Thursday, September 3, 2020

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?)