Last year Sandy and I took a 9 day trip to the San Juans in our P-19. At the end of the trip, we were wishing we had a few more days. This years trip is a full two weeks. Once again, we've chosen to go just after Labor Day to avoid the crowds but still have a reasonable chance of good weather.
We've added some items to the boat which we hope will make it more cruising friendly. Since we plan to anchor more, we upgraded our ground tackle. Instead of an 11 pound claw on the bow and a Fortress FX-7 buried in the quarterberth, we now have a 16.5 pound claw and the FX-7 on the bow as well as a Guardian G-7 tucked in behind the swim ladder. All three have flaked, ready-to-deploy rodes. In addition, there is 500 feet of polypropylene stern-tie line flaked into a compartment in the transom.
Our cockpit tent saved us last year, but we noted a few issues with it. I sewed up a new one for this year with several improvements. We also increased our fuel capacity to 6 gallons - motoring is a fact of life in the San Juans.
There are many other small improvements - one of these days I'll get around to adding them to the website.
Here is a map showing our route and each overnight stop.
If it's not checked off on the boat "to do" list, it's not getting done. The boat is packed with almost everything we'll need for two weeks. We plan on only minor grocery shopping while traveling. The boat has a lot of stuff, but it doesn't seem crammed. The P-19 has an amazing amount of room.
Out of our driveway in Beaverton, OR, a suburb of Portland, at 6:00 pm heading for I-5 north. We plan to get past Seattle so we can skip the traffic scene on Tuesday morning. We pull into a rest stop just north of Marysville at about 10:00 and crash in the van.
I'm up at 7:00 and opt for rest stop coffee. There is a bit of morning fog but the weather looks good. The sun is soon up, but Sandy still isn't, so it's time to check off one last boat list item. 30 minutes and a few curious stares later the hull has a quickie wax job. This should make cleanup easier after 2 weeks in saltwater.
Sandy is up and makes some tea. We hit the road and eat while traveling. It's only a short hour to Bellingham. We pull into the Squalicum Harbor parking lot at 10:00. Squalicum is a great facility, with an excellent ramp, showers, fresh water washdown for trailers and free long term parking. We walk around the harbor to the office and get our long term parking permit. Even though parking is free, you need a permit for more than 5 days. We also get the lock codes for the restrooms and showers.
When we get back to the boat, a fair sized keelboat with an Oregon registration is on a trailer nearby. It's owned by a fellow named Dan from Eugene. He started with a 26 foot bare hull from a Bob Perry design and did the interior himself. We talk boats for a while and get a tour. Dan is single handing and plans to be out for 2 to 3 weeks. He asks for some help raising his mast. I tell him to give us a shout when he's ready.
We quickly rig the Potter while Dan is still prepping his boat. Dan finally waves me over to raise the mast. He has a good mast raising system and it goes smoothly. Dan continues rigging while we head for the ramp - small boats have their advantages. After launching, I give the trailer a good freshwater rinse and park in the long term area by the Coast Guard station.
We are feeling pretty smug about our easy rigging, quick launch and general level of organization. Our smugness ends 100 feet from the dock, when Sandy realizes that we haven't filled our sun showers. Since the sun is actually out, we know we should go back and fill them. I'm about to turn around, but then remember from last year that the visitor moorage is just around the corner on our right. There is lots of side tie space and water faucets everywhere. It turns out to be easier than filling them on shore. Our smugness is restored and we are out into Bellingham Bay.
There is no wind, so we resign ourselves to motoring over to Inati Bay on Lummi Island, our first nights destination. As we approach Inati, it looks like there are already several boats at anchor. I ask Sandy to get the binoculars and scan the bay for anchoring room. She ducks into the cabin, then pops out and says "Why don't you check it yourself, happy birthday" and hands me a beautiful new pair of binoculars. My birthday is three weeks away, but she figures that giving them to me now makes more sense. They are a great gift, as we have been using a small pair that really aren't up to the task. Thanks Sandy!
