Fish Creek to Watmough Bay

Just to start, 3 days is not enough time to do a proper trip! We were just settling into thing and, poof, the trip was gone!

July 20th- Anyhow, we had three wonderful couples join us for a 3 day trip around the San Juans. They were avid canoers and so we had lots to talk about and shared our favorite canoeing places! Tex's Riverways in Moab, UT was on top of the list. We headed out of PT and across the straights bound for Fish Creek. The straights gave us quite the lumpy ride as it was extremely windy the night before. But we were able to sail a good portion of it and sail onto the anchor in Fish Creek!

July 21st- We started the morning with a beautiful hike around San Juan Island ending at the lighthouse on Cattle Point and then looping back to Fish Creek. The woods here are amazingly quiet, beautiful and serene...kinda like Vermont. Which explains why I connect with it so much. We hauled back and went back out into the straights (this time sunny and a nice breeze) and went past Danger Rock up into Rosario Striaght and then into Watmough Bay for the evening. And, we only have to drop anchor once (it is notorious for being kelpy and having to reset multiple times). 

July 22nd- We did my favorite hike up the cliff in Watmough for the view and rope swing! If I could each and everyone of you wonderful readers of this up there, I would. My words could never do it justice, it is simply amazing. Eventually we had to head back to the boat and sail for PT(motor sail) due the straights not being in our favor once again. 

We had such a wonderful group on board and it was a pleasure to learn from them and also be able to teach them and show them my love for sailing. Thanks for a wonderful trip, wish it was longer guys!

xoxo to al you lovely people out there

Meryl

The compass made from rocks on the top of Watmough.

The view from the top of Watmough, Martha is just slightly hidden behind the treee!

Bill and Scott ready to strike the jib!

The coolest Madrona Tree

Baby seal sighting, thought the kayak was its mama!

Canadian Gulf Islands, 75.9 degree water!

Let me just start by saying what another beautiful area of the world AND warm water!!

July 8th- Our three wonderful ladies to be part of the crew for the 9 boarded and we got right to work taking sail covers off and getting to know the boat. We waited on the dock until the wind came up and then set sail for Victoria to clear customs in Oak Bay, got to sail the whole way and 8 knots! Woohoo!! What a way to start a trip. We anchored right next door in Cadboro Bay for the night and salmon and cake to celebrate the Captain Robert's birthday.
July 9th- Went ashore in the morning to get some food (silly customs and all) and see a little bit of Victoria, what a cool city, I think it should be my next vacation spot :). We headed out hoping to catch the flood(not quite sure where we were headed, but north) and instead got a little stuck in some of the back eddy's but finally caught the flood up and found some wind and, drumroll please...SET THE SPINNAKER!!!!! (if you know me, I had to work very hard to contain my excitement so I could actually work to put it up). To top it all off, we had a Minke whale come up right alongside Martha, swim underneath her and then come up right off the bow. We could have reached out and toucher him/her. Breathtaking... We ended up anchoring in Bedwell Harbor for the night and Mischief (a very cool small staysail schooner) came alongside for the night and we got to chat and play some apples to apples with them! Zodiak, which is the largest gaff-rigged schooner was also anchored in Bedwell, and very cool boat that you should go look up right now!
July 10th- We proposed to have a little informal race with Zodiak, Mischief, and Copernicus (another very cool staysail schooner) to Montague Bay in Galiano. Martha must have known we were racing because she sure gave us her best and we won! Another woohoo! I can't quite explain it but she takes of us while we are out there...she really does have a personality. We spent an evening playing in the warm water and then put on a little play with the youngsters on board revolving around a their stealing a salad spinner!
July 11th- We spend the day anchored in Montague Harbor doing projects on the new sails for the boat and I spent some time doing some boson work (see pictures) and then decided as a crew to go ashore for dinner at the Hummingbird Pub. Now to get there, you can get a bus from the Marina/Campground, but this isn't your average bus. This bus is a music lovers heaven. We loaded on and he blasted the oldies, I mean real oldies cause I didn't know some of the songs and then started passing instruments back! The driver had his own drum set up above the windshield and rocked out the whole way to the restaurant, it was a BLAST! Same thing on the way home, and yes, I have video evidence to prove it! The food was delicious and beer even better :)
July 12th- We hauled back super early, 8am, and headed for Ruxton Pass for the evening, but due to the lack of wind and glassy water, we had to motor the whole way. But we got there early and got to the spend the afternoon on the beach and swimming in the 75.9 degree water, what a treat. I finished up cutting and sewing the batons into the main staysail and then set it! It looks quite spectacular if I do say so myself.
July 13th- It was once again glassy, so we got to motor our way to Ganges Harbor for a little ashore shopping time and the yummiest bakery I have ever been to, Embe Bakery. Winds permitting, we set sail (maiden voyage for the main staysail) and made it to Narveaz Bay for the evening. Narveaz is not very well know and so we have the place to ourselves for the night and what a beautiful bay it was, serene and quiet. The perfect evening after some full days.
July 14th- We hiked up to Monarda Pt. on Saturna Island the next morning for an amazing view of the boundary pass. WOW, just wow. Unfortunately, we had to get back to the boat and head to Roche Harbor to clear customs and then onto Spencer Spit on Lopez Island for the evening. Another long, but beautiful sailing day!
July 15th- We hiked up to a little farm stand (Lopez Island is the one still covered in farms) and got some yummy fresh veggies (super sweet carrots) and then hiked back to the boat for the sail to Watmough Bay. We got to sail onto the anchor which is always exciting and good exercise for the crew! Unfortunately, I came down with a bout of food poisoning that night and had a sleepless and night and a rough last day and had to spend it in my bunk :(
July 16th- Spent the day in my bunk recovering, but heard it was a great sail from Watmough to Miner Island and then the wind died and had to motor across the straights and into Point Hudson.

