Feb 5, 2010 - Eagle Harbor (Cypress Island)

It's still winter but the days are getting long enough that we can get out on a Friday afternoon and make it somewhere before dark. It has been a very mild winter (except for a brief period in December with temps in the teens). There's a 10-15 knot breeze today, but it is supposed to die down and be absolutely calm for the next few days. It is also supposed to be sunny this weekend - wow, and this is winter in the NW?

We motor 2 hours to Cypress Island and grab a mooring buoy. There is one other powerboat here, and that's it. There is still a fairly strong breeze so we tie a stern line to a buoy behind us so we don't end up broadside to the waves. This will keep us from rocking and rolling all night.

Synergy on a mooring buoy.

Saturday is Kathy's birthday and the kids have decided it needs to be a backwards day. We will start the morning by reading a bedtime story, followed by brushing teeth and then cake and ice cream for desert. Next comes dinner (pizza). Kathy takes a little nap after “dinner” (it is her birthday after all). Lunch is still lunch, but then dinner is really breakfast so we have French toast and hash browns.

After pizza but before lunch we take the dinghy to shore and go for a hike. We are gone almost 4 hours hiking up to the airstrip and Lake Bradberry. We bring our lunch and eat it at the lake. The lake is beautiful and it is so calm it is like a mirror!

Mirror-like Bradberry Lake

Eating lunch on Cypress Island

Trail map of all the hiking opportunities.

Cindy picks up a mooring  :-) 

After our hike we go back to the boat and the kids play some games on their Nintendo DS's. There are now 3 sailboats here, and the powerboat has left.  After "breakfast" we all play the game SORRY. The kids really like that game and it's amazing to watch them learn strategy. Wow, they are growing up on us.  Several hours after dark a sailboat comes into the bay and takes the buoy next to us.  In the dark the boat seems HUGE.  In the morning light we can see that it's maybe about 32' - not huge at all :-)

It starts raining overnight, but there is absolutely no wind. We get up in the morning and the kids play games, I cleanup the messy pilothouse, and Kathy works on her laptop and relaxes. We head back home a little earlier than usual so we can get a few things done around the house.

Jan 23, 2010 - Cornet Bay (Whidbey Island)

We took a short boat ride over to Cornet Bay, which is adjacent to Deception Pass. It was a journey filled with collision avoidance maneuvers due to the amazing amount of driftwood in the water. We've had many very high tides lately, along with a few heavy rains (which tends to flush the logs from the rivers into the bay). Throw in some strong winds and certain areas look like you could walk on water.

Kevin rowing through the debris

We finally met a Shelter Bay couple who were out on their boat.  We have seen them many, many times at various location for a several years now but we have somehow never ended up meeting them. They are just a few years older than us and he works for the Swinomish Fisheries Department in La Conner. They have a nice sailboat that seems well equipped for world voyaging. They are probably out on their boat even more than we are, if you can imagine that :-)  You can see their sailboat over on the other dock; it has a solar panel on the side rail.

More debris in the water, and the sailboat from Shelter Bay

We also ran into a couple that we met perhaps 10 years ago on Sucia Island. It was very memorable 10 years ago because we were invited onboard for drinks (red wine) and unfortunately Kathy spilled her glass of wine. Without missing a beat though, Dave brought out the perfect wine glass to prevent a future mishap. As luck would have it, Dave still has that wine glass!

Dave and his "famous" spill-proof wine glass

Our cat Zappa, named after Frank Zappa the musician (due to the similar facial hair between the two), is a true boating cat. He adjusted very quickly to the boating life, but we did start him out when he was just a kitten. He likes going to shore, walking the beaches with us, and he also likes getting out on the docks and going for rides in our rowing dinghy.

Zappa the boat kitty

Dec 30, 2009 - Jones Island

We headed out on the boat for an extended holiday trip, leaving Wednesday Dec. 30 at 2:20PM with no specific destination in mind.  We often do this and discuss our possible destinations while en-route.  We are headed in the general direction of Fisherman Bay/Turn Island/Parks Bay.  But as we are cruising we decide to postpone Turn Island for a few days as we are picking up our friends the Dalton's at Friday Harbor on Jan 2, which is right next to Turn Island.  We can see it on Jan 2.  

Being passed by a WA State Ferry on the way to Jones Island

We poke our bow into the north bay at Jones Island and much to our surprise the dock is still there.  It is usually removed for the winter so it won't get damaged by the storms.  There is only one boat on the dock and no boats on any of the mooring buoys.  We have found our destination!  We tie up to the dock and get settled in.  The sailboat next to us is beautiful and has a lone occupant; a school teach from Seattle who is out for about a week during Christmas vacation.  He is leaving tomorrow AM heading back to Seattle.

Beautiful boat at Jones Island dock.

Map of Jones Island showing the North Bay

Lucky us!  Nobody else on the dock for New Years Eve.

A stormy but quiet night alone - this is perfect winter boating.

It is supposed to be VERY windy the next few days, but the wind will be from the south, and our little bay opens to the north.  We go for some hikes around the island; it is a great island with the kids.  A nice trail loops around the west end.  It is VERY windy.  I can get cell coverage in some places so I check the winds and it's blowing about 40 knots all around us.  I don't think we are seeing more than 3-4 knots in the north bay though.  It was a great choice.  I also email the Dalton's to confirm our pickup in a few days at Friday Harbor.  We take our cat Zappa on one of the hikes.  This cat is amazing.  He is really more like a dog.  He follows us for what has to be a mile through the woods.  Never leaving our sight, yet exploring as he goes.  It's got to be an interresting life for him; checking out the ocean beaches, seeing all kinds of birds and seals, taking walks through the woods, exploring other people's boats, and yes, getting sea-sick every now and then when we end up in some rough weather.

Taking Zappa for a walk on the island.

 (look, in the tree; it's a bird, it's a plane, it's super-kitty...)

Zappa taking a cat-nap after his island explorations.

We leave Jones Island and head over to Turn Island State Park where we will wait for the ferry bringing our friends the Dalton's.  Then we will motor over and pick them up at the Friday Harbor fuel dock.  In the meantime, we've never been to Turn Island before, but have been curious about it for a while now.  It's a nice, small island, with a bunch of campsites.  It looks like a nice place for camping and kayaking.  We'll have to come back someday.

Synergy on a buoy at Turn Island Marine State Park

We pick up the Dalton's and motor over to Garrison Bay for a few days of hiking around the state park.  It is great fun to bring friends along.  The Dalton's have their own boat, but it's not equiped for winter cruising as it has no good heat source inside - yet.  The kids all have a blast exploring English Camp, and on our hike up Young Hill.

English Camp in the 1860's

Everyone, except Kathy.

Kevin, Aidan, Cindy, and Grace at the top of Young Hill.