Trip to Gulf Islands through Swinomish Channel

We are just back from yet another amazing trip aboard our good ship Aeolus, and boy was it heaven. Having moved to Bainbridge we were not sure whether the time it takes to get up through and past the San Juans would leave enough time on a one week trip for real enjoyment of the Canadian Gulf Islands, but it did. We left Bainbridge on a Friday afternoon headed north to DeCourcy Island just below Dodd Narrows and Nanaimo. Due to gale wind forecasts in the Straits of JDF we opted for the Swinomish Channel route.

That first night was about a five hour trip from Eagle Harbor to Langley. When we arrived at Langley, which we had read was a marginal anchorage, we found a stiff 15-20 knot NW wind was turning the anchorage into a trampoline. Oh well, we knew we were in for a rough night. As has happened many times before, our robust ground tackle saved us from trouble or real worry. We anchored in and among quite a few other boats and slept pretty well through the 2 foot chop.

The next day we motored up to the southern entrance to Swinomish channel at the start of a rising tide and when just starting to head in, several outbound boats urgently told us to turn around as several other boats had just run aground. Glad for the advice, we turned around in the tight channel which was showing about 8 feet of depth where we were and circled around outside the entrance for about 30 minutes to let the water rise. We watched the grounded boats float free and figured we were good to go as well. The channel is a lot of fun in some places, and tedious in others. It is like a portal from Puget Sound to the San Juans.

I'd always wanted to sail under the bridge at Hwy 20 and to pass beside the railroad trestle and we finally got the chance. From there we passed through Guemes Channel against the flood and hit a thick fog bank at the south side of Cypress. I turned on the radar, got out the fog horn and prepared for the worst as the ferry came out of fog not 200 yards away with no sign it had even been nearby. Fortunately, the fog was light enough that it gave a good amount of visibility around the boat even when in the thick of it and we were able to pass easily over to Peavine Pass. That day we went straight to our favorite island in the San Juans, other than Stuart, and that is Jones. With south winds we grabbed a spot on the north side and said hello to our old familiar friend. Amy wasted

no time getting out in the dinghy for a little exercise and sightseeing. The views north from Jones are exquisite.

From there we crossed Boundary Pass the next day and cleared customs with the always friendly Canadians at Pender Harbor. Or, the friendly Canadians in Victoria that the phones at Pender connect you with. That night we slipped into Winter Cove as the forecast was for strong NW winds and this kept us from going out to Tumbo Island. Boat Passage and Winter Cover are a ton of fun in a kayak and I inflated our double and put the kids in the bow while I paddled us over the tidal race for some fun. The current there moves along at something more than 5 knots and creates a fair amount of turbulence. We would enter the current near the mouth and then ride it for a while before jumping into an eddy for the return trip. More like whitewater paddling than sea kayaking. A to of fun. Both boys said, for the first time ever, that they loved kayaking!!

A note on food. Amy did all the planning and purchasing and the lions share of preparing food. We ate like kings, even if there was a little less candy than my still teenage stomach would have packed. We were all so damn lucky to have her as chef. This shot is of the glorious west slopes of Saturna Island as we approached Winter Cove.

  We left there to spend time at Wallace Island, a place we have visited before. This time we pulled into tiny Conover Cove and grabbed a stern tie spot right at the mouth. We arrived at low tide and had about 12 inches under our keel, but knew we would have higher water the rest of our stay. We went swimming for the first time on the trip and man was it heaven. Elliott and I love jumping off the pilot house as it is high enough to give some excitement.


We then hiked all the way to the northern tip of Wallace Island, which I remember from staying at while on my kayak trip north in 1998. It is a rather unremarkable walk, but still worth doing as it stretches the legs.

