Tag Archives: Deb Garland

Double Island – Exploring the Central San Juan Islands (Part 1)

Word of mouth is a good thing, right? A fellow sailor told us of a pretty anchorage between Double Island and Orcas Island, so we planned our first visit. The nautical chart aboard our sailboat shows two adjacent islands connecting at … Continue reading

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Satellite Island – Camp Orkila’s Outpost

Stuart Island is a favorite destination of ours with its marine state park, one room schoolhouse, and Turn Point Light Station where visitors often see pods of Orca whales. Two sheltered harbors give boaters safe anchorage, but we prefer Reid … Continue reading

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Sentinel Island – The Last Island Homestead

We motored our sailboat northwest toward the narrow channel between Sentinel and Spieden islands, hoping to spot a few of the exotic animals grazing on the golden grass of the latter island before sunset. Suddenly, we realized we were losing power and our … Continue reading

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Turn Island – A Washington State Marine Park

Boat camping in the San Juan Islands is a lot of fun! Toss a tent, sleeping bag, and cooking gear ashore and sleep under the stars beside the sea. Sound idyllic? It is—especially after sailing, paddling, or kayaking to your … Continue reading

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Sailing by Washington State’s Cactus Islands

Moisture sweeps in from the Pacific Ocean, tumbling down as rain or snow on the western slopes of the Olympic Mountains on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Heavy clouds spill 12 to 14 feet of rain each year in the Hoh Rain … Continue reading

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Watching the World Float by–or Not–on Crane Island

A column titled “No Grief on a Reef” caught my eye. Two articles explained how to navigate a boat through Wasp Passage, the narrow channel separating the western tips of Orcas and Shaw islands, and Pole Pass. Both waterways skirt Crane Island, … Continue reading

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Posey Island – An Easy Sea Kayak Adventure

Venture into the San Juan Islands by sea kayak for a few days and the inevitable question arises about where to camp overnight ashore. One favorite destination is Posey Island, a one-acre marine state park located north of Roche Harbor on … Continue reading

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Canoe Island – Parlez-vous Français?

Winter sailing? You betcha! Snowflakes, like feathers from heaven, fell from the sky and blanketed our sailboat anchored on the west side of Canoe Island. Imagine evergreen trees flocked in white and the island’s rocky shoreline fringed with frost. Seabirds call to … Continue reading

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Saddlebag Island – Camping, Crabbing & Kayaking

An impromptu invitation to go crabbing on the north side at Saddlebag Island by a fellow boater introduced us to his favorite seafood spot. I’m no crab lover, but I enjoyed the experience of traveling the Swinomish Channel past La … Continue reading

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Sinclair Island – A World Apart

Not everyone desires to live on an isolated island, but it may surprise you that islanders have their limits. In 2012, a fierce January storm swept away a major portion of Sinclair Island’s public county dock, leaving its U.S. Post Office perched … Continue reading

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