Compression

I count 61 boats...

With the Canadian border closed due to the virus, all the boaters that would normally have made a trip up into the Gulf Islands are prevented from doing so.  Consequently the San Juan Islands are absolutely packed this summer.  In the photo above, taken while we were at anchor in Blind Bay, I counted 61 boats.  In a normal year, on a holiday weekend, we would expect 20 to perhaps 30 boats here.

This takes all the fun out of being at anchor - with every boat that you see coming into the bay you ask yourself, "OK, so where is he going to anchor...  right in front of us I presume."  And you will be right.  Then there is the tremendous amount of high-speed dinghy traffic buzzing around.  And the loud music.

We have elected to avoid this, staying at the dock for the latter part of the summer.

(Yes, we are in that picture...  Can you find Eolian?)

Compression

It Just Got Easier - An App You Have To Have

Previously I wrote about the tricky tide-driven currents in the San Juan Islands,and how important it is to take them into account when planning voyages there.  In that previous post, I referred to the Canadian Current Atlas for the area...  the bible.  I also mentioned the somewhat involved procedure needed to determine which of the 100 or so charts would apply to the current time.  This procedure had to be applied to each of the alternatives when planning a voyage, and involved a lot of flipping thru pages and reference charts.

No more!

It's now an app!

Someone has laboriously taken all of the information in the Current Atlas and built it into an app...  an app that makes it absolutely painless to scroll backwards and forwards in time to compare alternatives.

And here is the big bonus:  it's all in the app.  No internet connection is required, so this is entirely appropriate for use in internet-deprived areas (there are quite a few in the Islands...).

You can find it in your app store - search for "Current Atlas".  Yes, you'll have to pay for it, once.   (You had to pay for the arcane hardcopy version didn't you?)  It is worth every penny.

Get it.

It Just Got Easier - An App You Have To Have

Destination: Westcott/Garrison Bays, San Juan Island

So near, and yet so far. That's an apt description of Garrison and Westcott Bays.

Roche Harbor on the northwestern tip of San Juan Island is a busy place. Boats and huge yachts coming and going all the time, many holding position while they are assigned space at the docks, sea planes coming and going nearly continuously thru the day. Dinghies buzzing back and forth. And then there is that Retirement of the Colors Ceremony that is conducted every night at sunset.

Yet in the twin bays just the other side of a spit of land, there is peace and quiet.

Yes, the bays are shallow, but not too shallow.  In the chart above, the depth contours are the 1, 2, and 3 fathom lines...  there is plenty of depth for most boats to anchor, tho you should probably not try to go behind Guss Island.

(That's Roche Harbor at the top of the chart)

You will reach the twin bays thru a narrow passage that opens off of Mosquito Pass (Mosquito Pass leads from the south end of Roche Harbor to the Strait of Juan de Fuca).  Mosquito Pass is a little tricky - you will want to pay attention to your chartplootter and depth sounder while navigating it.  Turn left (east) after passing red Buoy '6' and enter the narrow channel, again watching your plotter and sounder.  Anchoring is good on a mud bottom, but the north shore of Garrison Bay near Bell Point is infested with kelp.  And do pay attention, there is a shoal extending from Bell Point a surprising distance to the northwest.  Because of the contours of the surrounding land, the bays are very well-protected from winds, even from the southwest, which you might not expect.

The formal garden at English Camp

On the northern shore of Garrison Bay is English Camp, a National Park containing the preserved buildings remaining from the English occupation of San Juan Island (1860 - 1872).  Well worth your time for a visit - let your imagination range back a century and a half and try to imagine how things were then, before Kaiser Wilhelm I arbitrated a settlement between Britain and the United States as to where the national boundary would run thru the archipelago.

BBQ'd oysters

Those are baby oysters he is showing me

In Westcott Bay there is the Westcott Bay Shellfish Company (dotted rectangle), a working oyster farm that supplies much of Puget Sound with these shellfish delights.  They also have a casual food service featuring their oysters, clams and mussels.  But if you want to partake, be sure that you arrive before 16:00, when they shut down the outdoor kitchen.  Take the time to talk to the folks running the operation - they take their work seriously, are very friendly, and will be happy to educate you on the process of shellfish farming.

Destination: Westcott/Garrison Bays, San Juan Island

Melancholia

I really love getting under way early in the morning!  This morning it was dead calm, the water like glass.  Just a tiny burst of power got Eolian moving out of the slip, ghosting along at far less than a walking pace.  We were moving so slow in fact, that the rudder didn't bite and start to turn her stern until we were well out in the waterway.  A couple of quick bursts in Fwd and Rev (you single screw boaters know what I mean), got her bow pointed down the waterway, and then out of the marina.  A warm, calm, peaceful sunny morning, latté in hand, we left the marina and headed for the Islands.

