No Oklahoma, But Chamber Music

Gatherers, Hastings House Sculpture Trail

Provincial Flags at Sunset, Otter Bay

The Cut, canal between Thetis Island and Kuper Island that dries at low tide

Back again to Telegraph Harbour where there are oysters on the rocks at low tide. We really wanted to see Oklahoma being presented in Chemainus. Both the matinee and evening performances were sold out. Henry was able to get a meatlovers pizza from the Marina soda fountain, though. We spent the evening there talking politics with Lou from Las Vegas, who visited us from his 53-foot motor boat.

On south to Otter Bay and its beautiful swimming pool, welcome on a hot day. Then to Ganges.

For more than twenty years, a small group of sailors has met for a "national" cruise. We all began to sail in these waters with 20-foot long Ranger sailboats. The boats are small, but very forgiving, and we believe they are unsinkable. During the last ten years most of us have found other larger boats, mostly sailboats, and we still meet every year for a cruise. Last night we dined again in Ganges with our long-time friends and we'll be with them for the next week. Tonight we meet for an Italian dinner out at Auntie Pesto's, then a performance of chamber music by the University of Toronto Conservatory faculty. I'll be replaying that music in my mind all night and all day tomorrow.

Returning South

Hospital Lake Swimming Raft

Evening at Pender Harbour

Yellow Point

There are three lakes--Garden Bay, Mixtel, and Hospital lakes--relatively undeveloped within easy walk of 5-6 miles from Pender Harbour. We took a map from the marina and walked the roads, and had an ice cream cone from John Henry's general store when we returned.

Out of Pender Harbor, the seas were calm in Malaspina Strait in the early morning. The weather forecast for the Strait of Georgia was the same as the day before--10-20 knots NW winds diminishing to 10 late morning. Manageable. And, the Canadian torpedo test area Whiskey Golf was not being used that day. We motored south, hoping to minimize our time on the Strait by traveling a straight line to Nanaimo. By the time we were in the middle of the Strait the winds had picked up and the seas were building. We began hearing maydays on the radio. One 43-foot sailboat was caught in a fishing net. Another lost its rudder. The Coast Guard asked for anyone in the area who could provide assistance. We were not in the immediate area, and as the seas and winds continued to build, we were just trying to cope ourselves. Eventually, we made it to Nanaimo, after six hours. I relived that experience through the night in my dreams.

The next morning early we escaped the Strait through Dodds Narrows to the Gulf Islands and sailed in light winds to Ladysmith, Page Point. Along the way we passed Yellow Point, a beautiful traditional Canadian resort. We're told they have afternoon tea. As we passed, a large salmon rose and rolled beside the boat. We took that as a good omen. The sturdy docks gave us a good night's rest.

Crossing the Strait of Georgia

F31 Trimeran "Cariad Back," hit 15 knots in Malaspina Strait Saturday morning

Rosie, Fisherman Marina supervisor

Jules's Sails Aloft

I'm always a little afraid when we head out into the Strait of Georgia. We watch the weather forecasts carefully, especially for indications that the wind will be against the current. Winds can build in the afternoon to uncomfortable speeds when the prevailing summer northwesterlies fetch across the open water to the south east. Friday the morning currents were toward the north and the winds were light from the southwest. We sailed thirty miles from Nanaimo to Secret Cove on the mainland.

At Secret Cove, crammed in with lots of other boats, we were fortunate to meet a retired air traffic controller and his wife on a 20-foot restored wooden sailboat with an outboard problem, a Mexican dad and his 10-year-old son on a small power boat, and a retired English professor and his wife on a 24-foot Cal sailboat. Christian, the boy on the motor boat made breakfast cheese quesadillas for his Dad on the barbecue this morning. The English professor squeezed between boats at 8am to begin the 45-mile trip back across the Strait home to Comox. The air traffic controller headed north, happy to have a fixed outboard and a few more days to sail before heading back to Howe Sound.

Only ten miles away from Secret Cove to the north is Pender Harbor and Fisherman Marina, where we've been several times. David is a Brit and an accomplished sailor. His F-31 is parked at the head of the dock and Rosie, his dog guards it.

