Seattle Trip Day 14 & 15

Friday August 28 & Saturday August 29 

Friday marked 2 full weeks that we have been underway.

We woke up to wind and rain, and very poor visibility.  My first thoughts were that I cannot leave this marina under poor visibility due to all the crab pot buoys that are hard to see even when visibility is good.  It seemed as if we would need to sit in Ganges for at least another day.

But, we walked Bina, had breakfast, and looked up the weather forecasts.  By then the visibility had improved, and the wind had reduced, although it was still raining.

According to the forecasts the weather would be deteriorating the next day so we made the decision to make the short 27 mile run to Friday Harbor.

For the first part of the trip we had to dodge a few more BC ferries, and deal with some choppy water, but after that it settled right down into a calm run.

Friday Harbor is a very popular cruising destination in the San Juan Islands, and so as we approached we sort of fell in with other boats also headed there.  It is a large and busy port.

When we got there I called the Friday Harbor port authority on the VHF radio and was assigned a slip. It was a very tight fit, but with our neighbor’s help we got in and got tied up and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Next I called US Customs, since this was our first US port after being in Canadian waters for quite a while.  I got a bit of a tongue lashing as I was informed that there is a Customs dock out in front of the breakwater and the protocol is that you must stop there BEFORE going into your slip in the marina.

So we had to untie the lines and go back out to the Customs dock.  Fortunately he was not busy so he processed us right away, but I did have to endure another lecture on the correct protocol for clearing Customs in Friday Harbor, which I apparently needed.  You don’t argue with people that carry guns.

Back we went into our slip, and our neighbor was still there to guide us and catch the lines, making it much simpler.

Friday Harbor is an amazing place, and not just the marina.  The town itself is right there within walking distance and it seems they always have something interesting going on.

It will be hard to describe all that we saw and did while here, but I will try.

First off we checked the weather for Saturday and discovered that big winds were on the way.  So we made arrangements to stay 2 nights here.

Perhaps going through my pictures will be the best way to describe our all too brief stay in Friday Harbor.

Our slip in the Friday Harbor marina.  Tight quarters.
They told us they have a "no turn away" policy - they will always find a place for you when you come in and request moorage.

I walked all the floats in the harbor.  Lots of sailboats here.

There's always something happening in Friday Harbor.  Uncle Otto and his band played and sang on Friday evening right up above the marina.

This is "Pop Eye" the tame seal that roams the harbor at will.  So named I assume because he has one bad eye.  He gives High Fives, gives seal kisses, and takes food right out of your hand.

A beautiful sunset in Friday Harbor.

On Saturday morning we went up to the Farmer’s Market which they hold every Saturday.  Unfortunately those big winds did arrive with a vengeance and the vendors at the market were essentially blown out.  

They had erected little canopies and tarps to cover their goods, but the winds were playing havoc with them and by the time we got there they had given up and were taking everything down.  We did manage to purchase some wonderful tomatoes and apples before they closed up.

We had a little drama on the dock during the afternoon, after the winds had settled down just a little.  I had stepped off the boat to take a walk and right across from us some men were dealing with a tense situation, so I helped as best I could.  The boat across from us had untied all their lines but had not started their engines.  The winds had blown the boat up against the dock, and I helped hold it off.  

The man and woman on board were too drunk to figure out how to start their engines.  The man at the helm kept muttering that he had to go back to Seattle.  The people on the boats behind them were screaming at us to not allow him to start his engines and pull out.  There would have been damage for certain.  I helped tie him off and the other men convinced him not to go anywhere for a while.

Later we saw some men in uniforms knocking on the boat trying to get someone’s attention.  I think they were from the Sherriff’s office.

In any case we had a good visit to Friday Harbor and we definitely want to come here again and spend a few days, preferably on a weekend when it is not windy.

Tomorrow, Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle!