Friday, September 23, Spencer Spit to James Island

This morning was as beautiful as the afternoon before. The air was still and the water flat. We motored south down the Lopez Sound passing a solo sea kayaker who was enjoying the flat water more than we [Bass: He would have enjoyed it less had I run him over… going straight into the sun he was almost impossible to see through the glare!]. Motoring between Decatur and Lopez Islands landed us back into the Rosario Strait [Lopez Pass, solid current of ~2.5 – 3 knots against us, big swirly eddies… cool in a slightly nerve wracking way.]. There was wind in this piece of water so we raised the main and the jib and sailed up and down the coast. It was our last full day in the San Juan’s and we were feeling a bit sorry for ourselves (everyone now……ooohhhhh poor B & B!!). The wind eventually died so we headed to our last night’s spot at the moorage dock on James Island. The dock is on the west side of a small, verdant island in a protected cove. However sailboats which looked very “moved in” already flanked the dock [and I had read that anchoring conditions weren’t great in the west cove] so we grabbed a mooring ball on the east side of the island in a cove open to the Rosario Strait and practically across from Anacortes. While the boat traffic would be beautiful, especially at night, it was going to be a rolly moorage.

Rowing the dinghy to shore we planned to walk around this quiet island. The beach was neither sand nor rocks but uniform pebbles one inch in diameter and ankle deep. The color, smell and sound of the pebble beach was relaxing. Hiking to the high point we found a mossy rock with a great view. Here we conspired to forever more see land by boat.

On the way back down to the beach we heard a power boat quickly approaching the cove. A few minutes later another power boat loaded with sea kayaks joined the first. Suddenly there were a dozen boys in the campground on the bench above the beach. They set tents and a camp kitchen pretty quickly as the light began to fade. They built a campfire and huddled around the picnic tables. There was a lot of activity but not much noise and it looked like they may have an early morning ahead of them. We did as well, so after a pleasant afternoon on land and evening in the cockpit we decided we would pack tomorrow and retired for the evening.

The next morning the boys had packed camp and were loading their kayaks as we made coffee. It was going to be a nice day to paddle. And as much as we envied the boys beginning their adventure as we ended ours, we were also ready to sleep in our cal king bed and be reunited with our sweet dog Hannah.

Google Earth Tour

Click the link below to download a Google Earth .kml file that will take you on a fly-by tour of our route from Spencer Spit to James Island:

Pictures:

Video from Day 10 (1 mins 14 seconds):

Saturday, September 24, James Island to Anacortes

Click the link below to download a Google Earth .kml file that will take you on a fly-by tour of our route from James Island to Anacortes:

Video from Day 11 (45 seconds):

Thursday, September 22, Blind Island to Spencer Spit

When we woke in the morning the mooring lines were tangled and it took many tries to free Gretel II. The wind we were expecting arrived in the night and the boat hit the mooring ball repeatedly. Sleep was hard to come by so when the morning light came we were up and at them. A slight breeze continued in the morning – it was the right day to raise both headsails in perfect cutter-rigged fashion. We did not have to make many miles this day and the wind was good so we sailed around at the top of Lopez Island, technically in the Harney Channel. We flew both headsails and Gretel II was splendid looking. I’m not sure if it was just my imagination but it seemed like the other sailboats in the area were doing fly-bys in an attempt to get a closer look at Gretel II. I think I was expecting a power boost with two headsails flying and I’m not sure we were going any faster but we were sure a pretty sight! Our only issue was where we found good consistent wind was also in the middle of the main ferry route from Orcas and other islands back to Anacortes. It did feel like we were playing “ferry chicken”.

Although Gretel II looked spectacular flying both headsails it was a chore to come about and tack. Bass spent a lot of time on the fore deck adjusting the sails. I think Bass’s assessment was the two headsails would be great if we were sailing downwind for hundreds of miles, say for instance on a run to Hawaii (I’m game!). But for our purposes the two headsails were really not practical except in keeping us warm with all of the fiddling. [Bass: two things I figured out belatedly: one, the giant furling genoa style headsail is not really the ideal forward sail in a cutter rig, too hard to get it to come around the inner stay that the staysail was hanked onto. Given belated thought #1, belated thought #2 would be for upwind work perhaps leave the big headsail furled and just use the staysail, which tacks back and forth which much less effort and less foredeck work.]

