summer! jones and sucia islands
Date: June 27, 2018
Time Start: 10:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Cap Sante, Anacortes
Cruise To: Jones Island
Engine Hours Start: 794
Engine Hours Finish: 797
Weather/sea conditions: Gray a.m., cool, warming to 60s, partly sunny, breezy
It's goodbye to Cap Sante and into the San Juan Islands. We leave just as the morning clouds are burning off and the sun starting to warm the day. We note how high and steep the bluff is that we scrambled up yesterday! Then, as we round the bend of Cap Sante, our friends on "Reel McCoy" pass by in the opposite direction and we exchange waves. We continue into the Guemes Channel, passing familiar sites along the way.
Time Start: 10:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Cap Sante, Anacortes
Cruise To: Jones Island
Engine Hours Start: 794
Engine Hours Finish: 797
Weather/sea conditions: Gray a.m., cool, warming to 60s, partly sunny, breezy
It's goodbye to Cap Sante and into the San Juan Islands. We leave just as the morning clouds are burning off and the sun starting to warm the day. We note how high and steep the bluff is that we scrambled up yesterday! Then, as we round the bend of Cap Sante, our friends on "Reel McCoy" pass by in the opposite direction and we exchange waves. We continue into the Guemes Channel, passing familiar sites along the way.
After passing several of the San Juan Islands, we enter narrow Pole Pass, delighted to see the "Carlyn" passing in the opposite direction. We have had encounters with this vessel over the years, and Dan has spent time aboard with our grandsons.
Jones Island is our destination, and we are in luck today. There is room for NORTH STAR on the dock. The shore is busy with kayakers, and the park crew is busy installing new ladders on the dock. Boats continue to arrive, and, as usual, those on the dock lend a friendly hand with lines.
We love Jones Island for the many trails to walk. We stretch our legs with a stroll to the opposite side to enjoy the view scapes and watch as more kayakers arrive. The island has plenty of places for them to set up camp.
Room has opened up at the end of the dock. We move NORTH STAR so that we can have an unobstructed view towards Orcas and Waldron.
The evening skies cloud over, diminishing our chances of seeing the full moon tonight. Dinner is in the cabin as it is breezy and cool.
Date: June 28, 2018
Jones Island layover day
Weather: Gray, cool, mid 60's
The dock and shores empty out as all of the kayakers and most of the boats depart. For now we are the lone boat on the dock! The kayak group of young boys is part of the same program, Four Winds, that sponsors the Carlyn.
Jones Island layover day
Weather: Gray, cool, mid 60's
The dock and shores empty out as all of the kayakers and most of the boats depart. For now we are the lone boat on the dock! The kayak group of young boys is part of the same program, Four Winds, that sponsors the Carlyn.
Tides are low in the morning, and we explore a bit. By mid afternoon, the dock and buoys are filled with boats once again. A lot of time gets spent with chats on the dock. Otherwise, it is a relaxing day with walks, rows, reading . . . and more chatting. Our dock neighbors on Esperance 1 are retired teachers and we share a lot of boating experiences. Vonnie demonstrates her pedal kayak, she uses it to get in her daily steps for her FITBIT. We also get to know Pam and Tim on the sailboat Tillicum. They lived in Hawaii for four years, part of the time on their sailboat, so we have much to share.
Date: June 29, 2018
Jones Island layover day
Weather: Low 60's, showers, calm, gray
Rainy morning! Dan turns on mellow Hawaiian music and stirs up some blueberry pancakes. It's pretty nice inside NORTH STAR! But outside, it is wet and a cool 55 degrees. More dock visits with our friendly neighbors, we love all of the connections we make in the boating world.
A morning walk is in order! It's time to see what is happening on the other side of the island.
Jones Island layover day
Weather: Low 60's, showers, calm, gray
Rainy morning! Dan turns on mellow Hawaiian music and stirs up some blueberry pancakes. It's pretty nice inside NORTH STAR! But outside, it is wet and a cool 55 degrees. More dock visits with our friendly neighbors, we love all of the connections we make in the boating world.
A morning walk is in order! It's time to see what is happening on the other side of the island.
Once again the tide is low, exposing the algae and rocks along the shore. Turkey vultures, gulls, and a harliquinn duck are foraging!
Deer are a part of the four-legged wildlife on Jones Island. We are curious about one that looks like it has some unusual parentage.
The skies have just enough clouds to make our evening walk special.
Date: June 30, 2018
Time Start: 10 a.m.
Time Finish: 12:10 a.m.
Cruise From: Jones Island
Cruise To: Fossil Bay, Sucia Island
Engine Hours Start 797
Engine Hours Finish: 799
Weather/Sea conditions: Rain in a.m., sunny evening
We've stayed the three night limit on the dock at Jones Island. It is time to move on from this fantastic spot. We loved the walks, the views, and the socializing, meeting fun and friendly boaters.
Cruising along Orcas, we pass familiar sites and lots of rocky shoreline. It is mostly a gray and drizzly cruise, and Dan is glad he applied RainX to the windows yesterday.
