Blind Bay to Stuart Island: Carol Joins in the Fun

6 September 2011 Tuesday


Fog at Blind Bay

 Fog rolls in and I sit and wait until I can see Orcas before departing to pick up my friend Carol. She parks her car and I get new supplies onboard.

We change our plans due to the fog bank that is not budging from it's grip on Lopez. So instead we head to Stuart Island where they say they have a pumpout. West Sound was charging $15.00 and Deer Harbor's price was $8.00. I'm betting on the free pumpout at Stuart.

Carol, at the helm and eating snacks

Carol and I take a hike



Dock at Reid Harbor Stuart Island

 Just as we pull into Reid Harbor, we see the park rangers hauling the pumpout station out. It is the day after labor day so I'm certain it is full. I figure they are taking it to Roche Harbor over on San Juan island and will bring it back. In the meantime we grab a dock space, next to 2 older couples. One has sailed around the world and the other couple has just returned from the Broughtons in British Columbia.The pumpout station returns to its position in the harbor for use. Hurray
Day's run13nm
Total 188nm

Westsound to Blind Bay

5 September 2011 Monday
An easy day and evening.
Day's run 4nm
Total 175nm


Seaplane takes off next to Shatoosh





Orcas nestles to Shaw and Mt Baker watches the Ferry



Sunset glows on deck and Blind Island



Sailboat sails by us



Hanging Out on Orcas Island with Friends

4 September 2011 Sunday

Yesterday I noticed my flagstaff was wobbling and upon checking it out I realized that 2 screws were loose, so my project this morning was to repair the problem. I used my swim platform to dismantle it and clean the area. I think these 2 screws need to be through bolted, but for now I replaced the screws with larger ones and recaulked the fitting. I took out the vinyl liner in the aftcabin to see what was going on with the screws and sure enough they were not through bolted. For now this is a quick fix and I can through bolt them later. At least it is secure and won't leak.




My tray doubles as a great place to sort screws. The boat is a mess within minutes, but easily restored back to order.

In the middle of my project a man flies in on his own ultralite amphibious plane. I help him dock as he doesn't have a dock line on board. Then another boat is being towed by the vessel assist boat and I help them dock. Its a busy morning.

I get an email from a gal who lives here on the island. She is a FBR and saw Shatoosh at the dock, but I wasn't around. Hopefully we can meet tomorrow morning. Wow, another blog reader.

Andy and Rae picked me up and we went to the ferry landing and bought sandwiches at the grocery and then took them over to the gift shop where our friend Dee Dee works. While we ate she would run in and out of the shop and talk with us. Dee Dee and her late husband lived on Crane for many years and owned the Argo. Dee Dee, now lives on Orcas and she is the best dressed lady on the island. After work she visited Shatoosh and I just had to take a picture of her on board. Shatoosh has never had such a fancy lady in her cockpit before. Departing she did take her high heels off to walk on the dock barefooted, so she wouldn't catch her heel in the cracks on the dock.

Island life is so varied. Rae introduced me to a very young looking man who owns his own island. Wouldn't that be nice? Being on Orcas and Crane makes me happy that these islands and people played such an important role in my life. Andy and Rae have always had such a positive influence on my life. They are both so fun loving and full of life and spirit. It has been a delight to be with them again and I am very grateful to have had them in my life for all these years.
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The sunset was spectacular.

Picnic Island in Background



Blind Bay to West Sound Marina, Orcas Island

3 September 2011 Saturday

The sunrise over Shaw Island was beautiful. I'm on a leisurely morning schedule and enjoy my morning routine, and wait until 0930 to depart. Yesterday as I was coming along the Orcas shoreline, I was filled with so many memories of living and visiting the islands during the last 25+ years.

 I motored over to Bay Head Marina near the ferry dock. You can see it has a narrow entrance.

 I taught sailing out of here when I lived on Orcas and used some of the boats from Sailing Foundation that were located here. Here are a few of the boats anchored off the ferry landing.

I meander down West Sound looking at homes, docks and boats and pull in to marina and tie up. It is only 3nm from Blind Bay. The Kenmore sea plane comes in right after I dock and drops off an island visitor. I've flown up here often and the view of the islands is spectacular.



Rae on the left, Andy on the right.



My friends, Andy and Rae come down to Shatoosh. I've known these folks since 1965, I was a brand new 2nd Lt in the US Army attending Physical Therapy School and Andy was one of the class instructors. Later she became Chief of the PT Section and was an incredible mentor in my life. Rae was also a PT in the Army but I never knew her until after she retired. They both lived on Crane Island for 30 years and now live high atop Mt Woolard, just down the road from West Sound and the Ferry landing. Often I have gotten to house-sit for them on both islands. They are very special people and have impacted my life as well as island life through their many charitable groups that they volunteer for.

We head for Crane Island to cruise around it.



Andy takes the helm



Rae calls Margaret who lives on Crane to tell her we will cruise by her place and wave.

