The trip North began at 10:00 PM, Thursday June 21st. The crew included Jeff C., Bob H. and myself (Bob). We caught the ebb tide at 23:26 and averaged between 5.5 and 6.5 knots for most of the evening. We lost light around 11:00 PM and travelled with the fishing and merchant fleet for the evening. At around 3:00 AM we passed two South bound cruise ships reportedly moving at 17 and 19 knots.
GONE WITH THE WIND entered the Strait of Juan De Fuca at approximately 3:30 AM, and after an hour of some lumpy cruising the Strait settled down. We have two new kayaks stored on the bow of the boat. In one series we took four waves over the bow. Rough, but overall GONE WITH THE WIND performed quite well for her third crossing of the Strait.
At 6:00 AM as we were 3.3 km West of Salmon Bank, we witnessed at least 20 orcas feeding. On several occasions we saw full breaches, and made sure to stay well clear of their activity. It was one of the highlights of the morning.
We arrived at the Henry Island Outstation in Roche Harbor at 9:18 AM. 11 hours under motor was 1 hour faster than we had planned. We estimate that if we had left closer to 12:00 AM, we would have caught the incoming tide prior to Lime Kiln, and been in even earlier (yes leaving later).
Friday evening was spent frolicking on the docks of Roche Harbor Resort, where Bob H. indulged in his first “fluffy duck”, a local drink from the resort.
Saturday we departed Roche Harbor and headed North to Stuart Island. On Stuart we anchored in Reid Harbor. Interestingly this is the same island Cae and I stopped at on our first trip to the San Juan Island’s three years ago. This time instead of raining non-stop, we had mild weather and decided to hike to the lighthouse at the North end of the island. The hike is around 3.5 miles one way and includes every terrain you can imagine. Once you get to the Turn Point lighthouse, you feel as though you are in a different world. It is a beautiful spot. Within ½ mile of the lighthouse is the deepest point in the San Juan and Gulf Islands (Canadian side). It measures over 1200 feet deep, but is very close to land.
Sunday morning we awoke early and headed the 2.5 hours South to Friday Harbor. There Jeff and I departed with GONE WITH THE WIND and Bob H. As Jeff and I boarded the East bound ferry Bob H. slipped his lines at the gas dock and headed North to the Secretary Islands, just North of Montague Harbor.
UPDATE: Bob H. reported in Monday evening. They left the Secretary Islands at 6:45 AM on Monday and caught a large flood all day Monday. They travelled across the Strait of Georgia, over 80 miles in a single day, and last reported to be 1 hour South of Cortes Bay on Cortes Island, BC. The only casualty was the coffee pot which was lost overboard due to unforeseen events.
