Editor's Note: From Seattle to Hood Canal and through the San Juan Islands. Vern (Babe) and Lil Thompson recorded adventures with people and places during their 1941 cruise aboard the Lazy Lil.

In those days, pleasure craft were scarce, available electronic aids in short supply, and repair facilities few and far between. Those were the days before laundromats, shore power, propane stoves, red tide warnings, mooring buoys, large resorts, and bustling tourist towns. Those were the days of the mill at Thatcher on Blakely Island, the lime company town of Roche Harbor, fishing resorts with small cabins lining the beaches, and Sea Acres Lodge near Point Lawrence. Some of these sites are history, however, today's cruising families will recognize many of the destinations, activities, and favorite pastimes common to the sport of boating in these waters. The Thompsons cruised our waters for over 30 years and were the owners of some 21 boats.

Today, Lil Thompson, now 90+, lives in Kingston with her daughter's family. She still enjoys traveling and always makes a hit whenever she attends events by riding in the sidecar of the motorcycle piloted by her son-in-law.

June 14 1941, Seattle: We fully intended to start our cruise early but, through an oversight, Babe had left the switch to the motor on all night. Consequently, the battery was run down, so he had to charge it up. Finally under way about 3:00 p.m. The motor acted up a couple of times but Babe blew out the gas line and everything was fine. Helen Muffley and her dog, Mitzy, are aboard and will cruise with us a week or so. It was a little choppy to Possession Point where we are now anchored for the night. We spent most of the day just lying around on deck resting and reading, as it was not a bad day between showers.

June 15: Babe bent the anchor roller the first time he attempted to pull anchor, so we will have to have it repaired somewhere. Headed for Hood Canal. Bucked the tide for 3 1/2 hours and dropped anchor at Port Ludlow.

June 16, Hood Canal: Got up about 5:00 a.m. and started down Hood Canal. Although no sunshine, it was a rather nice day. We passed close to shore and took pictures of deer ambling along. The scenery was beautiful, with tall mountains towering above us. We anchored in Pleasant Harbor and all hands went ashore in the dinghy. The shores were simply lined with oysters and Babe soon gathered enough right from the rowboat for our dinner. Helen, Mitzy, and I went blackberry picking. It was rather tough on us though, since we had to climb straight up a hill like mountain goats, and the mosquitos were much thicker than the blackberries. However, we found enough for a pie, and was it good!

June 18, Hood Canal: Pulled anchor and started down to Jackson Cove. Camp Parsons, the Boy Scout Camp, is located there. On our way we passed a shrimp fishing boat, so bought a couple pounds of shrimp from them. Mitzy, the pooch, had been up in the bow of the boat in her basket. But Helen had inadvertently tied her to the anchor chain and when Babe threw out the anchor, all that saved her was the basket catching between his legs. At Jackson Cove, the only thing of interest was a nude bather who entertained us for a while.

June 19, Hood Canal: Babe got up at 5:00 a.m. and started the boat. We ran up the canal a couple of hours to take advantage of the tide. Stopped at Bangor and bought some groceries and dug clams, then continued on to Port Townsend where we refueled and watered. Babe made everything fast in the boat preparatory to crossing the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Helen, having watched the preparations, was getting scared green, thinking perhaps we would be standing on our heads while crossing. However, it turned out to be very mild. We made the trip in about six hours, stopping to fish at Cattle Point. Helen had a big one on, but lost it. We finally gave up with only a rock cod and went on to Friday Harbor.

June 20, Friday Harbor: Slept in and had our rock cod for a noon breakfast. Babe got the anchor roller fixed and I caught up on some correspondence. We saw young Welcome who runs the mail boat between Anacortes and Friday Harbor. He remembered us from last year. About 5:00 p.m. we started for Speiden Channel to fish. Helen caught what we later found out was a sea cucumber - a horrible looking thing about a foot long - and Babe caught a dogfish. At sundown we went into Roche Harbor and tied up. This is the lime mining town with beautiful flower gardens surrounding the Hotel de Haro. The gardens are all lit up with electric lights.

June 21, Roche Harbor: Arose quite early and walked about a mile up to a small hill overlooking the bay where we had heard there was the mausoleum of the McMillan family, who run the town of Roche Harbor. It was a very impressive sight. There were six huge pillars and a seventh broken one. In the center was a huge stone table with six stone chairs around it, the seventh one missing. On the way back we picked wild strawberries. At 5:00 p.m. we went ashore for a luscious steak dinner.

June 25, Stuart Island: The tide was low this morning and we could see the large jagged rocks we nearly hit coming in yesterday. While cutting some kindling on the back deck, the bell rang on one of the fishing poles. It was a nice 12-15 pounder and the first salmon caught this week. About 20 minutes later another fish hit. Along towards evening we met a canoe full of Indians paddling along at a fine speed. Babe turned the boat around and followed them for several miles. We took pictures, although we couldn't get very close to them. Headed to Orcas.

