May 5th

May 5^th, 2016

Latitude
Longitude

Hope Island, Washington to Bedwell Harbour, South Pender Island, British Columbia, Canada

Today we had a glorious day traveling through the San Juan Islands and entering into Canada.  We started the day with a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and crab.  After unhooking ourselves from the mooring ball we were on our way to the tumultuous currents of Deception Pass. Our timing of the tides was spot on and we motored through the picturesque pass at slack tide.  I was so thrilled to go through there again.  Last July was my first time through Deception Pass on a sailboat and I was too ill to enjoy it.  This time I felt fantastic and I was on the bow of the boat taking pictures. 

After traveling through the pass, we headed northwest towards the San Juan Islands.

Deception Pass

I was tethered to the boat so I would stay safe while taking pictures. The other end is leashed onto my life vest.

Vaughn 

Seals or Sea Lions resting on the beach.

Check out the whirlpools!

Mary navigating through Deception Pass

The water is getting huffier!

Artistic view!

Olympic Mountains

Fish were jumping out of the water as the seagulls swarmed

At the helm on the way to the San Juan Islands

I drove the boat through Cattleman’s Pass on the east side of San Juan Island until we got to Friday Harbor where we docked.  We went to the Customs Office to get an I-68 form.  This form will speed up our time getting into Alaska from Canada.  Mary already had an I-68 form so she went to the grocery store while Vaughn and I visited the customs office.  We had a pasta salad (courtesy of Natalie) late lunch on the sailboat and were on our way again. 

Ferry at Friday Harbor

S/V Our Tern

Battleship Island

We continued to travel north on the east side of San Juan Island and then turned west into the Spieden Channel.  Our next turn was north into the Haro Strait.  Now we were entering territory where I haven’t been before on a sailboat.  We crossed into Canada and into the Gulf Islands. 

Turn Point Lighthouse

Mount Baker

Our destination for the evening was Bedwell Harbor, South Pender Island, British Columbia, Canada.  It is romantically called Poet’s Cove.  We were checked into Canadian Customs and found anchorage in this beautiful little cove.  It wasn’t as quiet as the night before, but almost.  At Hope Island we were the only ones anchored there.  Anyway, the stars were shining brightly in a clear sky.  This was exactly how I hoped our evening star show would be.  There were even small fish jumping in the water.  They would have made great bait!

What I learned today – navigating!