Saturday 9/17 – day 9

Departed Mark Bay at 10:45am

Arrived at Montague Harbour, Galiano Island at 8:30 pm

Anchored in 34.2 ft (+8 tide)

Trip log = 235 nm.  GPS = N 48°54.039’ ; W 123°24.596’

Had a beautiful sail in the Strait of Georgia down the outside of Gabriola Island.  Nice breeze, mellow swells, endless sunshine.  Re-entered the Gulf Islands via Gabriola Pass.  15 minutes before scheduled slack water the pass looked like river rapids.  Even right at the exact time of reported slack water, we still had a very strong current against us through the pass – boat speed 5.5 knots but speed over ground down to less than 1 knot at one point, very strong eddies. Covered the whole length of Valdez Island and most of Galiano Island in the afternoon & evening.  Sailed for a while and then motored as the wind died.  Amazing sunset while underway.  Long day but really a nice one.  Anchored in the dark at Montague Harbor, but the full moon made it pretty easy.  Two other boats adjacent to us on the north side of the spit separating the park, opposite of the main marine park & anchorage area.  We came here last year and liked this side better – fewer boats, better sunset.

Breakfast – instant oatmeal, yogurt, lattes

Lunch – meatloaf sandwiches

Dinner – Pizza (prepared underway). 

Sunday 9/18 – day 10

Stayed at Montague Harbour.

Rowed ashore and walked around the park to the other side and the main part of the harbor, the big side.  Also a very nice anchorage, lots of mooring buoys, park dock, marina, store, restaurant.  But definitely way more crowded, we prefer the quiet side.  We were the only boat anchored on that side the 2^nd night.  Another beautiful day and great sunset.  Dry ice basically all gone today – need to move the frozen food into the fridge tomorrow.

Breakfast – banana bread, lattes

Lunch – leftovers (stroganoff & pizza)

Dinner – grilled rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes.  Turley 2002 Hayne Vineyard Zinfandel – sublime.

Monday 9/19 – day 11

S. wind picked up in the night and we were rocking & rolling a fair amount.  Had to get up and douse banging courtesy flag in the middle of the night.

Departed Montague Harbour at 12:00

Arrived at Irish Bay, Samuel Island at 2:50

Anchored in the northwest end of the bay in about 30 feet.

GPS = N 48°49.294’ ; W 123°12.674’

Motored all day, wind was on the nose and we would have been beating against it the whole way.  Only one other boat here by bed time.  Very nice anchorage – quietest night we’ve had the whole trip other than maybe Tod Inlet.  Starboard water tank ran out today, switched to port tank.  Approx 32 gals lasted about 4.5 days since fill up in Ganges.

Breakfast – banana bread, lattes

Lunch – leftovers – meatloaf, chicken cacciatore

Dinner – beef stew.  Failla 2002 Pinot Noir.  Tasty.

Tuesday 9/20 – day 12

Departed Irish bay at 10:20.

Arrived Reid Harbor, Stuart Island (back in the San Juans) at 3:00 pm.

Tied to a mooring buoy in about 30 ft.

Trip log = 262.2 nm.  GPS = N 48°40.433 ; W 123°12.036

Sailed most of the way until we needed to get out of the way of freighters blasting out of Haro Strait at Turn Point and the wind was mostly dying.  Then strong tide against us down Stuart Island.  Saw several Orcas in Haro Strait off Stuart Island – probably 5 or 6.  Very cool until all the whale-watching charter boats appeared out of nowhere.

Breakfast – banana bread, lattes

Lunch – sandwiches, beer

Dinner – Orichiette pasta with bread crumbs, proscuitto & parm. Roasted Zuchinni, sliced tomatoes.

Wednesday 9/21 – day 13

Departed Reid Harbor at 9:15 am

Arrived Friday Harbor 12:15

Cleared US customs by phone from the customs dock.  Note that you can no longer clear customs by phone while underway, you have to come to a customs dock unless you have a special card – the old PIN system is no longer in place as of April 1 2005.  Also note that the customs dock at Roche Harbor is closed for the season after Labor Day.  Had lunch in town, bought some more beer & wine.  Kings Market right on the main street is a very nice, well stocked market.

Departed Friday Harbor at 3:00

Arrived at Parks Bay, Shaw Island 3:30

Anchored in 32 ft.

Trip = 277.3 nm.  GPS = N 48°33.563’ ; W 122°58.579’

Yet another gorgeous sunny day, but temps much cooler.  Maybe high 50s, whereas previously had been mid or high 60’s.  Sailed the whole way from Reid Harbor, right on into Friday Harbor.  Lots of seals and porpoises. Parks Bay is just across the channel from Friday Harbor.  2 other boats here.

Breakfast – banana bread

Lunch – in Friday harbor

Dinner – bbq’d flank steak, tortillas, beans, quac, etc.  Foppiano 2002 Petite Syrah.  Not bad.

Thursday 9/22 – day 14

Very quiet and calm night until about 8am, then started getting some small swells from passing boats out in the channel.

Departed Parks Bay at 11:00

Arrived at Hunter Bay, Lopez Island at 4:00

Anchored in 21 ft (+6 tide)

Trip = 294.1 nm.  GPS = N 48°27.657’ ; W 122°51.465’

Tried to stop in at Olga on Orcas Island for the legendary pie, but the dock was full and the wind was up, so we passed.  Nice day, good wind, although somewhat shifty, and sailed most of the day.  Managed to get a nasty tight wrap with the genoa sheet on the starboard winch – had to bring the other sheet around and winch it in to loosen the wrap and get it free.  Might have been stressful if we had been in a narrow spot, but we had plenty of room in the channel to work, so it worked out just fine.

Another amazing anchorage, beautiful clear day & night, great moon.

Breakfast – bagels, sausage, slice tomato, lattes

Lunch – PB & J sandwiches.  Really.

Dinner – lamb chops, potatoes, green beans & spinach.  Turley 2002 Tofanelli Zinfandel.  Mmmmm.  Andretti 2002 Chardonnay.  Yes, that Andretti.  Not bad.

Friday 9/23 – day 15

Northerly wind shift generated rolling swells down Lopez Sound early in the AM, so it was a bit of a lumpy morning.

Departed Hunter Bay at 11:00

Arrived at Point Hudson Marina, Port Townsend at 5:30

Moored at the marina

Trip log = 320 nm

Another fantastic day of sailing.  Motored for a bit in fluky winds off the south end of Lopez Island, but otherwise sailed the whole way across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  Calm seas, 8 – 10 knots of wind.

Breakfast – banana bread, lattes

Lunch – steak sandwiches

Dinner – Thai restaurant in PT.

Saturday, 9/24 – day 16

Departed Port Townsend at 11:45

Arrived back in our slip at Shilshole marina at 7:00pm

Trip log = 355.6 nm.  Also broke 1000 nm since we installed the GPS.

Couldn’t have asked for a better last day of the trip.  Warm and sunny.  Sailed most of the way until Apple Cove Point around the corner from Kingston.  Nice broad reaching and wing + wing downwind sailing all day.  Great sunset over the Olympics right before we got to the marina.

Breakfast – banana bread, lattes

Lunch – turkey, ham, salami & cheddar sandwiches

Dinner – enchilada casserole