The San Juan Islands by Sailboat

Host: Mike Weatherby When: July through September Boat: The Leviathan is a beautiful and comfortable 43 foot heavy displacement sailboat; the photo at the right is made from her bow Length of tour: Three to seven days Fee charged: $175 a day per person Program outline: Water Movement Tides Currents Weather and wave action Intertidal life of protected and exposed shorelines Algae and sea grasses Invertebrates, such as the "Bloodstars" shown above Birds and mammals in and around the intertidal zone Intertidal Zonation Open ocean life of the San Juan Islands Whales, porposises, seals and sea lions Sea birds Plankton, nekon and benthic dwellers Learning basic seamanship Navigation Hoisting the mainsail, staysail and yankee Anchoring skills to avoid things that go bump in the night Shipboard duties Sailing Agenda for A Five Day Trip Day 1:Setting Sail Boarding, getting acquainted, storing gear and raising the mainsail or the iron sail. Crabbing, exploring an eelgrass ecosystem, and investigating Saddlebag Island Sailing to Pelican Beach, Cyprus Island Hooking a mooring buoy, relaxing and exploring the beach. Day 2: Cyprus Island Easy hike to Eagle cliff for a fantastic view of the islands Exploring the shoreline by dinghy (That's Mike and his First Mate in a dinghy, at the right... Relaxing to the music of a wave tossed cobble stone beach Day 3 and 4: Sucia Island Learning to sail and navigate past Cypress, Sinclair, Peapodrocks, Orcas, Lummi, Clark, Barnes and Matia Island on our way to Sucia Island. Anchor in Echo bay. Explore beautiful bays, fossil cliffs and interesting geological formations. Investigate tidepools, rocky shorelines and visit seal and sea lion colonies. Relax and enjoy a spectacular sunset, sleep on deck under a star studded sky or in your own shipboard berth as gentle waves reconnect you to the sea. Day 5: Friday Harbor Continue with sailing lessons or just relax as we sail past Waldron, West Side of Orcas, Flattop, Jones, and Shaw Island. On this leg of the journey we often see Killer Whales (such as the pod shown above, seen from the Leviathan's starboard beam off Stuart Island), dolphins and many sea birds. Visit the town of Friday Harbor, the whale museum, walk the docks, watch kids fish for shrimp and examine the marine life attached to floats, kelp fronds, pilings and wharfs. Investigate the night life: The amazing bioluminscence of jellyfish and plankton or join the luminescence of the partrons found in the bistros at the higher high tide line. In the morning catch the ferry back to Anacortes or continue aboard Leviathan to extend your learning experience. See below. Day 6 to 7: optional days There are many other trips that offer additional diversity of island geology, marine life and scenic views. Check with me if you desire a one or two day longer visit. APPENDIX Appendix 1: Web Links for the San Juan Islands