With not much time away from work, we did manage a quick drive over to Bellingham (OK, a long drive, but a quick trip) and to get out in the islands for a few days. Although our trip was short, with about 20 hours of daylight each day around the solstice we had lots of time to hang out at our old favorites and visit a new spot or two. Our timing was interesting, it seems to have turned to full on “summer” (with all its craziness) while we were there… at the start of our trip we found space on the dock at Sucia even though we arrived at 6PM, by the end of the trip we almost couldn’t find a place to spend the night anywhere on the east side of Cypress Island it was so busy.
A quick tour around the islands:
Sucia
We just can’t stay away from Sucia, it’s just too nice. Rolled in at 6PM and still found space on the dock. No negative tides so we were comfortable there until the dock started to fill up… and we mean FILL UP… a whole crew of 20 or so Canadian boats taking over for their annual get together, complete with rafting 2 and 3 deep and a lot of generators in the morning. So after a pleasant afternoon hiding out in Snoring Bay it was time to move on.
Stuart
A very brisk sail down the Presidential Channel in 20 knots gusting to 25 (double reef and partially furled headsail) from the SE, so quite on the nose. We stuck with it and tacked our way down (with ~1 knot help from the current) to the New Channel (minus one baseball cap for Bass) and then a downwind run to Reid Harbor on Stuart, where we spent a pleasant evening on the dock chatting with folks who’d been cruising under sail and power in these islands for 30 years. (For those keeping track, Bass has now committed one baseball cap and two winch handles to the deep!).
Fisherman’s Bay
Fisherman’s on Lopez has been on our list for a while, we just haven’t gotten there yet. So with the wind right on the nose we motored down from Stuart to Fisherman’s and picked our way in through the very shallow entrance (5′ at zero tide, so we timed it for ~4′ of extra water and rising, saw 9′ as our minimum depth) to spend the night at Island Marine Center’s marina dock. The reviews of both marinas on Active Captain are a little mixed, I think maybe people are expecting something more Roche Harbor like, but we found it extremely pleasant, nice and mellow, friendly staff, clean showers, and a great spot to just chill in the afternoon (and despite the shallow entrance, plenty of water under the keel at the guest dock). For dinner we ate at Lopez Islander Resort while looking out at the bay and then strolled back to our boat… pretty chill.
Next morning we walked into Lopez Village for the farmer’s market, which is really worth visiting… very mellow, lots of very local offerings, great street tacos and lots of treats & ice water for the dog.
Cypress Island
Our last night was heading back from Fisherman’s toward Bellingham, thought we’d try either Cypress Head or Pelican Beach (trailhead for Eagle Cliffs) on the east side of Cypress Island. Wow, what a difference a few nights made… Pelican Beach full… Cypress Head full (and there’s not much in the way of anchoring there if you can’t get a mooring ball)… Eagle Harbor full… we tried to maneuver a spot to anchor in Surprising Cove but couldn’t find anything that would work (already three boats in there, we didn’t want to be the late arriving anchorage wreckers)… yep, it’s summer time! On a return run past Pelican Beach going to look at the cove to its north we lucked into a newly available mooring ball, so no discussion needed, we grabbed it. Once the nuttiness (water skiing, scouts fighting on the beach) quieted down we had a pleasant evening.
The next morning we waited out some fog until about 11AM and then managed a good run back to Bellingham, and after a warm downwind dawdle to the marina still had plenty of time to get cleaned up and closed up before driving back the next day. Certainly couldn’t have asked for better weather, long days, good wind a few days, all in all the only flaw was it wasn’t longer!
Slow roll back across Bellingham Bay (56 secs):
(Use arrows in lower right corner to go full screen if you want)
Thanks for posting this, it brings back memories that I will share with my 81 yo mother who, (with her late husband), used to ply those waters in the 1990’s in ‘Bellatrix’, a 42′ Devries Lentsch, steel-hull ketch. I spent a couple of lucky summers tagging along, and always loved the very spots you speak of; fond memories and what a highlight in our lives. Good on ya for finding the means to get to the sea. Mother hails from White Bird, Idaho, and now resides in Northern California. Cheers!
Fisherman’s Bay sounded especially pleasant. Good for you for investing the long and tiring drive for a delightful, worlds-away respite. Two reefs and reduced jib–that must have been a wild ride. Perhaps Hobie was not bored then?
I believe Hobie is becoming a true boat dog… she slept through the whole thing!