Crossing the Strait

People on cruise ships probably do it in a half hour or 45 minutes. But aboard a small boat like Eolian, crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca is something that needs to be done with care, planning, and it takes a little longer. 9 hours, in fact, from Port Ludlow, to here, anchored behind Center Island in Lopez Sound.

The beginning of the day was benign, no wind to speak of, and what there was came from dead ahead. So we drove from Port Ludlow to Port Townsend. But as we cleared Point Wilson (next land here, looking past the Point Wilson lighthouse and out the Strait, is Japan), we began to see the wind coming in from the Strait. We hoisted sails and had a wonderful time, making more than 5 knots the whole way, moving from close-hauled as we entered the Strait, to a broad reach as we left it in the North, entering Rosario Strait.

Here, Jane pilots us past the nasty rocks at the SE corner of Lopez Island

By the time we turned into Lopez Pass, we were exhausted. We dropped the anchor on the NE corner of Center Island, well-sheltered from the wind, and opened two very well-deserved beers.

Crossing the Strait