Update time!
So the original plan was to hop from Neah Bay to La Push but I got frowns all around from the other transients in Neah Bay every time I mentioned La Push, including a few mentions of fishing nets blocking the entrance. Based on that we decided to attempt our first overnight passage and an early morning bar crossing into Westport.
The weather forecast was quite good but after sunset the wind really picked up from the NW, adding 4-5 foot wind waves to the 4 foot swell. Needless to say we were tossed around all night and neither of us slept on our off-watch. On top of that I planned the passage for 6 kts and we were making good 8kts, so at 2am I throttled back to near idle to ensure we didn't hit the bar in the dark.
The sky started to brighten around 5:30am but it was totally socked in. I got the bar report from the Grays Harbor Coast Guard station and fortunately there were no restrictions, but vis was 100 yards and the seas were still just as rough. Even the local fisherman were saying it was shitty out.
We kept an eye on the laptop and radar and safely made our way in. My 1984 vintage Raytheon 1200 was worth its weight in gold! We saw about a dozen boats coming at us on radar over the course of the transit into Westport and safely kept our distance.
Anyway, we paid the price for skipping La Push as the good weather forecast turned out to be inaccurate. That being said, we completed a lot of firsts and we're better off for it.
When we got to the slip I popped down to the engine room and found a quart of oil in the engine pan, so something weird was obviously still going on.
Today I drained the sump and refilled it with the recommended 12 quarts and lo and behold it was exactly to the lower etched in marks (the higher of the two at 12 quarts). I was running with about a gallon too much oil! No wonder the engine's been smoking so much and oil's been seeping out of every oriface. Anyway, mystery solved, thanks to a few helpful comments above.
Tomorrow we depart for Astoria. 9 hrs at 7.5kts, crossing Grays Harbor bar on the flood and will be crossing the Columbia River bar on the flood as well. Weather is 5-10kts out of the N with a 4ft swell at 9s. Should be pleasant... SHOULD be! I'm a little anxious about the Columbia bar but will not hesitate to check with the Coast Guard before I make the entrance.
Till next time...