Hauling the Main

Party at Teddy Bear Bay

Our last night on the boat and last anchorage of our adventure. As you might guess, the day was quite a party!

Our skipper and crew approve of this trip!

Zane looks a lot like his dad here, doesn't he?

"Every body say hallelujah!"

I have no words for this look.

This is how Captain Bob looked after teaching us all week.

Again, no words.

Nautical night aboard Tivoli!

Old sea dog and a beautiful wench.

Popeye & Olive Oyl

Popeye & Olive Oyl, Dogfish, and Mermaid.

Ryan said I look like this every morning.

No, show us the butterfly tattoo!

Spiny dogfish.

Yes, dancing, singing, and merriment!

Filling out the evaluations!

We had a wonderful adventure sailing the San Juan Islands. We learned a lot about sailing, the boat and how to explore the area by water. We would like to especially thank Captain Bob Hulett. He was a great teacher with extraordinary patience. He worked with us on knots, sailing and boat terms, navigation and all facets of boating. The kids enjoyed his jokes and you could tell Bob really liked working with them. We all would highly recommend Bob if you ever need a captain or sailing instructor. Our captain choice was made during a short phone call where we heard Bob calmly make suggestions to students as he taught and sailed on a boat. We did not regret our choice one minute.

Linda and I would like to also thank our friend David Kilmer who gave us steadfast advice about how to choose a sailboat chartering company, where to visit in the San Juans, how much to tip the captain and a million other questions we had both before and during this trip. 

Finally, we would like to especially thank the Edwards who came up with the idea of sailing the San Juans, helped us plan the trip, sailed us safely on legs of our journey, kept us entertained and put up with me each morning while I woke up and became human.

Friday Harbor and Parks Bay

From Rosario, we sailed downwind by Orcas Island and passed Shaw Island to Friday Harbor located on San Juan Island. We anchored off the dock slips, took the dingy in and explored the retail stores surrounding the harbor.

Captain Bob bought sunglasses and I got myself a Seahawks Shirt that was on sale. The shirt turned out to be our only souvenir of the trip and it said nothing about where we had been or what we had done. Guess that shows what big fans we are.

Our gang window-shopped and took pictures. Bob led us to an ice cream shop where we all bought treats. After an hour or so we walked back to the docks and loaded into our dingy.

While we were sitting in the dingy we were visited by Popeye, the local harbor seal. Popeye is a famous little guy that is very tame and visits everyone on the docks looking for handouts. We didn't have any treats so Popeye didn't hang around us very long. It was a great encounter for the kids.

We pulled anchor and sailed across the strait to the Shaw Island San Juan Islands Marine Preserve and anchored in Parks Bay. Zane and Ryan took the dingy out fishing and when they returned Zane went out in the little boat solo. He gave Anika a tour of the bay and had a great time motoring about.

Ryan and Zane have become big fishing experts. If you want to catch spiny dogfish, they are the ones to contact. I think they ended up catching six or seven total for the trip. I didn't catch anything.

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Family photo. Tivoli is just over Ryan's left shoulder.

Our crew, Captain Bob taking the photo.

Popeye makes an appearance.

Photo bomb!

Dogfish! The fish, not the guy.

Zane and Anika on a bay tour.

Spa Day at Rosario Harbor

Today we sailed! Well, we have been sailing, but today we had big winds so we "sailed".

We sailed out of Roche Harbor and passed between Shaw and Orcas Islands. I was at the helm for the first leg and then decided to duck below for a nap. I had just gotten to sleep when we rounded the point of Orcas Island and headed up East Sound to Rosario. I felt the boat tilt and I slid to the starboard side of the v-berth. I crawled back over to my side of the bed and dozed off again. I woke up just in time to catch myself and keep my body from sliding to starboard again. For the next ten minutes, I lay there listening to the sounds of pullies and ropes on the hull. Foot steps sounded above me as I shook the sleep from my head. Awake, I decided to go to the cockpit and see what had transpired.

While I slept the boat had rounded the point and we were hit with very strong winds. After the first big gust, the crew had reefed the main and rolled in the jib giving Tivoli the amount of sail needed for the stronger winds. Everyone did a great job, but I guess the gusts came as a bit of a surprise. I slept through it.

On deck, we sailed in some great wind. We practiced our tacks and enjoyed the speed. I remember Captain Bob saying that the wind was gusting beyond 35 knots. (We actually had a gust of 40 mph!) Trivoli carried us up the sound, we dropped sails and made our way into our night's slip.

