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View the most sought-after adventure destinations around the waters of the Pacific Northwest.
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The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine | volume10 • issue 4
CONTACT 596 Dugualla Road Oak Harbor, WA 98277 360.821.1047 info@harborsmagazine.com www.harborsmagazine.com PUBLISHER Katherine S. Bivoino BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT George V. Bivoino EDITORIAL Kat McKelvey George Bivoino Russ Young editor@harborsmagazine.com ART DIRECTORS Karen Johnson Anika Colvin
CONTRIBUTORS Sue Frause Mark Glyde Jean Groesbeck Deane Hislop AJ Hunt Terry W. Sheely Sara Smith Tom Tripp Russ Young PHOTO CREDITS Oak Bay Toursim, pgs. 14-19 Deane Hislop, pgs. 20-24 BTC, pgs. 26-31 Rakan Alduaij, pgs. 38-40 Terry W. Sheely, pgs. 42-46, 56-59, 80 Deane Hislop, pgs. 48-53 Long Live the Kings, pg. 64-68 Throw Rope, pgs. 70-72 Dave Mitchell, pgs. 74-75 AJ Hunt, pgs. 76-77 Friday Harbor Grand, pgs. 78-79
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Welcome to HARBORS The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
A Note from the Publisher
Harbor Lights Greetings, The season is here and those of us at HARBORS Magazine are very busy checking out some of the most amazing destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Our team will be visiting fishing lodges, resorts and marinas throughout Alaska, British Columbia and Washington to bring back articles and photos to publish for you our readers. I am excited to announce that George Bivoino and I were married on May 5, 2018, near our new home in Dugualla Bay on Whidbey Island, WA. We are very excited to be so close to the San Juan Islands and Anacortes for fishing, crabbing, shrimping and kayaking. George and I will be flying up on Northwest Seaplanes to BC’s Hakai Lodge again this season for some excellent salmon and halibut fishing. Our art director, Karen Johnson, is taking a 3 three-month adventure with her husband Michael on their boat, MV Mischief. Standing in for Karen will be Anika Colvin, our previous art director in Port Townsend, WA. One of our frequent contributors, Deane Hislop, and his wife Arlene are also planning an extended adventure to the northern islands of BC on their boat MV Easy Going. You may see them; if you do… be sure to say hello! We hope everyone has an opportunity to get out on the water this season. One thing is certain to be first and foremost: safety on the water. Remember, it is our job as boaters and seaplane travelers to respect and protect other adventurers—and the waters that we all value so much. So, make sure you are thinking about the environment and clean-water practices, as well as safe boating, while cruising our waters this season. In the spirit of the Pacific Northwest, safe travels!
Katherine S. Bivoino
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features
HARBORS 2018 JULY/AUGUST
COVER PHOTO: Oak Bay Marina
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Oak Bay
20
Quayside Marina
26
Fisheries and Aquaculture
32
Travel Maps
38
Waterfront Living
42
‘Sea-Run Trout
48
Sucia Island Marine Park
56
Gustavus, AK
64
Endangered No More
70
Gear Guide
74
Seaplane & Boating Destinations
Victoria’s “Welcoming Pocket” Vancouver, BC
Bellingham Technical College
Pacific Northwest Coastal Waterways Storing Your Toys
Puget Sound’s Other Great Gamefish Beautiful, with an Intriquing History Alaska Remote, Fish Rich, Glacier Spectacular! A Milestone for Salmon Recovery in Hood Canal Don’t Just Throw Anything Victoria, BC • Anchorage, AK • Friday Harbor, WA
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By Seaplane or Boat, However You Arrived. . . We’ve already been there.