We'll go out for dinner tonight. In the morning we hope to cross the Strait to Schooner Cove, if the winds are not too high. As usual, the evening in Pender Harbour is idyllic. Looking west we see deep blueberry Texada Island under an apricot sky across the Malaspina Strait.

Nanaimo Bars

Cross from Atop Local Church
Balanced Rocks

Port of Nanaimo

Nanaimo bars (chocolate and cream) are only one delight in the harbor of Nanaimo. Ice cream on the boardwalk, ferry rides to Protection and Newcastle Islands, bookstores aplenty, shopping in the old town are all there for a short walk. Ferries leave from here to Vancouver on the mainland. Seaplanes (Harbor Air, or "HA!") land and take off constantly. And, most boaters stop here at the Port of Nanaimo marina before or after transiting Dodd Narrows just south of here at slack tide. The Strait of Georgia is just beyond Protection Island.

We stayed two nights, seeing Frenchie again, a First Nations carver from whom we bought two hummingbirds last year. Buskers played music on the waterfront. There is also a large fishing fleet. The spotted prawn season has just closed. Every day at noon the English cannon at the harbor is fired and on Thursday we were lucky to see a piper and the Brigadoon dance school perform Scottish dances ending with the Highland Fling.

Telegraph Harbour, Thetis Island and Chemainus

Murals and summer stock plays a short ferry ride away in Chemainus

Weathervane on a restored house in Chemainus

Thetis Island Heron

Where were you on 9/11? We were here at Telegraph Harbour when a fellow sailor rapped on the side of our boat about 7am and told us how sorry he was for the trouble in New York, did we know about that yet? We will remember the concern and sympathy of the Canadian people for us on that day. We will also remember the strangeness of returning to the USA: no ferries running, no airplanes, few other boats. When we called in to Customs, we anticipated difficulty, but there was no problem, only "Welcome home." I guess US customs and immigration agencies knew us even then.

This morning before leaving Ganges, we talked again with dock neighbors who also have a Newport 30. Their lilting Scottish accents and good humor kept us there longer than we intended, but they certainly started our day with laughter all around. They finally walked up the ramp to the French patisserie. We had our sweet and savory tartes, bought yesterday afternoon, on the boat with coffee and juice. The French (French Canadian?) baker and his wife were speaking French to their customers.

It is a beautiful day, but no wind for our 25-mile trip to Thetis Island. No current to speak of either. Just lazy noisy motoring. There's no water on the dock here. Water is precious. They don't want people to wash boats with the water processed in their desalination system.

Time to Fly the Mapleleaf Flag

Ganges Harbor on a Hot Summer Afternoon

Talented Accordianist at Ganges Saturday Fair

Sculpture in Ganges

Saturday morning early, Henry pulls the anchor in hand over hand, first line, then chain. We have no windlass; it's his most demanding exercise. We take our time crossing to Bedwell, hoping that there will not be much competition for dock space at Canadian Customs. When we duck inside the harbor, there is a large white yacht, maybe 75 feet just ahead of us jockeying for position. Henry hails it on the VHF radio to ask what its intentions are. Fortunately, it's going for the far side of the dock and a space for our Jules has opened up on the near side. A kind gentleman from another sailboat helps us land just behind the seaplane spot. We never refuse help in these situations. Customs by phone there is perfunctory, with only a few questions. Their computers must know us by now. Since there is no space at the Poet's Cove Marina, we leave for Ganges.

We had vowed not to return to Ganges, with its crab pots all over the inlet. We caught a crab pot last year. That resulted in some heroic sailing by Henry and a virtuoso landing under sail. Then Vessel Assist dived the boat to get the offending lines and floats away from our shaft and propeller. So this year we navigated straight to Ganges under power. Only when we got close in did we encounter myriads of boats, all sizes and shapes, anchored off Money Maker Rock. We docked at Salt Spring Marina in time to walk to town for the Saturday fair. On Sunday, the forecast gale winds arrived late morning, and some of those boats in the harbor dragged their anchors. Last night we had halibut and listened to a jazz combo at Moby's. The wind howled until about 11pm and finally died down. The winds are back today, though not as extreme. We took a little hike up the forested hill close by, looking for a view. Tomorrow we sail north to Telegraph Harbor.

