Marina life...

Last night, after Joan got off work, I drove into town, and she and I walked down to the transient docks (far end of the marina from our office) to visit with our friends Roger and Joyce.  We haven't seen Roger in a few years.  It was nice to catch up, and especially hear about their recent trip to Thailand.  Here's a shot I took on the way to their boat...

Walking to their boat, it brought back memories of our past three summers, living aboard in the marina.  While we were doing that, I really enjoyed it.  By the end of last summer, though, I was done with that.  Boat cruising, which I define as traveling with the boat is SO different from staying in one place.  If you come to the marina for a weekend, it is a fun change of pace.  People gather on the docks...

It can begin to feel a bit crowded, day in and day out.  Or, when you have to get up early for work, and there is the Saturday night crowd doing what Saturday night crowds do.

As we walked up the ramp, Joan and I looked at each other... "Miss this?"

"Nope."

We are very content in the motorhome.  With a yard.  No one trying to look in our windows.  No ferry wake rockin' us.  Don't get me wrong, boat life was a big part of what we did for a lot of years.

Looking back from the top of the ramp...

A pretty setting.  Friday Harbor is a great marina.

Mental images of a fine day on the water...

We had reports of a humpback not too far away, and some elusive transient Orcas.  We had an interesting group of guests onboard who had chartered the boat: CEOs of software development companies from different parts of the globe.  Some pretty strong personalities, and they were up for a fun day on the water.

I had a busy time at the helm, so there are no photos of today's trip... I'll try to paint some mental images.

Our first stop was in Canadian water, across Haro Strait, to view "Big Momma," a female humpback who has been seen in various parts of the Salish Sea recently.  She provided our guests with some good views... and, other than SoundWatch, we were the only boat there.

After a while, the folks onboard really wanted to see some Orcas... OK, everyone wants to see Orcas.  The best report I had put a group of transients quite a distance from us.  They had plenty of food and beverage onboard, a good attitude, and plenty of time before their seaplane would depart... we're going to find some Orcas.

It was worth the trip: when we got on the scene, the transients had just made a kill and were very surface active.  A breach, tail slaps, even a somersault!  And then... 3 of them caught a seal right in front of our boat.  The guests were all on the bow, to take in the graphic scene... there was a lot of hooting and hollering.  More celebrating by the Orcas.  The transients are apex predators, and the guests got to see the power and skill these animals possess.  There was only one other excursion boat there to see this.

Then, the long trip back.  The Orcas weren't the only ones celebrating.  I heard two of the Australians on the boat filming an "infomercial" for an upcoming seminar they are doing, referencing the "predators" they saw today.

It was a beautiful day on the water, partly cloudy, almost no wind, and nearly calm seas.  A truly fine day in the San Juans.

Thar she blows...

That's boat captain talk when you see the whales.  ;-)

No, I don't really say that.

We had another wedding party charter today.  Nice people.  They had purchased a banquet license, which allows them to have alcohol onboard a charter... not sure how long they thought we were going to stay out, but they apparently didn't want to get caught short.  The charter would run over lunch time... no, they didn't bring any food.

The bride's only request: "Please, please - we really want to see whales!  That would really make our day special."

No pressure, huh?  ;-)

There were no whale reports.  J-Pod was last seen WAY north.  My hope was that they would decide to come back south... I planned us for heading north.  Along the way, we ran through my favorite part of the San Juans, saw some new seal pups and bald eagles.  In Canadian waters, I heard the first report of any whale siting come over our fleet radio: "Two humpback whales..."  They were about a half hour away from us.  I did a 180º turn, heading east in Boundary Pass.

Our first siting...

That tail let me know that they (appeared to be a mother and a juvenile) were going down for a deep dive.  That usually lasts 5 to 10 minutes, then they they will surface again for several shallow breaths/dives.

Right on cue...

We were well-positioned for the guests to have a good view.  After several shallow dives, down they went again...

I set us up on a course to match their speed and direction.  After 6 minutes, I expected them to surface.  I didn't expect them to surface right next to us!  Shrieks from the guests!  I shut down the engine... if the wind had been blowing the other direction, the people on the starboard side would have been showered in whale spit!

