Saturday, September 12 ~ Ganges, Salt Spring Island, Canada

Sucia Island

Last Sunday we traveled the short distance from Seattle to Whidbey Island. My sister (Jan) and brother-in-law (Mark) have invited Tim and I to join them on a one week motor boat trip through the San Juan Islands.

The two of them took a training class a couple of years ago to learn how to operate a similar vessel and then last year chartered a 36 foot boat for a week. They enjoyed it so much that they wanted to do it again and we are pretty excited for a new experience. 

Jan had already done some menu preplanning. We spent Monday and Tuesday doing the grocery shopping and a bit of cooking to make the first few meals a snap.

Breakfasts are simple with eggs or cereal or toast or oatmeal or yoghurt and fruit with coffee or hot tea. Lunch is sandwiches (tuna, ham and cheese, roast beef), chips, salsa, fruit, carrots, humus or any leftovers.

Dinners that we preplanned include fajitas (with salad and guacamole), chicken chili (with corn bread) shrimp scampi (with salad and bread) and a one pan chicken pot pie.

We also made a big batch of oatmeal cookies. We will be eating quite well!

This is the itinerary that Jan plotted out for us:

Proposed itinerary

We have been without any WiFi for the past few days, so I am just now trying to give an update. If you look at the map above, we are spending tonight at the marina marked as #5.

In a nut shell, we are having a fantastic experience. Jan and Mark are both very capable as co-captains – detail oriented, conscientious, thorough – all characteristics you want when you place your lives in someone else’s hands!

Captain Jan, having just completed doing WOBBS (pre departure engine room and safety check)

Captain Mark taking us out of the marina at Anacortes, WA

Traveling just after the holiday is the way to go. There is very little boat traffic, the crowds have gone home and the weather has been sunny and in the 70’s or low 80’s. I consider this “Chamber of Commerce” weather, as it could not be a better advertisement for this area.

Here is a sampling of my pictures from our first day that took us out of Anacortes, Washington up to Sucia Island.

This is the view from the bow as we get underway.

Fossil Bay (Sucia Island)

The four of us taking a hike on Sucia Island

Tim and Joanne enjoying a glass of wine.

Spectacular sunset to end a fabulous first day on the water.

GRATITUDE MOMENT: I am thankful to be learning a few more nautical terms beyond port and starboard. I have now stopped calling it our bedroom in the pointy end of the boat, and can refer to it as our cabin in the bow. I can use the head and cook in the galley. I can tie up the boat on a mooring buoy or dockside and put out the fenders. I even got a lesson this morning at the helm (with my sister VERY close by) on how to turn our vessel in a circle using the thrusters.