Northwest Bertram travels

[Amberjack]

We left our Seattle winter moorage in Portage Bay on Lake Washington at 11:00 AM and idled through the various canals and connecting lakes to the Hiram Chittenden Locks. It was a sunny Sunday and there was a crowd waiting. The large locks opened after half an hour and we all crowded in, experienced boaters and novices alike. When the saltwater side gates opened there was a delay when two of the novices got sideways, one of them running into the opposite wall but we finally exited to saltwater at 1:00 PM. Sunny, bright N 10K and a mild flood tide. Issues kept us in the lake later than normal this year so we had no shake down but everything was operating well. Up through Puget Sound at 24 knots over the bottom, 20 miles. Around Point No Point into Admiralty Inlet and a hard low chop-bang, bang, bang for 15 miles to Port Townsend (Point Wilson) and 10-15K w wind 2:35 PM. By this time no telling what the tide is doing, currents are all over the place plus a low ocean swell. 20 miles across Straits of Juan de Fuca at reduced speed and through Cattle Pass, minor ebb tide ar 2-3 K and into San Juan Channel. About a mile up south San Juan Channel you feel a puff of warm air and sea state smooths out. Power up to 25 K again and keep going. By this time we’re starting to get tired but keep pushing north. Past Friday Harbor and the fuel dock (oh my heart!) but we’ll come back to it later. Exit San Juan Channel to the north and pass our favorite landmark Speiden Island. We keep it pegged as we pass between Speiden and Little Speiden about a 300 foot channel but it’s deep. Once I saw a Washington State ferry pass through this channel but that was before a couple unscripted groundings (I knew one of the skippers, a real pot head) and they clamped down on unscripted activity. Around Speiden Island and across to Reid Harbor, Stuart Island, a beautiful non-ferry serviced island that is the northwesternmost island in the US. This is our traditional first stop. Finally we are secure at anchor Reid Harbor at5:00 PM. Long day on old bones and we are tired. Amberjack dealt with all kinds of varied conditions and never missed a beat. 76 miles, 5.5 hours up on the bridge. These Bertrams are truly remarkable boats.

Speiden Island with Little Speiden on the left.

[Yannis]

Doug, beautiful!

Im in the islands and I understand the mood you're in !!

[CamB25]

Amazing! I'm following the journey via Bing Maps. Stuart island looks like a quiet place! You are at anchor in the harbor?

[Ironworker]

That is beautiful. There was a YT channel called Cruising Sea Venture which featured a couple that cruised around that area and Alaska. I greatly enjoyed their channel and the videos of the area.

[Sriver43]

Fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

[Carl]

A great way to kick off a season!

[Amberjack]

Hello boys, back in communication after a couple weeks in the wilds of British Columbia. After fueling up at Friday Harbor-Amberjack loves that fuel dock-we checked in to Canada by phone at Boundary Pass and motored up to Ganges Harbour, BC. Easy couple days at dock to rest up and resupply, especially at the local BC Liquor Store where I’ve learned to phone ahead a preorder, then 23 miles to Dunsmire Island in Ladysmith Harbor. Small island with a dock only, owned by Seattle Yacht Club and part of the local Native American reservation. Logging town, I hear the boom boats firing up at 6 AM. A huge log barge was unloading when we came in, Titans of Timber stuff.

Dunsmire Island


Then across Stuart Channel to Telegraph Harbor Marina and a night spent wedged in with the real Canadians. They are surprisingly different from us for being such close neighbors but very friendly.

Weather closing in, we ran back to Ganges to hole up at a dock with power, showers, groceries and restaurants nearby. Originally planning just a couple days I discovered the major leak turned out to be a failed raw water pump leaking about 1 gallon/minute. We could run on it but it was spraying saltwater all over and I don’t like relying on the bilge pumps to stay afloat. 2 days on the phone trying to find anyone who could replace it for me. They all asked “Do you have the part?” You’re on your own up here. Finally wound up with Philbricks Boatyard in Sydney. Very professional, very supportive. They could order the pump but were booked out to mid August. They sent me to their outpost in Roche Harbor, San Juan Island who located and ordered the part and booked me for Next Monday. Limped back from Ganges to Roche Harbor on one engine at 6 knots for 2.5 hours in the hot sun, no breeze—exhausting. We’re now at the SYC property on Henry Island across from Roche Habor. Nice place to hang out while waiting.

SYC Henry Island


Out of sequence but a neat picture of Port Townsend Channel I took last year on the way home during a stop to visit my shipwright brother.

Port Townsend Channel from Fort Worden

[Ironworker]

If you are going to break down that looks like a pretty good place to do so.

[Amberjack]

Ganges got depressing after awhile but Henry Island is great and our neighbor gave us two live Dungeness crabs for dinner tonight. You bet it’s sweet! I’ll post a couple images from our hike tomorrow.

[Amberjack]

We moved over to Roche Harbor Marina yesterday and are sitting at the dock waiting for the replacement water pump to arrive by small plane, if it arrives today. First AM delivery up here is 3 PM. Meanwhile I have time to post a couple images from our hike out to the isthmus Saturday.

View across the isthmus connecting the two islands. It is a dry salt marsh that will get swept by big winter storms.


Small rise on the isthmus overlooking Nelson Bay and out to Haro Strait which is also the commercial ship route to Vancouver.


Henry Perkins grave. The first settler on the island who built a cabin and lived on the knoll. What a place to rest. The family still owns the point and keeps a cabin there, the rest of the area is now a nature preserve.


Ignore all the italics, things got twitchy

[PeterPalmieri]

Love the update and sorry for the problems. What a beautiful place to be. I do have to object to this thing you call a hot sun, we didn’t see or feel one of those between Seattle and Skagway.

[Amberjack]

Ah Peter, that’s Alaska. When it decides to rain it can rain long and hard. I hope you were on a cruise ship with a warm cabin.

After minimal communication all day the phone rang and said the lead mechanic was on his way. It’s fixed and we’re outta here tomorrow.

[Tony Meola]

What a great way to spend the summer. The area is stunning. You just would not get tired of looking at that everyday.

Glad you were able to get the pump fixed.

[Amberjack]

Hello everyone-Back in civilization again. We crossed the Straits of Juan de Fuca headed south this time in pretty decent weather.
Image taken from American Camp, San Juan Island on a beautiful warm calm day


Holed up in Port Madison for a couple days to aclimatize and headed to our last stop at Eagle Harbor across the sound but in sight of Seattle. We heard radio chatter on the way and decided to stick around for the show. I’m glad we did.

CVN 76 Ronald Reagan coming in to home port at Bremerton Naval Shipyard


The ship is impressive and so was the escort- three T3 state of the art Navy tugs, security picket on all four corners and a bird dog to rush around and chase away the strays. I’d like to post the 40 second video but Imgur stalls out at 93% download. The audio including security chatter and engine sounds is great. If someone knows a solution to that I will post it.

[Carl]

Impressive, yes to say the least.

I find the Carriers more mind boggling. The enormity, what they contain, how they can maneuver, speeds they can achieve and that is only from the information released to the public.

Sorry, no idea on how to play clip.

[PeterPalmieri]

That’s pretty awesome.