The melancholy part is, that despite it being a perfect day to be on the water, warm and sunny, this could be the last trip out to the Islands for us this year.  So, in just the same way that you savor the last glorious days of summer when there is a hint of fall in the air telling you, that like everything else, it has to come to an end, the trip across Rosario Strait to Thatcher Pass was filled with not only the enjoyment of a perfect day on the water, but also with the memories we made this summer:

• Set a new record boat speed:  8.7 kt under yankee alone, in 35+ kt of wind, on our way to Sucia
  
• Speaking of Sucia, we ended up making four visits there this year.  It is a magical place...
  
• We discovered that going by north of Guemes Island and on to Sucia, one can mostly ignore the tides...
  
• We discovered a wind tunnel between Orcas Island and Clark/Barnes islands...  if there is wind anywhere, it will be here...
  
• Truly a mountain of crab!
  
• The stack-pack I made for the mizzen is wonderful!
  
• New friends on s/v Odyssey and m/v Konocti Bay
• And many, many nites at anchor, throughout the islands.
  

So...  here I sit, typing away in the last days of summer and the last days of the sailing season for us.  I am endeavoring to be present in each and every moment so that I will have enough days and nites stored away to get me thru the long, wet, dark winter that is inexorably coming...

Melancholia

The Opposite Perspective

We have anchored in Blind Bay and Indian Cove on Shaw Island countless times.  But other than the obligatory trips to the Shaw Island General Store for ice cream, we have never been on Shaw Island.

There was one exception however, when we took a hike from Blind Bay over to the campground at Indian Cove.  Now Shaw Island is not big - the hike is almost exactly 2 miles long.  When we did that hike, we promised ourselves that we'd repeat it some day, with backpacking gear and spend the nite at the campground.

We took the occasion of our 45th wedding anniversary to do just that last Thursday...

Backpacking on the ferry

When hiking on Shaw Island, you are likely to run into some of the residents...  residents who will not gracefully surrender right of way to you or car traffic.

On the way, you will pass this charming little hut, where someone is selling locally gathered seeds.  On the honor system, of course.

The campground is lovely.  There are 10 sites, most of which are on the edge of a 20 foot high bluff directly above the beach.  All are supplied with picnic tables and a fire ring (firewood is available).  Water spigots are not far.

And then there is the beach at Indian Cove, one of the nicest beaches in the Islands.

The view begs you to just sit and contemplate. 

So we had the opportunity to see the anchorages we are so familiar with, but from the opposite perspective - from land.

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Finally, being the gadget nerd that I am, this trip provided the opportunity to try out some neat things that I had received from my son and daughter-in-law as presents...

Backpacker's beer - No one wants to carry the weight of a six-pack when backpacking.  But most of that weight is water.  What if you removed that water?  Yeah, that's the ticket!  It's real beer, with a real head, and it is as cold as your water source.  You won't believe how good it tastes!

Heating water for coffee... and charging my phone!

Unlike almost all of our backpacking campsites, This one on Shaw Island has cell service.  But the battery in my ageing iPhone 5s is failing and needs frequent transfusions of electrons to stay alive.  Imagine my delight then, at receiving this backpacker's pot!  Yes, it does indeed have a wire attached to it...  You see, the base of the pot is a thermoelectric generator, and creates electricity as long as there is enough temperature difference between the bottom of the pot and its contents.

The Opposite Perspective

Bittersweet

The great wheel of the seasons has turned.  The Earth is now at the 21:00 position in its orbit (yeah, I know it's arbitrary, but that's how I think of it.  Oh, and that the Earth orbits counterclockwise makes my internal vision even more incorrect.)  Day and nite are equal length; sunset and sunrise occur at 06:00 and 18:00 solar time.  Even at noon, the sun is perceptibly lower in the sky.  All the signs are there:  it is Fall.

And looking realistically at what is on our plate for the remaining few nice days of the year, we won't get Eolian off the dock again in 2016.  So, we have brought the winter fenders to the marina and are doubling up our docklines in preparation for the gales of winter, which are sure to come.  I didn't get to diving on the prop to put on a fresh zinc this last weekend because we had the pleasure of running into Grant and Laurie of s/v Shadowdance, old friends from Shilshole...  and let's be honest here...  I didn't really want to jump in the 51° water either.  So I still have that to do.