Islanders would rather have you stop in for tea, so we go through narrow Pole Pass and find a spot on the small Crane island docks. I swing Shatoosh around and dock on her starboard side. Margaret meets us and then we walk along a path with nicely cut Salal on each side. She has been busy with summer projects, new windows for the cabin, newly cetoled garage door. I see many old boats that I am familiar with; The Argo, and Babette's old dock boat which I used to run back and forth while house sitting, especially for night runs. It was safer than using Andy's whaler. Margaret now owns it. As all the ladies became older, they moved to Orcas to make life easier for them. Living on Crane is not easy, everything must be hauled on and off. That includes 50 gallon drums of gas for the boats and tractors and island cars. Andy had an electric Suzuki several decades ago. When you build a house, which they did twice, everything is barged onto the island--cement mixers, supplies,etc. After building their 3rd house which is on Orcas, they are still leading very busy lives at 85 years young. I was barely able to squeeze in a visit with them.



Argo an Ed Monk Design





Babette's ole Dock boat





Hide A Bike in a Tree
40 years later
Can you see it?





Margaret's Cabin



After departing Margaret's cabin with a bag full of freshly caught and cooked crabs, we head for the west side of the island to see their old houses. The first one was built in the early 70's and is a small cabin nestled in the trees overlooking a nice cove. In the mid 80's they built another one that was larger up on the point above the cove. Both locations were wonderful and we had many a good time there.



Cabin to the right
larger house on point.





Sabra and Baten
Crane Island 1983
Original photo by Rae



 Here is a photo from one of my trips there. Sabra and Baten moored in the cove. This is my favorite photo of them together. Andy had Baten designed by Jay Benford and built by Jensen Boat Yard in Friday Harbor. It was their work boat and many a trip was made through Pole Pass from Orcas to Crane island. They grew their own veggies, had chickens who laid yummy eggs, the cows gave milk and calves were born. and the donkeys were for fun. Since it would not be wise to bring bulls over for breeding, they took the services of artificial insemination which was performed by the Shaw Island Nuns. I always thought it was a bit unusual that nuns were in the breeding business, but I guess God's work comes in many forms. Summer haying of the pasture always was a group effort and I loved driving the tractor and gathering the hay. It was nice that they could see their old places. We continued around the island and motored back to the marina. We finished off the day with dinner in Eastsound. It was so much fun to have them on Shatoosh and to go to Crane. A day full of memories about island life on Crane. Wow.



Our Route Today



PS. I forgot to mention that many years ago, Andy and Rae went to Sweden and chartered an Albin 25 to cruise the canals across the country. Andy is from hearty Swedish stock and Rae descends from the

First Pilgrims on the Mayflower. NO wonder they can do all that they do and have done. My hat goes off to all the ladies who have lived on Crane and Orcas Islands. They are a special group.

Day's run 11nm

Total: 171nm

Cypress Island to Blind Island

2 September 2011 Friday

The morning is beautiful with clear blue skies with a slight west wind. I have a very leisurely morning, but take the time to call West Sound Marina for guest moorage this weekend. I'll be meeting friends there and since it is Labor Day weekend I thought it might be wise. After securing that, I make my way to the cabin top to wash windows and get rid of the salt spray. I notice my Scottish flag has broken one of its electrical ties. I had planned to put my Albin Burgee up for the gathering, so replaced the flag there instead.

Last evening a salty fellow rowed over to see me. He tells me he has a friend who has an Albin. She lives on Bainbridge Island with a sailing rig. He wasn't sure she was coming to the Albin gathering, but they have attended many. He was in a small 20 + double ender sloop.

He lives on her in the summers up here and then lives aboard his 32 Cutter in Mexico in the winters. Right now his cutter is on the hard in San Carlos, north of Guyamas. That is where Storm Bay is located, while Chris and Margie are rving. I met them last year on the Columbia River while they were crossing the bar and I was coming out of Ilwaco. He did not know them. He also told me that the cutter is a new boat for him, as he lost his Cape George cutter when he failed to wake up one night while on a run. She sailed herself right up on the shore. He had lots of interesting stories. When I departed I cruised by his boat to talk some more, but his dinghy was on the shore. He certainly was an interesting fellow.

I cast off my buoy lines and pull out of the harbor at 1130.  I pass Cone Islands to starboard and stay in close noting 3 small coves that are usable for anchorages, but without buoys. On Pelican Beach there are 5 buoys, but the shore is exposed to north and west winds, making today lumpy. I take the cut between Cypress and Towhead Island and a large Tolleycraft overtakes me on my starboard side and is about 80 feet away. His wake just barrels towards me. I have to say that Washington boaters are not very polite or considerate. I have to slow down and turn up to transient his huge wake. My speed, once back on my course, is 8.2k with the ebbing tide.





