[10-Mar-2026 16:43:24 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/riveted/public_html/wp-content/themes/chosen/inc/customizer.php:4 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/riveted/public_html/wp-content/themes/chosen/inc/customizer.php on line 4 [10-Mar-2026 16:43:37 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/riveted/public_html/wp-content/themes/chosen/inc/scripts.php:43 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/riveted/public_html/wp-content/themes/chosen/inc/scripts.php on line 43 Decatur Island – Riveted http://www.riveted-blog.com Sun, 05 Mar 2017 16:30:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.13 https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/cropped-riveted_favicon.png?fit=32%2C32 Decatur Island – Riveted http://www.riveted-blog.com 32 32 112264036 Quick Trip to the Boat | Day 2 | Orcas Island to Decatur Island http://www.riveted-blog.com/2017/03/quick-trip-to-the-boat-day-2-orcas-island-to-decatur-island/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=quick-trip-to-the-boat-day-2-orcas-island-to-decatur-island http://www.riveted-blog.com/2017/03/quick-trip-to-the-boat-day-2-orcas-island-to-decatur-island/#comments Sun, 05 Mar 2017 16:30:17 +0000 http://www.riveted-blog.com/?p=22507 Continue ReadingQuick Trip to the Boat | Day 2 | Orcas Island to Decatur Island]]> Sunrise at Double Island anchorage on Orcas yesterday morning (above: Double Island on the left, Alegria Island on the right). This anchorage is pretty great. It was so still overnight (a little too still, in fact!)

Kevin flew his new Mavic Pro drone in the morning and got some gorgeous shots:

Alegria Island:

Orcas Island in the background:

After breakfast and showers, we pulled anchor and thought we might go over and stay at James Island for the night. The wind was supposed to be from the east, so the west side of James would be protected, but the dock isn’t down yet there (it’s up/removed from October through March) and there are no mooring balls on the west side (and the anchorage there is rocky and marginal).

We decided to continue on around and check out a little cove at the south tip of Decatur Island. We’re anchored right about where I put the blue X, and it looks like this on Google maps/satellite view:

It’s a bit narrow, and a little shallow (we anchored in about 20 feet at low tide) — perfect protection from the east winds scheduled to kick up a little, and we’ve got a great view.

Kevin flew the Mavic again from the top deck of Airship soon after we got settled, and got some more cool photos. Here’s a great overhead view of our little cove with the sand spit in the background:

That little dot is a rowboat heading out of the cove:

Another overhead of Airship (and Kevin):

We thought we’d dinghy over to the spit and walk on the beach a bit before it got dark. The beach looked nice and sandy and we both opted to wear our Bogs instead of our Xtratuf boots. Turns out, this was a bad choice. It shallows so slowly as you approach the spit that there was nowhere to beach the dinghy where we would be able to avoid stepping ankle deep to get out. We tried a few places, talked about going back to get our Xtratufs, but it was cold outside and finally Kevin said “I’m wondering if there’s much to do over here, or whether I’d just rather be inside the warm boat with a cocktail.” We tried a few more spots after that but eventually opted to head back to Airship.

We grilled some chicken for tacos (more tacos!) last night and called it an early night. The wind picked up and we had a bit of wave slap but managed to get some sleep regardless.

The weather today is crappy…gray, windy, rainy. Sounds like a good day to head back to port!

]]> http://www.riveted-blog.com/2017/03/quick-trip-to-the-boat-day-2-orcas-island-to-decatur-island/feed/ 8 22507 Decatur Island, Hope Island, and Deception Pass at Max Ebb http://www.riveted-blog.com/2017/01/jones-decatur-deceptionpass/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jones-decatur-deceptionpass http://www.riveted-blog.com/2017/01/jones-decatur-deceptionpass/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2017 23:44:56 +0000 http://www.riveted-blog.com/?p=22279 Continue ReadingDecatur Island, Hope Island, and Deception Pass at Max Ebb]]> We left Jones Island early on Saturday morning so we could pick up Anna (Sam’s girlfriend) in Friday Harbor. She was flying in from Seattle by float plane, but her flight left an hour late from Seattle so we went out to breakfast and shopped for some more groceries to kill the time. Gorgeous light on our cruise from Jones Island to Friday Harbor:

We left Friday Harbor and headed for Decatur Island. Decatur Island is a private community and only homeowners and their guests are allowed to use the mooring balls. Sam’s family has a cabin there, and we were the guests!

We moored in Sylvan Cove and then did some work before going to shore with Sam and Anna to check out the frozen lake. The big chunks of ice floating in the foreground are about an inch thick, and we had some fun picking them out and throwing them onto the frozen part of the lake. Makes a great sound as the shards slide across the ice!