I scan the bay and decide there is enough room. There is a small black hull with a funky looking lavender pilothouse near the beach with a topless woman sunbathing on deck. Sandy is asking me how I like the binos. I assure here that they work really well and that giving them to me early was a sensible decision.
We enter the bay, find a spot and drop the claw anchor. Things are a little tighter than I thought, so I decide to stern tie. I'm not sure it's really necessary, but I want to try out the new stern tie setup. We blow up the dinghy, a 2 person Sevylor raft, and go ashore. There isn't much to do at Inati, but there are outhouses. Porta-Potti conservation is never far from our minds. Some aspects of small boat cruising are less glamorous than others.
We set up the tent in case the weather moves in and retire. We get a good nights sleep, secure in the knowledge that for once, we are not the cutest boat in the anchorage.
It's overcast but not raining. We go ashore and hike out to the point on the south side. Nice view of the bay. Back to the boat and prepare to head for Eagle Harbor on Cypress Island. We want to tow the dinghy, but it's so light, I'm afraid it will just flip around in the wind. We decide to lash it to the side. By the time we motor out of the bay, there is a 15 knot wind on our nose from the south, but we want to sail so up goes the canvas. About a minute later the wind dies - we drop the sails and crank up the motor. As we round the tip of Lummi Island and turn toward Cypress the wind picks back up, but now it's closer to our beam. The sails go back up and we get some real sailing. We are having some trouble with the dinghy - we'll need to refine the lashing scheme.
We have a nice sail past Vendovi Island to port, then Sinclair Island to starboard. As we approach the Cone Islands, the wind backs off and the sky darkens. We decide to drop the sails and motor into Eagle Harbor in an attempt to beat the weather. We almost make it before the rain cuts loose. There is only one other boat in Eagle Harbor, a large trawler. It's no contest - we're back to cutest boat status. The shower ends and we scramble to get the tent up before the next one. Another shower arrives, but we're now dry in the tent, enjoying lunch.
Last year, Eagle Harbor was the low point of the trip. We were holed up here for over 24 hours in non-stop wind and rain, never once leaving the boat. A year later, we are still married and back for more. As the shower continues, we are thinking that maybe this just isn't our spot. The shower ends and a few patches of blue appear. We are determined to check out the hiking on Cypress, so we load up our packs and paddle to shore.
Most of Cypress is managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). They have chosen to keep the island pretty rustic, with outhouses, some trails and a few primitive campsites (mainly used by kayakers) It's really a pleasant place once the rain stops. We hike over to Pelican Beach, which has some mooring buoys and a few beachside campsites. Chat briefly with an older couple from Colorado that kayaked over from Anacortes in the rain. Hiking back up from Pelican Beach, we take the Eagle Cliff trail to the west side of the island. This trail is only open after July 15. It ends on a high rock bluff overlooking Rosario Strait. The view is incredible. If you have time for only one hike on Cypress, this should be it. As we reach the bluff, another shower dumps on us. On the way back, we run into the couple from Colorado. He is hiking barefoot. 60 years old, kayaks in the rain from Anacortes, then hikes barefoot. Hope I can do that when I'm 60. With the new birthday schedule, that may be sooner that I want.
The weather is looking pretty good this morning. We paddle ashore and hike south toward Cypress Head. The trail goes up about 800 feet, then back down to sea level. Cypress Head is another DNR campsite with a few buoys in the north bight. We hike back up to the old airfield, about a 1000 foot gain, then up to Bradbury Lake. From there it's down the old road back to Eagle Harbor. Another great hike on Cypress. What a difference a year makes.
After a quick lunch and a check of the current atlas, we decide to make a run for Doe Island State Park on Orcas. The currents help us north past Pelican Beach. As we round the tip of Cypress and enter Rosario Strait, there is a 10 knot wind from the south, right on our beam. Up with the full main and genoa for a nice reach across to Doe Island.
