Christmas aboard Aeolus, Orcas, and Jones Island

We are just returned from a special trip aboard the good ship Aeolus. Given some other travel plans and expenses associated with such, we decided not to do a traditional home Christmas this year as we fly out early tomorrow morning on the 26th. Instead, and since we are traveling to the Megalopolis of Los Angeles, we decided to get aboard Aeolus and make a special voyage to Jones Island for a wild bit of festivities.

It was wonderful.

We left Anacortes and our new slip at Cap Sante at 9:30 on the 24th. It was calm, and remarkably sunny. The journey out Guemes Channel is heavily tidal, and strong enough to be a significant help or hindrance. It ebbs going West and floods East. We had some help this morning with the ebb and then rode the eddies up the Cypress shoreline before hopping across toward Obstruction Pass. As we approached Blakely, eagle eyed Amy spotted a dorsal fin and sure enough, we had Orcas off the port side! A large adult, probably female, and a young calf. They were about 200 yards away and were having some fun, including a few leaps out of the water! What a spectacle. We took it as an omen for our first trip from Anacortes to Jones. It seems we always see special wildlife on any new trip.

Gorgeous clouding on Cypress Island

The journey through Obstruction and the Wasp Islands to Jones takes you through our favorite place to raise sail in the San Juans. The body of water below East Sound on Orcas and formed by Lopez, Blakeley and Shaw, is most likely to have wind, and large enough to really sail around without tacking too often. And it is just a magnificent location scenically speaking.

We got to Jones in the 4 hours we thought it would take and dropped anchor about 1:30 in the south cove. When we went ashore we chose a nice small juniper and decorated it with bulbs and lights that we had brought from home. It was quite pretty. We brought firewood too and made a nice fire to enjoy as the day faded.

With the Christmas lights on the tree, and the fire keeping us warm, it was about as fine a Christmas Eve as one could have. The night was clear and calm. We left the lights on the tree and lit up, and when we came back to Aeolus we could still see them. It made quite the sight for there to be Christmas lights on Jones on a winter night! They were battery powered, and quite nice.

Merry Xmas and Happy Solstice from the Windrope family

This morning we woke and opened presents and had a gourmet breakfast. Last night's dinner was also incredible! We went ashore this morning to collect the lights and stretch our legs on a brief walk across to the North cove.

We left Jones at 11:30 and were back to our slip at Cap Sante by 3. Good time. So nice to not be constrained by the San Juan ferry schedule!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Solstice to anyone reading this blog post.