The conditions were right, and Brian had the day off from work, so we are pushing on to Poulsbo!

While in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Brian spotted something and said… Is that a crab pot way out here?! Just like a rogue crab pot??

Nope. Balloons.

Brian said, let’s practice a man overboard drill and grab em out of the ocean.

Yep. Sounds good to me. This is something we often do, when presented to us.

Brian did a great job, steering to get them right beside the hull and I used the boat hook, to snag them and bring them into the boat.

Ironically the balloons read “Happy Birthday” and “You’re so special”

Thanks, universe.

I cut them open and put them in our garbage bin.

We sailed for a bit in beautiful conditions.

And I found the leak!! It’s a plumbing component in the forward head. So now we just need to fix it! That was a fast find!! I’m getting better at this game! Haha!

Rachel smiling in the cockpit holding a bunch of mylar balloons rescued from the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Maui in a plaid jacket lying in the cockpit next to Happy Birthday and You’re So Special balloons fished from the ocean

Choppy blue seas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on a clear day during the passage south

SV Yahara sailing with the jib unfurled on a sunny day in Puget Sound

Close-up of the leaking plumbing fitting in the forward head that was the source of the water leak