Sucia Island State Park, San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands

Blaine WA 
We spent two days at the Semiamoo Marina visiting with our old cruising buddies, Richard and Sue, formerly from MV Lionheart, and now aboard their 41’ Camano, MV Windfall. It was fun to catch up, swap war stories and reminisce about our cruising adventures on the East Coast of the USA and Bahamas.  

We had a fantastic German meal with great service at the Black Forest Steak House in Blaine. 

A view of Mount Baker from the rear of our boat in Semiamoo Marina.

After re-fueling and pumping out, we cast off the lines and headed out to the San Juan Islands.

Sucia Island

Arriving at Sucia Island around mid afternoon on a Sunday, we were fortunate enough to get a space on the parks dock in Fossil Bay for three nights.

Sucia Island is referred to by many as the “jewel of the San Juans” and after a short walk ashore it is easy to see why.

An afternoon hike in Sucia State Park

As we age we are fascinated and enjoy just watching the local wildlife.

This environment can be harsh, especially in winter, but these trees are tenacious, clinging to life for decades. Truly amazing how some of them survive.

This ancient, gnarly old tree epitomizes how I feel somedays with my arthritis.

There are numerous trees in the vicinity with this stripped bark. Need to do some research to learn what type of tree it is. Totally foreign to a Texan.

Washington State Parks acquired one third of Sucia Island in 1952. Yachtsman, Everett Henry of Seattle was concerned that the rest of the island would be developed as vacation homes.  He founded the Inter Club Boaters Association, which was comprised of many area yacht clubs, who raised $25,000 to purchase the island for public use. In 1960, the property was donated as a state marine park.

No matter where one cruises, it is frequent to cross paths with folks that you have met previously, as was the case today. A dinghy tied up at our dock and we discovered that it was Tom and Kay from Alaskan Sea-Duction, a boat we met last year at Beacon Rock State Park on the Columbia River in Oregon. They were anchored in the next bay and headed.

Tomorrow we depart Sucia Island for the 15 mile run to Stuart Island, another marine state park. 

Straits of Juan de Fuca, Neah Bay to Sequim Bay State Park

5/1/2019


We slept like babies after our shaking and jostling trip in the Pacific. We enjoyed a leisurely morning coffee and breakfast before heading east down the Straits of Juan de Fuca, that was a mistake! We should have left Neah Bay shortly after dawn, before the wind came up. We still have a lot to learn about cruising on the West Coast.

There were large swells 4 – 8’ rolling in from the Pacific with very little period between them.

Even though they were on our stern, generally making for a smoother ride, we were bucking current and a strong head. In spite of the stabilizers working hard, we were wallowing back and forth and up and down, corkscrewing down off of each swell. Instead of following a straight line on the GPS, our trail looked like we were slalom skiing while doing the Texas two-step.

The swell did diminish after a few hours, by which time, the wind was up and we were fighting white caps and chop.

Dungeness Point Light House

We arrived safely at Sequim State Park (pronounced Squim) in a strong, gusty wind and the boat covered in salt spray. A quiet night was spent tied securely to the park dock.

5/2/2019 Sequim Bay State Park

We elected to take a rest day while the winds calm down. Prior to lunch, Alan fixed the water maker and deck wash down pump, Susann rinsed the salt from the boat and did 2 loads of laundry while the generator was on and the water maker filling the water tanks.

Enjoyed an afternoon walk in the park. The fauna and wild flowers are unusual and lush.

Not everything is bigger in Texas. We don’t find an abundance of tall trees like this in Texas.
in Texas.

Astoria, Oregon to Neah Bay, Washington

4/30/2019

Today is the day for our run out in the Pacific. Up at 3:30am to ready the boat and crew for the blue water run and to time our exit from the Columbia River.

The wind has subsided significantly, but still not where we prefer to see it. Weather forecast is indicating doable conditions with wind and waves laying down around Gray’s Harbor, about 30 miles north up the coast. Time to put on the big girl panties and play the cards we are dealt.