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Photo © Chris Teren, TerenPhotography.com
From Washington to Alaska, Your Source for Marinas, Restaurants, Services, Points of Interest and much more. To get your copy call
(425) 488-3211 or visit www.BoatTravel.com
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OAK BAY Victoria’s “Welcoming Pocket” by Russ Young
W
hat is it about hummingbirds that make most of us break out in a smile when we see them? According to the coastal tribes of the Pacific Northwest, the speedy little birds are a sign of good luck. Their ability to hover reminds us to stop and view our surroundings ... and to sample the sweet nectar that we find. So it would be no surprise that virtually everywhere you visit in the British Columbia town of Oak Bay you’ll see hummingbirds—from the breakfastroom window at the Oak Bay Guest House and the balcony of a penthouse
suite at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, to any one of municipality’s 29 parks and public gardens. Some say that the energetic birds can sense the friendliness of the people in the places they frequent. So it’s also no surprise that hummingbirds are attracted to Oak Bay and the “good vibes” emanating from its residents, business owners and workers, and happy visitors. Follow the hummingbirds’ lead, and in Oak Bay you’ll meet people like Jay and Quinn Forsythe, a young couple who recently dove head-first into the restaurant business. They own the Windsor Cafe, a fully licensed
restaurant and bar in a Tudor-style house at the edge of Oak Bay’s shopping district. After six months of preparation, working 100-hour weeks and (at best) sleeping five hours a night, Jay and Quinn have succeeded in opening a charming establishment, with memorable food and attentive service. During our visit, the menu included a mushroom tapenade; a salad of artisan greens, roasted beets, goat cheese and toasted walnuts; a charcuterie platter featuring 13 items; mussels with chorizo, couscous and vegetables; shrimp scampi; and mushroom penne with chicken. There were well-chosen
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local wines and beers to choose from, as well as a full bar. They’re open every Tuesday-Sunday morning for fairtrade coffee and baked goods, and serve both lunch and dinner. Oak Bay, described by some of the locals as a “welcoming pocket,” is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, looking south onto
the Strait of Juan de Fuca and sharing its western border with city of Victoria. One of the charms of Oak Bay is that it can be a destination in and of itself, or can be visited for a morning, afternoon, evening or full day if you’re staying in Victoria. It’s literally minutes by car, taxi or shuttle bus, or can be reached by bicycle or on foot if
you’re feeling energetic. There’s a feeling of both small town and sophisticated suburb, epitomized by the friendliness of the community, and the variety of shops, galleries, restaurants and services available. Perhaps there is no place, nor any person, that mirrors both the friendliness and the variety better than Sweet
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Delights and its proprietor, Barb Marquardt. Sweet Delights is a confectionery unlike any other, featuring “candies from back in time and around the world.” (Think of a sweet that you might not have had since you were a kid, and it’s likely you’ll find it on Barb’s shelves.) There are sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan selections, and taxes are included in the posted prices, “so there are no kids who come in with a loonie and end up disappointed,” says Barb. What’s more, she’s a (literal) walking guide to the other local businesses, taking us door-to-door and introducing the owners and staff of businesses like The Avenue Gallery and Timeless Toys to Hide + Seek Coffee and Side Street Studios. (If you’re an art lover, you’ll
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enjoy a stroll down Oak Bay’s “Gallery Row.”) Barb’s also quick to point out the rotating “Arts Alive” outdoor sculptures around town, as well as the painted pianos that are placed outside for visual and auditory enjoyment. We took a break from strolling to have a late breakfast at Vis-a-Vis, a charming French bouchon and bar that is open “7 a.m. until the last person leaves,” seven days a week. You can sit outside even when it’s cool—they provide cozy lap robes—but be prepared to answer tough questions like “Mornay or Hollandaise?” Vis-a-Vis shares a kitchen with its next-door neighbor, the Penny Farthing Public House. There you’ll find a hearty menu, more draft beer choices than you can count on both
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hands, four fireplaces, live music on Saturday nights, a traditional Sunday roast, and fish-and-chips, complete with mushy peas, on Monday “British Pub Nights.” Visits to bistros and pubs, and the resulting calories, call for some vigorous exercise, so a short walk to the Oak Bay Marina was in order. There we met Mark Bitz, an ultra-fit retired printing executive who is now a guide and instructor for Ocean River Sports & Adventures. Although experienced kayakers (and stand-up paddlers) can rent gear and go off unaccompanied much of the year, going with a guide like Mark means you can not only brush up on your skills, but he’ll share his knowledge of the local waters, flora and fauna, and history. In fact, he’ll converse with you on almost any
DOCK IT LIKE A LOCAL.
Salt Spring Island
Victoria Harbour
Oak Bay Marina has everything a visiting boater could wish for. A quiet, relaxed harbour where the locals tie up, meet, and eat, plus all the services you’d expect at a full service marina – from customs clearance to free WiFi, fuel dock and guest moorage up to 70’.