Icicles on the rocks:

Airship and Safe Harbour, in Sylvan Cove:

We cooked dinner on Safe Harbour…I made this Mexican beef recipe in the Instant Pot, and we made tacos and black beans and zucchini for dinner. In the morning, we dinghied to shore and took advantage of the community hot tub and had a nice long soak before breakfast. Not a bad way to start a Sunday.

Early morning light:

On Sunday we cruised down to Hope Island, just inside Deception Pass. Nice view of the mountains:

We knew we were going to arrive at Deception Pass right around max ebb, and that it would likely be 5-6kts of current against us, but Sam’s been through before at max and wasn’t worried. Here’s where the semi-displacement hulls come in handy! We increased power to about 64% and were mostly making about 4kts over land (with 6-7kts against us). Deception Pass has fairly even laminar flow, so it wasn’t much drama. Kevin took the helm and was a good “pass pilot” while I took video and photos:

We rafted with Safe Harbour on the north side of Hope Island and recorded two more of our “Gates of the Inside Passage” series of videos we’re doing for Slowboat. (See, it’s not all fun and games…we’re actually working out here!)

Dinner on Safe Harbour: salmon that Anna brought back from Alaska this summer, gnocchi with a homemade alfredo sauce (this was so good Anna!), garlic bread, and caesar salad.

This morning, Sam and Anna took off for Seattle, and we moved to a mooring ball and slept in a little bit more. After breakfast we headed for Swinomish Channel and then on to Anacortes.

LaConner, looking charming as ever:

Our original plan was to stop for the night in LaConner, but starting tonight it’s supposed to get super windy (30-40kts) so we thought it might be nicer to be in a protected slip, so we carried on.

We saw quite a few eagles today! (We also saw a tree on Goat Island with maybe a dozen herons in it!!)

We’re going to hang here in Anacortes for a couple days (since Portland appears to be iced over at the moment) and get the boat all cleaned up (Well, if the water ever gets turned back on! Enough with these cold temps and no water at the marinas!)

]]> http://www.riveted-blog.com/2017/01/jones-decatur-deceptionpass/feed/ 3 22279 We’re Back in the Islands! http://www.riveted-blog.com/2015/12/back-in-the-islands/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=back-in-the-islands http://www.riveted-blog.com/2015/12/back-in-the-islands/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2015 23:27:46 +0000 http://www.riveted-blog.com/back-in-the-islands Continue ReadingWe’re Back in the Islands!]]> We're back in the San Juan Islands and the weather is lovely! 

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We came up on Sunday with some family in tow and took a quick little two-hour excursion in Airship over to Cypress Island and back in the rain. It was still fun, but we're happy the weather has improved since then. On Monday morning we all took a little cruise on the new Nordic 44 that's at Cap Sante right now and almost ready to head off to its new owners. Nice boat!!

Then on Monday afternoon we headed over to James Island to meet our friend Sam for some cruising. Once we got there, we all decided that it might be a little exposed for the winds, so we moved over to Brigantine Bay at Decatur Island for the night. We rafted onto Sam's Nordic Tug 37 and had a nice time catching up. 

A dusting of snow on Orcas Island:

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Rafted at Decatur Island:

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Our route: Anacortes to James to Decatur (with a little detour before mooring to finish up a phone call while in cell range):

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In the morning, we dinghied into shore and hiked up to the top of Decatur Island (well, almost the top). 

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Headed back down:

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After our hike and some breakfast on Airship, we headed over to the south side of Jones Island State Park and we each grabbed a mooring ball in the South Cove. 

Our route, Decatur Island to Jones Island (about 12 nautical miles):

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Airship in South Cove:

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Safe Harbour (Sam's NT 37):

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Sam launched his (fast) dinghy and we headed across to explore Yellow Island (about a mile from Jones Island). Yellow Island is an 11-acre nature preserve in the San Juan Islands, accessible only by small craft. 

"In 1979, Joe and Sally Hall chose to sell Yellow Island to the Conservancy because they wanted it to be preserved as it was when Sally's parents, Lew and Elizabeth "Tib" Dodd, homesteaded in 1947.

For 30 years the Conservancy has honored the Dodd and Hall family legacy, preserving, restoring and expanding what the Dodds began.

When Lewis and Elizabeth Dodd bought the island in 1947, they were determined to live in peaceful coexistence with nature. An avid reader of Thoreau, Lewis Dodd strongly believed in self-sufficiency. After living in a tent for two years, he and Tib moved into a house, a small rustic cabin they built with beach-combed timber and rock. This distinctive landmark remains basically unaltered to this day.

