We have spent the past 3 weeks adventuring around the beautiful San Juan Islands. We sat out two big 24 hour blows in the sheltered Hunter Bay (Lopez Is.) and Pleasant Bay (WA mainland) that we would not have enjoyed had we not needed to find secure wind protection. These spots were surrounded by private land, so not what we usually target, but we appreciated the sheltered locations and admired the beautiful waterfront properties. We spent a few fun days anchored in Fairhaven, just 2 miles south of Bellingham and had a chance to stock up on supplies and treat ourselves to a couple meals out. We enjoyed beautiful nights in secluded and quiet bays of Watmough (Lopez Is) and Eagle Harbor (Cypress Is) where the hiking, paddleboarding, and overall viewing was incredible.
I’ve had good opportunity to focus on my newest hobby—birding. Learning to identify those swift, diving, elusive, distant creatures has been a challenge! With a monocular at hand, the Merlin app on my phone, and trusty bird book we positively ID’d turkey vultures, bald eagles, bufflehead ducks, pigeon guillemots, hooded and red-breasted mergansers, and the ubiquitous glaucous-winged seagull.
As we sat in Eagle Harbor watching the eagles soring overhead and in Pleasant Bay noting how pleasant it was, we started to muse about the names of all these places around us. First of all, it’s amazing how many islands, rocks, points, heads, coves, bays, straits, bights, inlets, channels are actually named! An extensive history of living and exploration has occurred in and around all these nooks and crannies over time. At times we think we are remote, but so many people have already been here long enough to observe and experience all these places and impart upon them deserving names. Our cruising experience has been made easy compared to adventurers of the past as we have detailed charts and GPS available continuously and in redundancy, ensuring that we know exactly where we are in relation to all those places. We can easily avoid Danger Rock and Hidden Reef. This would be a very different experience without having all that information at the ready.
Many places are named or being changed in name to honor Native peoples—Kwatsi Bay, Saanich inlet, Tsehum Harbor. Many honor the early European explorers and settlers—Vancouver Island, the Broughton’s Archipelago Park named after William Broughton, an early British explorer (who also discovered Mt Hood by the way). Today we are in Princess Bay on Portland Island, an island gifted for the enjoyment by the people of British Columbia by Princess Margaret. Darker historical events are also acnowledged: Smuggler’s Cove, Bootleg Cove. It’s wild and not too hard to imagine the prohibition liquor production and smuggling that took place on these islands. Some spots are obviously named after what one finds there—Reed Lake, Whiterock Passage, Cormorant Channel and Mosquito Bay (yikes!).
The names of places describe the full spectrum of emotion. On the pleasant side of things is Sunshine Bay, Harmony Islands. For those seeking freedom--Liberty Bay. For the optimistic—Hope Island, Discovery Cove. What were they hoping for? What did they discover? Desolation Sound’s name reflects the frustration Captain Vancouver had in his efforts to find the Northwest Passage, but to us the area is anything but desolate. In fact, this National Park is one of the most grand, beautiful, popular areas we have been. Some names are very ominous—Grief Point, Beware Passage, Deception Pass, Whirlpool Rapids, Alert Bay. We have cruised past all of those and appreciated the heads up that an extra dose of caution and advance planning was warranted. And after successfully navigating through some of those tough spots, it’s good to see that not too far away is respite, and perhaps a cool drink or a warm meal in places like Refuge Cove or Mariner’s Rest Point.
Your adventure is off to a wonderful start. Your descriptions are right on. It has taken me back to our adventure in the late 90's which I will always cherish. We had such a beautiful and exciting time. Your enjoyment has just begun and your future is a whole set of exciting and magical experiences. Thank you for sharing
I love that you are traipsing over and through not only beautiful and inspiring places but through history and reflecting on and appreciating the tales that have come before your own. W all could benefit by such daily awareness--thank you for the reminder!