It was a great year tho, with week after week living at anchor in the San Juan Islands, some spectacular sails, and 50 crabs in the freezer.

Bittersweet

Spring Shakedown Complete: Nothing Broke!

Finally!

With all systems go, we were finally free to leave the dock on Saturday, May 7.   With Facebook seeming to tease us with posts from past years that showed us at anchor weeks earlier in the year, I was beginning to get a little anxious to be gone.

The first time off the dock every year is a little more daunting.  This is because the items on the checklist that are naturals after reinforced repetition over the summer have faded.  And then there is the worry about the close-quarters maneuverings needed at the dock - it is not learning all over again from scratch, but it is definitely not second nature either.  And then there are all those things that you worked on since last year.  Sure you checked them, and tested them...  but, well Murphy is always an unwelcome stowaway on every boat.

I am happy to report that the shakedown was pretty much uneventful.  Leaving the dock was a little exciting with a pretty stiff NW breeze causing the boat to weathercock off of the rudder, making it difficult to get away from the dock without the bow pulpit brushing the piling at the end of the finger pier. 

Well, OK, it did brush it... just.  No damage, no foul.

Ahhh...  sleeping at anchor

As it too often seems to be the case, the wind was on our nose coming our Guemes Channel, and then died off entirely as we entered Rosario Strait.  So we were a motor boat.  But we were away!  We anchored in Blind Bay (Honey, I'm home!) and spent the night, another day, and another nite there, luxuriating in the peace of being at anchor.  The only error I made was a failure to separate the battery banks after shutting the engine down... first-time-of-the-year failure.  Unfortunately, we slept thru the Aurora Borealis display Saturday nite.

Then, studying our Current Atlas (a book everyone navigating the waters of the San Juans should have), we decided on a trip to Roche Harbor, followed by a jump to Reid Harbor.  The Current Atlas really paid off, with the tide carrying us for 6 of the miles of that trip - motoring again because of a complete lack of wind. 

Required Roche Harbor ritual

We dropped the dinghy and went ashore because there were some things that had to be done:

• We were out of coffee!  Get a pound at the store.
• Visit with Jill and get caught up with the crew of s/v Ambition.
• No visit to Roche Harbor is complete for us without clams and a bottle of wine at the Roche Harbor Hotel.  And we got to catch up with our favorite server there, "Crash" (Jayne) and found out she is engaged!   

And then back out to the boat to enjoy a quiet evening.

Evening peace in Roche Harbor

The next morning, we rose, and after consulting the Current Atlas again, determined our departure for the quick jaunt across Spieden Channel to Reid Harbor on Stuart Island.  

Now, Reid is one of those places without telephone or internet coverage.  So our stay there was NOT spent staring at our phones or the computer.  Instead we went ashore and did some relaxed hiking.  In fact we met one of the few Stuart Island residents, who was working as a volunteer on the park facilities, and had a nice chat.

Eolian and curmudgeon in Reid Harbor

After another peaceful nite (20 kt winds had been forecast - part of the reason for the location choice for this nite - but they never materialized), we motored back to Blind Bay for the final night of our trip.

While on the journey, we found some other shakedown items:

• Our flares need to be replaced - they are nearing their expiration date. (Done.)
• For some reason, I forgot to purchase our 2016 state registration.  Last year's expires 6/30/2016, so getting a new one coming is a priority.  (Ordered.)
• The rechargeable battery in our wireless handheld mic for the VHF will now only hold enough electrons for about an hour of operation.  (New battery pack ordered.  Actually, 3 battery packs are coming, and what a diversity of prices!  Amazon wants $45 for this battery pack, and I got 3 of them, delivered, for $5.69 on eBay.  Always do the research!)

So, all in all, a good shakedown and a successful first cruise of the year!

Spring Shakedown Complete: Nothing Broke!

No, It's Not That Simple

The tide comes in, the tide goes out. The current flows in, the current flows out. That's it, right?

Well, no, actually.

First a little orientation for those of you not familiar with the area - this image shows the upper left-hand part of Washington State.  The important features to note are:

• The Strait of Juan de Fuca - the large strait connecting the Pacific Ocean to the entire Salish Sea
• Puget Sound - the body of water reaching from a little north of Everett southward - basically everything south of the large word "Sea"
• The San Juan Islands - the group of islands just north of the large word "Sea" and south of the border with Canada
• The Strait of Georgia - the body of water running north of the San Juan Islands, between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland

So the water coming in via the Strait of Juan de Fuca (and it is a LOT of water - imagine how much has to flow thru here to raise the water level in all of Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia 12-16 feet in just 6 hours...) meets a decision point when it reaches the eastern end of the strait...  it is forced to split, part going north into Canada, and part going south into Puget Sound.  That's a lot of momentum, forced to make a sharp turn in one direction or the other.  You might imagine that things could be a little, umm, confused at the eastern end of the Strait.  And you'd be right.

