Mainland

  A month and a half later I am back on "the mainland."  Tied up to my own permanent moorage  in Fairhaven, Wa.  The return trip was more fun than I had even hoped, mostly due to the distance covered and hours under sail.  The time spent in and among the inner islands was full of short passages across straits and channels just island hopping with no long term destination.  If my traveled course had been plotted it would look like a pile of Pick-Up-Sticks on a map.

  This leg of my journey consisted of three parts, over four days.  Each varying  from 10 to 15mi, and lasting 4 to 6hrs depending on wind conditions and currents.  My first stop was Jones Island State Park.  An island about a tenth the size of Lopez with what seamed to be the same amount of deer.  An overpopulation of deer appears to be a problem for lots of the islands but Jones puts all the others to shame.  The camper population was booming as well, but for good reason.  Well maintained scenic trails wrapped around Jones highlighting the deepest woods and best views that the island  had to offer.  I anchored in a well protected cove on the north side, sleeping soundly on board the first night.  The second day I gathered my tent and other gear, hiked as deep and far into the untouched woods as you can on a ten acer island, and set up camp.

  After two days on Jones I pulled up my anchor and set my sails to North East, past the ominous, quarried cliffs of Waldron Island, and on to Sucia Island.  This island has been referred to as,"San Juan's most visited", and "the crown of the San Juans", but I just call it Disneyland.  Coming from someone that has never been to Disneyland I honestly think after being on Sucia I would be quite disappointed with the actual theme park.
That evening I shared a calm bay and an amazing sunset with over 60 other boaters in Fossil Bay.

    The fallowing morning I woke to a red sun and moderate winds, but with home so close I pressed on to what would end up being the most divers sail of the summer. The est. 5mi crossing from Sucia to Hale Pass was hard and fast.  With winds up to 25mph and waves nearing 4ft I was working for every mile. Cruising at 6kts I made it to the pass in less than two hours and in retrospect I enjoyed every white knuckled minute of it.

Entering Hale Pass the wind calmed but stayed near 15kts making an easy cruise between Lummi and Portage Island.  Entering into Bellingham Bay I found the weather even milder to the point that I was able to set my autopilot (an old rope tied to my tiller) and make a small lunch.  Now Just barely making 2kts, I sat, ate lunch, and watched the house speckled hills of Bellingham slowly grow. 

    Now with the summer only half way over I am back.  I have returned for two reasons. 1: my cousins wedding and 2: to visit a neighbor of mine just a few boats down who invited me, just before I left in June, to sail with him down to Mexico and on to Belize after the hurricane season(Dec/Jan).   At this point I am undecided weather to set sail with Captain Bill or finish my summer in the islands.  Ether way my adventure has only just begun and I can hardly wait to see where I end up!

Let me know what you think I should do in a comment.

-KB