The dock at Doe Island is small - a large sailboat on one side and a larger powerboat on the other consume the entire structure. It's getting late and as we motor around in circles mulling our options, a woman from the power boat pops out and asks if we would like to raft up. Our fenders are out in about 10 seconds.
10 minutes is enough to hike the entire trail system of Doe Island. We finally get cell service and are able to contact John and Nancy Butte, P-19 owners on Lopez Island. The plan is set to meet them late tomorrow afternoon in Fishermans Bay. We chat briefly with the powerboaters, have dinner and retire. It's been a long day. We have a quiet night behind our diesel powered breakwater.
The weather report sounds ominous. Winds of 35-40 knots are forecast for tonight. We can't reach John and Nancy for their advice on mooring to their Fishermans Bay float in such conditions. We decide to stay in Friday Harbor. An hour later, we are thinking how uncool it is to jerk John and Nancy around after their gracious invitation. The current that carried us here has now subsided, so we change our mind again and make a run for Lopez. The rain starts as we begin the tricky entrance into Fishermans Bay. The tide is fairly high though, and it turns out to be a non-event. We head straight for the Lopez Islander Resort and get a slip, then call John and Nancy.
They drive over to meet us and get a boat tour. Nancy had emailed me last year after seeing the cockpit tent on our website. She had been working on a similar project and wanted to compare notes. We exchanged emails on tent design. She said that if we were in the San Juans, to be sure and look them up. We give them a tour of the boat and talk Potters for a while, then drive over to their home.
John and Nancy have designed and built a beautiful home on the spit at the south end of Fishermans Bay. They have really made the most of the unique location. As the architect, John is able to give me an insightful tour.
Nancy serves up a fine dinner. We end up talking until nearly 11:00. It turns out that we have a lot in common besides Potters. As we ride back to the boat, it's apparent that the weather forecast was accurate. Nevertheless, we are warm and dry in the Potter cabin.
The rain has ended by morning, but the wind is still up. Fishermens Bay is solid whitecaps. I flip on the wind meter and see 20-25 knots. It will be at least that out in the channel, with much bigger waves from the all night wind. Maybe we'll hang out on Lopez for a while. The marina has a pool and hot tub, which offer a low stress alternative to 25 knot, big wave sailing. If you've never been to Lopez, let me tell you, low stress describes it well. We then hike down to the village - Sandy wants to check out the farmers market. A bit later, Nancy tracks us down and we agree to get together in the afternoon. We do the foot tour of the village.
John and Nancy pick us up and take us on a hike somewhere on the south end of Lopez. It's a secret hike not on the map, so I can't say exactly where it is (because I actually don't know). They drop us off and we say our goodbyes. We feel we've made some great new friends.
The sun is out and the wind is down. The tide is quite low for the exit from Fishermans Bay. We have another swim and hot tub, then walk into the village again. A moderate southerly breeze is blowing when we return. With the tide now higher, we exit the bay and put up the sails. The wind carries us most of the way to Friday Harbor.
At Friday Harbor, we pull into Jim Devany's float (it actually belongs to a friend of his). Jim is well known in the area for hosting small boat sailors, especially Potterers. He is probably best known for having lived aboard his P-15! Jim rows over and we talk Potters for a while. Jim invites us to the morning coffee shop gathering tomorrow.
Paddle over to the dock and hike around Friday Harbor. After we have dinner on the boat, Jim rows over and introduces us to Walt, the owner of a Flicka that is also moored at the float. Walt is an interesting guy. He's in his seventies, but still trailers his boat up from California. The Flicka is a remarkable boat. At 20 feet, it has standing headroom, no mast support post and is fully offshore capable. Walt gives us the full tour.
