Part 6, San Juan Islands



June 2-7, 2005



Our exit from Puget Sound through the Skagit River delta took us on the back side of Anacortes along side the refinery. Instantly, like a scene change in a movie, we left the flat landscape and gloomy day behind and sailed into a sunny day in the beautiful San Juan Islands. First stop: two days at lovely Sucia Island. For a change of scene from past visits we anchored in Fox Cove and then circled the island by dinghy stopping to explore Fossil Bay, Echo Cove and Shallow Bay with a side trip over to Matia Island. Mother seals on nearby Clements Reef gave us a sleepy look as their wide-eyed babies anxiously watched us pass by. From the dock at Fossil Bay we were able stretch our legs on some of the trails.



Next, we anchored in pretty Reid Harbor on Stuart Island where we hiked up to see how the school is doing. Enrollment spiked to nine students at the beginning of the school year but dwindled to two by the end of the year when two families moved off island. Nevertheless, the teacher and two students enjoyed an end of year field trip to Alaska including Glacier Bay. A word to the wise: the hill is a little higher and the trail is steeper than it was on our first visit several years ago. Instead of hiking to the Turn Point light house we gave it an inspection by taking the dinghy around the island by way of Prevost Harbor.



At Roche Harbor we got a slip for two days next to Offshore 48 Rebozo, home of good friends, Bill and Rebbie Bates. Their exciting news is that after living on a boat for all of their 28 years of married life, they bought a home five minutes from Roche Harbor on Davidson Head overlooking Spieden Channel. Bill helped me with a couple of boat projects including servicing the windlass while Rebbie prepared a delicious dinner. The sunset Colors Ceremony when the British, Canadian and American anthems are played and flags are lowered and the cannon is fired is a Roche Harbor tradition.



We always thought of Bedwell Harbor on South Pender Island as a sleepy Canadian Customs port of entry. But now there are signs of life as the new Poet’s Cove Resort has given the place a new look with a hotel, spa, villas, condos, etc. After clearing customs we anchored, set out a crab pot and took the dinghy through the Pender Canal to Port Browning. At refreshment time an Osprey skimmed the water and easily snatched several small fish. The next morning the crab pot yielded a disappointing catch of two big wriggling sun stars and three female crabs. Gay’s casual comment that the inflatable dinghy was suffering from E.D. was my command to spring into action. A few squirts of air should do the trick. While retrieving the foot pump under the seat, I noticed that the contents of the cargo hold (foot pump, five life vests, anchor with 50’ of line, two more 50’ lines, two paddles, navigation light and mast) had shifted to the bilge and was covered with mildew. An hour after I climbed in with a bucket of soapy water and bleach the place was sparkling and ready for inspection.



Pirates Cove on DeCourcy Island is one of the most picturesque spots in the Gulf Islands but the narrow, rocky entrance is not for the weak of heart. We stopped there for an hour and a half to wait for the six knot current at Gabriola Passage to abate. Then as we pulled up the anchor a log drifted across the entrance. No problem. Tugboat Safari just pushed it aside. Looking ahead we saw that two tugs were getting ready to push a quarter-mile log raft through Gabriola Passage. A little extra speed got us ahead of the log raft, through the passage and into Silva Bay where we anchored for the night with a red sunset.