Stuart Island on blue sky January days

Escape to Stuart Island on this three day weekend and we were delighted to have blue skies every day. Saw humpback whales in San Juan Channel! Wow! Two adults and a young one. Haven't seen them there before, only further north. Then saw large groups of sea lions at Speiden, per usual. About twelve bald eagles on the south side of the island, in the usual spots. 

Two nights in Reid Harbor and hikes all around. What a time to be up on the mountains and out to the Lighthouse. Group of sea lions at the lighthouse too.

Sea Lions!

Upsetting thing is that the motor died right at the entrance to Friday Harbor. Despite all my considerable efforts to keep the fuel tank clean with bug killer and lubricant, using R99 fuel, I keep getting fuel cut off engine death. I polished the fuel last year and it was quite clean, so what gives? I even then had the starter stop working. Had to get towed by Boat US the few hundred yards back to our slip. Upsetting and embarrassing for this careful boat mechanic. 

Winter Jones is always wondrous

I remain baffled why people don't use their boats in the winter. Most often, the weather is benign and the temperatures mild, and you have the islands to yourself. We sure did on this trip, as usual, have them to ourselves. Leaving the slip in Friday Harbor on Saturday morning we were the only boat in San Juan Channel. There was a light southern wind pushing us north toward Jones. For fun and variety, we went through the Wasp Islands a bit and up the East side of Jones. We were alone in the north cove and on Jones. Just incredible. In summer, it is overrun with hordes of folks. We walked all around, circumnavigating the island and saw a remarkable number of seals. We tossed a frisbee. We watched birds. We admired the cactus that grows on Jones. CACTUS! Saturday night had some wind but as forecasted, it was from the SE and SW and were fine in the north cove. Boy those king tides are the real deal, right now. Never seen them higher at Jones. Overnight is the low low, and the speed of that change had to drain about 12 feet of water out of the Salish Sea. Amazing. We came back Sunday morning for an early ferry back to the mainland. Once again, the calendar says a brief weekend turn around, but it feels like we are gone for far longer. Clocks and calendars only tell one version of the truth!