The sky is gray this morning. Our plan is to travel to Reid Harbor on Stuart Island, a new place for us. We motor over to the dock to dump the porta-potty, garbage and get water. As we pull into the end of C dock, we see Slipknot, the P-19 formerly owned by Scott Pack and Kim Wickens. It's now sailed by Travis and Kathleen Bretton of Boise.
We get acquainted with Travis and Kathleen. They join us with Jim for coffee. By the time we return to the boat, the weather is going downhill. We are not at all enthused about the trip to Stuart. Travis and Kathleen want to see our Potter mods. Showing off the boat takes priority over motoring in the rain. We have now stalled long enough so the currents are all wrong and easily rationalize another day in Friday Harbor. Rather than take down the tent, motor back to Jim's float and put the tent back up, I just pay the 14 bucks and stay put. It's worth it.
We have lunch with Travis and Kathleen, then spend a couple hours with them at the Whale Museum. Travis and I walk up to the hardware store and West Marine. Sandy and Kathleen go somewhere that's not West Marine. Travis and Kathleen are newlyweds and keep in constant contact with their FRS radios. Sandy and I find the togetherness you get living out of a Potter to be quite sufficient.
Dinner on the boat and a short walk doesn't quite get us to bedtime, so we stop for a pint in the non-smoking waterfront brewpub.
The sky is slightly less gray and it's not raining. This qualifies as good weather. We really want to get out of Friday Harbor. As we have breakfast, Slipknot pulls out. 30 minutes later, we are gone. We motor all the way to Reid Harbor, taking the channel on the north side of Spieden Island. Sandy naps while we motor. She often does this - she says the motor puts her to sleep. Whenever the wind is up though, she is ready to sail.
We tie up to one of the floating docks and immediately set up the tent. We paddle ashore and start the hike out to the Turn Point Lighthouse. The sky is threatening, but so far we are still dry. On the return trip, we take a side trip to the county dock in Prevost Harbor. We also stop at the cemetery. It contains a who's-who of Stuart Island historical figures, with a short biography of each. By the time we get to the school, the rain has started. We duck into the small museum by the school as a downpour begins. It turns out to be very interesting - even without the rain we would have spent time here. Lots of history about Stuart Island. The rain backs off to a northwest drizzle, probably our best chance to get back to the boat.
Cocktail hour tonight is in the tent. We hear an outboard and poke our heads out to see Slipknot, with a soggy looking Travis in full foulies at the helm. I'm thinking there might be a real market for a Pilothouse Potter. There is one slot left on the float - we grab his lines, chat very briefly then scurry back to our dry tent and dry wine. They stopped at Jones Island on the way up. We stayed there last year and highly recommend it.
We carry a 3000 BTU/hr catalytic propane heater. As an experiment, we try setting it up in the cockpit with the tent. We much prefer the (relative) spaciousness of the cockpit to the cabin, but it can get cold. The heater does a pretty good job. It keeps us from being cooped up in the cabin as much.
The sky is slightly more gray and it is raining. We want to get over to Sydney, but aren't sure about crossing Haro Strait. Reid Harbor is quite long and you can't see what's happening on the outside. We don't want to be out there with big waves and poor visibility. The weather forecast is dismal but not severe. We decide that while unpleasant, the crossing will be safe. Travis is preparing to leave. We ask where they are going and he says he isn't sure. We tell him we are going to Sydney. Since we will be at a marina and the crossing might be rough, I deflate the dinghy and store it in a quarterberth.
Leaving the harbor, we pass one of the State Parks new linear mooring systems. It consists of two or more large buoys connected by heavy lines on each side. The lines have rings and floats (used as fenders). You side tie to the rings, which are several feet above the water for easy grabbing. The boat density is much higher than individual mooring buoys, but without the maintenance problems of wood floats. A 35 foot sailboat is tied to it. As we pass, we ask how it works - they say it's fine.
