Travels of the Seefahrt

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Here we are again, quite delinquent on any recent site additions. What can we say? We have been busy traveling on the 'Fahrt'. There has been some internet access issues but mostly our time has been taken up with sailing, running and hiking, eating ice cream, and watching seals, orcas, and lots of birds. Madison did manage to catch the only fish so far (it was ugly too).

We left Anacortes on july 24th on the Seefahrt, this was our maiden voyage in winds 15-20 knots. The boat likes these wind speeds. We started off in the San Juan Islands, part of Washington state and bordering Canada. We made stops at several islands and locations, such as Cyprus, Obstruction State Park, Olga, Rosario, Spencer Spit, Shaw, Friday Harbor, Jones, Stuart, and Sucia. We stayed several days at some of these places. Sometimes staying in marina's, or staying on a mooring ball (a fixed anchor), or anchoring out with the "hook". We are still becoming proficient in pulling into slips and docks, as the Seefahrt is somewhat of a slug, and it sure doesn't like to go backwards. We have preferred to anchor out in more remote places and thus avoiding mooring and marina fees.

We then entered Canada into the Gulf Islands (a continuation of inland islands and waterways in the northwest) and proceeded northward crossing Haro Strait to South Pender island and cleared Canadian customs.
Once in Canada we went north to Telegraph Harbor on Thetis island and stayed several days on the "hook".
At one point we took a ferry ride to Chemainus, a quaint little city on Vancouver island, and had fish and chips, ice cream, and walked about before returning via ferry to the Seefahrt.

Thetis island and Telegraph harbor were our northern most travel points prior to starting back south. If one was inclined to proceed northward towards alaska, it would be a long haul. We then hit Maple Cove Marina and rented a car and went to the city of Victoria on Vancouver island. Here we saw the Royal British Columbia Museum (excellent local natural and human history of the area), and the Bug Zoo, an entamologists dream. This provided some of our ongoing science studies and was quite good. It was interesting to get back in a car again, as our travel mode has been slow on the water, and we are also doing lots of walking and hiking.

We then came further south along Vancouver island and met John and Gerry Gunn in their boat "Little Annie"
and spent a few days at Tod's inlet and the Butchart gardens. This was a neat place, lots of flowers and a good fireworks show. From here we went onward to Sidney island and Sidney Spit.
Now we have crossed back to the USA, cleared customs in Roche Harbor San Juan island, and are currently sitting out some "pissy" weather at Deer Harbor Marina on Orcas island.
In the next week we will return to Anacortes and have the boat taken out and prepped for the next phase of the trip. We are about to embark on a land tour portion of the trip and will head east.

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Photos

Seefahrt
Jones island mooring,
it was rough here.

snails
Madison's snails, "Lisa and Larry"

Stuart island
Large Maple leaves (as big as the kids)

Turn Point
The lighthouse at Turn Point on Stuart island

Sucia
Sucia island and Boundry Pass, south Georgia Strait

Sucia
Fossil bay anchorage on Sucia island

Canadian Friends
Madison, Sage, Alex, Nicole and Christy in Maple Bay, Canada

Butchart Gardens
There was alot of this at the Butchart Gardens...