But like Ron Popeil says...  "Wait!  There's more!"  

Tho the water heading south to Puget Sound has a pretty straight shot past Point Wilson and into Admiralty Inlet, the northbound flow faces the obstruction of the San Juan Islands:

The image above shows a realistic picture of what the flows look like (the entrance to Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound is at the bottom right-hand corner).  First, notice that two major gyres have developed, just south of Victoria and at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet, and some minor ones off of Port Angeles and at Cattle Pass just south of San Juan Island.  And the flow paths thru the San Juan Islands themselves are by no means simple.

But wait!  There's more!  

The picture gives the impression that things are static.  Reality isn't.  The flows morph and change throughout the entire tidal cycle, changing and reversing directions in the most amazing ways.  And the flows are different for each day in the tidal cycle, and for each month of the year.  In our area we have two tidal cycles that, like two wave trains on the ocean, some times nearly cancel each other out, and at others reinforce each other.  How could a mariner ever keep track of all of that?

Well there is an answer.  In 1999 the Canadian government compiled a series of nearly a hundred charts like the one above and published them in book form (the chart above is a portion of one of them):

But wait! There's more!

It's not easy to select the chart that applies to a particular date and hour.  I'm not going to go into how the published instructions in the book select the particular page you need.  Just know that it uses a couple of nomographs and is not simple.

Because of this, there are a couple of published tables (Washburne's, Murray's) that you just enter with a date and time and they tell you which page in the Current Atlas applies.  But tho the Current Atlas is timeless, these published tables need to be re-purchased each and every year.

But wait! There's more!

There is a solution to that too!  A sharp individual named Emanuel Borsboom puts equivalent tables online for you to view or download and print (free for non-commercial use).  If you are computer savvy, he also makes the code that produces the tables available.  With that code, you can produce your own tables forever, without depending on Internet access.  Or Borsboom's continued interest in publishing them online.

So, armed with this information the astute mariner should not get caught unintentionally stemming an adverse current. With flows approaching 5 kt in some places this is not unimportant, especially for sailors whose boat speeds mean that they could actually be moving backwards.

Our copy of the Current Atlas is on its way, and we are looking forward to speedier and more relaxed passages next season!  No surprises!

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Update

The world has moved on in this Internet age - you must see this!

No, It's Not That Simple

Island Life

We recently spent several days at anchor in Reid Harbor on Stuart Island.  Stuart is the westernmost of the San Juan Islands, with the Canadian border in the water just a little ways outside the Turn Point lighthouse.  Although there are several large and expensive-looking houses scattered about, there are only about 15 year-long Stuart Island residents.

Stuart Island

While there, we hiked to the schoolhouse, and more importantly the Treasure Chest!  "The treasure chest," you say? Yes, the Treasure Chest.  In very typical island fashion, this is filled with goodies (shirts, tees, hats, etc - some examples are hanging on the line behind it).  And it is completely on the honor system.  Yes, that's right - in an era when in the city everyone has his hand on his wallet to prevent it from being lifted, the unattended treasure chest is unattended.  Each item is packaged with an IOU and an envelope for you to mail them back a check when you reach civilization again.

The Treasure Chest

This got me to thinking about island life in general.  As it turned out, the lady that runs the treasure chest (and provides the cooler of cold water for those who have managed to trudge up the hill to the treasure chest) happened to be there as we arrived.  We had a conversation that was interesting, to say the least.

Schoolhouses

The conversation started out about the school - a wonderful open-plan building constructed in 1983 - the third schoolhouse I think (its the building on the left, with the red roof).  It is heated with a wood furnace, and looking in the windows showed a lot of creativity and love in there.  But, sadly, it is closed.  Tho the last time we visited Stuart Island there were 6 school kids, today there is only one school-aged child in residence on the island.  Not enough to justify keeping the school open.  Our conversation then turned to, how to get more young folks with children to settle on the island. 