Turning west from Reid Harbor, the visibility is at least two miles and the waves don't look too bad. The wind is light so we just motor. With a boost from the current, we are doing about 6 knots. Half way across, we lose our current and encounter some nasty tide rips. Later, the wind picks up from the south, right on our beam. It's pretty miserable out here and Sandy is sleeping in the cabin, so I decide to make an exception to our policy of sailing whenever possible. When she later wakes up, I fill her in - she's not the least bit unhappy. The entrance to Port Sydney Marina is easy. As we round the breakwater, there is Slipknot tied up at the customs dock. While Travis checks in, I get on the VHF for a slip assignment. I then check in with customs. They are very polite, actually apologizing for keeping me on hold. Perhaps the U.S. customs folks should go to Canada for some training.
The Potters motor over to the end of "A" dock, the closest thing PSM has to a small boat ghetto. It's easy to spot the dock attendant, he is sharply outfitted in a matching red windbreaker and cap, each adorned with a PSM monogram. The cap is worn with the visor forward. I didn't ask the price when getting the slip - I'm starting to worry. He takes our lines and informs us that water restrictions are no longer in effect - that we are free to wash down our boat. I'm not sure if he is just being helpful or giving us a subtle hint.
The slip fee is reasonable - dinner out is still in the budget. We first do a quick tour of the Beacon Street shops, then select The Captains Table near the marina, in part for its high ceilings and open floor plan, a welcome change from the intimate dining at Chez Potter. We get a table with a great view of the water. The food is average, but overall, it's an enjoyable night out.
After dinner, we walk back to Tanners Books, at 5th and Beacon. They are open until 10:00 pm every evening - better than hanging out on the boat and healthier than hanging out in a pub. Tanners is a great bookstore, so much different than the usual Borders or Barnes & Noble. Besides, they have a store cat, a pudgy orange tabby named Marmalade, whose waistline suggests she was named after her diet. We are missing our cats, so we can't pass up this chance for a cat fix.
It's overcast with some drizzle and a light south wind. Looks like a good day to play tourist in Sydney. We had planned to spend an extra day here anyway. There are lots of bookstores and several chandleries. We spend the morning and early afternoon going from shop to shop. Lunch is a large ice cream cone at "The Big Moo".
There is a really funky used marine store a block south of Beacon at about 4th street - I think it's called the Marine Exchange. This place has more old boat junk in one place than you can imagine. I scored a good 30 amp plug for $4.00. When I stopped by the previous evening, they were closed but a very friendly cat was sitting by the door. While buying the plug, I asked about her and the cashier pointed to a row of bar stools. There she was, curled up on her private stool. As a Potter owner, the idea of selling bar stools in a marine store just seems weird, but after living among the megaboats at PSM for a day, it's starting to make perfect sense.
Later we hike a mile and a half north to Tsehum Harbour, the marine hub of the area.
While fixing dinner, there is a commotion on the rescue boat moored behind us. Ten rescue swimmers are donning survival suits to practice night rescues. They soon take off in the dark. We eat then take a walk south on the Lochside trail, a rails to trails conversion that runs from Victoria up to the BC Ferry terminal at Swartz Bay. Just as we are going to bed, the rescue boat returns. The swimmers are still in high spirits. These guys (and three women) are pretty gung-ho. I'd be happy to have them come after me if I dumped my boat in the middle of the night.
Time to leave Sydney, but first we need some fuel. PSM is pretty upscale, but it has no fuel dock. We'll have to go up to Tsehum Harbour. Another consequence of being upscale is no porta-potty dump, only fancy pumpout stations. I consider trying to use the large pumpout hose in the potti, but I'm not quite sure it will work. There are people around on the docks and the chance of a totally disgusting outcome dissuades me. I end up hauling it upstairs to the mens room. It's actually pretty convenient - it carries just like a briefcase. I feel like the sales reps that used to come around when I was in the corporate world. They all had briefcases full of crap they were trying to dump.
Travis and Kathleen depart. They have two days to make it back to Anacortes. We certainly admire them for sticking it out in these conditions. This was their first trip out here and they really went for it. I'm sure they will be back.
