summer: Friday Harbor
Date: July 17, 2017
Time Start: 11 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Patos Island
Cruise To: Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
Engine Hours Start: 656
Engine Hours Finish: 658
Weather/sea conditions: Blue skies, windy morning, upper 70's
We awoke in the night to strong rolling, not from a wake of passing ship, but continual rocking from wind swells that kept us awake until morning. There was no gentle rocking back to sleep, instead it was the kind of rocking that makes you feel like you are a small cork in the middle of the ocean. Dan got up and pulled the dinghy up onto the davits, otherwise we just rode it out and rolled into morning.
It is still windy, coming from the N.W. (S.W. winds were the forecast! Otherwise we would have chosen a different anchorage, as Patos is open to the N.W. and the swells that come down the Strait of Georgia.) The updated forecast this morning indicates that winds will grow even stronger by afternoon and evening. Time for us to move elsewhere!
We are on our way. Right now there are whitecaps and rolling swells outside the shelter of Patos. Things smooth once we are between Orcas and Waldron Islands.
Time Start: 11 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Patos Island
Cruise To: Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
Engine Hours Start: 656
Engine Hours Finish: 658
Weather/sea conditions: Blue skies, windy morning, upper 70's
We awoke in the night to strong rolling, not from a wake of passing ship, but continual rocking from wind swells that kept us awake until morning. There was no gentle rocking back to sleep, instead it was the kind of rocking that makes you feel like you are a small cork in the middle of the ocean. Dan got up and pulled the dinghy up onto the davits, otherwise we just rode it out and rolled into morning.
It is still windy, coming from the N.W. (S.W. winds were the forecast! Otherwise we would have chosen a different anchorage, as Patos is open to the N.W. and the swells that come down the Strait of Georgia.) The updated forecast this morning indicates that winds will grow even stronger by afternoon and evening. Time for us to move elsewhere!
We are on our way. Right now there are whitecaps and rolling swells outside the shelter of Patos. Things smooth once we are between Orcas and Waldron Islands.
As we near San Juan Island, the snow capped mountains of the Olympics are in the distance. We pull into Friday Harbor just as two sailboats head out.
The marina is beyond busy! Luckily we don't have to wait long before getting a slip for the night. We are beside a 26' Nordic Tug, Nudibranch, from Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle. The boat was built in 1985 and has been beautifully restored by the son of the original owner. We see several Ranger Tugs in the marina as well.
Boat chores and shore showers fill our afternoon. Then, we walk into town. It is jam packed with summer visitors, all coming by boat or on the frequent ferry service. We find the sailboats we had seen as we arrived tied up along the docks. They are replicas and available for tourists who want a sailing experience.
Dinner tonight is fish and chips at the Cask & Schooner restaurant. Delicious!
Evening is a pleasant time to stroll in this fun and colorful town. We shop for provisions before calling it a day. We are looking forward to a peaceful night with little rocking and rolling on the dock! (Totems are vertical, be sure to click on them!)