Astoria in the rear view

Immediately after we entered the river from the marina, we felt the current fighting against the wind. The waves and wind intensified as we progressed the 10 miles or so down river  to the Columbia River Bar and entrance into the Pacific. 

Conditions were choppy as we navigated over the bar and continued to be uncomfortable as we entered the ocean. These conditions were forecast but was more uncomfortable than anticipated.

 Within a short time, Alan was green and very queasy. He went to rest while I took the helm. 

Shortly before 6am I spotted a black shape, low in the water coming straight toward us. Visibility was still limited and the shape looked like a small fishing boat in the distance. It continued to stay its course and began to look like an overturned black inflatable boat. I change course to avoid it but remain close enough to determine what the mysterious object was and to ensure that no-one was in peril. By this time, I believed it could be a gigantic tree floating on the surface and continued to move away from its path. A this moment, I took another glance to our starboard and realized it was a whale! Continuing to maintain course, I was hoping for a closer view, indeed, it was a bloated, dead whale lying on its side with a flipper up in the air. Concerned that this could be a hazard to navigation, we radioed and reported this to the  Coast Guard. The morning so far has not been void of Kaos!


After a few hours, the seas and wind laid down as forecast. Much of the swell remained but the ride remained was vastly improved; as was Alan after a few hours in the bunk. 

As conditions improved, we increased the speed, burned some fuel, but cut about 3 hours off of our travel day. The remainder of the day was uneventful and the weather was clear and sunny. 

We arrived in Neah Bay, a Makh Indian reservation at about 3:30 pm and went directly to the fuel dock to refill with diesel fuel. The “boys” were thirsty and drank 325 gallons, that calculated to about 1 mile per gallon (Portland to Neah Bay). 

We were welcomed by the barking of sealions that had clambered up on a marina dock to sun themselves and wait for a generous fisherman to throw them some scraps.

 It was neat to watch them lift their massive bodies out of the water and onto the dock.

The marina was full so we anchored north of the navigation channel in a protected bay. A few glasses of well deserved wine, a warm meal and an early night in bed. Life is good!

What a difference a day makes. 

Calm waters, no wind, sunny & cool (36F). Our early start capitalized on the calm waters, which as the wind picked up about noon made for increasingly choppy seas. We arrived in Astoria about 2pm. The breeze and current were both strong. We docked in the west basin of the Astoria Marina and later walked up to the Portway Tavern, just a couple of blocks from the marina. 

A neat, dive tavern with a colorful history, good selection of beers and fantastic Alaskan halibut and chips.

4/29/2019 Astoria, Oregon


Monday morning, we enjoyed a pleasant morning walk along the Riverwalk to downtown, about 1.5 miles. 

We were joined by hundreds of friends from the cruise ship, Island Princess. We were unaware that cruise ships visit Astoria, but the good news was that the trolley and buses were running to accommodate the passengers. 

Surprisingly, town did not seem overcrowded as is the case in so many cruise ports.

Astoria has some wonderful Victorian architecture and several museums, including the Favel House, named after Captain George Flavel,  a River Bar Pilot and one of the area’s first millionaires. Flavel House is now a historic landmark and museum. Astoria appears to be undergoing a renaissance, capitalizing on its past history and catering to todays tourists. One of its most noted events is the Crab & Wine Festival, held on the last weekend of April.

Today was a rest day for us and we were content to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

As noon approached, it was time for a rest and beer break. We stopped at a funky bistro/café just off the main street and enjoyed great service, cold beer and the $5 lunch special which was a shrimp melt on baguette with coleslaw and potato chips.

We returned to the boat and part way back, the historical trolley stopped and offered a narrated ride for $1 per person. A worthwhile experience.

Now we wait to see when our best weather window materializes. Currently, it is looking like a 3:30am departure on Tuesday.