As soon as we clear the PSM breakwater, we raise our sails in the south wind. Half way up to Tsehum harbour, it gets a little congested so we motor the rest of the way in. The fuel dock at Van Isle Marina is well set up. The attendant takes our lines and asks for our fuel tank, since portable tanks must be filled on the dock. He is surprised when I tell him our tank is built in. He hands me the fuel line and we fill up just like the big guys. Very cool. As we leave the dock, I hear someone say "Hey, that's a West Wight Potter, they're famous boats". Van Isle Fuel Dock - Fill your tank and ego in one easy stop.
Out of Tsehum Harbour heading east. The wind is still from the south - Sandy raises the sails and puts us on a comfortable beam reach. We clear a few small islands and turn north, switching our sails to wing and wing. The weather is improving, the foulies come off and we are under sail. Things are looking up. We sail downwind most of the way to Portland Island, taking turns at the helm and motoring the last bit into Royal Cove on the north side. The cove is small with little swing room. The convention here is to drop your bow anchor and tie a stern line to one of the metal rings that have been drilled into the rock on shore. We blow up the dinghy to set the stern line then go ashore for a hike.
The entire island is part of the Princess Margaret Marine Park. We hike the perimeter trail, stopping for nearly half an hour to watch some river otters at the dinghy dock on Tortoise Bay. We get back fairly late, just enough time for dinner before turning in.
It's slightly overcast but shows promise of burning off. Two older couples from the 40 foot sailboat across the cove row by in their dinghy. They haven't even mounted the motor. I'm impressed. We go ashore to use the outhouse (the laws of porta-potti conservation apply in Canada also). It's nice out so we decide to take the cross island trail to Tortoise Bay before breakfast. By Tortoise Bay, we are hungry. There are many apple trees around from the old orchards. Sandy determines that the red ones at the top of the tree will be the best. She's afraid of heights and I used to rock climb, so up I go into the spindly upper branches. I pick a couple from the very top and toss them down to Sandy. She takes one bite and declares them awful. I climb down and we walk over to another tree. We pick two green apples off the ground and they taste great. We munch our breakfast on the way back.
We raise anchor and motor out of Royal Cove, heading for Bedwell Harbour. The wind is light and on our nose. An hour later the wind picks up and since we have a short passage, we elect to sail into the wind. We get close to the Bedwell Harbour entrance before the wind dies. We motor on in, passing Poets Cove Marina on the right. There are lots of open buoys in Beaumont Marine Park. We snag one close to the beach. Once again, the tent goes up just in case. The hike to the top of Mt. Norman is listed at 800 ft. With the up and down sections it's probably over a thousand. The view from the top is spectacular. A light rain starts just minutes after our return to the boat.
We wake up to a light drizzle. Time for a shower at Poets Cove Marina. We scrounge around in the Canadian money bin and come up with a few loonies. At the dock, there is a P-15 chained up - no name. The showers are great. The drizzle stops. Maybe this will be a good day. Our plan is to do a day hike on Patos Island, then spend the night at Sucia. We start motoring toward Patos, a long straight course. A mile from Patos we get some wind, which carries us right to Toe Bay on the SE side. It's a small bay with some protection - good enough for a day stop, though people do anchor here overnight. We drop anchor and paddle ashore, deciding at the last minute to take a stern line.
The main trail is on the other end of Patos, but we figure there will at least be some sort of trail down here. No such luck. We work our way along the beach on the north side until we find the trail. Don't try this at high tide. The trail hike goes quickly. We check out the Alden Point lighthouse and Active Cove. The trail on the south side ends and we start bushwhacking and rock hopping our way east. A couple just behind us stops and watches. Things rapidly become extreme and it takes us an hour and a half to hike the last mile to the boat. We paddle back to the boat and raise anchor. There is a crashing sound on shore and we see the other couple emerge from the brush, following our route. They must have thought we knew what we were doing.