It was a wonderful trip with a truly wonderful crew! Ladies, you were such a blast to sail with! Fun stories, great sailing, good food and warm water. What more could I ask for?!

Love to you all and miss you! Hope where ever you are, it is amazing and you are soaking up its beauty :) Im sending you all some Gulf Islands beauty.

Meryl

Woohoo spinnaker time!!!

Working on the new main staysail. Seeing hanks on! 

Some of the bosen work I was doing. 

A very cool truck we found at the farm stand!! And it still runs! 

The hummingbird bus! Video is to big to post but this gives you an idea! 

San Juan Islands 4th of July Trip!

I am currently sitting on a adorable little coffee shop looking out over the water called "Better Living Through Coffee", and with a special treat of some live music! A whole bunch of local folks jamming on their instruments. Pretty cool stuff!
On July 1st we took off across the Straight of Juan de Fuca towards Cattle Pt. and tootled around there until we headed up in past Cattle Pt. and anchored in Fish Creek for the evening. Unfortunately, we did not get ashore that evening due to weather but still had a nice evening of games and yummy, yummy food! On the 2nd, we hauled back the anchor and sailed off the hook headed north up the San Juan Channel. We veered off into Spieden Channel and then around Stuart Island to anchor up in Provost Harbor (Stuart Island). We launched our little dingy and headed for shore to hike up to the schoolhouse on the island. Stuart Island is very neat because it is completely off-grid! People power with solar or wind (sometimes both) and have their own school system so kids don't have to go off island. Once back to the boat we all jumped in (brrrrrr, the water is only 45-50 degrees!) and had a nice hot fresh water shower to rinse the salt off. The day deserved some sort of sum up and Captain Robert put it perfectly, "life is yummy!". The night ended with a hilarious game of apples-to-apples. Just to give you a taste, here were a couple of the cards and their definitions. "Duct tape - helping you keep it all together" and "Prius - a grown up golf cart".
The following morning, we headed to shore again, this time to hike out to the lighthouse at turn point! From their you can look out over San Juan Channel and over to Canada, very beautiful. We climbed down the rocks to play in some tide pools and poke some anemones (which start to suck your finger if your not careful). We headed back to the ship and sailed off the anchor again headed for Deer Harbor on Orcas Island for some fireworks! We anchored in Deer Harbor only to find out that the firework barge had moved and we were in the line of fire. So we got to haul the anchor back and find a new spot...which was difficult considering we are quite long and were in a very crowded harbor! But we settled in, had some dinner, went ashore for some ice and then brought our sleeping bags and pillows up on deck to wait for the fireworks. Some more apples-to-apples may have happened while were waiting :). Just so you all know, fireworks are 100 times better on a boat! It is like you have your own private viewing and they happen right over you. We all promptly fell asleep on deck (another wonderful thing about Martha) staring at the stars.
On the morning of the 4th, we took off early from Deer Harbor headed for Matmough Bay. We headed out through Pole Pass, then Harney Channel, around Humphrey Head, in-between Spencer Spit and Frost Island into Lopez Sound and down through Lopez Pass. While in-between Spencer Spit and Frost island, we caught a bald eagle eating a fish on the rocky slope, which was VERY cool. Lopez island is very neat because it is almost all rural farm land still producing almost all of it's own food. It also has it's own school system that uses 80% food grown on the island, including meat! We anchored in Matmough Bay for the night and went ashore for some beach playing time and climbing on big rocks, brought me back to my childhood days! We finished the day off with some dinner and yummy cake made by Mary! 

The morning of the 5th we once again rose early to hike up the side of Matmough Bay which lead to stunning views of Martha and Rosario Straight. There was an AWESOME rope swing and few stellar trees to climb. Eventually we had to make our way back to the boat to haul back the anchor and head home for Port Townsend. We had beautiful sailing weather and the crew did an excellent job with all aspects. We were sad to see them go, but it's time for the next trip and a new crew! Till next time my friends, enjoy life wherever you are, it's certainly yummy around here :) 

xoxo Meryl 

Sitting on the bowsprit while coming into PT. 

The view from Matmough. 

My attempt at a photo of the fireworks! Turned out pretty good...

Owen at the helm, always giving me a face when I take is picture!