This is not an easy task, because island life requires a level of self-sufficiency not seen for a long time elsewhere in the USA.  Such as:

• There are no public utilities on the island.  That means that there is no electricity - each homeowner must make their own - solar, wind, or gas generator.
• There is no public water system.  Each homeowner must drill a well and pump their water from it (see electricity, above).
• There is no ferry service to the island.  If you live there, you're going to have a boat.
• There is no store on the island.  For the necessities of everyday life, you must get in your boat and travel to either Roche Harbor (5 miles of open water) or Friday Harbor (14 miles).  And you must do this, not just on idyllic summer days when it is warm and the sun is hot on your shoulders, but in the winter too.
• The nearest hospital is in Friday Harbor (see boat, above)
• There is no telephone service unless your house happens to be in one of the few places where cell service can be obtained.
• There is no internet (except see above)
• There is no gas station.  Or propane delivery.  Or fuel oil delivery.  If you want or need these things, see boat, above.
• There is no cable.
• There is no TV, except for poor (now digital, with pixelation) sporadic reception.
• Everything, and I mean EVERYthing must come to the island by boat.  You want that well drilled?  Or lumber for house construction?  Or concrete?  Then you'll have to hire one of those expensive LSTs to haul things to the island.
• You want a car?  Why would you want a car?

As you can see, island life is not for everyone.  And in fact, apparently not for enough folks to support even a one-room school.  But I know that there are people out there who would absolutely jump at the chance to leave the crowded, noisy, dangerous urban environment for the peace of island life.  The compensations are tremendous. In fact, several of the items I listed above could be considered as advantages.

County Road
Yup, that's one lane, gravel.

So, here's to those young urban couples with children:  Are you self-sufficient enough to live the island life?  (We are not, but we admire it.)

Then what's keeping you from it?

Island Life

Destination: Center Island, San Juan Islands

In Lopez Sound, tucked into the bight formed by the spit on the south end of Decatur Island, lies Center Island.  

Lopez Sound
Excerpt from Chart 18429

The island is all privately owned and is large enough to have an airstrip.  Tho there is no public access to shore, Center Island has one very important attribute for cruisers in the San Juan Islands:  it is the eye of the storm.  On multiple occasions when the wind was howling out of the west, down the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hunter Bay, we found almost calm conditions anchored off the north east shore of Center Island.  And then there was the time when we came through Lopez Pass with 25+ kt on our stern and anchored in the same spot, again in calm conditions.

Center Island
Depths in fathoms

Approaching from Lopez Pass, we clear the last of the chain of small islands north of the pass, turn north, and round Center Island on its western side.  The area between Center Island and the Decatur spit is quite shallow south of the cable area, and so we avoid it in all but the highest of tides.

Approaching from the north there are no surprises.  We anchor in 4 fathoms, close to the island and just north of the edge of the cable area. 

Calm Morning
That is Center Island to the right of center, viewed from the north

It's not always this calm at Center Island, but it is a beautiful anchorage.

Destination: Center Island, San Juan Islands

Time Passes

In 1980 when our kids were just toddlers, I took a picture of this intriguing tree in Washington Park in Anacortes.  It was the occasion of our second trip to the San Juan Islands, and our very first ever boat charter (a Newport 28).

1980

We had occasion to be at Washington Park again this fall, and I was surprised to see that the tree was still there.  But sadly, the intervening 34 years have not been kind to it - tho still in place, it is sagging downward, and it has died.

2014

One other thing is apparent in these two pictures...  the technology of photography has changed dramatically over those years.  The first picture was taken as a 35 mm Kodachrome slide.  The second was a snapshot taken on my iPhone.  Clearly 35 mm format slide film with a 250 mm zoom lens beats the pants off of an iPhone, digitally zoomed out to the max.  Nevertheless, I'll probably never go back to toting around a big heavy camera bag full of expensive lenses.  The convenience of having the camera in my pocket wherever I go is for me an overwhelming advantage.

Time Passes

The Arduous Hike to Enlightenment

Yesterday afternoon we moved the boat from Indian Cove, around the corner to Blind Bay.

We've anchored in both Blind Bay and Indian Cove numerous times, and on many a sun-downer evening in Blind Bay, speculated just exactly where on the shoreline we should look to be looking towards Indian Cove. 

This morning we finally addressed that burning question. We put on our hiking shoes and dinghied over to the ferry landing. As we walked up the hill, we promised ourselves that when we returned we would have earned a nice ice cream cone. 

It was a quiet two mile saunter on paved roads where we waved at every car and every car waved back. At one point there was a car parked in the middle of the road, stationary, talking on a phone. Not a problem as there was no other traffic. And then there was the pleasant conversation we had with the nun, also out walking, also held in the middle of the road. 

