Back to Anacortes and then home

September 28th: It is hard to believe that we have now spent 30 days on the water. This has been quite an adventure, and one we want to repeat many times in the future. We have barely begun to explore the area, as there is so much more to see. Donna and I covered 255 nautical miles, which translates to 293 land miles!

Altogether, there were 12 nights at anchor, with the balance at marinas. We visited 12 islands within the San Juan and Gulf chains, which included 22 ports of call. There were so many highlights, it is impossible to state what we enjoyed the most. Our time with family was definitely a highlight, as was meeting and getting to know so many other people, both cruisers and hikers.

We hope you have enjoyed following our journey. On October 1, we will be home again. It's now time to take down the mast and rigging and get the boat on the trailer for the 600+ mile trip home.

Bye for now!

Sailing to Watmough Bay in search of Orcas, Lopez Island

September 27th: We changed our itinerary to go in search of orcas off the south coast of Lopez Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. After a rapid ride on the ebb tide through the San Juan Channel, we entered Juan de Fuca Strait. Again, the whales were hiding from us, but we did see many sea lions and dolphins. We will have to come back here and try to find the orcas again. Headed to secluded Watmough Bay which is situated in an undeveloped area on the southeast corner of Lopez. Watmough is tucked in beside a 500' cliff on one side and wooded hills on the other. After anchoring, we rowed the dinghy to a pebbly beach at the head of the bay, and found a hiking trail to the top of Chadwick Hill, a 500' climb over a very steep and gnarly trail. The views from the top were breathtaking. The tiny white spec you see in the pictures is our tiny boat. The views of Mt. Baker and the surrounding mountains were unbelievable, the beautiful sunset and sunrise not withstanding! We spent the following morning leisurely waiting for the tide to change so that we would have a favorable current to take us back to Anacortes.

Fisherman Bay & Lopez Village, Lopez Island

September 26th: We left Friday Harbor in the fog and then navigated an intricate course through shallow water to enter Fisherman Bay on Lopez Island. The entrance to the bay was narrow and scary (for Donna). The GPS never lies, so I just followed the course and got right in (without grounding the boat). We dinghied to a nearby marina and then hiked to quaint Lopez Village, with its organic grocery store where we bought a circular loaf of medieval-appearing sourdough rye bread which turned out to be outstanding. Also, found a bakery that had the intoxicating aromas and delectable fare of those we visited in Europe. Couldn't resist the pear-white chocolate-hazelnut Danish!

The real estate prices on Lopez are breathtaking, as they are in all of the San Juan and Gulf Islands.

Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

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.

Garrison Bay, San Juan Island

September 23rd: Motored about two miles through narrow, current-ridden Mosquito Pass to secluded Garrison Bay, where we anchored in about 14 feet of water at high tide. This is the site of the Royal Marine encampment during the "Pig War" (that is, almost a war) between the US and England in the years 1860-72. There was a disagreement over which country controlled this land. Hostilities heated up when an American soldier shot a pig that belonged to the English. Meanwhile, a few miles away, the Americans established a military outpost. Finally, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was appointed as an outside arbitrator, and both sides agreed to abide by his decision regarding which country would control the island. The Kaiser ruled that the Americans were entitled to the land. The English immediately abandoned their outpost and left peaceably. Imagine that!! Wouldn't it be great if all potential wars could be settled this way?

The English Camp is now a historic park, with re-constructed barracks, blockhouse, and outbuildings that are open to the public. We dinghied to the park, explored the camp, and then hiked up 650' Young Hill, from which there were outstanding views of the bay, as well as surrounding waters, islands and mountains. It is pictured above.

These huge maple trees at English Camp are the largest on the west coast.

Roche Harbor, San Juan Island

September 22nd: Sailed (with wind!!) from Sidney to Roche Harbor, WA, about 12 miles across busy Haro Strait, which is a busy shipping channel. Roche Harbor dates to the 1880's, when it was a lime processing and shipping center. The original 1886 hotel has been restored, and is pictured above. It is now part of an extensive resort. By the way, Teddie Roosevelt, a longtime friend of the owner of the limestone plant, stayed at the hotel in 1906, and his signature in the guestbook is on display there.

John McMillan, the limestone industrialist, created an very elaborate mausoleum for himself and his family, which is situated on the resort's grounds. The ashes of family members are interred in the chairs surrounding the limestone table enclosed by columns pictured here. I think the guy may have had an ego.

Sidney, Vancouver Island

September 21st: Sailed from Brentwood to Sidney, which is located on the east side of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island. We navigated some treacherous waters with narrow passes, hidden rocks and strong currents. Thank heavens for GPS!!

Spent the afternoon exploring Sidney, with its very nice downtown which features many art galleries and bookstores.