In about thirty minutes the Roche Harbor staff will be lowering the flags and firing the cannon. Several times in past years, circumstances or poor planning have caused me to miss the ceremony. The firing of the cannon is what I really want to see. The belching smoke, the jagged dagger of flame, the explosive echo’s ricocheting across Roche Harbor. I anticipate a fantastic kick off for my best fireworks ever. Finally, the stars have aligned for me, and on the fourth of July at that. This is already a great trip. The kids will stay on the boat while Linda and I paddle ashore. The lowering of the flags and cannon firing will be at sundown.
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12/23/2022
What happens when a big boat drags anchor and slams into you?
In about thirty minutes the Roche Harbor staff will be lowering the flags and firing the cannon. Several times in past years, circumstances or poor planning have caused me to miss the ceremony. The firing of the cannon is what I really want to see. The belching smoke, the jagged dagger of flame, the explosive echo’s ricocheting across Roche Harbor. I anticipate a fantastic kick off for my best fireworks ever. Finally, the stars have aligned for me, and on the fourth of July at that. This is already a great trip. The kids will stay on the boat while Linda and I paddle ashore. The lowering of the flags and cannon firing will be at sundown.
11/11/2022
Eight places in the San Juans where you can dent your pride and check your ego
In the San Juan's we are pretty much always near shore (it's not that big an area) so should we worry all the time? No! We should pay attention using our heads and our tools.
All the rocks, reefs and shallows are marked on charts, the especially egregious places have buoys, signs, sticks and posts out in the water. Of course with storms, high tides, poor maintenance, things go missing, so we are back to paying attention and using the old noggin.
Once not too long ago we were motoring in flat mirror perfect water at about 7 knots in twenty feet of depth. Up ahead I saw a disturbance (some itty bitty ripples) I glanced at my chart plotter and saw nothing alarming, nevertheless as we neared the ripples I braked and prepared to go full astern.
While watching the depth gauge, suddenly -- there it was -- the depth dropped to six and then four -- and we came to a halt. (no we didn't hit) I stopped, turned and went around the shallow spot.
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on watch |
10/14/2022
Leaving for La Conner this morning!
Windrose, aka "Rosey" has made it to the San Juans |
In good company anchored at Jones Island |
7/22/12
Read about Rosey here > Rosey's first trip after arriving at her new home in the San Juans
Read about Rosey's tsunami nightmare and repair here > Bombay Pilothouse Project
9/17/2022
Visit Olga on Orcas Island and ride your bikes up Mt Constitution or Moran Park
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Olga public dock has room for about three boats on each side, all buoys are private. |
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The dinghy's at Olga belong to locals, there is no access to beach except, a nasty slippery, very steep, and thorny trail in brush under ramp. |
8/08/2022
Creating maximum space at the dock and general good manners.
Having just returned from a 200 mile sweep around the San Juan's, I am fresh with observations and thoughts of how to improve the experience.
Everyone knows that dock space is first come first served and not to expect room for one more when you arrive. However, there is room for more if you try using some common sense. Somewhere in the mountain of state park dock rules and regs is the suggestion to locate boats close together. Spacing boats fifteen feet apart is not helpful and yet it is common. Tying ones dinghy to the float instead of rafting it is another obvious inconsiderate ploy that effectively exclude others. By the way, did they pay for the extra dinghy footage?
Speaking of dinghy's, many parks have designated dinghy docks but I see people with fifteen foot inflatables, complete with 50hp outboards, consoles, windshields and bimini's, side tied at the dinghy dock forcing real dinghy's to make do as best they can. What is really annoying is when you realize the offending dinghy belongs to the fifty five footer tied to the same float.
Speaking of bigger or smaller boats, a considerate skipper will let his longish bow area stick out beyond the end of the float so his fifty five feet only uses forty feet of dock. Stop! I know this trick is a bad idea in some locations and for some boats. Obviously, I'm not suggesting being foolish, I'm suggesting being thoughtful and considerate.
While we are talking considerate activities, how long is long enough or too long to run a generator? During my latest visit we were treated to a generator running for eight hour stretches. It was during the daytime and it was fairly quiet but come on, at least get off the dock and anchor out a ways. I was anchored out myself, it must have been no fun at all for the people close by.
I spend some of my non San Juan boating time around jet skis, water skiers, tubers, newbies, loud music and alcohol fueled people enjoying the water. As such, I expect close encounters, big wakes and general on water mayhem. But not in the San Juan's, the San Juan's attract an older more refined, mature crowd. We have miles of room to navigate, there is really no reason for close encounters. Jet skis are outlawed and proper boating is the norm. On this visit a thirty five footer at high speed overtook us and passed by so close they would have hit us if I had turned unexpectedly. I had no time to react, their wake rolled us so violently that one crew was thrown out of their seat and some of our belongings came crashing off shelves and out of cabinets breaking on the cabin sole. I regret I did not get a picture or name of the offending boat. I am not embarrassed that acting on reflex, I cussed them over the radio. Then after realizing in my haste I may not have keyed the mike, I did it again clearly to make sure they heard. I hope they heard me but my antenna was down with the inflatable on the roof so my range was greatly reduced. I apologize for may last paragraph, I'm still reeling when I think about the incident.
