Sail to Guemes Island to see T35A's, T46's and T49A1

October 27, 2024 – Looking for blue skies between rain showers and aware of Biggs/Transient orcas near Anacortes we caught the back eddy down to Turn Island. Meeting the flood near Turn Rock it carried as swiftly North as we shuffled our decision on which way to sail today. Crossing Northeast towards Upright Channel while monitoring the orcas in Guemes Channel who’d been hunting near Cap Sante Marina and it seemed impossibly far so the option was to let the flood carry us North West in San Juan Channel on the attractive sunlit side of Shaw Island. However as the orcas began moving up the East side of Guemes it seemed it could be possible to plot an intersecting course. Winds were great for fast sailing to the cliff face of Upright Head and across to Peavine Pass. Crossing Rosario Strait to Cypress Island we held 7-8 knots with a sporty beam reach. However as we crossed over the top of Cypress to Guemes it became obvious the orcas were now Southbound after another hunt. Rather than give up we took Bellingham Channel to meet the orcas West bound in Guemes Channel. Or perseverance paid off and we sailed alongside the large group including the T35A’s, T46’s and T49A1, as the rain eased, rainbows appeared, and conditions improved. As they turned Southwest we shot across Rosario Strait homeward bound. Two of our passengers, who’d proposed on the sail, disembarked at Odlin Park on Lopez to walk to the ferry and we returned through nightfall.