I waited for them to move away...

That is with a wide-angle setting, after three surfacings.  Here's what the guests on the bow saw...

When they were far enough away to start our engine, I set us back up for the next dive sequence.  The bride looked up at the helm and said, "Best day ever!"

Yep.  It was a fine day on the water.  Oh, a bit windy and chilly, and some wave action - they handled it all, no problem.  Back at the dock, it was a "two tripper" to get all the empty bottles off the boat.  The bride gave me a hug on the way off the boat.  A boat full of happy guests.  And crew.

Then, the glamorous work guests don't see: fueling up the boat and pumping out the holding tank.  Pretty sure there was a lot of pe... well, the tank was ready to be pumped.  Boat cleaning.  Have to get it ready to do it again.  ;-)

Fresh paint...

No, not the motorhome or the scooters.  The boat I was scheduled to drive today was out of service for some fresh paint.  That means I got to be "out of service," too.

This morning was clear and reasonably dry compared to yesterday...

Joan headed off to work in the sunshine.

There were some househusband tasks, but that didn't take up much of my morning.  Besides the usual cat-walking, there was some cat grooming...

The, waxing the Tailgater Qube...

No, we weren't concerned with how shiny the Qube is... there has been a lot of dew the last few mornings, and we have had to reprogram the signal.  The thought process is: the wax may let the dew run off.  We'll see.  Izzy seemed to have an opinion on this process...

 When I called our Roche desk to check in, a familiar voice answered...

"Chris!  What are you doing there?"  It was the young captain who drove the Roche Harbor boat most of the time the last two years.  He has moved on to a year 'round job (desk job), but will be spending time at his cabin here.  He just happened to be at the desk, visiting, when I called on the back line... and he answered.  We made plans to get together this afternoon, there at Roche.

I walked Izzy one more time, then got on the scooter for the ride out to Roche.

Chris and I sat down at the cafe and visited, got caught up on what each of us has been doing.  He is a good guy - we looked out for each other on the boats the last couple years.

Nicest day (weatherwise) since we arrived.

House husband...

As I watched Joan head out in the fog this morning...

... I went over my list of things to do today... breakfast, yeah, that should probably be first... wash dishes, good to do after breakfast... dump the gray tank, I'm definitely seeing an order here - do this after doing the dishes... wash the motorhome.  It was a chilly start to the day.  Best to do the coach washing after the sun warms things up.

By 8:30, the sun was starting to burn off the fog.  Well, inland; no idea what it looks like on the water.  As long as I don't have to try to find whales in the fog, I think it is prettier on the water than on land.

I made some breakfast without setting off the smoke detector.  Washed and dried the dishes, then opened the back storage of the Aspect, where the macerator pump switch is located.  This storage area is also where I keep my washing supplies.

Izzy got to be outside while I went to work... haven't had a chance to wash the motorhome since we arrived - plenty of road grime and squished bugs that need to come off.

I figured it would take me a couple hours to get this project done.  I have a system: start on the shady side with the hosing and scrubbing - it takes longer to dry than the sunny side.  By the time I get all around the coach with the scrubbing, I can start with the sunny side for wiping it down.

A lotta bugs on the front of this thing...

Scrubbing...

Hosing...

More scrubbing...

Even with a long brush, it helps to get a little height to reach the part over the cab...

In the end, it took all of that "couple hours" to make her look all shiny again.  As long as I had everything out, I scrubbed down the cargo trailer, too.

I am wondering when the "soap operas and chocolate bon-bons" part of this house husband stuff starts?  Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure I signed on as "trophy husband"... I think the duties are lighter.

Life in the slow lane...

We slept in this morning.  Really.  7:30.  Even Izzy was still sleeping when I opened my eyes.  Felt good.  Joan goes back to work tomorrow; I think they gave me the day off because I worked on Monday.  I have some househusband chores to do, so tomorrow will not be a lounging day for me... and Joan will be the breadwinner.

But, today... Joan made us a nice hot breakfast.  I got to play my guitar.  Izzy got to go for a walk.  By afternoon, we had some errands to run, so we geared up for the scoots.  A beautiful sunny day.  Very little breeze.  You could be outside without a jacket.