On an upnote, at Jones Island, as we were anchoring, a skipper at the float yelled over to us that he was leaving in a few minutes. We aborted lowering the hook and moved over, thank you very much.
Also at Jones, we thought we lost a cell phone, trail mix and passports in a drybag at our camp site, only to find it two days later where a racoon had stashed it in the bushes, unharmed but chewed on.
7/06/2022
My get home system is finally put to use.
More than a decade ago I installed an outboard bracket to carry the dinghy motor on the back of my 40 year old Nordic Tug. The transom mounted bracket allows me to store the 5hp Honda and easily transfer it to and from the dinghy. Thinking way ahead, I mounted the bracket down low so that if I ever needed an emergency push or trolling kicker, I would lower the motor, connect the fuel line and away we'd go.
Well it finally happened. Last month, the tug made a strange sound so I shut off the motor and began drifting. Because I had forgotten how the mechanism worked and fiddling with it while hanging over the back end was a little uncomfortable, it took me a few minutes to get the prop in the water and the fuel line connected. After about ten pulls the motor came to life and we were ready to go.
Holding the cowling I pointed it at what I guessed was straight ahead. I shoved the gearshift into forward and twisted the tiller to a medium fast idle. At first we didn't move but then it was apparent our nearly ten thousand pounds was actually making headway. Because I was hanging over the back, I yelled to Linda, asking if we were pointed okay or should I try steering. Her answer was not helpful.
I made my way inside and determined we were indeed headed for a mud flat. I turned the wheel and observed an agonizing slow response. The gps showed we were making 4 mph but our smallish rudder is designed to have the force of the diesel engine pushing our 18" prop wash against it. The outboard is far over on one side and actually behind the rudder. Never the less we began turning away from the shallows.
So, the system worked. I can't say I am impressed with performance but it will beat using the canoe paddle that I keep on board. The two gallon fuel tank will be very limiting and I am aware that the outboard can't be lowered with the dinghy on its davits.
I know others have get home plans and motors, I thought some may benefit hearing my experience.
Oh, and the tug, as always, it was fine.
5/02/2022
San Juan Islands Cruise Starting at Cornet Bay in Deception Pass State Park
Here's a link to the marine parks locating map marine parks maps etc. click here
I would be remiss to not point out that most boats can transit the pass a good deal before or after slack water, slack water is simply zero current like in the picture. Also don't forget Swinomish Channel is just around the corner and avoids the pass altogether.
3/19/2022
Friday Harbor Marina Map
Even regular visitors can forget where G-dock is or which side are the odd numbered slips!
Anyone see the dinghy dock? (It's at the end of A-dock)
Tip #1 Ask for a slip close to land, that quarter mile walk gets old real fast!
Tip #2 If your visit includes loading and unloading passengers and gear, save yourself a long walk and use the load dock below the marina office. (just motor past the fuel pier) The side facing land is for public use. The other side is for VIP's
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Image Courtesy the Port of Friday Harbor |
Roche Harbor Marina Map
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Roche Harbor |
1/24/2022
Sobering thought worth thinking about
I was busy cleaning out my laptop and as usual became sidetracked reading something I wrote. I immediately noticed punctuation and other errors but more than that, I vividly remembered the situation I had written about and how shaken I was. I remember thinking that perhaps risking my family's lives was not my decision to make. I remember considering turning around and quitting boating right then and there.
I hope I have caught the attention of others like me. Below is the gist of what I wrote almost ten years ago.
Crossing Rosario Strait heading into Thatcher Pass, we were all staring out the front and not paying attention to our sideways set (side drift) when out of the corner of my eye I caught a movement that turned out to be rocks coming at us fast. (full flood must have been 3+ knots) The current was forcing us sideways straight onto the rocks of tiny Pointer Island. I swung hard over and pushed her to full throttle, our outboard barely pulled us away with one hundred feet and two or three seconds to spare. I shuddered thinking of my family on board and almost quit boating right then and there.
While we’re talking currents, I am sure you know that
your boat will be dragged sideways whilst you drive forward when crossing a
channel or fast water. It is very easy to not pay enough attention to the currents “set and
drift” and what’s on the side of your boat. Let’s put it simpler, if you’re
driving forward and looking forward you will miss what you’re heading for
sideways. It is easy when close to hazards to allow yourself to be dragged into them because your looking where you want to go, not where you are really going. Tip. Please re-read
that last sentence and get it into your default system, it may save your boat
or someone’s life.
Please leave your SCARY story in the comments below. You will never know but you may save someone. John