september: jones island
Date: September 21, 2017
Time Start: 12:10 p.m.
Time Finish: 1:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
Cruise To: Jones Island
Engine Hours Start: 715
Engine Hours Finish: 716
Weather/sea conditions: Clear skies, sun, breeze. Low 60's. Cloudy p.m.
This is the official last day of summer, and we couldn't ask for a more beautiful September morning than this. Clear blue skies, sun, calm reflecting water, hot showers ashore, breakfast on NORTH STAR . . . the day is off to a good start.
Time Start: 12:10 p.m.
Time Finish: 1:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
Cruise To: Jones Island
Engine Hours Start: 715
Engine Hours Finish: 716
Weather/sea conditions: Clear skies, sun, breeze. Low 60's. Cloudy p.m.
This is the official last day of summer, and we couldn't ask for a more beautiful September morning than this. Clear blue skies, sun, calm reflecting water, hot showers ashore, breakfast on NORTH STAR . . . the day is off to a good start.
One of the reasons for coming to Friday Harbor is to visit the Whale Museum. It is sobering to learn of the challenges these magnificent marine mammals are facing for their survival. A diminishing food supply, polluted waters (PCB's!) and noise are having major impact on their numbers. We learn that with some 50,000 huge ships adding noise to our world's oceans on a daily basis, vibrations from drilling for oil, and other noise sources, our underwater environment worldwide is anything but tranquil and silent. This adds tremendous stress to the ability of whales to communicate and to successfully reproduce. Solutions don't come easily.
We make the short cruise to Jones Island and are lucky enough to get a nice spot on the dock. One of our favorite moorages and islands to visit, we often find it crowded here in the summer. Even now it late September, it is a popular place.
Our new neighborhood quickly fills up. Scott and Renae from Olympia arrive in their Nordic 39 "Turn Point". Joe from the Wine Peddler in Port Townsend is next to us for a lunch stop. When he leaves, Al and Lyndi from Port Orchard arrive on their sailboat "Wanderer". And, Julia (from New Hampshire) and partner Scott (from Methow Valley) arrive on their small yellow sailboat "Serenity". They are rowing and sailing their way through the islands, spending several months on the water on a vessel with no power or fresh water! We have a very social dock filled with interesting people.
Ready for some exercise, we head to shore for the short walk to cross the island, and then take the North Cove loop trail that is marked "Difficult". It takes us up and down bluffs, following the shoreline, and giving us some wonderful views, along with a good workout. We start with a glimpse of some of the deer populating the island, and check out campsites for kayakers and small boaters along the way.
An outhouse contains a sharing library!
We see some unusual growth on the trunks of some of the madronas. And, there are trees that have been girdled as a way of removing them to increase light for the native oaks along the shoreline.
Clouds have drifted in, and we have a golden glow from our dock as the sun drops.
Date: September 22, 2017
Jones Island layover day
Beautiful first day of fall!
We are having a lazy, happy day on Jones Island, going for walks, visiting with our neighbor boaters, reading, taking in the beauty of our surroundings. We have a tour of "Turn Point" with Scott and Renae on their Nordic Tug. And Julia and Scott of "Serenity" join us on NORTH STAR for dinner. It is a good day! (What does Dan have? He has been putting together a sextant for navigation. Will he learn to use it?)
Jones Island layover day
Beautiful first day of fall!
We are having a lazy, happy day on Jones Island, going for walks, visiting with our neighbor boaters, reading, taking in the beauty of our surroundings. We have a tour of "Turn Point" with Scott and Renae on their Nordic Tug. And Julia and Scott of "Serenity" join us on NORTH STAR for dinner. It is a good day! (What does Dan have? He has been putting together a sextant for navigation. Will he learn to use it?)
Date: September 23, 2017
Jones Island layover day
Lovely sunny day, 70 degrees!
We say goodbye to our new friends. Julia and Scott on Serenity make an early morning departure for Roche Harbor in their little yellow sailboat, and Al and Lyndi on Wanderer are headed to Lopez later today. Scott and Renae left yesterday. Our dock neighborhood changes daily!
Jones Island layover day
Lovely sunny day, 70 degrees!
We say goodbye to our new friends. Julia and Scott on Serenity make an early morning departure for Roche Harbor in their little yellow sailboat, and Al and Lyndi on Wanderer are headed to Lopez later today. Scott and Renae left yesterday. Our dock neighborhood changes daily!
Dan flips blueberry pancakes on yet another lovely morning. Last night, Julia and Scott joined us for a pasta dinner on NORTH STAR. They are an interesting couple with an east coast - west coast relationship. She lives in New Hampshire, has done outreach programs with both Sea Grant and Cooperative Extension. He was a mason who switched to conflict resolution. They met several years ago through a green singles web site and have shared some amazing adventures exploring the Salish Seas in some very small boats. Scott lives in the Methow Valley in eastern Washington and rides a bike in lieu of driving a car.
We also enjoy getting to know Al and Lyndi, who share a lot of our boating values. Before they leave, Al teaches Dan a trick using a stick or piece of driftwood with the dock lines. Ask Dan how this works!
And off they go. We enjoy getting to meet new people along the way. They really enhance our boating experiences.
It's a busy Saturday on the dock with lots of small boats coming and going, people out enjoying a perfect fall day. We go for walks, visit, and just hang out. Just try to read a book on a day like this. HAH! Too many distractions!
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