It's a quick motor over to Fossil Bay on Sucia. We're pretty beat up from our Patos epic and take a spot on the dock. There are only a few boats in the bay. We share the dock with three powerboats. All three powerboat crews are grilling steaks on their rail mount BBQ's and drinking beer. We dine on Santa Fe bean soup and red wine. The sunset over Fox Bay is beautiful.
There is heavy dew but the weather is looking good. The current atlas says we should wait a few hours before leaving for Bellingham. We choose a couple of short hikes to fill the time. The state parks guy zooms by in his truck, hops on his boat and motors up the bay. We hike towards the point between Snoring Bay and Fossil Bay. Near the point, we hear a loudspeaker blaring "YOUR TENDER IS BEING SUCKED UNDER THE SWIM PLATFORM", followed by "THERE ARE FOUR OBJECTS UNDER YOUR SWIM PLATFORM". We hustle over to a clearing to see a large powerboat being towed by the state parks boat and a Coast Guard rescue boat looking on. A second parks boat is steaming to the scene as well. We have a front row seat on the cliff, right above the rescue. We finish our hike and return to the dock, where the rescued boat is tied up right behind us. It seems that they blew a radiator hose.
We've been carrying the sun showers around, lashed on deck, for two weeks without being able to use them. People on the docks must think we are the ultimate optimists. I drain and stow them.
The currents are right for departure. We motor out of Fossil Bay toward the south side of Matia Island. A nice south wind is blowing and we have a great sail across Rosario Strait with Sandy at the helm. The wind is on our beam, but with the strong northerly current, she has to point a bit. She loves upwind sailing - probably because she can always out-point me on our sailboards.1 This is our fourth crossing of Rosario and we've been under sail every time. As we pass between Pt. Migley and the buoy, we lose the wind. Sandy goes to sleep in the cabin - I motor us down Hale Passage. At the south end, there is some wind as I turn towards Bellingham. I put up the sails but get only a half mile before it fades. It's a pleasant motor into Bellingham. 30 minutes out, we call customs and they tell us they will have someone at the dock.
The customs dock is full - we tie up in the adjacent seaplane slot. The customs guy checks in another boat then comes over. "This sure is a small boat" he says. We nod. He then asks "Is it ok for a third person to come aboard". I assume he's joking but quickly realize that humor is not on the menu with these guys. I decide not to suggest Canadian training. We assure him that the boat won't sink. He comes aboard and we do the paperwork.
The weather is beautiful and we don't feel like pulling the boat. We take a slip at Squalicum for only $12 and head for the showers. The two week old lock codes still work, saving us the walk over to the office.1. My name is Sandy Waugh and I approved this message
The weather is still great. The take out is routine. The boat and trailer get a good freshwater washdown and the scum line comes off easily. We pass through Seattle at noon, missing rush hour.
The P-19 is a great two person camping boat. Even though we had some bad weather, we stayed dry. Our feeling is that for the northwest, a cockpit tent is essential.
In spite of packing for two weeks, the boat didn't feel crammed, in other words, finding something wasn't usually a treasure hunt. We have made a few changes to make the large volume more usable.
We traveled on 11 of the 14 days and did at least some sailing on 7 of those (could have been 8 if I hadn't wimped out on the way to Sydney). Thats not bad for the San Juans.
Although we didn't anchor as much as planned, we still felt better with the heavier claw anchor and the ready-to-deploy secondary anchors. The more experience we get anchoring, the more we believe the people who say "You can't have enough ground tackle".
The dedicated stern line came in handy. When using lots of line, flaking it back into the locker was somewhat tedious. Many NW cruisers use some sort of spool system. May need to look into it.
As San Juans veterans already know, using the current atlas is critical.
Even with the so-so weather, we would do it again.During the trip, we thought of many small improvements. My boat list, which had been worked down to almost nothing, is now a page long.