Sept 16: Back to Friday Harbor
Thursday 9/16 2010Sept 16:
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA (long 48º 32' 350" / lat: 123º 01' 000")
Departed into the clearing fog at 11:55, arrived at G16 in Friday Harbor at 14:45. Traveled 22.2 miles.
We finally set out following in the wake of the mystery merrymakers, parting company when we headed for the US.
The Mystery Ship
The cruise back into the San Juan Islands was an amazing display of changing sky. Purple and gray clouds were punctuated with swaths of blue sky, creating a dramatic scene of light and dark.
The wind died down, the waves disappeared, and our passage through the smooth, dark water was like a scissor cutting through satin. Islands and boats played hide and seek among the transient fog banks; now you see them, now you don't. The word "surreal" came to mind.
And then, as we left Canadian waters behind, everything became something else. The wind picked up, the waves rippled around us, the threatening clouds fulfilled their promise, and a steady drizzle transformed everything into shades of soft, fuzzy gray.
This leg of the journey was the best sea-mammal spotting so far; a sea lion, a lone dolphin, and then a pod of striped dolphins. Good practice toward improving my wildlife photo skills from the deck of a moving boat in flat, drab light; a new direction in photography for me.
Rich contacted Nexus and we cleared customs while passing Flat Top Island, WA. This time there was no waiting for a slip at Friday Harbor. The season was coming to a close, bad weather was on the way, and we had our pick on G dock.