| What started out as a short 3 hr run from Ganges to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island turned into 6 when we came abreast of a pod of Orca whales. These magnificent animals were meandering up Haro Strait towards Swanson Channel at Turn Point Light House when we spotted them. They were being followed a paparazzi of chartered whale watching boats filled to the brim with passengers wearing the same 'Caltrans' orange life jackets. We circled for quite some time watching 1 extraordinarily large whale come fairly close to the boat with his gargantuan dorsal fin rising high into to air. We marveled at the gracefulness of these extraordinary animals as they swam by, spraying mist from their blow holes. |
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With US Customs not answering their "800" after Hrs phone, we were required to drop anchor in Roche Harbor and wait til morning. It was well worth the wait . By morning the wind picked up again in Presidents Channel and we had a splendid day with 12 to 14 knts. giving us a lengthy ride up between Waldron and North Orcas Islands. The 2 other boats in the channel were creating some competition on seamanship and all afternoon we were attempting to out maneuver each other. In the end, the wind died and we all had to revert to motor power. We motored 1 hr into a little "nook" on the north side of Matia Island and tied up to 1 of the 2 buoys. By this time the 9 day old turkey leg that has been dutifully trailing us in the dingy through rain, sun, wind the entire trip was firmly stuck to the grids of the crab pot and was resembling something preserved for a Biology class. It was a struggle to get close enough to it to check the rope knots and throw it over.
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| Matia Island is a teeny-weenie-itsie-bitsy speck of an island measuring less than 1 sq mile that not many people know of. It has 2 coves sort-of suitable for anchorage, each big enough for 2 or 3 boats, maybe. It was written in our San Juan Islands Destinations Book that "Matia" is Spanish to "no protection". This we found out first hand that night when the boat rocked side to side all night long from the incoming seas. Brian had to get up a couple of times to check the dock lines, thinking we were breaking loose! |
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Our last destination was the Cypress Island house. From Matia, it was an enjoyable 4 Hr jaunt down the southern most tip of Georgia Strait into Rosario Strait and into Strawberry Bay. Both the wind and the tide were with us making it an easy trip with few adjustments required to the sails. Once at the Cypress House, we stoked the wood stove to get the hot water heater going. We were all looking forward to a long hot shower. Our neighbor Ed and I went out in his skiff to check the crab pots perpetually set in Strawberry Bay and collected 5 keepers ! We had more crab then could be consumed in 1 sitting, so we brought leftovers home with us the next day.
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