Day 1 of Sailing the San Juans
After driving from Bend to Bellingham on Saturday followed by an easy Sunday morning and lunch in downtown Bellingham, we made our way on Sunday afternoon to the marina to board the Woodwind, a beautiful navy blue-hulled 55' sloop-rigged Jeanneau with sleek lines complemented by a full navy blue bimini over the cockpit. After carrying our bags to the boat, I moved the car to the parking garage for the duration of our trip while Ann hauled our bags aboard. I shot a few pictures in the marina on my way back.
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| Gotta Love the Whale Balloons |
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| Non-native Rosa rugusa, a Tough Rose for Salt Water Areas |
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| So Close to BC, So Many Canadian Vessels |
Back at the boat, I took off my shoes and went aboard to be welcomed by chief greeter and officially Chief Fetching Officer Geni, Jon and Jette's 8-month-old Portuguese Water Dog. Naturally, Ann beat me to her and they were fast friends immediately.
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| Ann Meeting Chief Fetching Officer Geni |
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| Ready to Get Underway |
After a briefing on the amenities and safety features of the stunningly appointed teak-clad vessel, everyone assembled topside. This was our chance to meet Chris and Leslie from the East Bay and Ken and Gillian from Portland, the other four guests aboard. The boat has four cabins, two aft and two forward, all with ensuite heads, a true luxury on a small sailing vessel. Ours was the forward starboard cabin.
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| Ken and Gillian |
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| Leslie |
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| Chris |
Meet and greet over, Jette unmoored us and Jon started maneuvering through the fairly tight marina. Out of the marina and beyond the breakwater, we started first under motor then under sail for the quick trip to tiny Inati Bay at Lummi Island.
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| Finishing up the Briefing Before Getting Underway |
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| Church of the Assumption, Bellingham |
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| Whatcom Museum on Exiting the Marina |
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| Gray Skies, But No Rain |
Our trip on Sunday afternoon was necessarily limited because we did not get underway until mid-afternoon; the brief sail to Inati Bay was over before we wanted it to be. The first order of business on dropping anchor was for Jon to ferry Geni to shore for a pee break. The six guests sat up top and ogled the scenery while Jette headed down to the galley to prepare what would be a delicious dinner.
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| Happy to Go Ashore |
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| Moored in Inati Bay |
As the day grew dimmer, Ann and I cracked a bottle of wine and sipped it while watching numerous vocal Belted Kingfishers ply the shallows near shore. A deep "Who cooks for you?" chorus from a Barred Owl entertained us as both Western Gulls and Pigeon Guillemots settled on the water nearby, the guillemots diving for food every so often. Barred Owls, once solely an eastern bird, are something of a controversial and invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, where they have a reputation for usurping the territory of the endangered Northern Spotted Owls. In the darkening skies, a raspy "gronk!" alerted me to a Great Blue Heron flying past. It was incredibly peaceful up top watching the wildlife and listening to very little noise thanks to being the only boat in the moorage.
To accompany the wine, Jette brought up some delightful crostini, crab, olive, and cheese, if I recall. And if I do not recall, I was in full on tourist mode at this point and not in documentarian mode. The wine may or may not have affected my recall. Later on, Jon and Jette served a beautiful dinner below at the dining table, a dinner of halibut, orzo, asparagus that Jon grilled topside, and a kale salad to finish. There was a dessert, I am sure, but I am not a sweets eater and so it never registered in my brain.
Our meals would prove to be primarily seafood, the common denominator in everyone's diet. Seafood is our favorite, so no complaints from Ann and me. Jette and Jon went way overboard in accommodating all the dietary restrictions aboard, reminding me that I am so happy that I no longer have to do that since retiring from the restaurant business.
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| Pre-Dinner Crostini |
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| Halibut, Orzo, and Grilled Asparagus |
Dinner was necessarily late and both Ann and I were tired, so we retired to our cabin shortly after dinner. Our cabin was similar in many respects to our tent, with enough head room to stand (barely, for my 6'-4" self) but less wide. We ended up sleeping head-to-toe to give us a little more room and to make it easier for me to extract myself from the narrow platform bed. All in all, this cabin had plenty of room, especially for such a small boat, and our mattress was really comfortable. Lights out, we tried for sleep, but the boat is noisy and the unfamiliar noises kept us up, me more than Ann.
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