April 18, 2010 - Kiket Island

We decided to head out despite a somewhat rainy forecast for Saturday.  The wind forecast isn't too bad with 10-20 knots forecast for the weekend.  Just after pulling out from the dock it started raining, lightly.  There isn't much wind though.  We motor over to Kiket Island in Similk Bay and drop the anchor.  Our plan was to do some comparisons between our two anchors, but we got such a great "bite" the first time with our regular anchor that we decide to save this for another time.  There are no boats around us, and we can see the Deception Pass bridge from our anchorage.  Some people we know are over on a buoy at Skagit Island and Ray told me on Friday he was going to do some clamming during the -2' tide on Saturday afternoon.

All alone in the bay

We get the dinghy down and go for a late afternoon hike on Skagit Island.  Ray and his wife are there and I ask how the clamming went and he says that they were too deep for his shovel and he couldn't get to them.  Oh well. no clams tonight.  The tide is so low that one of the mooring bouys on Skagit was high and dry.  I didn't get a picture of that, but here it was a little later after the tide rose a few feet.

Low tide and a useless mooring buoy

We walk around Skagit Island.  This is a nice little island with a few campsites, two mooring buoys (and a third too close to shore to be useful).  It is quite windy now. but no rain.  There are nice grassy fields of flowers on the SW corner of the island.  Quite pretty with all the flowers in bloom.

Checking out the flowers

After dinner I have time for a quick sail in our small dinghy.  Kathy was going to take it out but the wind is very gusty still, and it's changing directions with each gust.  I go out to test it and decide it's just too unpredictable to be much fun. 

Zappa watching Daddy go for a sail

Zappa and Cindy helping tie the sailboat up

The wind is a little gusty overnight but not enough to cause problems sleeping.  In the morning we wake to absolute calm, and clear sunny skies.  Perfect!  I take a little dinghy ride around the bay, and Kathy and the kids go rowing and take our cat Zappa along.

A calm morning.  Our boat is the little white dot at 11:00

Zappa and the kids out for a row with Kathy

After lunch it is time to head to our favorite sand beach over at Ala Spit on Whidbey Island.  The kids find a great log to jump from, landing in the sand.  They do this for quite a while.

Jumping into the nice soft sand

We must spend 4 hours here enjoying the sun, sand, and no wind.  Ah, is summer just around the corner?  Let's hope so!