the summer cruise: back in the u.s.a.
Date: August 2, 2015
Time Start: 8:00 a.m.
Time Finish: 5:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Princess Margaret Island, B.C. (Canada)
Cruise To: Port Ludlow, Washington (U.S.A.)
Engine Hours Start: 263
Engine Hours Finish: 271
Weather/Sea Conditions: Sunny with smokey haze and wispy clouds, low 60's
It's goodbye to Princess Margaret Island and to Canada today. The waters are calm and there are ferries crossing in every direction that we can see. The skies are hazy, smokey. We will soon cross the border back to the U.S.A., leaving the phenomenal cruising waters of British Columbia behind us. Mt. Baker is just a shadow in the haze, and the rays of the sun are diffused through the smokey layer.
Time Start: 8:00 a.m.
Time Finish: 5:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Princess Margaret Island, B.C. (Canada)
Cruise To: Port Ludlow, Washington (U.S.A.)
Engine Hours Start: 263
Engine Hours Finish: 271
Weather/Sea Conditions: Sunny with smokey haze and wispy clouds, low 60's
It's goodbye to Princess Margaret Island and to Canada today. The waters are calm and there are ferries crossing in every direction that we can see. The skies are hazy, smokey. We will soon cross the border back to the U.S.A., leaving the phenomenal cruising waters of British Columbia behind us. Mt. Baker is just a shadow in the haze, and the rays of the sun are diffused through the smokey layer.
Oh, how quickly it happens! There is Stuart Island, we can see the Turn Point Lighthouse, and we are back in U.S. waters! We are in Boundary Pass. We continue and take the scenic Johns Pass between Stuart and Johns Islands. There is a camp (Camp Nor'wester) with tepees on Johns Island, and campers are out on the water playing with kayaks and boats, swimming, swamping their boats. They have traditional paddling canoes.
There are shallow rock ledges with seals pulled out at the south end of Johns Island. A pair of bald eagles soar and drop low over the water. We pass small islets that are National Wildlife refuges, and then Spieden Island is to our starboard.
We take the San Juan Channel, bypassing Friday Harbor today, and continuing down the eastern shore of San Juan Island and through Cattle Pass. We pass some islets that are great sanctuaries for birds and marine mammals. The lighthouse at Cattle Pass marks the start of our crossing of Haro Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
This is our first ever crossing of the Strait, and the water is calm for us today. Smith Island sits at the eastern entrance to the Strait and is the location of an old lighthouse facility. The island from the water looks almost square shaped. At the edges, a shelf with kelp beds extends from the shore. We have good views of Mt. Baker directly behind the island.
Finally we reach Pt. Wilson, and we have crossed the Strait! Three hours! We are now riding the tide and skipping along at ten knots. A Washington State ferry (Port Townsend to Keystone) looks small compared to the large B.C. ferries we have been seeing. We pass Fort Flagler and the marine station on Marrowstone Island. We are now in Admirality Inlet and our destination is Port Ludlow.
At the entrance to Port Ludlow we pass a rock with cormorants, a gravel loading facility with barge, and then a line of beachfront condos. After a long day of cruising, we tie up at the Port Ludlow Marina and are back on U.S. soil.
After hot showers (in a building that is surely rocking!), we have a nice dinner in the Fireside Room of the resort, sitting near the fire and enjoying its warmth on a day that feels so much cooler. The food is great and we highly recommend the restaurant for a special meal. Sunset from our cabin is colorful, a red sky indicating another good day in store for tomorrow.
Date: August 3, 2015
Time Start: 12:40 p.m.
Time Finish: 5:35 p.m.
Cruise From: Port Ludlow
Cruise To: Blake Island
Engine Hours Start: 271
Engine Hours Finish: 280
Weather/Sea Conditions: Sunny with haze, breeze from north, upper 60's
After long hours of cruising yesterday, we spend a leisurely morning at the dock in Port Ludlow. We'll continue south in early afternoon when the tide and currents are favorable. With good cell phone coverage here, we have a nice chat with Kelda and grandkids, and then a late breakfast. I walk the resort grounds and take a few photos of the marina and condos. The totem pole in the little park tells the history of Port Ludlow and is carved in a 730 year old cedar log from a tree that blew down in a wind storm. The hotel resembles the lumber office/hotel building that was originally here.
