Lopez Island and Saddlebag Island

Sunset at Saddlebag Island.

Another Dungeness Crab dinner in the cockpit.
Underway again - staying warm inside the cockpit enclosure.

Bobby and Paden heading out to check the crab pot.
Bobby cleaning crabs.

Wednesday, 11 August, we return to Lopez Island for Jenny's Aunt's birthday. This time we dock at Island Marine Center in Fisherman's Bay. Jenny's nephew, Paden, ferries over on his motorcycle to visit and overnight. We also find pirate vessels arriving on the 12th - turns out the Lattitudes and Attitudes (cruising magazine) Pacific Northwest cruise is overnighting here also. The three of us head up to the bar to find it is the same place the Latts and Atts pirate crowd is hanging out at this evening, including magazine owner, Bob Bitchin' and his wife. All of us enjoyed watching an older couple cutting the rug together.

By Friday, the cousins and aunt arrived for her 81st birthday. Jenny's middle cousin and husband, owners of the beach house on the bay, are unable to come as Kristi is having surgery on a broken ankle. The rest of us pull off a festive weekend.

Time is approaching for Bobby to return to La Conner for medical appointments. On our way back, we spend a day at Saddlebag Island across from Anacortes and the entrance to the Swinomish Channel.

Still in La Conner

In the Pacific Northwest it has been a "Bummer Summer". Temperatures were 5-10 degrees below normal. June was rainier than usual, and we even had some rain in August. Now, when we expect a warm, dry September - it is the wettest on record!

We canceled plans to head back to the San Juan Islands this month due to the weather. And we are preparing the boat for a winter layover. We will fly to our home in Hawaii 3 October and return to "The Star" late spring or early summer in 2011.

La Conner to Hope Island and Back

On the way to Hope Island.

Rainbow Bridge at the south end of La Conner.

La Conner from the Swinomish Channel.

Taking the tidal current south, we depart the La Conner marina to head to nearby Hope Island for five days. The weather is cool, but okay, so we decide not to head out too far, plus Bobby has another medical appointment in a week.

Only a few boats are at Hope Island when we arrive, so we pick up a mooring ball and enjoy the quiet. The hike around the island is not well marked in spots and can turn into somewhat of an adventure if you do not pay attention. We did a lot of reading cuddled up in fleece. On Sunday, we catch the tidal current and head back to La Conner marina.

Stuart Island, Orcas Island, and Shaw Island

S/V Wanderin' Star anchored in Massacre Bay, West Sound, Orcas Island.

Jenny's mom and Bobby in cockpit of S/V Kocoa in Reid Harbor, Stuart Island.

Bobby returning with crabs after checking the crab pot in Reid Harbor.

We continue to buddy boat with Jenny's parents (S/V Kocoa). After departing delightful Roche Harbor on the north end of San Juan Island, we make the quick trip back to Stuart Island. This time we stay in Reid Harbor at the marine park dock. The state park is on a narrow finger of land with Reid Harbor on the west side and Prevost Harbor to the east. Reid Harbor is usually more protected than Prevost Harbor, and thus warmer. Due to the cooler summer this year, Jenny's parents are able to tolerate the warmer Reid Harbor side of the park. From here, S/V Kocoa departs the San Juan Islands for a 2-3 day return to Seattle.

"The Star" heads to the Massacre Bay, West Sound, on Orcas Island. In between rain showers, Jenny kayaks and Bobby completes a few boat chores. Through light rain on 9 August (Monday), we cruise over to East Sound, past Rosario Resort, to the end of the sound. This sound is exposed to wind funneling up the waterway, and with the deteriorating summer weather, we decided to head back to Blind Bay, Shaw Island. There is a small store by the ferry landing at Blind Bay we dinghy to for a few fresh grocery items. Harbor seals and their pups are using rocks (just outside the west end of the bay, making it the side not to exit the bay!) exposed at low tides to hang out.

Garrison Bay and Roche Harbor, San Juan Island

Bobby and the Hotel de Haro at Roche Harbor, San Juan Island.
The old lime kilns at Roche Harbor.

View of Roche Harbor Marina from gardens of Hotel de Haro.

Afterglow Vista Mausoleum at Roche Harbor.

Bobby's favorite position - reading at anchor.

English Camp Encampment Day of Victorian times.

Jenny and her mom with birthday cake, Garrison Bay.

English Camp and Garrison Bay.

View from atop Young Hill, English Camp Park.

S/V Kocoa and S/V Wanderin' Star buddy anchored in Garrison Bay.

