San Juan Sailing Adventure 7/26/09-8/1/09

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1 San Juan Sailing Adventure 7/26/09-8/1/09 The Plan: When I bought Minerva (aka Wanderer), I was excited to take it out for a trip. Dave and Sue were interested in going along as they had planned a trip to Washington already. Of course, moving out of my house onto the boat while simultaneously leaving for a trip is quite the logistical mess, but we made the best of it Our plan was to leave on Monday evening and come back that Sunday. Although we intended to spend our time in the San Juans, our itinerary wasn t certain, but we were all ready for an adventure! San Juans: The San Juan Islands are a part of the San Juan Archipelago in the northwest corner of the continental United States. The archipelago is split into two groups of islands based on national sovereignty. San Juan Islands are part of the U.S. state of Washington, while the Gulf Islands are part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. There are over 450 islands in the entire archipelago at high tide, but fewer than one-sixth are permanently inhabited. In the archipelago, fifteen islands are accessible by public ferry. Public ferries serve nine Gulf Islands and six San Juan Islands.

2 Getting ready What a messy boat!: Trying to find homes for everyone s things and the boat essentials is tough! David, Susie, and my parents did a great job of finding homes for everything. Now, where is that... Fixing Things: Coming from work and not having much experience with the boat, I tried to figure things out as we went.

3 Day 1 Underway at Last! Kingston, WA: Founded in 1853 by Benjamin Bannister the community was originally known as Apple Tree Cove, By 1880 it was a lumber town until the mill closed down in the early 20th century. But the local lumber yard is still in business today. The "Little city by the sea"(kingston), is the northern gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. Now it is the social and economic center of the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula. Susie Cooking: Given the late hour, we decided to cook underway. Susie made great use of the galley delivering consistently tasty meals! When the engine is running, it s loud in here! Ballard Locks: Our transit of the Ballard Locks was relatively uneventful on that warm Monday evening. Salmon were jumping and everyone was on board (save for my Dad who had gone to retrieve a guidebook). Doesn t it seem like there s always something that you forget when you are trying to leave on schedule? On Our Way: The calm waters flowed smoothly by our hull on a warm, windless evening on our way to dock at Kingston.

4 Day 2 Cypress, here we come. Spare Anchor: Having just finished spending a week updating the boat with a shower, hot water, alternating current, and a fridge/freezer, my Dad and I surveyed my project list and realized, it s longer than when we started! Preparing to Work: Isn t technology wonderful? Vicky was able to work remotely from many of our locations on the trip. Cypress Island: Cypress is one of the largest undeveloped islands of the San Juans. It offers miles of hiking trails including several lakes (which we did not get the opportunity to visit) and splendid mooring buoys. What I love about the island is the solitude; the quiet lapping of waves against the boat would have been great. We learned a lesson about preparing the boat for sleeping. Lesson 1 tie everything down because it will invariably bang around at night making it difficult to sleep!

5 In the Rhythm Catching Winks: Susie is catching a little shuteye (we are on vacation after all!) Long Day: Heading out, we really weren t sure where we would end up, but the relatively close Cypress Island became the obvious choice as we visited Port Townsend late in the day. Mom at the Helm: With no autopilot, everyone got a turn at the wheel. Port Townsend: Port Townsend is a town in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately 40 miles (64 km) north-northwest of Seattle. With a population of 8,334 it s the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to its natural scenery at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula, the city is also known for the many Victorian buildings remaining from its late 19th-century heyday, numerous annual cultural events, and as a maritime center for independent boatbuilders and related industries and crafts. The Port Townsend Historic District is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District.

6 Cypress Island Top Left: We have to row? Although the porta-bote (a 12 foot folding boat that was always an adventure to put together) rows well, it also will take a small outboard. Unfortunately, on a prior trip it decided to take a swim so was in the repair shop during the trip. Top Right: Sometimes reaching the main halyard is half the battle. Bottom: David at the grill despite its small size, David took control of the grill and delivered consistently splendid (smelling and tasting) fare.