June 26, Orcas Island: At 6:30 a.m. we were just getting up when in came our friend Bob telling us that he had gotten up at 4:00 a.m., taken the rowboat and gone fishing. After about 20 minutes, a big fish had hit and it had taken him down through Obstruction Pass, which is a fast piece of water. He had rowed for two hours trying to get back, but couldn't make any headway. So he anchored the boat, hid the fish, and hiked over the hi11 to our boat. Babe then started the Lazy Lil and picked up the rowboat. In the bottom of the rowboat was a grand big fish which later weighed in at 22 pounds. Such an exciting morning!

We went ashore on Blakely Island after we had finished breakfast. Took our swimming suits and hiked up about three miles to a beautiful lake where we all went for a dip and then laid around in the sun. We got Bob's big fish off the boat and divided it up between Mr. Street, who owns "Peavine Ranch", and some other friends. Before we went back to the boat we bought a chicken, fresh peas, and other garden vegetables. You should have seen me trying to clean and disjoint that chicken.

June 27, Blakely Island: We awoke to a beautiful morning - not a cloud in the sky. Went to the beach and picked up quite a lot of firewood. Went to Thatcher's Mill on Blakely - an interesting place. It is operated by water power and has been running since 1887. After inspecting the mill, we started for Double Islands, in West Sound, where we anchored. Babe and I went for a swim. We retired and listened to the Seattle-San Francisco ball game on the radio.

June 29, Parks Bay: Anchored in Parks Bay on Shaw Island. We got only 11 hours sleep last night, so we will probably be tired today. At 8:30 a.m. we were attending the Church of the Air while the bacon and eggs fried. We then cleaned house and washed clothes. About 4, we rowed into a cove and went swimming. My rubber bathing suit split right down the front when I was diving in. Lucky I brought another one.

June 30 - August 15: The Thompson's log continues to cover their voyage north through the Gulf Islands, to Princess Louisa Inlet, Desolation Sound and north to Port Neville. A separate story in itself. August 15, Friday Harbor, Deer Harbor About 2:30 p.m. we pulled into Friday Harbor. After being around town a few hours and getting re-entered into the United States, Babe and I decided to go back up to Roche Harbor to examine a 60-foot tugboat hull, with the idea in mind that it might make a good pleasure boat. After a thorough examination, we were much more satisfied with our own boat. About noon we left Roche Harbor and visited Westcott Bay and Garrison Bay. The latter bay is the site of the old English blockhouse, the last British holding in the San Juans. Mrs. Davis and her brother, Jim Crook, live on the place and charge 10 cents a person to escort them around and point out the historic remains. We left Garrison Bay with the outgoing tide, fished off Speiden Island Head and caught three salmon within half an hour. Headed for Deer Harbor, arriving there about 5:00 p.m. We went swimming in the outdoor salt water pool on shore and then took a nap. About 9:00 p.m. we got dressed up in our city clothes and went up to the big Saturday night dance. Boats of all descriptions arrived and the majority of arrivals spent their time in the little grocery store, which had a beer license, until the dance was well under way. The patrons at the dance presented a real cross section of humanity. We stayed until about midnight and then began to miss our sleep so returned to the boat. We were really pikers, for they served lunch at 12:30 a.m. and then continued the dance until daybreak. Needless to say, it was too noisy to sleep until about 5:00 a.m.

August 20, Point Lawrence: After our usual ten hour sleep, we arose at 8:00 a.m. We dug some big butter clams and put them overboard in a bucket with cornmeal so they would clean themselves. About noon we loafed along and stopped at Doe Bay for ice cream bars and then continued on and anchored at Point Lawrence. We went for a walk, visited Jess White, and inspected the new cabins at Sea Acres Lodge. This evening we fished for a short time and caught one trout. Then the tiller cable broke. I steered by sitting at the stern of the boat and moving the quadrant by hand as Babe pointed directions from the wheel house. This evening Babe expended considerable effort repairing and replacing one piece of cable with chain. After finishing the job, he tightened the line too much and broke the other piece of cable, so now he has some more work waiting for him in the morning.

August 23-28, Cruise Home to Seattle: The Thompsons continued their cruise home with visits to Utsalady on Camano Island, Possession Point, the A & B Resort, Manzanita, Bremerton, Port Orchard, Cove and Lisabuela on Vashon Island. The log concludes on August 28, the 75th day of the cruise.

August 28, Seattle: We arrived at our moorings at 3:00 p.m. This concludes the 1941 cruise of the good ship Lazy Lil It has more than lived up to our fondest expectations, and we look forward to casting off the lines for another voyage next June.