As the Dodds cultivated a small garden, planted a few fruit trees and grape vines and raised chickens and pigeons for meat, they left the island’s wealth of animals and plants largely undisturbed. Their years on the island were testimony to a lifestyle in harmony with nature." [From nature.org. More here.]

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Lew Dodd memorial plaque:

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Shadow selfie:

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Looking across at Jones Island…the dark spot on shore is South Cove, where our boats were moored:

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We hiked all over the island (which doesn't take all that long, because…11 acres):

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Caretaker's cabin:

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He's here all year:

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Weathered signage:

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We took the dinghy back to Jones Island and then we all just hung out and visited and I cooked us dinner: pappardelle carbonara, with a fennel and blood orange salad. Fun evening! 

This morning we went ashore on Jones Island and hiked across to the North Cove. The tide was high, so we "logged" the dinghy, rather than beaching it:

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Lots of wood on the beach this morning:

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View from North Cove, mountains (way) in the distance:

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Back at South Cove:

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After our short hike (and some breakfast), Sam headed back to Anacortes, and we headed for Patos Island. Unfortunately, there was a boat just ahead of us on our way to Active Cove on Patos, and they got there first (and there's STILL only one mooring buoy!), so we headed over to Sucia instead. We're moored in Shallow Cove, with a pretty good view to the north. The chance of Northern Lights is really high tonight and tomorrow night, so maybe we'll have some aurora photos to post next! For now, here's the sunset from our spot:

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We've got crab traps out, so maybe we'll have some New Year's Dungeness! 

Here's today's route from Jones Island to Patos Island to Sucia Island (about 14.5 nautical miles total):

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]]> http://www.riveted-blog.com/2015/12/back-in-the-islands/feed/ 3 71 Hanging with Friends in the San Juan Islands http://www.riveted-blog.com/2015/10/hanging-with-friends-in-the-san-juan-islands/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hanging-with-friends-in-the-san-juan-islands Thu, 15 Oct 2015 22:10:01 +0000 http://www.riveted-blog.com/hanging-with-friends-in-the-san-juan-islands Continue ReadingHanging with Friends in the San Juan Islands]]> Part One

We left Portland on Tuesday and popped up to Anacortes to do a little cruising around the San Juan Islands. We've been busy catching up with friends since we got back from Alaska and this week we decided to combine that with some boating!

Our friends Bob and Sissy from Bodega Bay happened to be up on Whidbey Island celebrating their 10 year anniversary, and they decided to meet up with us for a little cruise. (Bob and Sissy own a wine shop called Gourmet au Bay that you might remember if you've been following along for a while.) 

Leaving Anacortes on Wednesday morning:

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We went over to Rosario Resort on Orcas Island and stopped for lunch. There was a bit of fog when we first got to Rosario, but it was still pretty (and it burned off during lunch).

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Our original plan was to head over and grab a mooring ball at Spencer Spit State Park on Lopez Island. Our friend Sam was going to meet us there late in the afternoon (in his Nordic Tug 37) and we'd all have dinner together. We had some time to kill so we opted to go out San Juan Channel a bit toward Cattle Pass and look for orcas before heading to Spencer Spit.

Hey what do you know?? We found some! 

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It was perfect! Sissy and Bob had never been to the San Juan Islands, nor had they seen orcas in the wild. We scored for the vacationers, yay!

We texted with Sam and decided to meet over in Brigantine Bay on Decatur Island instead of Spencer Spit. We got there a bit after Sam and rafted up with him for easier dinner party back and forth access.

Just in time for a pretty sunset:

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We grilled some salmon, roasted some baby potatoes with rosemary, and made a spinach salad, and Sam made some yum brownies for dessert. And wine. Sissy and Bob brought wine, of course. It was a fun evening!

Sunrise this morning:

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I made breakfast tacos for everyone, then we said goodbye to Sam and headed back to Anacortes so Sissy and Bob could catch their flight back to California. 

Decatur Island back to Anacortes (12 nautical miles, 1 hour 48 minutes):

Anacortes to decatur

Oh  yeah, porpoises:

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Tomorrow, we'll head out with some more friends for a few days. Our plan is to cruise over to Patos Island for a lighthouse hike and lunch, then to Sucia Island for the night (meeting up with Sam again!). We'll hike around Sucia on Saturday morning, then cruise over to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island for Saturday night (and have dinner at McMillin's). On Sunday we'll head back to Anacortes (with some dilly dallying and whale scouting in there somewhere). 

Fun! 

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