September 24th - 25th: The day started off cloudy and calm with light rain at our anchorage in Garrison Bay. We put up the bimini and donned our foul weather gear. Off to Friday Harbor, via Speiden Channel and San Juan Channel. We were able ride the incoming tide much of the way, with our speed over ground exceeding 7 kts. at times. That's pretty darn fast for a tiny sailboat like ours! It started to rain in earnest, and we had to head straight into it. It sure would be nice to have some kind of dodger on top of the cabin to shed rain. At the intersection of Speiden and San Juan channels, the currents created a roiling cauldron of turbulence which tossed our boat like a cork in a bathtub. (For Donna, it was that bad, but not for me!) There were also standing waves where the wind collided with the current. Our boat, all considered, handled the buffeting quite nicely.
After dodging ferries, we arrived at Friday Harbor, which has a gigantic marina with over 600 slips. We were placed on H dock, which is (I'm not kidding) about a half mile walk on the docks to the office and showers. The place is really nice, as it is well maintained with updated facilities. Spent the afternoon exploring the quaint adjoining town of Friday Harbor, which has some great restaurants, galleries, and specialty stores. I am writing this blog in the Pelindaba Lavender shop, which features exotic lavender teas, and every lavender-based product you can and can't imagine. There is French pop music playing, and the entire place is permeated with the sweet scent of lavender. The interior is pictured here. Not exacting a stress-inducing place!!
Right about now, you are probably asking yourself how a couple married for 37 years is faring while cooped up in the confines of a 26 foot boat for a month. We are doing great, and the boat has turned out to be a miracle of great ergonomic design. We didn't realize how great it was until we cruised in it for an extended period. There is literally space for everything, and the interior is spacious enough not to feel confining. We are warm, dry, and quite cozy, with LED lights, an oil lamp and a candle lantern. Heat is provided by an upside-down terracotta flower pot atop the alcohol stove. We have continuous forced air ventilation to the outside, so CO is not a problem.
It's off to the fish market on the dock to find tonight's dinner. Tomorrow, we sail for Fisherman's Bay, which is about 5 miles from here.
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