"ON TO THE SPA!" was the cry heard across the island. Ryan took the kids to the pool and the rest of the crew boarded the Moran Mansion in pirate fashion. We swam in the new outdoor pool and then took a long dip in the hot pool. Before returning to Tivoli, we enjoyed drinks and garlic french fries in the lounge. No longer pirates, and feeling more like high society gadabouts, we sipped our drinks and rubbed elbows with Rosario high society.

Later we walked to the Mansion and took a self-guided tour. What an amazing place! Such craftsmanship and detail to the fine wood creations.The history was huge.

This excerpt is from the Moran Mansion Museum's web site and explains it best: "Originally from New York City, Robert Moran arrived on the Seattle waterfront in 1875 with a dime in his pocket. He became a ship's engineer and was fortunate to work on several of John Muir's Alaska expeditions. Eventually joined in Seattle by his brothers, Moran formed The Moran Bros. Company, a small family ship repair business that grew into a supplier for the Yukon Gold Rush, then a major West Coast shipyard. The Moran Bros. Company quickly became Seattle's largest employer when it won a naval contract to build the battleship U.S.S. Nebraska in 1902.

By 1904, the stress of business had taken a toll on Moran's health and he was given only a few years to live. He purchased 7,000 acres on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands in Northern Puget Sound, an area originally used as transient hunting and fishing grounds for the Lummi Tribe of the Salish Nation. He began to build his retirement home with the same integrity as one of his ocean going vessels: massive and solid, yet elegant and gracious. Free from the pressures of his business, Moran recovered and lived until 1943!"

Roche Harbor - Port of Call

It was 5.7 miles from Stuart Island to Roche Harbor. We made the crossing and entered the busy harbor about 5:00 PM. Ryan was at the helm and contacted the harbor master for directions to our slip. Sea planes were taking off port and starboard while large and small boats were coming and going, Ryan had to keep his eyes open and a firm grasp of the helm and throttle. It was exciting to be entering a working harbor and Ryan kept his cool and did a great job!

Holly and Linda raising the main.

As we slowly made our way to our assigned slip, we passed a huge yacht that I recognized from my trip while in Mexico. It was the Snowbored, a beautiful vessel owned by Bodi Miller of downhill skiing fame. We had anchored by it at our first anchorage in Pérula, Mexico but never ran into Bodi while there. Ryan was relentless teasing me about my "man crush" on Bodi. I have to admit that I did mention my coincidental meeting of the boat several times, but... a man crush?

Zane working the winch as he raises the main sail.

Linda and I took showers while the Edwards walked to the resort to swim and get cleaned up. We celebrated a great day with some delicious ice cream. Why does ice cream seem to taste so much better when you're on vacation? 

Just before sunset Captain Bob herded us off the boat to the main dock. Each night during the summer, the dock staff retires the flags of Roche Harbor, Washington state, Great Britain, Canada and the United States.  They lower the flags while a song plays, and before the American flag comes down a cannon shot booms through the harbor.  It was a very nice end to the day. The cannon boom was quite the surprise and Ryan said that it caught him so off guard that he wet himself a bit.

Bennetts at the helm.

Captain Bob had us wait around after the ceremony concluded because there was an announcement of the weather, a welcome of new and returning guests, and the recognization of special occasions being celebrated around the resort. The announcer welcomed Tivoli and its crew. The kids were thrilled to hear their names over the loudspeaker. (We thought it was pretty cool, too)

We walked back to the boat, fixed dinner and discussed what everyone wanted to do the next morning. It was cool and dark and the bed felt good once again.

In the morning Linda went for a run and the Edwardses went to the resort and played tennis. I drank some coffee and got ready for the day. Linda and I met Captain Bob and we all walked up and met Holly, Ryan and the kids and we hiked up to The Roche Harbor Mausoleum (also known as the Afterglow Vista.)

Trolling for salmon.

We hiked into the woods following the trail and came upon a gate with a sign explaining about the McMillin family and the mausoleum. We entered the gate and came face to face with six pillars and a single broken pillar. This is said to represent the unfinished nature of man’s life circle. In the center of the pillars is a limestone table surrounded by thick stone chairs, which represent the members of the John S. McMillin family to which the mausoleum belongs.The place was very eerie and Captain Bob pointed out many oddities and symbols that the family had built into the site.

Back in town we returned to the boat and readied to set sail for Rosario.

Sailing is hard work!

Entering the harbor at Roche Harbor

Seaplanes everywhere!

Bodi Miller's motor yacht. It was in Mexico
when I was sailing and I ran into it then.

Would you buy from this guy?

Dock staff retires the flags.

I saw them light the fuse so I didn't jump.

Sculptures from the sculpture park.