Date: 06 02 2140
Time: 1230

Weather: 7C, Scattered showers
Location: Maryville and New Da Nang, WA

The old pilot boat was lowered from the dock at New Da Nang into the frigid grey waters of Puget Sound. A small crowd of Viets gathered to assist the Project personnel in loading the small craft for its journey to the far western coast of what used to be Washington state. Now it was an almost uninhabited wild, rocky shore. Thick forests grew to the edge of sheer cliffs that dropped down to the unforgiving ocean.

In reply to Project Director (msg # 1):

Darryl addressed the team. "Hey. It'll take a half hour to finish loading.

"It'a 280 kilometre trip by water, about 150 nautical miles. The boat can now make 15 knots, so it's a ten-hour trip.

"Jimmy, you want to start out now? You'll need to anchor for the night unless you want to travel in the dark."

Jimmy looks to the boat's captain, then to Leaf.

"I am for it if my captain and local guide think it works.  From what I hear we are due bad weather and the faster we get this going, the better."

In reply to James (Jimmy) Gerrold MacGuire (msg # 3):

The young woman studied the boat and nodded her head. "I know several inlets and sheltered areas we can anchor for the night. Few places to go ashore until we get to, uh, "La Push", as the place where we're going is called, but that should be ok."