While getting the errands done, I picked up the current scooter tag: your scoot at a bank drive thru...

The new tag is one I got the other day...

Your scoot with A YELLOW SUBMARINE!!

No, not really.  The idea isn't to make it hard to get... you want people to play.  The real tag is: your scooter with ANYTHING you can relate to the Beatles.  Time for the scooter folks to get creative.

You're thinking: "Why is there a yellow submarine in the middle of the island?"  That's a really good question.  There is a big pineapple shed near it.  I think this land owner has a sense of humor and whimsey.  There are a lot of unique personalities on this island.

I love this place.  Not for the whimsey.  It is just so darn beautiful.  One would expect all the gorgeous water views from an island, but the interior of the island is just as pretty: lots of heavily wooded areas, open fields, small lakes and ponds, fancy homes and rustic cabins.  And, for a two-wheel enthusiast: all these great curvy roads.  If ever I have been somewhere that looks like it was designed for scooter pilots, this is the place.  Oh, it will get thick with tourists soon enough, but right now, the roads are blissfully unoccupied.  Scooter nirvana.

After the errands and lunch (at a real burger joint, Vic's), we decided some scooting was in order.  Joan wanted to eventually work our way to the Alpaca farm again; yes, we really like the alpaca socks.

The riding was great.  No, I won't inundate this post with a gazillion photos shot from the scooter (like yesterday).  Well, OK, just one of the Blonde on the road by our site...

A great day for riding.  And playing scooter tag.  And just being out and about.

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On edit: friends Herb and Wilma were in Friday Harbor this evening.  I made a trip to the marina to see them - they will be heading "north to Alaska" over the next couple of months, and knew this might be our last get-together for a while.

They have their Ranger Tug 31 equipped for the trip, and they are ready to go.  I am excited for them!  Bon voyage!

As I was leaving their boat, the "Orca Plane" (from Kenmore Air) was taxiing out - cool paint scheme...

Lotta folks around here who think the Orcas are pretty cool.  :-)

Life in the fast lane...

Well, the fastest speed limit on this island is 45 mph... and with all two-lane roads, the fast lane and the slow lane are the same lane.

A day off for both of us today.  Joan had yesterday off and got a lot done around the coach.  Today is laundry day...

Our Honda "beasts of burden" loaded up for the trip to the laundromat.  In the marina the past three years, we could pull a roller cart up the ramp to the laundromat there.  Again, one of the trade-offs for having more room (in the motorhome vs the boat) and a quiet setting (out of town).

Part of living in the RV is... living.  Bills still have to be paid, laundry needs to be done, and someone has to walk the cat.

The wee beasties handled grocery hauling duty, too.  They swallowed up $125 worth of groceries, with only one bag needing to be strapped to the seat (everything else went under the seats).  Well, you have to consider "island prices" for groceries.

We topped off the fuel tanks, took the groceries home, took Iz for another walk, then set out for some scooter riding.  This time, I got out the DSLR - much easier to shoot while riding.  First shot: over the shoulder...

We stopped to get a "scooter tag" - Joan waited patiently while I got my shot...

Let's go enjoy some of the great roads on this island...

From heavily forested to open grasslands, the roads here are ideal for two wheels.  Some of the side roads are narrow, with no centerline markings.  Most are in good shape with a nice surface.

Plenty of curves...

One of my favorite road views is where this drops down a hill and opens up to a view of Haro Strait in the background...

Something different at every turn...

The scooter tag I mentioned earlier, an historical sign or marker...

American Camp - the site of the encampment where the Americans stayed during the Pig War (1859 to 1872).  Thirteen years, one shot fired, and the only casualty was a pig.

We go the distance...

First of all: wishing you a peaceful Memorial Day.  We all owe our gratitude to those who gave their lives in defense of this country.

I was scheduled for an early morning charter today.  I was there at 7:45 to prep the boat and discuss procedures with naturalist Sarah.  Yesterday was her first day back, one of of our other boats.  This charter should be interesting: twenty-some college biology students, visiting from the University of Minnesota at Duluth.  They were on time, and excited to see some whales.