It was not at all arduous, and yet we were enlightened. It turns out that Indian Cove is just over the tree line at the back of Blind Bay, much closer than you would think.  And now we know just where to look. 

The ice cream comes were delicious. 

The Arduous Hike to Enlightenment

Hats? Or Visors?

We just spent a couple of days anchored in Roche Harbor, and I think I learned some things from the experience.

First, all the really big boats go to Roche Harbor.  I mean the BIG BOATS - 100+ feet long.  Maybe there isn't enough long dock space in Friday Harbor.  Or maybe the ambience is wrong there - but then I would have no idea what that could mean.  If your boat is, say 120 feet long, what is it that you are looking for at a dock?  In shoreside amenities?  Whatever it is, apparently Roche Harbor has more of it than Friday Harbor... there was a parade of these huge boats going in there every day.

And the other thing...  If I could judge which of the folks aboard those monster yachts were the owners, I noticed that there was a preponderance in headgear.  No, not a preponderance...  it was virtually unanimous.  While those of us in smaller boats wear baseball caps, Tilley hats, Aussie bush hats...  the owners of the Really Big Boats all wore visors.  You know - like a baseball hat, but with the crown missing; almost universally they were white in color.

So I got out my visor - the one with the included hairstyling (not having much of my own, this is helpful).  And even tho it is a black visor, I would swear that we got more waves from the big boats after I put it on...

Hats? Or Visors?

Crabbing our way thru the San Juans

Pulling the crab trap

Retirement is great!  We have little or no schedule, and can stay or go as we please. 

I don't think we have ever spent as many days anchored in the same spot as we have this year.  After all, why not?  In the past, we have always felt the urge to get on to the next place after waking up at anchor.  Not this year.

We got to Parks Bay and just...  stayed.  Other boats came and went.  But we stayed, pulling the crab trap twice a day, morning and nite.  Each time the trap was heavy with crabs; we near-limited each day.  These are Dungeness crabs, and are big ones - the kind where one crab serves two for dinner.  Our freezer is filling up.

I freely admit that the slow lifestyle at anchor combined with the lack of connectivity have made me remiss in my blogging.  I apologize.  Sort of.

This morning we awoke at anchor in Roche Harbor.  And civilization.  And the constant coming and going of boats and seaplanes.   And the ability to go ashore and buy sugar, which we ran out of this morning because I neglected to check our supply before we left the dock.  My bad.

Now, I gotta go check the crab pot.

Crabbing our way thru the San Juans

Destination: Indian Cove, Shaw Island, San Juan Islands

If you arrived here by searching for a chart, please see this page.

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Shaw Island
Excerpt from Chart 18421

On Shaw Island's southeastern shore, just off Upright Passage, lies Indian Cove. 

Indian Cove
Depths in fathoms

It was one of those summer days when the wind was blowing straight down the Strait of Georgia, right thru the San Juans.  Our anchorage had become uncomfortable, and we sought a place that provided some protection from the strong northwesterlies.  Indian Cove was just the spot.  It was almost calm there, despite the howling wind seemingly everywhere else.

Entering Indian Cove should be done from the southern end, not thru the little channel north of Canoe Island, which is strewn with rocks.  From the south, the only thing to worry about is that rock off the southwestern tip of Canoe Island - it's well-marked with kelp.

Anchorage is good in Indian Cove on a mud bottom which slopes up gently towards the shore without surprises.

Anchoring at the eastern end of the cove provides easier access to the county park, with its wonderful sandy public beach - one of the prime attractions of this anchorage.

However, even at the eastern end of the cove, you are looking straight down Upright Channel right out Cattle Pass and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  This would not be a recommended anchorage if the wind were forecast to turn southerly.

Destination: Indian Cove, Shaw Island, San Juan Islands

Favorite San Juan Islands Anchorages

Recently a friend asked what our favorite anchorages in the San Juan Islands were.

Before I answer, you will need some context.  First, these are anchorages... not docks, not mooring balls.  We don't like being tied to a dock, and Eolian is at the upper limit of what the State Park mooring balls allow, which makes me nervous about the condition of the mooring chain and anchor - we trust our own chain and anchor.  We are not usually fond of hustle and bustle, so Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor are not on the list (however we will stop at one of these for provisions if necessary, or to visit friends).

