Author Archives: admin
Our Caribbean Adventure: Part 4. We Get to St. Martin.
Part 4 of our Caribbean Adventure. Staying flexible, we got from the Virgin Islands to St Martin. Sailing is a weather dependent activity. Always. In 2015, world-wide ocean weather was greatly influenced by El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean. In the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, this meant a dearth of hurricanes and tropical … Continue reading
Time Travel on Orcas Island: Olga Village.
Our Annual Visit to Olga Village on Orcas Island. We have been going to the tiny village of Olga on Orcas Island for over thirty years. It has not changed much, and in many ways our annual visit is like taking a trip back in time to a more simple, safer, calmer era. No … Continue reading
Our Caribbean Adventure: Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D.
OUR CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE: CHANGING PLANS. Every sailor knows that when we go cruising, we don’t really have “plans”. Rather, we have “intentions” that we call plans. Boat repairs, weather, medical conditions, mechanical failures, and a host of other uncontrolled circumstances inevitably alter our firmest intentions. In February 2015 we started our 3 month Caribbean cruise … Continue reading
Our Caribbean Adventure: Part Two. Finding a Marina
Our Caribbean Adventure: Part 2. Finding a Marina. Sun Bay Marina, Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Starting in December 2015 we docked our boat at Sun Bay Marina in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, after determining that it is probably the best marina in Puerto Rico and also one of the best in all the Caribbean. But we … Continue reading
Our Caribbean Adventure: Part One.
Our Caribbean Adventure: Part One. In 2012 we decided to sell our 37′ Gozzard Cutter (Ravenclaw) and buy a larger boat in a warmer locale. After much research and consideration we settled on a French built ketch, an Amel. We decided on the 46′ Amel Maramu model built in the 1980’s. We searched for an … Continue reading
Meeting Nice Folks at Spencer Spit State Park on Lopez Island
One of the joys of cruising is meeting new people at the places we love to visit. This year during our annual San Juan Islands cruise we spent our final night at Spencer Spit State Park. This Park is one of our perennial favorites. We have been visiting and staying here for over 30 years … Continue reading
Family Friendly Stuart Island
Stuart Island Marine Park is another of our favorites in the San Juan Islands. The park encompasses two excellent harbors (Reid Harbor to the south and Prevost Harbor to the north) and 85 acres of land between the harbors. There are numerous buoys in each harbor and room to anchor. Each harbor has a dock … Continue reading
Family Friendly Sucia Island State Park
Every year thousands of people go to one of the most beautiful places on earth, the San Juan Islands. Some are chartering a boat for the first time. Others are world travelers returning from the South Pacific. They come to visit the crown jewels of the Pacific Northwest, the marine parks that encompass entire islands … Continue reading
Washington State BUI Statute
Washington State’s New “Drunk Boating” Statute is Now in Effect. Big Changes are Now if Effect. The Washington Legislature enacted new boating safety laws in 2013. Included in the enactment are amendments to RCW 79A.60 (Regulation of Recreational Vessels) The new amendments place new restrictions and penalties governing alcohol consumption while operating a vessel. … Continue reading
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
While attending law school in the late ’70’s I got a degree in Law and Marine Affairs. This entailed studying resource management and the Law of the Sea. We learned a bit about pollution, fish processing and product safety. One subject that has become a concern in recent years regards Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). often … Continue reading