I was hopeful, but had no reports, yet.  We started our trip heading north out of Roche Harbor.  Sarah was visiting with some of the students on the bow...

... when I got a credible report: "Transient whales sited in northern Oak Bay"... near the southern tip of Vancouver Island.  Decision time: this is a three hour charter... we can't make it there and back in three hours, much less spend some time with the whales.  I coordinated with the boss, and he said, "Go for it."  Next: get the OK with the professor in charge of these students.  "They really want to see whales.  If you are willing to do this, we would really appreciate the opportunity."

Yep, we're going.  I already had the boat pointed that direction while making the call.  I pulled the Canada charts and re-checked the current predictions.  Then, put the hammer down.

It was a chilly, gray start to the day.  Wind from the southwest put 1 1/2 foot waves along our route... this boat doesn't even notice that.  Sarah explained to the group where we were heading and what we were hoping to see (transient Orcas) - they were pumped!

It took nearly two hours to get to the whales.  They began to move south and west... yeah, away from us.  Close to Trial Island...

Before we got there, they had moved south of Trial Island... then, south and west of Trial Island.  Looks like we are going to Victoria!  There was only one other boat there when I first sited a blow and a dorsal...

I radioed that captain and asked if they had an ID on what animals we were seeing - he said, "That's not really my strong suit, but there's a bunch of them!"

With the first surfacing of the big male, Sarah said, "T-19, Galiano!"  I radioed the other boat to let them know.  He thanked us and turned off.  Nice of him to hang there until we got on scene.  We counted about 14 transients with this group, an unusually large grouping.  Sarah also identified the T-137s.  The students onboard were getting a great viewing, with a lot of surface activity.  A spy hop, a somersault, some feeding (blood in the water) - this was SO worth the long trip to get here.  We had this group to ourselves until other Canadian boats began to arrive.  Plenty of viewing for everyone, as the animals moved west, then east, then "some milling and killing."  We radioed the position in.

I had my hands full at the helm, so never had the opportunity to capture any of the great activity (we are pointing out where to look, not taking photos).  I was able to shut down the motor so they could hear as well as see (those breath sounds are impressive).  All I got were a couple marginally focused dorsal fins...

There was a lot of cheering and oooooohhhs and aaaaaahhhs from our boat.  Yes, from the helm, too.  After 45 minutes of some fine activity, I gave them "last call" before we head north (and east).  Yes, we are north of the Victoria area with our boat based in Roche Harbor.  This group gave us a good bye surfacing, and we pulled away.  When we left, we were still the only US boat on the scene (others were heading this way).  Sarah came to the helm and said, "They are very happy!"  I checked on everyone, visited with the professor ("Better than we hoped for!") and planned our trip back.

Going through Enterprise Channel (between Trial Island and the southern tip of Vancouver Island) would cut some time and distance off our return trip.  The trip back was warmer - we had that southwest wind at our backs; the current didn't help us any though.  At the beginning of the trek, I estimated we'd be out around 5 hours.  Turned out to be a bit less than that.  We even had a couple sun-breaks as we made our way across Haro Strait.

Back at the dock, more cheers and thanks.  Nice to be appreciated.  SeaHawk (our boat) has a very comfortable ride...

There was a Memorial Day presentation going on as we pulled in...

Bagpipes and a dramatic reading.

My Honey met me at Roche for a late lunch.  She asked about the trip, was happy for us, and noticed that I was a bit "wind burned."  We sat outside at the Lime Kiln Cafe, and enjoyed the sun coming through the dispersing clouds.  The food made my growling belly happy, too.

I suggested we take "the scenic route" home, down the west side.  Here's looking out at Haro Strait, from land...

Pretty in the sunlight.  We even saw a C-Dory go by...

(Senior Moment, a CD-22)  He was moving right along.

I was tired from the trip, but the scooter ride was refreshing.  We were home in time to take Izzy for a walk before her 5:00 mealtime.  Checking things out...

And doing her "owl ears" impersonation...

A couple days off coming up.  There will be more kitty walking.

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On edit:

Sharing a photo from Sarah, our naturalist...

A really good look at Galiano.  You can see more of Sarah's photography here

https://www.facebook.com/sarahmccullaghphotography?fref=photo