So here they are in no particular order at all.  I have written "Destination" posts about some of these before (links included)...  but this list tells me that I have more writing to do:

1. Echo Bay, Sucia Island
2. Parks Bay, Shaw Island
3. Indian Cove, Shaw Island
4. Blind Bay, Shaw Island
5. Center Island, Lopez Sound
6. Hunter Bay, Lopez Sound
7. Brigantine Bay, Lopez Sound
8. Reid Harbor, Stuart Island
9. Westcott/Garrison Bays, San Juan Island

Now that we are Anacortes-based, we will have the time to explore the Islands more thoroughly.  In the past we have visited these additional places with smaller boats:

• James Island
• Spencer Spit
• Jones Island
• Turn Island
• Armitage Island
• Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island
• Fossil Bay, Sucia Island
• Shallow Bay, Sucia Island

but Eolian is uncomfortably large to fit in some of them,  and some are not suitable except in settled weather.

We have never been to Fisherman's Bay on Lopez Island.  Several of our friends have, and some of those friends have bumped bottom on the entry.  We will visit Fisherman's Bay, but we will do so on a rising tide when the tides are high.

OK readers, now it is your turn.  Where are your favorite spots?  Where should we visit next?

Favorite San Juan Islands Anchorages

Destination: Chuckanut Bay

If you arrived here by searching for a chart, please see this page.

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Chuckanut Bay
Excerpt from chart 18424

In answer to your first question, no I don't know where the name comes from, but Wikipedia says, "from 'Chuckanut', a native word for 'Long beach far from a narrow entrance'".   Um, OK.

Chuckanut Bay is located just south of Bellingham Bay, a nice sail up from Anacortes.  There are no tricks in approaching the Bay, and the only hazards are those well-charted and quite visible rocks...  and little Chuckanut Island, both of which serve to partially guard the entrance from swells.

But the bay's best protection is from the surrounding land.  It is very high and steep, heavily wooded terrain, and serves as an effective wind block from the north or the south. 

There are Burlington Northern/Santa Fe railroad tracks near the water and which pretty much completely surround the bay, including passing over an artificial causeway at the north end.  Expect to see trains. 

Anchoring is easy - the bay is a near-uniform 40 feet deep with a sticky mud bottom.  You can anchor just about anywhere. 

Looking down the length of Chuckanut Bay from the north

The northern bight is nearly free of development, especially on the western shore, tho there are a series of McMansions perched high up on the steep hillside (they must have spectacular views, but they are built cheek by jowl).

The southern bight offers two especially nice spots: Pleasant Bay and the unnamed bight just to the northeast.  There are a few boats on buoys and the development is much more tasteful.

And since the bay opens to the west, the sunsets are spectacular!

Destination: Chuckanut Bay

Trip planning in the Pacific Northwest

Here in the Pacific Northwest, trip planning is more involved than it is in, for example, the Chesapeake.  Sure, you need a starting point and a destination.  And if the path is complicated, you should set up some way points, either on paper or electronically.  These parts are true everywhere.

But here in the Pacific Northwest, trip planning must also take into account the tides.  With as much as 16 feet of tidal difference, the currents generated just about everywhere are something that must be taken into account by all sail and most power boats.  Even in places with "benign" tidal currents (say, 1 kt) taking the tide into account on a boat making 5 kt can mean the difference of hours in a trip.  And if you're burning diesel, the difference is financial as well.

Here's a realistic example:  The trip from Seattle to the San Juan Islands is roughly 60 miles, depending on your actual origin and destination.  This can be made in a boat making 5 kt thru the water in a single day.  If there were no tide, the trip would take 12 hours.  Working with the tide, the trip can be made in 8-9 hours.  But working against the tide, you might not be able to get past Point Wilson at all.

On Eolian, we try to time things so that we are moving up Admiralty Inlet on a strong ebb tide (1-3 kt ride, rising to as much as 5-6 kt at Point Wilson), timing things so that we arrive at Partridge Bank, more or less in the middle of the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca,  at low slack.  Then by the time we are approaching Cattle Pass in the San Juan Islands, the flood has started, giving us a ride all the way to Friday Harbor.

This having to deal with both ebb and flood tides seems to be a feature for us.  Now that we are located in Anacortes, we have to consider the current in Guemes Channel and in Thatcher Pass.  And once again, going from Anacortes to Friday Harbor, we want to leave Anacortes on an ebb, but time it so that we have a flood tide by the time we reach Thatcher Pass.  The current in Guemes Channel is pretty benign, but that at Thatcher Pass is significant.  Tho we might stem the tide in Guemes Channel, I'd strictly avoid doing that at Thatcher Pass.

