doors on the Ballard Locks slowly open up, and we’re on our way.
We made it through the trip, including the harrowing Ballard Locks, without incident. And that’s saying something. When it comes to boating, Kent is detail-oriented and knowledgable. His deckhands – first-mate Bob and second-mate Rick – are borderline teachable. But we did learn – well mostly – to correctly tie rope to a boat cleat.
And for that, we owe a debt of gratitude to our captain.
Captain Kent Oldenburger. He put a lot of effort into planning the three-day trip. And while Bob and I had our turns at the wheel, he was always piloting the boat when skill was needed.
Kent-O (Sung to the tune of John Denver’s hit tune “Calypso”)
Aye, Kent-O, the places we’ve been to The things you have taught us The stories we tell Aye, Kent-O, we bow to you, captain We’re the men who have served you So brief, not so well Olole iiiii, ololo ululululu Ololw iiii, ololu uu
Our captain is so high above us. Yet, as the name of the boat suggests, we “persist.”
Some more photos from our trip:
We got a parking spot at Blake Island, southwest of Seattle (background). The marina filled up pretty fast after we arrived. The small boat pulled out, and a yacht Kent said was worth $750,000 pulled up in its place. Tillicum Village over the years has hosted salmon barbecues for tour groups. Vicki and I were here in 1979 for a media event for the Major-League All-Star Game that was played in Seattle. Unfortunately, the tribal village has been closed for the past three years.The trail system on the island. We hiked the four-mile loop trail.We take a break from the hike to survey the scenery on the south end of the island, looking toward both the Vashon and Southworth ferry landings.Kent grilled tri-tip steak for dinner the first day.Dessert and decaf coffee as the sun sets, a perfect setting for meaningful conversations.On our way to Poulsbo, we crossed paths with a Bremerton-bound Washington State Ferry and a smaller, modern “fast ferry” that provides passenger-only service between Seattle, Bremerton and Port Orchard.Approaching Keyport (in the background), and I get a chance to take the wheel.A planned visit on the second day to the United States Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport.The main reason for our visit to the museum was it featured some diver equipment Bob’s father, Bud, wore as a Navy deep sea diver. Bob was excited to see the gear his father used. And it matches the tattoo he has in honor of his father, who died of cancer at a young age, shortly after Bob and Peggy were married.Once again, the threesome, for the obligatory shot in front of Bud Swenson’s gear.Bob and Kent check out what it would have been like to serve on a World War II-vintage submarine.The Poulsbo Marina has a Norwegian flavor. A few of the buildings are painted the colors of the nation’s flag, just like in Norway.A vintage Viking boat in the Poulsbo Marina.The aforementioned Viking ship set sail the next morning, in Liberty Bay.Boys will be boys. Trying to get close to a Heron.And that’s as close as I got before it flew away, but not before he scolded me.Suspect deckhand in the boat cabin.Kent and I on the waterfront with the “Sons of Norway” building in the background.We spent our second night in Poulsbo, which was incorporated in the 1880s. A Norwegian settler suggested it be named “Paulsbo,” after his hometown in Norway. But authorities in the U.S. Post Office in Washington, D.C. misspelled the town’s name, likely misreading the immigrant’s handwritingNight time in Poulsbo. It’s an unique, different lifestyle, this group of boat people who hop from one marina to the next in the Puget Sound during the summer months.Day 3. Heading back to Seattle, and about to pass under the Agate Passage Bridge linking the Kitsap Peninsula to Bainbridge Island.The open water, heading toward Shilshole Bay and the Ballard Locks.
An expensive yacht leaving the Ballard Locks as we waited to enter. He had a Washington State University flag and an Auburn University flag, which was interesting.We passed through the “large” Ballard Locks on our return to Nickerson Marina. The yacht and matching blue “chaser boat” behind us were being delivered to their owner. Kent says as many as 100 boats can fit in the large locks.
The Inside Scoop 
This is great! Thanks Rick!
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