Still Alive!

The boat didn't sink . . . and we're still a couple! All good news, indeed. Our trip started out a bit poorly, though, as the weather did not cooperate. Strong winds and big waves made for a short trip out of Blaine, and then back, this time to anchor in the bay, rather than tie up and pay at the marina. The next day dawned calm and beautiful, and we were off to Sucia Island, the northernmost of the San Juan Islands. 

Sucia is mostly a state park, with about half a dozen decent anchorages scattered along its circumference. It's also an extremely popular boating destination, and - in our bay alone - I counted over 75 other boats anchored around us. There wasn't much room for any boat to swing around on the anchor, and that was a constant worry, though not a real problem. We rowed the dinghy to shore a few times, and went for some nice hikes, and we semi-circumnavigated the whole island in our kayaks, as well. There were many seals, and numerous purple starfish in the water, and, also, Rebecca's camera is now a permanent bottom dweller there, too.  We still have mine, though. 

 Good thing, cause its kind of scenic here, sometimes!

                         

A couple of days later we up-anchored and headed for civilization: Roche Harbor, on San Juan Island. Again, it was calm and sunny on our passage, and, again, we had to motor, rather than sail. We did time it so as to catch some favorable currents, however, and we mostly were traveling at double our normal speed. Roche Harbor is a privately owned, touristy marina (and floatplane port), and quite popular with the wealthy yacht owning crowd. I'm pretty sure Rebecca and I were the only non-employees there who had ever shopped at Walmart . . . .

There was some good hiking and an amazing sculpture "garden" but we didn't feel the need to stay more than one night.

Then we were off to a slightly less busy harbor on Stuart Island, just across the strait from Canada. There's no marina, city, or even electricity on Stuart, though there are a few hundred residents.    Floating in the harbor was a little barge that housed a photographer's gallery. He was a "character," but had some good pics and apparently did a good business. Rebecca bought some of his cards. 

We spent a couple of nights there, motoring the dinghy to shore for the hike to the lighthouse - staffed by a girl from Boulder - and doing plenty of kayaking in the currents around the island. 

I have been paddling my kayak every evening around sunset in most of the places we've been. Both of us are paddling the skin-on-frame boats that we built in May, and they elicit many, many questions. I enjoy answering them, but not as much as I am constantly enjoying the serenity of effortlessly and silently gliding through the water, exploring nooks and backwaters, surrounded by curious seals and viewing some truly amazing sunsets. It's occasionally a very profound experience, which I have been referring to as "kayak bliss."

And now . . . now we are back in Bellingham, though we did hit a few more destinations on our way here. We even got to do some sailing, as the wind was perfect yesterday. It's much nicer without the drone of the motor!

We'll be here a few days, then head back out for another week. Rebecca's lease is up at the end of August, but our cars will be here,  and, of course, our friends, so we will be back from time to time.