Pelican Beach Cypress Isl



Towhead Island off Cypress



Peavine Pass



Blind Island

I spot some jumping salmon, so throw out a lure and troll for about 30 minutes, but no action. At this point I am getting ready to enter Peavine Pass which is between Obstruction Island and Blakely Island. The currents are strong in this narrow pass and my speed kicks up to 9k. I have a nice run between Orcas Island and Shaw Island and slow Shatoosh to enter Blind Bay which is behind a small island. This is a State Park so I pick up another empty buoy. These waters are my old stomping grounds. I moored Sabra directly across the channel in Bay Head Marina next to the Orcas ferry landing and had dinghied over to Blind Island numerous times.


Cypress to Blind Bay



I'm settled on my mooring buoy at 1330hrs and have a lovely afternoon tending to chores, watching boats and reading some magazines that I picked up at the Bellingham marina. Lots of kayakers come and go to the island, as do dinghies from the boats anchored deep into the bay. It is large and can hold hundreds of boats with good holding ground. An ole Soling sails by. There was a large fleet when I lived here in the 80's. It is good to see they are still around, and with new sails. They always hung out in West Sound, so I'm certain I will see them tomorrow.

Days run 12nm
Total of 160nm.

Bellingham to Eagle Harbor, Cypress Island

1 September 2011 Thursday

Yesterday, mother gull was constantly being harrassed by her 2 children. They wouldn't leave her alone, always pecking at her mouth to get a left over nibble of something. Up and down the dock they went.

The big fish buying boat that I saw on Lummi Island comes into the marina this morning. She is huge and well used.

I wanted to get a jump start on leaving before the wind piped up, but the wind started early this morning. With the wind pinning me to the dock, it was going to make it hard for me to get my bow around in such a short space. I rallied my new found friends, Shirley, on the Island Packet and Al on the Viking Star to assist and/or stand by, to keep me from being blown down on Shirley's boat. Instead of leaving with bow out, I decided to go stern out and with my good old Volvo kick to starboard I knew I could clear Shirley's boat. Al managed to keep my bow off the dock and Shirley gave my stern a shove as I threw Shatoosh in reverse. Presto, I'm out of harm's way and on my way. I wave good by and yell a loud Aloha.

I meet a large fishing vessel coming out of the other harbor, the Lady Law, hailing from Newport, Or. I fall in behind her and begin my Bellingham Bay crossing. The wind has built up quite a chop and the bay is filled with white caps. My ship's bell is ringing some 3 bell waves, as I call them. Shatoosh is riding well and I am glad that I, again, decided to stow Pashmina on the rooftop, rather than, to tow her.

After an hour the seas and winds soften their gnarly grip on the bay. Yesterday, Too Tall was telling me that I might run across a derelict porta boat and would I save it for him. At 1025hrs, I have reached the southern tip of Eliza Island near the southern tip of Lummi. I look up to see a dinghy adrift. In the distance it looks, not like a porta boat, but rather a Livingston. I alter my course to check it out. It is about 12 ft long, pretty beaten up, no lines on it, no registration numbers(they have been partially removed), no life jackets, no oars. There is growth on the bottom indicating it has been adrift for a while and it is partially submerged. I notify the Coast Guard and give them the information and the lat/long. It looks like it might be blown into Eliza Island shoreline. I told the CG that since I was single handing I did not want to try to get a line on her and tow her into land. They agreed and noted the location. I then called, Too Tall, on the phone to tell him he must be coming psychic.

I return to my course heading for Cypress Island and arrive at 1130hrs.

I pick up a buoy deep into Eagle Harbor. The tide is ebbing and I have 8-10 ft of water under me. At low tide I have 6 feet. There are 12 bouys here and the setting is stunning with a nice cove and beach in the back and steep rock cliffs to port as you face outward of the cove. The sun has been in and out all day and the wind blowing 10-15k to zero.

I am really hungry, so cut up some polish sausage and scramble some eggs. I top it off with my last kosher pickle and a mug of coffee. I figure I get my vegetable that way. After doing the dishes, I dust off my fishing pole and throw the line over. A fish grabs it just as it hits the bottom. I throw it back and that is the only catch of the day. If the weather is good tomorrow, perhaps I will troll for some pinks.

Hooking up to a buoy really takes the stress out of being in a windy cove. I will be coming back here in a few days when I bring my friend, Carol, next week. Farther up the shoreline are more buoys and trail heads, as all this land is DNR. There is a small mountain lake, as well. We will have to explore it later.

Its time to put on some warmer clothes as the wind is cold. I think I have changed clothes 3 times today. Fleece to shorts and back again. The weather changes every 5 minutes.We have had calm, rain, wind, sun, clouds but no fog. I'm headed for the galley to make me some hot chocolate.

An interesting low profile trawler came in late this afternoon, hailing from Oregon. They are flying a Waikiki Yacht Club Burgee. He buoys up across from me. Perhaps, tomorrow I shall talk with him.

My course today brought me to a place where I intersected my original course north to Lummi. As you can see, I have been exploring the north east section of the islands, which are all new to me. I haven't planned on this, but it just evolved as each day passed.

Day's run: 14nm

Total: 148nm