We were spending this night at Spencer Spit on Lopez Island. We arrived in the mooring field in the afternoon. It was sunny and warm and we kicked back in the cockpit reading and listening to tunes. On the power yacht moored next to us were two older couples who were very serious about their crab. Their “dinghy” was a zodiac loaded with pots, buoys and other fishing gear. They checked their pots a few times as Bass and I were basking in the sun. They were laughing and smiling when they collected the last of their pots. I watched as the two men cleaned the crab right off the swim platform of their boat. Up until this point I did not understand the popularity of power yachts. We saw more power yachts than sailing vessels and many of them were chartered. But it dawned on me that a couple of 80 year olds could charter one of these boats and tour the San Juan’s, fishing, watching for whales and experiencing it all in luxury and warmth. I envisioned me and Bass snuggled up in the glass enclosed, raised cabin touring the fjords of Alaska celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary!

Google Earth Tour

Click the link below to download a Google Earth .kml file that will take you on a fly-by tour of our route from Blind Island to Spencer Spit:

Pictures:

Video from Day 9 (2 mins 37 seconds):

Wednesday, September 21, Friday Harbor to Blind Island

The next day we finished our laundry and re-provisioned the galley. Again we found ourselves at Bakery San Juan where we had more coffee, home-made treats and enjoyed a leisurely morning. The bakery has free wi-fi so Bass took the opportunity to take care of some Commish duties. (Bass is our football pool Commissioner and can herd cats from anywhere in the world!). [Bass: a small netbook like the ASUS Eee Pc 1005ha we carry is a pretty convenient cruising tool… small, lightweight, ridiculous battery power, easier to type on than a tablet, has all my work files if needed, and is our onboard chart plotter and iTunes controller underway… and if I drop it off the dock I’m only out $175!]

Before casting off I visited the fresh fish kiosk on the docks, purchasing a piece of halibut so fresh it was almost translucent. I also bought six of the most beautiful sea scallops I have ever seen. They were so fresh I thought I might squirt a bit of lemon juice on them and eat them on the spot! But the fish lady saw my dilemma and gave me a Dixie cup of freshly cracked crab for the walk back to the boat.

By the time we pulled out of Friday Harbor we were thankful for the peace and quiet of Gretel II once again reaffirming our belief that “civilization” is indeed over rated! We sailed north up the west coasts of Lopez and Shaw Islands threading our way through the Wasp Passage past the southern coast of Orcas and into Blind Bay. [My paranoia about running aground – an ingrained family skill – was mocked while we religiously stuck to the deepest water and watched the ferries go blasting by through whichever channel they felt!] We knew a storm was brewing with high winds anticipated so a protected bay was in order.

We secured Gretel II on a mooring ball and rowed over to Blind Island. Blind Island is a small island with campsites, composting outhouse and fire pits. Finding a nice vantage point at the top of Blind Island we hunkered down and raised a glass to the views and to the trip. In silence we watched as ferry traffic came and went frequently serving Shaw and Orcas Islands. A few boats sailed by taking advantage of the building winds. The weather was definitely turning with the wind picking up. At the last sliver of light we rowed back to Gretel ll to make sure she was prepared for the wind.

[We did get a blow that evening, from an unexpected direction, but only for about ½ hour. At the onset I threaded a third docking line onto the mooring, just for security. A friendly wave from a man working on the bow of a trawler on the only other occupied mooring was comforting – even if we had a rough night we’d be two against the storm, looking out for each other… until I realized he was actually dropping his mooring and high tailing it for home at ~15 knots! With wind from the NW we were actually exposed to the full length of West Sound, the worst wind direction you could have at Blind Bay, and feared a rough night, but the winds died within 30 minutes or so leaving us in a peaceful spot, protected by Blind Island from passing wakes in the Harney Channel, and blissfully alone!]

[Some may look at Gretel II and think she’s an older boat, without all the creature comforts of a newer Beneteau or such, but we found her very comfortable, and it’s all relative anyway… as it began to blow and rain we hunkered down under the dodger with a toddy and watched a group of sea kayakers drag in at 0-dark-thirty onto Blind Island. Watching their headlamps bob around in the rain as they tried to get dry, set up tents, cook dinner etc. made us very thankful for our cozy little Baba home.]

Google Earth Tour

Click the link below to download a Google Earth .kml file that will take you on a fly-by tour of our route from Friday Harbor to Blind Island:

Pictures:

Video from Day 8 (1 mins 16 seconds):