september cruise: north to the san juans
Date: September 6, 2015
Time Start: 1:00 p.m.
Time Finish: 7:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Blakely Harbor, Bainbridge Island
Engine Hours Start: 289
Engine Hours Finish: 296
Weather/Sea Conditions: Gray and cool, showers, windy and choppy. Low 60's.
It's Sunday of Labor Day weekend, and Harbor Days is in full swing in Olympia. Tugboat races are underway on Budd Bay as we begin our extended September cruise. Tugboats of various sizes are circling and waiting for their turns to race as we make our way out of South Sound waters.
It's a quiet cruise today under gray skies, and not many boats are out even though it is a holiday weekend. We take our usual route toward and through the Narrows. We have a whale sighting in Colvos Passage - some spouting, a fin, a tail. It's a water color world when we reach Blake Island, calm water and gray and glowing sky. A few dolphins show their backsides as we cross to Bainbridge Island, and then a sea lion on the buoy at Restoration Point makes us laugh. It is rocking the buoy with its weight, adding color and humor to the day.
We pull into Blakely Harbor as daylight wanes. Anchor is set, and dinner is ready. We used our oven (a great feature on our R27!) to heat a pan of lasagne while underway. All we need is a salad to go with it. The night is beautiful, with the city of Seattle lit up across from us.
Date: September 7, 2015
Time Start: 7:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 4:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Blakely Harbor
Cruise To: Bowman Bay, Deception Pass (floating dock)
Engine Hours Start: 296
Engine Hours Finish: 305
Weather/sea conditions: Calm morning with light clouds, burning off to blue skies
Happy Labor Day! We leave early on a beautifully calm morning. The Seattle skyline is hazy with rays of the sun trying to break through the light cloud layer. Some porpoises are swimming off of Bainbridge. We see their backs and fins as they break the surface of the glassy water. Fishing boats are strung across the water off of West Point. It is looking like a great day for our cruise north.
Time Start: 7:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 4:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Blakely Harbor
Cruise To: Bowman Bay, Deception Pass (floating dock)
Engine Hours Start: 296
Engine Hours Finish: 305
Weather/sea conditions: Calm morning with light clouds, burning off to blue skies
Happy Labor Day! We leave early on a beautifully calm morning. The Seattle skyline is hazy with rays of the sun trying to break through the light cloud layer. Some porpoises are swimming off of Bainbridge. We see their backs and fins as they break the surface of the glassy water. Fishing boats are strung across the water off of West Point. It is looking like a great day for our cruise north.
There are fishing boats galore off of Richmond Beach and Edmonds. The launch ramps must be busy today! As we cross the shipping channel to hug the mainland shore, we pass behind a southbound container ship and a tug with fuel barge. The beautiful red Ranger Tug "Claire" is also headed south. There are more fishing boats off of Whidbey's Possession Head. What a great morning for relaxing by your pole, waiting for the fish to bite. Conditions couldn't be better. We have fun listening to "catch" reports on our VHF radio.
We have easy cruising along Whidbey and Camano Islands. We have chats with Kelda and Sarah, catching up on family news. Lots of crab pots are out. There is a parade of cruisers heading south, heading home after a holiday in the San Juans. Lucky us, we are just getting started on our cruise! Labor Day really is a turning point in the boating season.
The Seal Rocks in Skagit Bay live up to their name today. They are home to lots of birds, too.
We enter Deception Pass with a four knot flood, and Dan rides it. Love his smile! My cowboy!
There is plenty of space on the floating dock in Bowman Bay. We are set for the night, sitting right in the middle of Deception Pass Marine State Park and its incredible beauty.
Date: September 8, 2015
Time Start: 12:30 p.m.
Time Finish: 2:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Deception Pass (Bowman Bay)
Cruise To: Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes
Engine Hours Start: 305
Engine Hours Finish: 307
Weather/sea conditions: Light cloud cover, breezy, cool, late afternoon sun, 70 degrees
The two sided carving of "The Maiden of Deception Pass" greets us at Rosario Beach. We have crossed Bowman Bay in the dinghy on this cool gray breezy morning to take the trail to the top of the bluff.
Time Start: 12:30 p.m.
Time Finish: 2:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Deception Pass (Bowman Bay)
Cruise To: Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes
Engine Hours Start: 305
Engine Hours Finish: 307
Weather/sea conditions: Light cloud cover, breezy, cool, late afternoon sun, 70 degrees
The two sided carving of "The Maiden of Deception Pass" greets us at Rosario Beach. We have crossed Bowman Bay in the dinghy on this cool gray breezy morning to take the trail to the top of the bluff.
The views across Bowman Bay and out towards Lopez Island are great. North Star on the floating dock is just a speck. Kelp beds, bird filled rocks, and great viewscapes highlight our shore time.
It is an easy run to Cap Sante Marina. We pull into our assigned slip, right across from another Ranger Tug, "Ranger Gray". Dinner is on the town tonight. The Brown Lantern is a hopping place with good pub food.
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