Time Start: 12:40 p.m.
Time Finish: 5:35 p.m.
Cruise From: Port Ludlow
Cruise To: Blake Island
Engine Hours Start: 271
Engine Hours Finish: 280
Weather/Sea Conditions: Sunny with haze, breeze from north, upper 60's
After long hours of cruising yesterday, we spend a leisurely morning at the dock in Port Ludlow. We'll continue south in early afternoon when the tide and currents are favorable. With good cell phone coverage here, we have a nice chat with Kelda and grandkids, and then a late breakfast. I walk the resort grounds and take a few photos of the marina and condos. The totem pole in the little park tells the history of Port Ludlow and is carved in a 730 year old cedar log from a tree that blew down in a wind storm. The hotel resembles the lumber office/hotel building that was originally here.
A couple of old boats are near us in the marina. A small wooden boat was built in 1903, and there is a sedan style cruiser from the 1920's.
Dan has a busy morning, First he assists the captain of a Back Cove who has fallen in the water alongside the docks. Then he caulks the teak trim along the counter top in the galley and then the plug for the dinghy. It has been leaking water in our last couple of anchorages.
We are on our way again, into Admirality Inlet once again and then Puget Sound, rounding both Foulweather Bluff and Point no Point as we continue south. The traffic lane is busy today with container ships, tugs and barges, the Victoria Clipper, ferries, and pleasure craft. We get lots of wake, especially from some of the container ships. We can see it coming, the line of it is like a surfing wave rolling our way. We point into the waves and ride them.
We are on our way again, into Admirality Inlet once again and then Puget Sound, rounding both Foulweather Bluff and Point no Point as we continue south. The traffic lane is busy today with container ships, tugs and barges, the Victoria Clipper, ferries, and pleasure craft. We get lots of wake, especially from some of the container ships. We can see it coming, the line of it is like a surfing wave rolling our way. We point into the waves and ride them.
We are listening to do-wop music as we cruise along the Kitsap Peninsula. We pass the Kingston ferry terminal and continue along Bainbridge Island with a hazy Seattle skyline across the way. Mt. Rainier is also hazy today. We can see the Argosy cruise ship enter Tillicum Village on Blake Island for the nightly salmon dinner and program put on by a local tribe.
Lucky for us, a small boat is just leaving one of the buoys along the west side of Blake Island, and we grab it. The wind is blowing strong! It's a chili and cornbread night, followed by a gorgeous sunset. The winds are less, but we do a lot of rocking into the night. As darkness settles in, a circle of lights glows across the water from the surrounding shores. A ferry pulls into Southworth, lights reflecting in the water. The night is beautiful from our anchorage here along Blake Island.
Date: August 4, 2015
Time Start: 1:25 p.m.
Time Finish: 6:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Blake Island
Cruise To: Eagle Island Marine Park
Engine Hours Start: 276
Engine Hours Finish: 281
Weather/Sea Conditions: Gray Pacific Northwest morning, then clearing, low 70's, south wind
Here we are at Blake Island, so close to home, and having a cool gray Northwest kind of morning. We won't be continuing south for a few hours so that we will have favorable currents in the Tacoma Narrows. With plenty of time, we fix a leisurely breakfast while we listen to music on KING FM. We even have the Webasto heater turned on to warm us up a bit! We can look in one direction and see the Southworth/Vashon ferry and in the other direction and see the Bremerton ferry.
We are still letting the new caulking set around the plug on the dinghy. Only one kayak is inflated, and Dan takes it to shore. He beaches by the camping area of Blake Island and takes the trails through the forest to the Tillicum Village and marina side of the island. The Argosy is there again, and tourists are lined up for lunch. I spend my time sorting through our photos.
Time Start: 1:25 p.m.
