#68 Friday Harbor Again and the last days of our 2010 Cruise

On Sunday it was time to get to the San Juan Islands and Friday Harbor. We arose early for a 5AM departure. Normally we go early because of weather, boat traffic or tidal current. The overriding consideration today is moorage in busy Friday Harbor, where it's first come, first served, and it's 8 hours to our destination

At 5AM you'd think boat traffic would be minimal, but on a Sunday in salmon season it's bumper-to-bumper boats especially in a big marina like Edmonds. Even on an end-tie with easy merge into the outgoing fairway, we had to wait our turn then hustle into the line of boats waiting to exit at this 0-dark AM hour.

Once outside, the sun happened, scaring the clouds away. The seas were flat and winds calm, a great day for power boating. We moved up Admiralty Inlet then entered the eastern portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Lady Anne was able to sleep in an extra hour or so since she cruises about double Wild Blue's speed of 8+ knots. She passed us near the middle of the Strait.

We did make it Friday in time to secure moorage inside the Harbor. Of course the Lady Anne was moored and washed by the time Wild Blue arrived. This fast yacht is owned by Hugh McIntyre. In 2008, the Lady Anne cruised alongside Seagate and Wild Blue in Alaska, Haidi Gwaii and BC. See www.baywoodinn/blog for that story. Hugh met Alex and Pat as members of the California Yacht Club. Hugh is a recently retired MD. Crew Cecilia is a professor of music. Yon, a retired engineer, is a long-time crew member for Hugh on various power and sail boats. He has great stories about growing up in Nazi occupied Netherlands during WW2.

Wild Blue crew Gene and Steve were able to grab two seats on a Kenmore Air float plane and left for home later in the afternoon. We've known the Grays for many years as they were our next door neighbors. Pat and Alex learned a lot more about health insurance and were greatly entertained by the Gray's many exciting life stories. Our favorite: frustration with a brand new Droid, then jettisoning it out the window to watch it disintegrate. Somehow Gene and Steve avoided this blogger's camera, so we don't have a photo to prove anything. Maybe next time!

Wild Blue northbound at 8 knots in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Lady Anne pedal to the metal at 15+ knots loves these conditions.

Hugh and Cecilia drive Lady Anne fast!

Over the next week or so we'll visit our favorite local marinas before putting the boat away in Anacortes. Poets Cove Resort and Vancouver's Quayside Marina will fit in there somewhere. And we'll finish off near where we started in Pat's favorite Brentwood Bay and Butchart Gardens. Have a great rest of the 2010 summer.

Cecilia and Pat make this piano come alive.

Hugh, Cecilia, Yon, Alex and Pat cap off another cruise with a great dinner.