Wednesday, 28 July, S/V Wanderin' Star and Jenny's parents' boat, S/V Kocoa leave Friday Harbor and head around the north end of San Juan Island to anchor in Garrison Bay. San Juan Island was the site of "The Pig War" between Britain and the United States 1860-1872. The English and Americans were arguing over the border between Canada and the United States, with the British claiming the boundary ran south of San Juan Islands. Both sides had settlers on the island, one side's pig got into someone's garden on the other side and was shot - leading to much male posturing and both sides setting up military camps until the matter was settled some years later. At Garrison Bay, the English established their camp in a state of permanence on a prime spot of real estate. The Americans threw up a fort on the southern end of the island and remained living and drilling under harsh conditions (drinking problems were an issue - imagine that!). Possibly, being assigned at American Camp may have been better than fighting in the Civil War.

A recently completed trail through public and private land allows one to travel off-road between English Camp Park at Garrison Bay to Roche Harbor. Jenny enjoyed running this trail and hiking the park trails, especially up Young Hill for a panoramic view of the island and Vancouver Island, Canada. On Saturday (31 July), English Camp had an Encampment Day with folks recreating how people lived at the time the Camp was an active military post.

On Monday, 2 August, both boats move to the marina at Roche Harbor to catch up on laundry and restock groceries. Roche Harbor is a small resort town where a family company processed lime years ago. We hike through the Sculpture Garden in a field, and to Afterglow Vista (lime company family's mausoleum). The grounds in front of the old hotel is a lovely garden adding to the picturesque beauty of this port. Two days are all we need at a marina dock to be ready to move on...

Shaw Island, Jones Island, and Stuart Island

Vessel comings and goings at Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.

Bobby and the Smith In-Laws on Stuart Island.

Dinghy Captain in Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island with "The Star" in the background.

Texas and Conch Republic (Key West) flags flapping towards the bow as we travel forward due to the stiff wind coming off the stern.

Bobby at the helm.

Bobby preparing to set out the crab pot at Jones Island.
Mother harbor seal with pup preparing to nurse on Jones Island.

Bobby on west side of Jones Island looking NW to Stuart Island and Canada.

At Blind Bay, Shaw Island, on the grill.
Heading down Harney Channel into the San Juan Islands on way to Shaw Island.

After 10 days back in La Conner for medical appointments, we are braving the cool summer temperatures and heading back to the San Juan Islands by 20 July. Throughout Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands are state marine parks (some complete islands). Some of the marine parks have docks/mooring balls for a nominal cost or with a pre-paid park pass for convenience. Ashore is a registration box - rangers check regularly to prevent boats from remaining past the allotted days. Another convenience for us is that it only takes half a day to reach the San Juan Islands and even less to hop from island to island. Quite a change from East Coast cruising.

Out with the tide through the north end of the La Conner Channel, we head west past Anacortes, across the Rosario Strait, dodging ferries and other water traffic to Blind Bay, Shaw Island. Eagles and harbor seals provide visual entertainment during the day, and once the sun sets, lighted ferries, docking at Shaw Island and across Harney Channel at Orcas Island.

Next stop - Jones Island. We pick up a mooring ball at the island marine park's north anchorage. Taking the dinghy ashore, we hike the island, and enjoy seeing more eagles and harbor seals. Even with sketchy cell phone service in the San Juan Islands, we are able to contact Jenny's parents on S/V Kocoa. They are at Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island, just a short hop away, so the next day we are on our way to find a place to anchor before the weekend crowd arrives.

Stuart Island is not served by the state ferry system, so it can only be reached by boat or place. Right off the marine park dock at Prevost Harbor are two short hiking trails. It takes an hour for Jenny to kayak around the southern end of the harbor. By Saturday, we hike inland to the the one-room school. The few students are having a bake sale to raise funds for the upcoming school year's field trips. We make lunch of it, then head to the lighthouse end of the island with views of Canada. We miss out on seeing any orcas in Boundary Pass, but observe many vessels on this high traffic waterway.

Sunday, "Star" and "Kocoa" head south to Parks Bay, Shaw Island, as the wind is rising, making the first part of the trip a bit rough. We are unable to go ashore as Parks Bay is a research area for the University of Washington, but we do have ferries and floatplanes moving in and out of Friday Harbor across from us for visual interest. By mid-morning the following day, both vessels head over to the Friday Harbor marina. Here we can do laundry and restock supplies in town. Boats flow in and out all day long. Friday Harbor is one of the largest ports in the San Juan Islands and also a Port of Entry. After a few days of frentic activity all around us, it is time for "Island Time".