Stuart Island, Another Time

Pacific Madrone trees, with red bark that peels to green, and glossy green leaves grow on rocks over the water

Prevost Harbor, Canada Beyond

Speiden (Safari) Island

We were in Friday Harbor for two nights, far out on H (Hotel) dock. From there it is a long way to the restrooms and showers, but the view east toward Mt. Baker compensates.

Friday morning we were able to sail north in San Juan channel way past Speiden Channel and Speiden Island. In the early 1970's, Speiden Island was renamed temporarily Safari Island. It was stocked with exotic wildlife and promoted as a place to hunt. The venture doesn't seem to have been successful, though from time to time, one can see through binoculars wildlife on shore, but no one hunts there now. The island is bordered by Speiden channel on the south, where rapid currents run to and from the Haro Strait creating strong rip tides. It's a rather direct passage to Sidney, BC, though.

Stuart Island is north of Speiden. It's our favorite place to be in the San Juans. Two beautiful harbors on the north and south sides are separated by a narrow isthmus, where there is a state park. One can only get to Stuart Island by boat or small plane. Its few full-time inhabitants lead self-sufficient lives. There is a one-room school on a country road, a swing from a tree along the quiet road, a cemetery, and the Turn Point lighthouse at the far northwest corner. Out in the Haro Strait and Boundary Pass beyond is the US-Canada border. Bedwell Harbor is only four miles away. We spend the night at anchor in Prevost Harbor on the north side of Stuart. It was a silent night, no wind, no rain.

Under the Docks at Friday Harbor

Dungeness Crabs in Tank

Jellyfish by Jules

Friday Harbor is a busy place, the largest town in the San Juan Islands. The ferry docks here and there is a very large marina including customs and immigration for boats arriving from Canada. We had supper at the local pub and enjoyed an evening of sing-along with two brothers playing guitar and mandolin. We always buy fresh king salmon from Eric, a fisherman who has a shop on the main dock. He also has fresh Dungeness crab and spotted prawns.

Part of the fun of Friday Harbor is to see the children with their small nets exploring the world beneath their feet, under the docks. On this trip, there are prawns, jellyfish, crab, and myriad kinds of monster seaweed, and at low tide one can see to the bottom.

Olga, Orcas Island

Quiet Olga, a very small community with a general store and a post office. We were here at 9am, but the store didn't open until 10am. So, we walk around a bit and then cast off for Friday Harbor. Olga is a very pleasant place to be, though, even if we didn't manage to get breakfast there. We had breakfast after we were on our way.

Anacortes and Blakely Island

Poppy-like flower, Rosario


Very red dragonfly, Rosario


Annie Curtis, pioneer woman and namesake of Anacortes. Notice the orca across her breast and the ship sailing across her skirt.

Here we are again at Blakely Island, the mostly private island just inside Peavine Pass. Blakely Island was our very first stop in the San Juans many years ago. There are small recreational fishing boats here and when we landed about 1 pm, a man was cleaning a large salmon at the head of the dock. This is the place where our R20 boating group has gathered for the beginning of several cruises. Last year we bought salmon at Friday Harbor and had lots of help grilling it in the picnic shelter here for our sailing friends. The sunset view into the San Juans from here is to die for. However, today it rained before, during, and after our arrival and there is no cruise to meet, so we have spent the afternoon reading and planning ahead.

For the last two nights we were in Anacortes. We checked out their West Marine store, read email at the public library, bought some fresh fruit and vegetables, and walked around town. I ate an excellent lamb burger with chutney at the Brown Lantern brew pub. One can reliably find delicious strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries sold by a farmer on the sidewalk across the street from the Safeway; we bought four pints for breakfasts. We didn't mean to stay here long, but the wind came around from the south and blew pretty hard all day yesterday, so we didn't venture out. This morning the winds were calm.

Anacortes was historically a commercial center with numerous salmon canneries employing many Chinese immigrants and also lumber mills. Nowadays, its major industry is the port and refineries for Alaskan crude oil. The town is proud of its history and there are numerous life-size murals on buildings depicting its pioneer leaders. One is Annie Curtis, after whom the town was named (with a Spanish twist). She came to the area when it was a wilderness in 1870. There is a sculpture at the marina in her honor.

We'll leave Blakely early, before low tide prevents our departure and go to Olga for breakfast. From there we hope to sail to Friday Harbor.

Mt. Rainier to Mt. Baker

Point Hudson Marina with wooden boats


Cattle Point Lighthouse, San Juan Island. Site of Pig War and the American Camp that determined the Canada USA border to be the Haro Strait.


View from the Moran Mansion, Rosario

In Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier dominates the sky. We see it every clear day from Olympia to Port Townsend. When we cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Mt. Baker appears and orients us most of the way up the Strait of Georgia. Somehow it's reassuring to see the snowy summits and watch them grow and then recede as we go north.

Our crossing of the Strait of Juan de Fuca was well-timed and the weather held. Light winds and calm seas most of the 20 plus miles across open water, which can sometimes be trecherous. We reached Cattle Pass, the gate to the San Juan Islands, just after the tide had turned to flood and so our trip to Friday Harbor was also fast. There was no room at the marina there, so we sailed farther to Deer Harbor, a quiet and friendly marina. It's a popular spot for kayakers. Children here love to play in the intertidal areas. It's fun to see them get close to the sea life, and get their bare feet wet scooping up sand from the little beach. Across our dock finger was a sailboat from Vancouver, BC and the young couple aboard was good company for the evening and morning. Henry and I shared a double chocolate ice cream cone before turning in.

Yesterday, we intended to sail to Rosario, the 100-year-old Moran mansion and marina on Orcas Island that we love so much, but the winds died and we had to start the motor. Oh. well. One can't complain, the sunshine was brilliant. We've visited here numerous times on Jules and have wonderful memories of this place. It isn't the same now, since it was sold for $5.5 million last year. The mansion has been turned into a museum, so the pools in the house and on the point are no longer available to the public and one must pay a small amount for access. But, the mansion is even now in better repair, I think. Christopher Peacock still relates the history of this place and plays the fine Steinway piano and the Aolian organ every afternoon in the music room. It's a trip backward in time and the setting is so lovely, we are glad to be back. Everyone on the dock has gone to the town of Eastsound for the afternoon and evening fireworks. I'm sitting in the old mansion on an old chair, looking out the window now that this blog entry is finished.

Kingston, Port Ludlow, Port Townsend

Point No Point Lighthouse


Pope and Talbot Totem, Port Ludlow, Washington. Pope and Talbot are the ones in black suits and hats about midway down the pole.

Rough 20 knot winds from the north-northwest showered Jules and her Captain with plenty of salt water over the bow from 4-foot waves. The First Mate stayed mostly dry under the dodger. The Coast Guard again warned small craft to get off the water and to shelter. Kingston was our welcome port and we tied up gratefully. Other boats came in from the north off the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and from LaConner crossing the Sound. They were wet from following seas and water over their transoms.

Kingston is always pretty with its park and boat basin. It's also a good harbor for laundry, breakfast crepes at a sidewalk cafe, and grocery shopping with free use of their little electric car.

In the morning the seas were calm, but due to become rough again with the afternoon sea breeze flowing onshore to replace warm air over land. The water remained reasonable past Point No Point Lighthouse and the entrance to Hood Canal. Along the way we saw the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier heading into its home port, Everett. Our destination was Port Ludlow, a quiet resort and marina, in a community largely built by Pope and Talbot paper mills. There is a totem there that commemorates that history.

Heading north again, through the Port Townsend Canal, we reached the bay outside Point Hudson Marina just before noon. The boat in our reserved slip had not left, but we didn't mind. The winds were light so we hoisted the main, then unfurled the genoa and had a lovely time sailing for an hour before heading in. Jules had an appointment with the Port Townsend repair shop to replace water lines. Point Hudson Marina is right downtown Port Townsend, a most picturesque and historic port right at the entry of Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound. It is the place to leave and to arrive when crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Sailors docking today said their crossing was smooth and the weather forecast is for the same conditions tomorrow and the next day. So, if nothing else needs to be fixed, we'll be off at the break of day.