May 29, 2014
Back to Blind Bay, Shaw Island and on to Stuart Island for the First Time…then back to Canada
Fierce winds blew last night
which caused a restless sleep for both of us. We took off around 7:30 this morning and headed for Shaw Island. We cruised through Thatcher Pass for the first time…some strong currents. It’s also a
ferry route so needed to be vigilant.
We saw two whale watching
boats and I suggested we just follow them! No way could we have kept up with
them. When they slowed down, I noticed loads of people on the bow, so grabbed
the binoculars convinced that a whale had been spotted but, alas, no luck.
We are now anchored in Blind Bay on Shaw Island for the third time this trip. This has been a real
find for anchoring. We were going to head for Fisherman Bay on Lopez Island but were discouraged by shallow depths, rocks and boaters’
cautionary tales in Oak Harbor. It was recommended that we try Stuart Island where we have never been, so tomorrow we are off to Reid Harbor.
After a very leisurely
morning, it took a little over 2 hours to weave our way through many small
islands to reach Reid Harbor on Stuart Island. This island is the northwestern most island of the
San Juans and practically leans on the Canadian border. We have never been here
before and it is always exciting to make new discoveries. There is a State Park
on the island with a long trail leading to an old schoolhouse and lighthouse
which we plan to explore tomorrow morning. It is a beautiful little spot, and
we are happy to be here.
This would be a perfect spot
to kayak but not sure I will be able to convince David to give it a try
again. We don’t have the hooks necessary
to clip our boat ladder on so it would mean another gigantic step down into the
kayak which was nearly our undoing the first time. I suggested that we tie the
kayak up to the side of our skiff so we would be level with it and just roll
ourselves into place. I think David is just too fearful of us getting into real
trouble. We’ll just practice at home. There have been several kayakers gliding
by our boat. Someday, it will be us.
A lovely coastal path
There is such great
protection in Reid Harbor that the evening and morning were so still…just lovely. We took our dinghy to the State Park dock
around 10
a.m. and decided to do the
eastern coastal walk making our way through forests of madrone, pine and
cedar. It was a narrow up and down
path…a work out. We realized once we had
finished our trek that the school house we had been told about was off on a
separate trail along private property so we missed it. Oh, well, next time. We
will be back.
One of my jobs is to clean
off the anchor. This time it was the worst muddy mess I have ever
encountered! The mud was thick and
sticky…like wet cement and had shells encrusted in it to make it even more
challenging. It took me forever to get it washed off. I get so involved with
this task; I sometimes forget that we are actually moving. I have learned to
always wear a life jacket because I have to lean over the bow…one rogue wave,
and then it’s one big splash!
On our way to Bedwell Harbour to check in with Canadian Customs, David called me
over to see a group of whale watching boats that seemed to have spotted
something. There were at least six boats and a few sailboats idling near each
other. David saw something in the water and handed me the binoculars and, by
golly…THERE WERE WHALES!!!
Five or six orca whales were being most
cooperative giving the passengers their money’s worth. It was the first time we
have seen whales while boating and this was a special moment for us. The whales
were quite playful splashing about in the water giving everyone quite the show
but much too far away for any good photos. You will just have to take my word
for it!
On the radio there was a
report that a kayaker had paddled the wrong direction away from his group of
eight. The Coast Guard put out the word and he was spotted by several boats.
One boater was able to hail him, surprised him by knowing his name, and then
told him he needed to turn around. There was also another sailboat taking on
water near Bellingham and was quickly assisted by another boater. In a stern “teacher voice” a woman Coast Guard radio operator gave strict warning about
allowing your children to play on the radio.
Summer has begun!
No problem with Customs…they
let us in again with just a phone call.
When we spoke to boaters in Oak Harbor they had told us that they had
been boarded more than once by the Canadian Coast Guard. Sometimes they have
just come along side them while cruising and asked to come aboard. We never
have experienced that…knock on wood. (Hey, Geoff, they asked if you were with
us!)
Took our dinghy over to the
dock at Poet’s Cove resort. David had to get on the internet to do some work
and a beer sounded mighty good to me. We discovered a display of
jaguars…vintage and new…just outside the bar. The proud owners obviously had
polished up their engines for the occasion because those with their bonnets up
were pristine.
Have to figure out where we
are headed tomorrow. Somewhere new, I hope. So much from which to choose!
Boat names…
C-Shel
E-Ticket
Water Rat (simply messing about in boats!)
Crew’s Control
Cribbage update: David is ahead by 2 games…
That poor dog was sitting patiently in the sun!
A dinghy named Water Rat
That car is what Dave's little yellow Lotus would have looked like had Dave been kept it.
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