7 Day 3 Morning at Cypress (Crabs) How Does This Thing Work?: Vicky and Mom putting together the crab trap near Cypress. We Got One!: Vicky and Mom are proudly showing off the first crab of the trip. Cleaning the Catch: After boiling, these things have to be cleaned. This one made it into a great seafood chowder that Susie prepared at Stuart Island.

8 Where are the salmon? Vicky at the Helm: Look at that splendid hat! But, where is the wind? The One That Got Away: I spent hours pulling frozen herring on the line behind the boat while trolling for salmon. However, the only excitement we had was pulling in a rock fish that we unintentionally released while trying to identify it. Perhaps I should do a little more research on salmon fishing prior to the next trip? At Anchor: With its 61 foot mast, Minerva is often the tallest boat in each moorage. More often than not, strangers will come up and relay an experience with this type of boat, comment on its fair lines, or even, on rarer occasions, share a bit of history about this particular boat in Puget Sound waters. Anchoring (at least in moderate wind and current) seems to work really well; It also carries no nightly fees for the privilege.

9 On the way to Stuart At the Helm: Dad at the helm en route to Stuart Island. Stuart Island: Many claim that Stuart Island is the most beautiful of the San Juans. It can only be reached by private boat or plane. On our approach we stopped briefly by the Northern Tip of Blakely Island to refuel and refill water. Serendipitously, they also had showers which the majority of the crew of Minerva took advantage of (followed by a trip to their famous soda fountain for monstrous waffle cones). Killer Whale on the Horizon?: We got to appreciate the rugged shores as sunset approached as we were going very slow trying to catch those elusive salmon. As we approached the entrance to the harbor Dave and I thought that we saw a killer whale breach in the distance. We had already pulled in the fishing line so I took the helm and we motored out towards the suspected sighting at close to 8 knots. When we approached the location we slowed and then silenced the engine. The water was mirror calm so we could see clear into the Gulf Islands. After waiting for 15 minutes seeing nothing we reluctantly made the trek back to the harbor. As we got close we saw the sight again, only to realize they were sea lions beating the water trying to scare the salmon! It was never a whale at all. :-( You Brought Cigars?: Dave and Vicky enjoy a break on the way to Stuart Island. (Well, we can t always work!) :-)

10 Day 4 - Exploring Stuart Island Easy Way or Hard Way: Once you catch a crab, he may not willingly choose to depart the safety of the cage. Clams: Vicky and Mom discover clams. Clams became a bit of a theme on our trip as Vicky and Mom were two kids in a candy store. On Stuart, they opted to dig in the sand with broken sticks and their bare hands rather than visit the schoolhouse and cemetery with the balance of the group.

11 At Stuart Island Look at those Shish Kabobs! (right): David performing his magic at the grill. What a Spread! (below): Here is the rest of one of those delectable meals. Hard at Work (below right): Vicky keeping her work team on task. Next Page: (top left): Dave & Sue on the Trail Much like Eastern Washington, the terrain on Stuart was warm and dry. Well marked trails gave us a much needed chance to stretch our legs. (top right) - Teacher s House this single room facility was provided to house the teacher for the one room island (cont.) (cont.) schoolhouse. (mid right) -Highway Here is a typical highway on Stuart. Stuart has a few cars but most of its 40 permanent resident families just bike, walk, or use golf carts on the 3 gravel thoroughfares. (bottom) - Honor System for years the only real island shop has been this unattended stand where tourists can purchase visit mementos and mail the corresponding payment back to the owners, upon returning to the mainland.

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13 Leaving Stuart Good Exercise: There are always opportunities to get a good workout on the boat. Here, Mom is rowing back from the boat to pick up the 4 of us who visited the schoolhouse and cemetery. We re Into It: Dave, Sue, Mom, and Vicky pose for quick pictures in front of a lighthouse en route to Friday Harbor.

