PNW 2022, Columbia River and San Juan Islands

[Pat Anderson]

When we go to Eagle Harbor, we just anchor, why use a mooring ball when you can anchor? It is also difficult to land there except at full high tide - way too mucky otherwise.

[colbysmith]

We came in yesterday at -2' on the tide. Yep, that's a minus 2. No issues. We took the farthest in mooring ball in about 4' of water at the time. Looked like a lot of eel grass as we were coming in, and with all the mooring balls in here, it would have been hard to anchor and have swinging room.
Surprisingly enough, while the bungee cord was working great at keeping the mooring ball from banging the hull, sometime during the night both hooks came off the ball ring. Bungee remained on my anchor fluke bar, but I can't understand how the hooks came off with the amount of pressure on them, and that if one hook came off first that the bungee wasn't pulled off the boat and into the drink... Next time I'll have to find a more permanent way to hook the bungee cord on so it can't come off. Being use to mostly calm waters at night, it was a little more rolly than I liked. Wife slept through it, but I'm a light sleeper anyway. And then when the ball would bang against the hull... Winds were forecast to be out of the SSW at less than 10, and I think the very minor waves are probably just tide and current action. Today we're heading for Friday Harbor so we can attend church this weekend. Tomorrow I think we'll head to Stuart Island so we can hike up to Turnagain Point. Colby

[primative]

Well done with the mooring ball improvisation with the low tide. Another solution for a situation. Always something, and we keep learning. Whatever you customize for the future will be in your bag of tricks.

I have a " Trips to take" section in my notes and really appreciate your travel notes and other's experiences, I am taking note of staying off the balls if possible in Eagle Harbor.


C'mon Sunshine

[colbysmith]

I've had the same problems with the mooring balls in other locations as well. So I'm still tweaking my tricks. I really think the bungee thing would have worked if the hooks hadn't come off the ring. I did raft with another boat one time, and found by tying the ball between our bows, it was like tying it between floats on a catamaran. That worked beautifully for a rafting situation. I think being on a mooring ball is kind of like anchoring, but not as concerned about dragging the ball. Just a matter of keeping that damn ball from banging the hull! I'll just keep tweaking at it. Colby

[colbysmith]

While yesterday's short cruise from Cap Sante over to Cypress Island was on smooth water, today's was a little choppier crossing Rosario Strait. Nothing really bad, and most likely from wind against current. If I had to call it, I'd say 1' in chop. Just picked up the speed and went across a little faster, showering the boat in salt spray. Sure don't miss that in our fresh water back home! Saw the WSF Chelan coming out of Friday Harbor and turned into Lopez Island before we got close enough to be an issue.
We ended up out on the far end of H dock. One thing I've noticed walking the docks here at Friday Harbor, why so many boats have expired registration stickers? Some of the boats don't look too bad, while other definitely need some TLC! Isn't it illegal to even launch a vessel in Washington that is not currently registered? I overheard one of the marina managers telling a customer that the wait list is pretty long for annual dock space. Seems to me they have at least a dozen boats on the H pier that aren't currently registered. While the marina staff I talked with were friendly enough, the kid doing my check in didn't know they had a porta potti dump station. Later, I called back and talked to a different employee, and he said there was one at the floating restrooms. I forgot about that from my previous time here. (It's on the back of the restroom at the corner of E Dock where F dock walkway intersects.) Speaking of prior time out here, my facebook memories popped up Midnight Flyer getting slung launched at Cap Santa exactly 8 years ago (yesterday), and today a memory video of Rosanne feeding Popeye the seal 8 years ago. I remember that time. It was cold enough that I finally walked up to the Ace Hardware and bought a small electric heater. (That was before my Webasto!) Today we walked up to that Ace Hardware to get some hose washers, as my hose nozzle was leaking because of a missing washer!) We also walked up to the St. Francis Catholic Parish to attend church this afternoon, then stopped on the way back at Aloha BBQ for supper. Actually a pretty good menu and the food was fine. And nowhere near as busy as the waterfront grills. The corner with the big fire this past year is just an open lot now.
If I still can't get my video of C-Traveler being slung launched to upload, I'll upload some still shots. Tomorrow the plan is to cruise out to Stuart Island and get on one of the docks (floats) at either harbor, and then hike around. Colby

[colbysmith]

Pictures of C-Traveler being sling launched at Cap Sante Marina.

[colbysmith]

C-Traveler at slip H43 at Port of Friday Harbor Marina.


View of the Port of Friday Harbor marina from the marina office.


WSF's Chelan and Tillicum at the Friday Harbor Ferry landing.


This is the spot where the big fire was this past year.