4th of July at Lopez Island

Bobby overlooking James Island East Anchorage and S/V Wanderin' Star.

"The Star", Mount Baker, and a Washington State Ferry.

Floatplane landing on Fisherman's Bay, Lopez Island

Orcas off southern end of Lopez Island.

The summer is starting off cooler and rainier than usual. So, we are unable to consider cruising until the 4th of July weekend. Friday, July 2d (sunny, light winds), we head south out of the Swinomish Channel, through Deception Pass (between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands) with a 4.5 knot current., and west across Rosario Strait, passing the southern end of Lopez Island. Here we stay offshore due to a pod of orcas moving along the same direction. At the San Juan Channel, heading north between San Juan and Lopez Islands to Fisherman's Bay, the engine goes into neutral until the orcas pass across our bow.

"The Star" and crew join family gathering for independence celebrations of eating, fireworks, and parades at a cousin's beach home on Fisherman's Bay, Lopez Island. We anchor amidst other vessels in the bay and travel by dinghy to the beach to join in family activities. Jenny's brother and sister-in-law arrive by motorcycle and stay aboard. The temperatures remain cool - thank goodness we are stocked with fleece!

On the return to La Conner, we overnight at the James Island Marine Park east anchorage. It's slightly rolly due to the ferries heading in and out of Anacortes, but the view is tremendous and we are the only vessel here. Ah, a lovely hike through the island forest, grilling dinner off the stern, and cocktails at sunset - it does not get much better than this!

Vessel Reconstruction Post Shipping Across Country

"Wanderin' Star's" land shipment across country began in Southern Florida, proceeded up north to Iowa, and then westward to Washington. Winds up to 80 mph, at a pass in the Cascade Mountains into Western Washington, sheared off the shrink wrap (saving us the cost of removal at the boatyard in La Conner, WA). Unfortunately, a chunk of shrink wrap caught on a rear lifeline stanchion and tore it out of the base. So, the base and stanchion are at the welding shop for repairs.

While the boat crossed the country up north, we hit the road staying south. Our route took us to:

Florida - visit Barry and Nancy Sullivan in Panama City

Mississippi - Gulf Coast, drive up along the Mississippi River, Natchez, Vicksburg

Arkansas - visit Bobby's family, Hot Springs, Talimena Scenic Drive

Oklahoma - Runestone State Park (Viking runes carved in valley cliff before Columbus)

Texas - visit Bill and Janet Galyean in Houston, Paint Rock (Indian art on cliff), BBQ

New Mexico - Dinosaur Tracks State Park, Enchanted Circle/Taos, Taos Pueblo, Chaco Canyon

Colorado - San Juan Skyway, Telluride, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Ouray, Silverton

Arizona - Canyon de Chelly, Painted Desert/Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Oak Creek

Canyon/Sedona

California - Cambria, Big Sur, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, Napa Valley, Fort Bragg,

Redwood State and National Parks

Oregon - Crater Lake

Washington - La Conner and end of journey 13 May

The "Star" arrived 2 May at the boatyard with Jenny's Dad overseeing the bottom painting and remasting. We met Dad by Friday, 14 May, for the tuning of the standing rigging (cables that hold the masts in place). Over the next days, we reinstalled sails and covers, remounted the anchor on the bow and the dinghy on the stern davits, rewired each mast, cleaned the deck and performed numerous other chores.

Our cruising of the San Juan Islands will begin early June, once we reinstall the life line stanchion and Bobby has his initial medical appointments with his Primary Care Physician and Oncologist.

Prepping "The Star" to be Shipped

Last year (2009) was Bobby's fight and recovery from cancer. As he is now in remission for over a year, medical requirements are less frequent.

In order to maximize sailing with "The Star", we are shipping the boat from Florida to Washington. This move will allow us to spend 2-3 weeks cruising Puget Sound/San Juan Islands and British Columbia, Canada inbetween medical appointments. Something not very practical on the East Coast due to the distances required to travel anywhere.

On 19 April, we motored the boat to the boatyard for prepping for overland shipping by tractor-trailer rig. The dinghy was secured on the foredeck; sails, anchor and outboard removed and stowed below; and all covers/enclosure panels removed. The riggers removed both the main and mizzen masts. Each boom was secured aboard, the standing rigging removed from the masts and stowed below, the running rigging secured to the masts, and the masts protectively wrapped. After our new motorboat was lifted from the water, she was shrink wrapped, and loaded on the trailer with the masts alongside.

As "The Star" travels from Florida up to Iowa, and west to Washington, we are driving through the Southwest and up the West Coast starting on 23 April.