14 Friday Harbor Friday Harbor: Having spent a couple days at anchor, it was time to spend a night at shore. Of course, hotel rooms run $200/night in high season so we gladly paid the reasonable rate of $85 to tie up Minerva and sleep aboard, repower, dump our holding tanks, and re-provision. Friday Harbor on San Juan Island is as close to a metropolis as one gets in the San Juans. It the the place to be. Between the sounds and smells of the fish market displaying its array of fresh crab, salmon, and halibut to the fog horn of the interisland ferry getting ready to leave the dock and the energy of vacationing tourists, this is the place to be. Birthdays: It s birthday time for Mom and Dad! Minerva turns out to have a great oven. However, cakes still retain heat and if you put candles in too quickly, your cake may get a warm wax layer to augment the other delectable flavors contained therein. :-) Fillet at the Table (below): Our late arrival left us only time to explore the town a bit, do a couple loads of laundry, and visit the local supermarket for a fillet mignon feast planned for the evening.

15 Coffee and We re Good (above): Minerva s high-end instant coffee and espresso brewer can t win over Washington s abundant coffee purveyors near docks. Morning? (top right) - Vicky, a night owl, struggled through ridicule and distraction to get some mid-morning shuteye. Now That s a Ship (right) - Leaving Friday, we enjoyed seeing several impressive ships on one of the few occasions the wind justified raising our sails. Casey and Vicky on a Tandem (left) - After this delightful first experience, the couple was still talking (despite receiving dire warnings to the contrary).

16 Day 5 - Evening at Sucia Sucia: Leaving Friday Harbor mid-afternoon, our destination was the famed Sucia Island. This chain of islands is often the first and perhaps only destination for San Juan cruising sailors. It rivals Stuart in its beauty offering myriad hiking trails, mooring buoys, good anchorages, and miles of coastline to explore. At Anchor: Minerva is right at home on a hook Clamming 101: Mom and Vicky demonstrate, having acquired a tool, how it can become an addiction... Sucia Sunset: Casey and Vicky pose near sunset on the shores of one of the Sucia Islands.

17 Day 6 Crabs at Sucia! About Crab...: Throwing the crabpot overboard not only occupied a fair bit of time but lent a degree of excitement to the trip anytime the pot emerged from the dark depths to reveal, what everyone hoped would be, an abundance of crabs within. In retrospect, the quantity of bottom dwellers seems proportional to the time on the bottom, as much as the location. Most of our trip the pot was retrieved after a little more than an hour. On Sucia, we set the pot that evening after dark and retrieved it the following morning. The stunned crew of the porta -bote bore witness to no fewer than 10 crabs residing within the pot. Vicky rowed back towards Minerva with all possible haste as one of the resident crabs, finding its home cramped, decided the floor of the porta-bote was much more to its liking. When it was all said and done we kept 7 crabs and threw back 2 that, but for the daily limits, we would have kept. The best way to prepare a live crab? For another day.

18 Clams at Sucia Too! Look at Em All: While Vicky and Mom rowed to shore to try their luck with the clams, Casey cooked, and David, Susie, and Dad all cleaned the bumper crop of crabs we got from the night before. Success: Vicky and Mom show off their well deserved prize.

19 Evening on Lopez Crabcakes, Clams, and a View: through the gentle rocking (enough to keep Susie safely on the deck), Mom prepared a savory crabcake meal while David and Vicky prepared the clams and we all enjoyed one of the most memorable sunsets of the trip. After a thorough scrubbing, roughly half of the clams found their way to the grill while the remainder were boiled to perfection. Garnished with a little butter and garlic glaze, they taste amazing when they hit your pallet.

20 Day 7 - On the way home... Terror: Defn: travelling across open water without radar with less than 1/2 mile visibility in shipping lanes. At 20+ knots, large cargo ships would come into view and I may have to make a life and death decision within a couple of seconds. The crew was on constant vigilance as we routinely sounded our air horn to warn others of our presence and each crew member was staring off in a different direction into the fog, hoping to see a ship with those extra few seconds to help save us.. The End: As we approach Shilshole Marina, we are glad to be back to land but it won t be long before I feel the need to travel once again into the solitude and beauty of the waters of the Pacific Northwest.