[hardee]

WOW, that sling launch thing scares the willies out of me. I would be freaking out to do that to my boat. Nice pix, though, Colby. And when we were there in May, that fire spot was still full of the burn remains. Could you still smell the "not so good aroma" there? Think it was due for an EPA cleanup.

Harvey
SleepyC

[ssobol]

[colbysmith]

Another short day. Cruised over to Reid Harbor on Stuart Island. Smooth sailing all the way. Just got back from hiking up to Turn Point. Seven mile round trip! But enjoy the scenery and seeing the VTS cameras, along with the Light Station. And the little School. I will upload some photos later when I have a better signal or more bandwidth! Only one other boat on the park land based dock here. There have been a few dinghy's come and go. Maybe a dozen other boats out in the harbor either anchored or on a ball. No one is on the two floating docks. There were a number of other folks hiking out to Turn Point. The Boundary Pass Traders T-shirt sales near the old school house always provide a nice selection of shirts, so I picked up a couple. Still completely on the honor system. Use to be they included an envelope and address to send a check to. More recently they've added a QR code you can scan on the packaged shirt and it'll take you to a site you can pay with credit card. The Old School House and Museum are open for a self guided tour. However, the Light Station was locked up. I don't think it opens until June 29th according to the brochure available. Colby

[colbysmith]

Harvey, I forgot to answer your question. No smell, but you could still see some soot along the sides of the surrounding buildings.
Lets see if I can get the photos from yesterday to load.

C-Traveler on the dock at Reid Harbor on Stuart Island


Registration information board at the top of the Reid Harbor park dock.


The ramp leading from the dock is steeper than it looks on that last flight.


In case you were wondering.


No description needed...


This has got to be one of the nicest outhouses around. This is near Turn Point Light Station on Stuart Island. -But bring your own TP and hand sanitizer!


View of Turn Point Light Station as you come down the hiking path.


View of the Fog Signal building.


The Aton Tower. This is where the VTS cameras are at Turn Point!


The famous Boundary Pass Traders Shirt sales at the old school house.


On the path back to the boat. Peaking at C-Traveler through the trees.


I'm so proud of myself, I think I'll have a pint of ice cream! lol

[colbysmith]

In some of the history of Stuart Island and it's school house, there was mention that the school lost most it's students in a boat accident in the 60's. I'm interested in learning more about that, and so far haven't been able to find any other information than it happened in 1961. I thought I had read a little more about it somewhere, but can't find that information. Anyone know the story? Colby

[Pat Anderson]

Colby, glad you enjoyed Stuart Island and your hike to Turn Point! Although we have been back to Stuart Island a number of times, I think based on my photos in the Daydream album, the last time we hiked to Turn Point was in 2014. Also pretty sure with my knees, that will be the last time! Here is photo from that hike.

Co

[Pat Anderson]

If you have not been there, and if you have time, another fabulous spot is English Camp at Garrison Bay. Google "the pig war" for this war, in which the only shot fired was the one that killed the pig!

[colbysmith]

Hi Pat, off to Olga today, but might head to English camp the next day. Was reading about it in my Don Douglas "Exploring the San Juan and Gulf Islands" book. You think we can take the 25 in to that dinghy dock? Haven't gotten the kayaks down yet, and really don't want to go thru the hassle. Getting ready to leave Fossil Bay shortly, and not much bandwidth, so the photos will have to wait until we get out of the bay. But this is from my facebook postings:

We cruised 15nm yesterday from Stuart Island’s Reid Harbor to Sucia Island’s Fossil Bay. Nothing too exciting there, lol. Googled to find out those teepees on John’s Island are the Camp Norwester. Fossil Bay has a lot more boats on the two docks here, and quite a number of campers. The island itself is probably favored more than Stuart, and is closer to the Washington mainland. After lunch Rosanne and I hiked the Ev Henry trail around the south peninsula of Fossil Bay. Even found a geocache! While we’d like the temperatures to maybe be a bit warmer, it did get up to 72 today. More sun than clouds! Nice not having all the rain I had on the Columbia River earlier. We haven’t seen any whales, but then haven’t gone looking for any. We have seen a few seals and porpoises, but they never surface long enough to get a picture, so I’ve kind of given up trying.

I'll add to the above, we saw the Electric Philosophy in Reid Harbor. An interesting boat. You can google it now, or wait until I upload photos and include a link in the description. When we left Reid Harbor, I chose to take the John's Island Pass. No big deal following the chartplotter closely to enter through the shoals on the south side. Also, the bay here pretty much filled up by late afternoon. (Fossil Bay). Both docks maybe had room for only one or two more smaller boats. And I think only a couple of mooring balls were left. Definitely more activity here than at Reid. However, I ran into quite a few hikers on the Stuart Island trail, and we only saw one other couple at the beginning of the Ev Henry trail here as we were finishing. Colby