Exciting sail to South Lopez with a minke on Salmon Bank

October 21, 2020 – Leaving Friday Harbor and finding a brisk North Wind with main at first reef we sailed wing on wing to the South. A beam reach carried us quickly though Turn Island Pass followed by wing on wing to Big Rock, Lopez, and on to Kings Point. The ebb tide carried us quickly inside Deadman Island where a pair of bald eagles watched us pass. Sleepy harbor seals barely raised an eyelid as the current whisked us out towards Whale Rocks. Stellers sea lions jostled showing their dominance and many cormorants are gathered here.

Sailing with and against the rips in the current watching large whirlpools pass by we caught the ebb current line which shoots off towards Long Island. Another bald eagle roosted on the sign on Hall Island. Today was a sailing day throughout and the reach to Iceberg Point continued along the Southern Lopez shoreline, The mast and sails of a shipwrecked sailboat were a sad sight with the US flag flying barely above the water near Flint Beach.

Sailing inside Swirl Island we headed for McArdle Bay to enjoy a few moments peace and start the kettle boiling for coffee. We drifted inside Blind Island and Castle Rock and came about Castle Rock on hearing of a humpback whale in San Juan Channel. Setting the main to second reef we sailed close hauled in vibrant choppy seas scanning to the South toward the Olympic mountains. The humpback turned out to be Northbound away from us so we sailed on top Salmon Bank where we found a minke whale and had a surprise surfacing at our stern.

As the tide changed to flood we made our way back in to Cattle Pass passing the sea lions standing tall in the late afternoon light. Tacking across the flood to Goose Island and a pair of bald eagles watched us pass. Sunset light painted San Juan Island as we made our way back to Port of Friday Harbor.