Once we got back to the boat, the most amazing thing happened. Elliott and Owen hopped into the dinghy and went out for an adventure. Elliott is now big and strong enough for us to trust him in all but really exposed windy conditions. Conover Cover is an ideal place to let your sons roam free as it is completely sheltered, but filled with fun options. The boys went to land, got out and played Huck Finn, and then a while later I paddled the kayak over and said hello. They told me about a rope swing they had seen nearby and so we went over to check it out. Elliott was the only one still interested in getting wet and so he swung on that rope again and again. It was a nice swing, maybe a couple feet above the water for your feet and putting you about 15 feet out from shore. There is little in life more enjoyable than watching your son swing on a rope from a wild island shoreline and land in the ocean again and again.

That night, the sky exploded with color and we found ourselves ecstatic once again at our good fortune. These pictures do not begin to express the fullness of color we witnessed.

The next day we headed to the northern terminus of our trip at DeCourcy Island. It has become our favorite place in the Gulf Islands for swimming as the water is seemingly warmer than anywhere else around. We found temperatures there to be a solid 70 in many places and not just near the shore and rocks. The ambient temperature was maybe that as well. We prefer to anchor in the south cove instead of Pirates Cove as we prefer that beach and the views. It is pictured here to the right. Plus there is always space and no views of the marina in Pirates Cove which detracts from the wild feel of a place.

Amy and I went out for a late night dinghy ride and enjoyed another light display by the bioluminescent creatures. Feathering your paddle through the water results in an explosion of color all around the swirls of otherwise unseen currents. It is extraordinary, and as near to magical as anything I have ever seen.

We had a cousin of Amy flying in to join us for our trip back south and so we picked him up in Maple Bay on Vancouver Island. He got to fly a float plane for the first time and we were excited to see him. We headed down the wonderful Sansum Narrows on our way to Portland Island and were able to sail much of the way there in good wind. While approaching Portland I noticed some whale watching boats and sure enough there was a lazy Orca right nearby. Seemed to be alone, and moved very slowly as though resting. Still very close and very cool.

Portland Island is always great and did not disappoint. Sure wish it was near Seattle. We hiked around the shoreline for a few miles and dinghied/kayaked over to our favorite sandy beach nearby to swim. Water there is frigid as it is too close to the Straits of JDF to have any warmth to it. Still, on a warm sunny day like this, it was refreshing.

We then continued south and cleared customs at Roche Harbor. I must say it was by far the most pleasant  US customs clearing I have ever had and must thank office Wallace for being professional but not officious, thorough but not accusatory. She was great. The highlight of the day was getting a massive amount of ice cream at the Roche Harbor shop. It was absurd. I asked for small and they gave me a mountain. Poor Owen could not keep up with the melting and instead dripped most of his along the dock.

The winds were high, maybe 25 knots, and we raised sail once outside of the harbor and sailed all the way into the Wasp Islands. It was pure sailing heaven. We then motored over to Spencer Spit on Lopez Island for a nice evening. Met a gregarious Kiwi there on a 45 foot beauty who has been sailing all around the Pacific Ocean for some many years. Quite the sailor and quite the man. Made Amy and I reflect on how much we crave that sort of travel.

After this it was really pretty plain getting back to Bainbridge as we returned through the Swinomish Channel and had a thoroughly horrible experience trying to find dinner in Oak Harbor. My buddha, what a sad and dreadful town. The walk from the marine in Oak Harbor to the nearest place of commerce is already a half mile or so, and what you find is a depressed and abandoned old downtown and a little further on is Hwy 20 with all the charm of an asphalt field. The greatest challenge of traversing the inside route from Seattle to the islands is the lack of a decent single anchorage between Seattle and Deception Pass.

Anyway, we sailed home our final day from Oak Harbor and enjoyed a very long broad reach all the way from the southern tip of Whidbey to Bainbridge. It was grand. I couldn't help but notice as we passed more than a few Catalinas and Hunters that they had sails reefed and seemed to be up against their comfort zone that I had full sail up and we moved along absolutely comfortably, doing 6 knots. Once again the design and weight of the Gulf 32 shows itself to be ideally suited to strong winds and rougher seas. A fantastic trip and another grand adventure logged aboard our beloved Gulf 32.