Friday Harbor and Lopez Island

Red sky at night, sailors delight!

The trip to Friday Harbor was uneventful. It took us about 1.5 hours to make the short hop from Henry Island to San Juan Island. There are two entrances to the bay. The level of the

tide determine for us which way we approach the Outstation, north of Brown Island or south of Brown Island. It was low tide so the decision was made for us, north of Brown Island.

The current runs fast in the marina and the wind can make mooring more difficult. Fortunately, for those who are short handed there is no shortage of hands on the docks to help one get moored. Fortunately, our crew is now a well oiled machine, and the skipper is highly skilled in maneuvring this boat. We were soon moored and ready for the nest two days in port.

Once we were moored at the Seattle Yacht Club Outstation. Ed and Stever work on projects on the boat and did several walkls into town for groceries and parts. I took the dogs for their walks and Vic and Kari explored Friday Harbor . Dogs were walked and laundry done. While I was doing laundry, I left the dogs on the boat and the boat open so they could enter and exit the salon as desired. Well, they stayed on the bow of the boat the entire time I was away from the boat. They also alerted when I whistled when they barked.

Once the projects were done, Stever found the whale museum and says it was full of informaiton about the marine life in the Salish Sea. Some of the information is saddening. What we humans do in the oceans affects the whales in ways we can not comprehend because we don't live in that enviornment. I will have to make a special trip to the museum in Friday Harbor. You can read more about the museum and at whalemusem.org

After departing Friday Harbor, we motored over to Lopez Island. An even shorter trip. The entrance to Fisherman Bay in Lopez can be treacherous, if one isn't paying attention. The entreance is narrow winding and there are unmarked rocks, near the entrance, that are noted on the charts.

Ed expertly guided the boat past the hazards and got us moored at the Islander Resort Marina.

We were hosted to dinner at new friends who live on Lopez Isalnd the day we arrived. They have a house that overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca. They graciously provided transportation for us to their house and their dogs and ours were in heaven playing with other dogs and running the yard like there was no tomorrow.

This evening we had dinner with our friend Randall. Randall is a friend whom I have known since our days at the School of Medicine studying to be Physician Assistants. We don't get to see each other often so it is always good to catch up with him. He is a consumate host and readily shares his beautiful home with us and our friends. He is well connected in the community, as was evidenced by the hugs and greetings he got at the local haunts, and he will be sorely missed when he moves away.

From the top left: Luna on the bow as we depart Friday Harbor, Art Work and Banners in Friday Harbor, Whale Fluke Sculpture Friday Harbor. Lower left sunset last night. Purple Haze sunset tonight

Tomorrow, through Cattle Pass, across the Straits of Juan de Fuca into Port Townsend.