We grab a buoy in Fossil Bay as the docks are full, but when a boat pulls out, we move to the dock. This is one of the places we like to be on shore for access to the hiking trails.
The dock is a busy place with water taxi services dropping off and picking up passengers. We are on the end of the dock right next to the drop off spot, an interesting place to be! We also have great views of Fossil Bay here.
Time Start: 10 a.m.
Time Finish: 12:10 a.m.
Cruise From: Jones Island
Cruise To: Fossil Bay, Sucia Island
Engine Hours Start 797
Engine Hours Finish: 799
Weather/Sea conditions: Rain in a.m., sunny evening
We've stayed the three night limit on the dock at Jones Island. It is time to move on from this fantastic spot. We loved the walks, the views, and the socializing, meeting fun and friendly boaters.
Cruising along Orcas, we pass familiar sites and lots of rocky shoreline. It is mostly a gray and drizzly cruise, and Dan is glad he applied RainX to the windows yesterday.
We grab a buoy in Fossil Bay as the docks are full, but when a boat pulls out, we move to the dock. This is one of the places we like to be on shore for access to the hiking trails.
The dock is a busy place with water taxi services dropping off and picking up passengers. We are on the end of the dock right next to the drop off spot, an interesting place to be! We also have great views of Fossil Bay here.
How many herons are in the snag tree?
Come five o'clock, the sun is out and skies are blue! We are in a different world. The docks and buoys are now full, as are the camping sites ashore. We are amazed when a small sailboat pulls in beside us with four people aboard and tons of gear for camping. Where did they stow it all? Load after load comes out of that little boat and toted to their campsite before they move the boat to an anchorage.
Dinner is on the dock, followed by some wonderful sunlight lasting into the evening.
Date: July 1, 2018
Sucia Island layover day
Weather: Gray a.m. clearing to sun, calm, upper 60's, windy evening
Happy Canada Day to all of our friends to the north! Hard to believe it is July already, and we are well into our second week of this extended cruise. So looking forward to the adventures ahead!
It's a perfect day to enjoy the beauty of Sucia by walking the forested trails and beach combing along the shores. Low tides expose the shelves of rock and sandstone, with algae (seaweeds) adding their colors of reds and greens and browns. So many patterns are etched in the sandstone, swirls and layers of color, bands tilted and twisted. Conglomerate rocks hold a mixture of pebbles of all sizes, adding texture to the exposed surfaces.
Sucia Island layover day
Weather: Gray a.m. clearing to sun, calm, upper 60's, windy evening
Happy Canada Day to all of our friends to the north! Hard to believe it is July already, and we are well into our second week of this extended cruise. So looking forward to the adventures ahead!
It's a perfect day to enjoy the beauty of Sucia by walking the forested trails and beach combing along the shores. Low tides expose the shelves of rock and sandstone, with algae (seaweeds) adding their colors of reds and greens and browns. So many patterns are etched in the sandstone, swirls and layers of color, bands tilted and twisted. Conglomerate rocks hold a mixture of pebbles of all sizes, adding texture to the exposed surfaces.
Our walk takes us first to to Echo Bay. Dan's totally engaged in this marine world! Would you ever guess that he is a marine scientist? Luckily, I love this environment, too.
We cross the island to the Shallow Bay side, enjoy our lunch on the beach, and then continue our explorations along the shoreline bluff as we make our way to the super shallow end of the bay..
We've reached the shallowest part of Shallow Bay, with mudflats extending far from shore.
Our trail back to Fossil Bay takes us through groves of cedars where the stumps of old growth remain.
The winds have really picked up, and it is too brisk to dine in the cockpit tonight. Evening is enjoyed from our cabin.
Date: July 2, 2018
Sucia Island layover day
Weather: Partly sunny, breezy, calm evening, 60's
It's a beautiful Sucia morning, perfect for another hike, this time to Ev Henry Point, following along the top of the bluff from the beach at Fossil Bay. Before we head out, we bid goodbye to our friends on the little sailboat. We watch with amazement as they reload all of their camping gear and then find room for their bodies as well! They are sailing to Anacortes today.
Date: July 2, 2018
Sucia Island layover day
Weather: Partly sunny, breezy, calm evening, 60's
It's a beautiful Sucia morning, perfect for another hike, this time to Ev Henry Point, following along the top of the bluff from the beach at Fossil Bay. Before we head out, we bid goodbye to our friends on the little sailboat. We watch with amazement as they reload all of their camping gear and then find room for their bodies as well! They are sailing to Anacortes today.
We get fantastic views all along the Ev Henry trail. We look back towards Fossil Bay and across towards Orcas Island.
After a late lunch, Dan morphs into Jacques Cousteau, ready to check and replace the anodes on NORTH STAR. Into the murky water he goes! The water is deep green and thick with an algae bloom right now. Click on the photos to get the vertical effect!
A water taxi pulls in to pick up passengers and gear, including kayaks.
And we learn a new style of SUPing! This boater drops by for a chat, his beverage at his feet!
Our Canadian courtesy flag flies atop NORTH STAR. Tomorrow we move into Canadian waters. For now, the evening is beautiful and calling for a row in the dinghy. Sucia is such a stunning island to visit!