San Juan Island

Friday Harbor

The San Juan Islands are just beautiful the trees grow down to the water and some times it looks like the tress are growing out of the ocean. There are so many good things to say about the San Juan Islands. First they are protected waters Puget Sound is protected from the west by Vancouver Island and the south by Mt Olympia. Although Washington State has lots of rain the Islands themselves are very dry and only get about 25 inches of rain a year. They also have a lot more sun then the mainland. As the storms come in from the south they hit Mt Olympia and go around the mountain and that keeps the Islands from getting the cloud and the rain. Many days it will be clouding on the coast and clear on all of the Islands. It looks strange from the Islands as you look around and see in the distance clouds but directly over head the sun is shining. The weather for some is a bit cold 50 to 85 degrees but for some of us that is just right.

When we first brought our boat up to Washington we keep it in Poulsbo a very nice place and easy to get to but we found ourselves always heading out to the Island. Going to the island took about 5 hours and 110 gallons of fuel. It did not take us long to figure that we could pay a lot more for our moorage, assuming we could get moorage, and save some where and tear by just moving our boat to Friday Harbor. So we went on the waiting list and found a place closer to the Islands in Semiahmoo. They assure me that it was a great place and the slips were well protected. The facts are it is a horrible place. The people were real nice but there was no protection from the elements. I don't think I would have taken my boat there had I been warned that they had to use snow blowers on the docks. When I said something about it the response was well you are very far north. I guess that is true I just did not realize that you could get 18 inches of ice on the boat and the winds could pop the big black bumpers.

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We were quite lucking to get temporary moorage in Friday Harbor for the rest of winter. Once safe in Friday Harbor everything got better the people are friendly the weather is nice and there is an Ice Cream Parlor not far from the boat and right on the dock is a fresh fish barge. "Life is good". If you decide to go to the Island be sure to take extra batteries for you camera. You will take lots of Pictures.
Below are just a few pictures.

Roche Harbor San Juan Island
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The Local seal popeye
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Friday harbor Park
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Lopez Island
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