It's never easy, is it?  But it's all part of boating, in the PNW anyway.

Trip planning in the Pacific Northwest

Home

D-51

This is our new home - slip D-51 at Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes, WA.  We will be port-tie, facing south (into the winter storms, so they tell me).

Tho we are not yet using the slip (we'll leave Shilshole at the end of the month), first impressions are that this seems to be a great marina...  let me count some of the ways:

• Anacortes is the gateway to the San Juan Islands
• Cheaper than Shilshole
• Brand new dock
• Power and water at each slip (Shilshole has water bibs at each group of 4 slips, meaning that there are hoses strung all over, including under the docks)
• Free Wifi (Shilshole: nope)
• The pair of slips making up a horseshoe is 8 feet wider than the slips at Shilshole
• The marina staff are friendly, courteous and helpful.  (In contrast, Shilshole recently turned off the water at our slip - without any notice at all.  When I discovered this and called them, they said the pipes were rotten, and that it would be at least a couple of years before they would get replaced.)
• The marina fosters a sense of community by sponsoring  a series of activities set up for marina folks (example: community tour of the Nordic Tug factory in Burlington).  In fact, we recently found out that Cap Sante folks had contacted Angela (s/v Ghost, Dockside Solutions) looking for advice on how to make the marina more desirable for liveaboards.  Wow.
• There is an Anthony's restaurant literally at the head of the dock - they have an outdoor seating area with a fireplace and blankets for when the weather is cool.
• There is a Safeway grocery store right across the street from the marina.
• In fact, the marina is not isolated like Shilshole - the core of downtown Anacortes is all within walking distance.
• If you plan to be gone for a while, you can rent your slip back to the marina, saving you $$.

And last but not least, Cap Sante's dock carts were purchased in this millenium:

All-terrain dock carts??

Home

In a San Juan Frame of Mind

Shilshole Sunset

In 1997 we berthed Eolian in Seattle because I had just gotten a job with the University of Washington.  Later, we moved her from the Fairview Marina on the south end of Lake Union out to Shilshole when a slip became available there, in 1999.  We've been there ever since - for 15 years - the longest time we have ever lived in any one place, ever.  Now that I just said that, I realize that's a pretty big indictment of our apparently nomadic lifestyle.

But in any case, we are now retired.  The need for a living space convenient to work is over.  As one of the many life changes that occur with the end of work, out of the blue Jane contacted the Port of Bellingham wondering if there were any slips available suitable for Eolian...  the wait list was five years long.  Then she tried the Port of Anacortes, asking for 50' slips (Eolian is 52' overall, without the dinghy hanging from the davits - maybe we could squeeze in...) - ten year wait list.

Then something completely surprising happened.  The helpful guy at the Port of Anacortes asked if we might be interested in a 57' slip.  They had nine available.

Wait - what??!

Yup - not only was there a slip big enough to take Eolian, with the dinghy, but we could have our choice of nine!  And these are brand new docks.  And the slips are eight feet wider than those at Shilshole.  And the Port supplies free WiFi. And it's cheaper than Shilshole. And finally, Anacortes is the gateway to the San Juans - just a hop, skip and a jump across Rosario Strait.

Cruising in the San Juan Islands has always been a life objective for us, ever since our first visit in 1977, aboard our little Cal 21, Deja Vu.  While berthed in Seattle, we've made it to the Islands several times over the years, but it is always a journey, if you know what I mean.  And for years we had our names on the waitlists at Friday Harbor and Anacortes, hoping for an opening (and the opportunity to work remotely, which sadly never appeared).

So, yeah, we took a slip at Anacortes.  We have it now.  And we have given notice to Shilshole - our time there ends 5/31.

I know it's not the same, but I feel a little of that footloose and fancy free feeling that world cruisers get when they are about to cut the docklines.  But without the anxiety of whether we have covered everything on the boat prep list.  We could go to Anacortes today.  Or next week.  Or after Memorial Day.  Or we could leave Shilshole at the end of the month and arrive in Anacortes at some indeterminate time further in the future. 

We will miss all of our favorite anchorages - Port Madison, Eagle Harbor, Poulsbo, etc.  And we will miss all of our friends on the docks at Shilshole, old and new.  But I trust that we will see our Seattle friends up in the Islands, because they are a popular Seattle destination.  And that we will make new friends in Anacortes.

It's a time of leaving, and a time of arriving.  It's sad.  It's exciting!

Sunset in Parks Bay, San Juan Islands

In a San Juan Frame of Mind