AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 1

As we got closer to home we realized how fabulous this trip had been, how much we had experienced and seen and how much we had grown. Although taking our boat to Alaska had been on our bucket list for years, as it got closer we vacillated back and forth about going. It involved so many hours of travel, so why would we do that when we have such beautiful cruising grounds close to home? There was so much to do to get the boat mechanically ready for such an extended voyage which was not only time-consuming but expensive. The cost of diesel to travel over 3,000 miles is ridiculous! We weren’t sure how comfortable we’d be finding places to anchor in remote bays where there weren’t any other boats. What if we had an emergency in one of those bays where there is no chance of cell phone coverage and a strong possibility that the VHF radio wouldn’t work? Could we really just leave our kids and grandkids for 3 months? What about our remodel that wasn’t going to be done before we were scheduled to leave? After seeing one another an average of only 6 hours a day for the past 40 years, how would David & I handle 24/7 for 2-3 months in a relatively small space?

So we owe a big THANK YOU to those people who encouraged us to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity, for without them we most likely would not have gone: Jason worked every angle to encourage us to “JUST DO IT!”; Tom has been after us for at least 6 years to take the trip; Steve & Kim were kind enough to share not only their favorite places, but showed us where we could hide in bad weather, and printed up all sorts of incredibly useful information; Dick & Maureen showed us their routes, gave us lots of ideas about where to go and what to make sure to see; Len knew we would regret it if we didn’t do it; and Dave & Eddie Lee devoted an entire day reviewing routes, charts and fishing places with us. Without these people, this trip never would have happened. THANK YOU ALL!

We spent our last night in Hunter Bay, Lopez Island, one of our favorite places over the years. We laughed when we put the anchor down because we had forgotten that it is only 17′ deep there and we’ve been anchoring in 75-100 feet. What a difference!

We arose our last morning to an absolutely stunning sunrise. The moon was still up, reflecting in the water, and it was totally still and quiet except of the occasional snorting of the seals. What a great way to end the trip!

Reflecting moon in sunrise in Hunter Bay

Lopez Pass

The closer we got to Seattle the busier it became: there were quite a few boats in the San Juan Islands enjoying the Labor Day weekend; too many boats milling around vying for spots to get into the Locks; Lake Union was absolutely loaded with boats, amphibious ducks, float planes, paddle boarders and kayakers and there was lots of noisy traffic on the bridges. It seemed like total chaos to us. We’ve been on “island time” and we were now in the “real” world and it didn’t seem “right”.

We’ve had an absolutely amazing trip, far beyond our expectations. We’ve seen just a small portion of one of the most beautiful areas of our country; we now have increased confidence in our boat and our own boating skills; have realized that now that we aren’t “working” we’re loving meeting people while we’re boating because we aren’t exhausted and looking for a complete get-away; and the best news of all is that we thoroughly enjoyed one another almost 24/7 which of course bods well for the next two decades. We are looking forward to our next boating adventure…wherever it may be.

Thanks for coming with us to Alaska!

Happy

The Captain & FIrst Mate

AUGUST 24-30

Our last two nights in British Columbia were spent in Nanaimo. We can’t help but think back to the rainy and windy days we spent here at the beginning of the trip when we had no idea about all the exciting things that were in store for us.

As we were nearing Nanaimo we were hailed on the radio by good friends and neighbors in Arizona who were coming into the harbor about the same time we were, so we spent a lovely evening with them eating fish tacos and telling stories about our travels.

Daryl & Christine

The next day there was a heron 2 feet from the boat…quite a sight. I love these birds and their prehistoric sounds.

Great Blue Heron

Taking Flight

We cleared customs in Point Roberts and spent 2 days at the Marina so we could visit with two sets of friends who both live in the area and each of them joined us on the boat for dinner on different evenings.

David & Gillian: the wine tasters

The second day we were there we played golf at the Point Roberts Golf and Country Club- our first golf outing from the boat. It was such fun!

Point Roberts Golf & CC