Time Finish: 6:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Blake Island
Cruise To: Eagle Island Marine Park
Engine Hours Start: 276
Engine Hours Finish: 281
Weather/Sea Conditions: Gray Pacific Northwest morning, then clearing, low 70's, south wind
Here we are at Blake Island, so close to home, and having a cool gray Northwest kind of morning. We won't be continuing south for a few hours so that we will have favorable currents in the Tacoma Narrows. With plenty of time, we fix a leisurely breakfast while we listen to music on KING FM. We even have the Webasto heater turned on to warm us up a bit! We can look in one direction and see the Southworth/Vashon ferry and in the other direction and see the Bremerton ferry.
We are still letting the new caulking set around the plug on the dinghy. Only one kayak is inflated, and Dan takes it to shore. He beaches by the camping area of Blake Island and takes the trails through the forest to the Tillicum Village and marina side of the island. The Argosy is there again, and tourists are lined up for lunch. I spend my time sorting through our photos.
Upon his return, Dan requests a line to secure the kayak to NORTH STAR. We are preparing to leave when he asks: Where is the kayak? Out there, floating away! We quickly release the mooring line from the buoy, start the engine, and do a "man overboard" for the kayak. A perfect grab!
Our cruise takes us down Colvos Passage on a beautiful afternoon. We are seeing familiar landmarks, Mt. Rainier and Point Defiance. Tugs are pushing a pile driving rig. There are amazing cloud formations over Point Defiance. We enter the Narrows, and it feels like we are almost home. After passing under the two bridges, we cross to the Tacoma Narrows Marina to get fuel.
Our cruise takes us down Colvos Passage on a beautiful afternoon. We are seeing familiar landmarks, Mt. Rainier and Point Defiance. Tugs are pushing a pile driving rig. There are amazing cloud formations over Point Defiance. We enter the Narrows, and it feels like we are almost home. After passing under the two bridges, we cross to the Tacoma Narrows Marina to get fuel.
The Narrows Marina had a fire in June that destroyed much of a boat storage building. Dan has been asked to assist with the permitting process for reconstruction. He chats with the marina owner, and fire department personnel are here today assessing the site. None of the damage is visible from the water.
We pass the waterfront homes on Day Island as we head back into the Narrows. Then we get wet in a tidal rip as we cross and make our way along McNeil Island to one of our favorite spots, the buoy off of little Eagle Island that faces Mt. Rainier. We are delighted to find it waiting just for us!
We pass the waterfront homes on Day Island as we head back into the Narrows. Then we get wet in a tidal rip as we cross and make our way along McNeil Island to one of our favorite spots, the buoy off of little Eagle Island that faces Mt. Rainier. We are delighted to find it waiting just for us!
The winds keep us in the cabin for our dinner, but subside later in the evening. We are enjoying the sounds of the seals. A colony of harbor seals make this island their home, going ashore when the tide is out and swimming in the water when the tide is high. We listen to a young pup with its baby sounding cry and the mother seal with its mature sounding answering voice communicating with one another as they swim around us, surfacing for only brief seconds.
The evening sun colors Mt. Rainier as the ferry crosses to Anderson Island. The water shines with patterns of wind and currents. And the seals continue to entertain us.
Date: August 5, 2015
Time Start: 10:45 a.m.
Time Finish: 5:00 p.m.
Cruise From: Eagle Island
Cruise To: Olympia (Swantown Marina)
Engine Hours Start: 281
Engine Hours Finish: 284
Weather/Sea Conditions: Blue skies with white clouds and WINDY!!!
This is the final day of our summer cruise, the leg that will take us home to Olympia. We have been out for seven fabulous weeks now! The time has sped by, and neither of us is weary of being on NORTH STAR. If work wasn't waiting for Dan, we would be out for much longer!
Morning is gray and calm, the seals are swimming, and there is a lot of "seal" talk going on. We wonder what they are talking about. The sun begins to break through the clouds, and it should be a lovely cruise home on South Sound waters.
We notice that the seals are congregated at the end of Eagle Island nearest Anderson Island. Their usual spot is at the opposite end of the island. And, they are extremely vocal. We also hear eagles but cannot locate them. Dan takes the kayak around the Anderson Island end of Eagle Island, then returns, telling me I need to go, too. Eagles are on the shore, feeding on the carcass of a seal pup.
I go, returning to NORTH STAR with tears streaming down my cheeks after witnessing a natural but very emotional event. Oblivious to us, the eagles let us within ten to fifteen feet of them. One eagle is dominant, standing on the carcass of the pup, not letting the other eagle near it. Three young eaglets swoop down but can't even land. The "alpha" eagle chases them away by flapping its wings. (Warning: These photos are very graphic.)
Time Start: 10:45 a.m.
Time Finish: 5:00 p.m.
Cruise From: Eagle Island
Cruise To: Olympia (Swantown Marina)
Engine Hours Start: 281
Engine Hours Finish: 284
Weather/Sea Conditions: Blue skies with white clouds and WINDY!!!
This is the final day of our summer cruise, the leg that will take us home to Olympia. We have been out for seven fabulous weeks now! The time has sped by, and neither of us is weary of being on NORTH STAR. If work wasn't waiting for Dan, we would be out for much longer!
Morning is gray and calm, the seals are swimming, and there is a lot of "seal" talk going on. We wonder what they are talking about. The sun begins to break through the clouds, and it should be a lovely cruise home on South Sound waters.
We notice that the seals are congregated at the end of Eagle Island nearest Anderson Island. Their usual spot is at the opposite end of the island. And, they are extremely vocal. We also hear eagles but cannot locate them. Dan takes the kayak around the Anderson Island end of Eagle Island, then returns, telling me I need to go, too. Eagles are on the shore, feeding on the carcass of a seal pup.
I go, returning to NORTH STAR with tears streaming down my cheeks after witnessing a natural but very emotional event. Oblivious to us, the eagles let us within ten to fifteen feet of them. One eagle is dominant, standing on the carcass of the pup, not letting the other eagle near it. Three young eaglets swoop down but can't even land. The "alpha" eagle chases them away by flapping its wings. (Warning: These photos are very graphic.)
It is the seals that bring me to tears. As I watch from the kayak, I realize that the seals are watching, too. They surround me and continue their vocalizing, which I begin to interpret as sounds of mourning and grief. The seals are staying by the pup as if they are having a wake. Could this be possible? During our cruise, I read a book that had a lot of information on elephants and how they grieve. What the seals are doing seems so similar!
I grieve with the seals, returning to NORTH STAR enriched by this experience but with an aching for this colony of seals so obviously experiencing loss. Then it is time for us to leave. Eagle Island, the natural home of seals and eagles, will never be quite the same. We now know more about the cycles of life here. Mother nature both gives and takes, and we are privileged guests in this world. The eagles fly off as NORTH STAR passes by, but we know they will return to finish their feeding when we are far enough away.
The sun is out and it is glassy calm along Anderson Island. We are back on our beloved South Sound waters, cruising along with reggae music serenading us. We spot porpoises and then a tug and barge off of the Key Peninsula.
The sun is out and it is glassy calm along Anderson Island. We are back on our beloved South Sound waters, cruising along with reggae music serenading us. We spot porpoises and then a tug and barge off of the Key Peninsula.
And then we have wind, lots of wind. It suddenly picks up at Johnson Point and NORTH STAR gets good and wet. We cross to follow along Harstine Island, hoping for smoother water along the lee shore. These are the roughest waters we have ever experienced here! The water is wild again at the south end of Harstine where we cross to Squaxin Island, rolling as the swells hit us broadside and then they grow gentler and carry us along.
We drop our anchor in one of our favorite spots, near the former state park on Squaxin Island, where we are somewhat protected from the wind. NORTH STAR is the wettest and saltiest that she has been on the entire seven week cruise! We indulge in the invigorating luxury of a final swim in 66 degree water. Dan dons his short wet suit to replace the prop zinc. Solar showers follow, we are going home clean! The kayak gets a shower, too.
We relax with lunch in the cockpit and then continue to Olympia with a strong southwest wind blowing. Right away we are wet again. We cross to the lee shore along Cooper Point. The capitol dome and Olympia are on the far horizon, and our seven week cruise is ending. It has been stellar!
