Posts In The “San Juan Islands and Vicinity” Category

Friday Harbor Day Trip

Friday Harbor Day Trip

The one-hour seaplane flight from Seattle to Friday Harbor in the San Juan islands is scenic enough that Kenmore Air offers sightseeing-only flights over both areas. We enjoyed those wonderful views on a recent day trip to Friday Harbor via Kenmore Air. Being early in the season, the flights were lightly loaded and we had…

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Back South of 48

Back South of 48

We’ve spent the last few days lazing in the the sun in the San Juan Islands after returning from Prince William Sound. Yesterday we anchored in Reid Harbor on Stuart Island. Jose Sousa, who had been following our trip online, stopped by to say hello. His 1999 Lord Nelson Victory Tug 41 Carolina is so…

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Fort Whitman, Skagit Bay

Fort Whitman, Skagit Bay

At the turn of the 19th century, the US government built six forts to protect the Puget Sound and the naval shipyard at Bremerton from water-based attack. All have since been decommissioned and sold to the State of Washington, and five are now state parks. The three heavy batteries at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet…

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Deception Pass Marine State Park — Pacific Yachting PNW, May 2008

Deception Pass Marine State Park — Pacific Yachting PNW, May 2008

Deception Pass State Park is the most popular in the state, drawing some 2 million visitors each year. The 4,000-acre reserve has miles of walking trails and more than 100,000 feet of saltwater and freshwater shoreline. The biggest attraction of course is Deception Pass itself, where currents can reach nine knots as more than 2…

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Christmas in the San Juan Islands

Christmas in the San Juan Islands

We always spent Christmas afloat, usually in Canadian waters. Some years we’ve travelled to the Sunshine Coast, Desolation Sound, or the Broughtons. This year we stayed closer to home, in the San Juan Islands. We had considered going to Barkley Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island instead, but didn’t have time to research safe…

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54-knot winds in Watmough Bay

54-knot winds in Watmough Bay

With gale force winds forecast for the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we anchored last night in Watmough Bay at the southeast tip of Lopez Island. The bay appears to have good protection from southeast weather, but we saw exactly the same winds as at unprotected Smith Island at the eastern end of the strait:…

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Thanksgiving Cruise 2002

Thanksgiving Cruise 2002

We traditionally spend Thanksgiving in the San Juan Islands. On the way up this year, we encountered a Navy chopper quite near the water surface practicing rescue maneuvers using a buoy just off Port Townsend. We could see it in the binoculars a long way off and could not figure out what it could possibly…

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Cruising after 911 — Nor’westing, April 2002

Cruising after 911 — Nor’westing, April 2002

Those who have gone boating since the events of 9/11 have undoubtedly discovered that the waters and naval bases of the Puget Sound and surrounding areas are now much more heavily guarded than in the past, with pleasure craft coming under substantial scrutiny. If you haven’t been out since then, you will find that we…

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