Friday Harbor Oak Bay Marina
But what really sets the marina apart is its proximity to unhurried, beautiful Oak Bay. There’s year-round golf, amazing cuisine, boutique shops, night markets, live music and a vibrant arts scene. All this within strolling distance. You’re not just docking at a marina, you’re tying up to a neighbourhood. For events and activities visit: oakbaytourism.com To reserve your moorage call: 1.250.598.3369 or visit oakbaymarina.com
subject as he paddles effortlessly next to your kayak. Back at the marina, General Manager Sean Battistoni is remarkably laid-back for someone who is as busy as he is. He manages the operations of this marina, as well as one of the other three Vancouver Island facilities operated by the Oak Bay Marine Group. A power boater and angler (“Don’t put me on a sailboat alone”) who grew up a few blocks away, and went to Oak Bay High School and the University of Victoria, Sean oversees a full-service chandlery, gift shop, fuel dock, boat repairs, and the kayak/SUP and bikerental businesses. There’s also a group of very entertaining seals who frequent the premises; the gift store has chopped herring if you want to get them to perform some rudimentary “tricks” for you. Kids love the impromptu show. The marina can accommodate vessels of up to 70 feet, and while there
is no transient moorage space, guest moorage is available during the summer. There are a variety of charter fishing operators, and Sean points out that the best fishing grounds are a short trip from the docks. Upstairs, there are culinary choices: the Marina Restaurant and the Dockside Eatery. The former offers 100 percent OceanWise seafood—try the clams with chorizo and grilled cornbread, and the fish cakes with fennel slaw—almost exclusively BC-sourced ingredients, incredible sushi and a roasted red-pepper soup that is to die for. (Keep your fingers crossed that it’s on the menu when you visit.) The view from your table may include Mount Baker, Chatham and/ or Discovery Island, although General Manager Jason McMillan says that stormy days are often the busiest; it’s a great storm-watching venue, too. Jason’s a restaurant-industry veteran who’s worked across Canada; he was
drawn to the Victoria area because it has the most dining establishments per capita in North America. The Dockside Eatery is more than the burger- and sandwich-joint that you might expect. Although there is a grab-and-go menu for boaters, those who sit down are able to enjoy the “oceanfront casual” ambience, and fare that recently included white cheddar mac-and-cheese, salmon smoked in-house, a baked brie platter and a chorizo frittata. Admittedly, you’ll see more seagulls than hummingbirds around the marina, but as you walk back toward the neighborhood, you’re likely to see the miniscule birds soaring, hovering and enjoying the nectar. A visit to Oak Bay allows you to do the human equivalent; you can do so while on a trip to Victoria, or you can make this “welcoming pocket” your primary destination. www.oakbaytourism.com
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QUAYSIDE MARINA VANCOUVER, BC by Deane Hislop
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C
onsidered one of the most livable cities in the world, Vancouver boasts spectacular mountain views, an amazing collection of beaches and parks, and a bustling urban core famous for its diversity. The City of Glass,” as it’s known, sparkles in the sunlight and twinkles at night. On any given day, False Creek is active with a lively mix of watercraft: from mini-ferries, rowing shells, canoes and kayaks, to teams of dragon boats, to a steady procession of commercial charters and tugs pulling barges. False Creek is not a creek at all. When the Royal Navy was originally charting the area, the “creek” seemed to be an outlet of the Fraser River Delta. When it was discovered that it ended after only a mile and a half, the cartographers scribbled “false” beside the word “creek.” Despite the attempt to change its name to “Pleasant Inlet”
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in 1891, the False Creek name stuck. As popular as False Creek is, it can be difficult to find transient moorage, so it’s best to make reservations in advance at one of the marinas. For our visits we enjoy Quayside (pronounced “keyside”) Marina, located on the north shore, in the trendy and vibrant Yaletown district. Most of the slips are for permanent moorage, but guest moorage is available for vessels to 120 feet. The facilities include 30-, 50- and 100-amp power, water, washrooms, showers, laundry, pumpout, garbage, recycling and Wi-Fi. Across the street from the marina are two excellent restaurants, Provence Marineside and Bella Gelateria. The former offers a menu inspired by the culture and countryside of southern France, while the latter specializes in tasty Italian. For provisioning needs, the Urban Fare Market—excellent meat and cheese selections and wellstocked produce, deli, bakery and
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dairy departments—is located 100yards from the head of the dock. For a minimal charge, visitors can board a foot-ferry to Granville Island to roam its lively Public Market.Public Market. The harbor’s many attractions are also easily accessible by these small ferries: Science World in the Geodesic Dome, Plaza of Nations, Yaletown, Stamps Landing, Granville Island, Aquatic Centre, Edgewater Casino and the Maritime Museum. Granville Public Market, the center of attraction in False Creek, is a provisioning paradise with its artful pyramids of fruits and vegetables, bright display cases of deli meats and cheeses, presentations of shimmering fresh fish, and the tantalizing aromas of exotic spices and fresh-baked breads. The challenge is keeping purchases to an amount that can be carried and, more importantly, stow aboard. A couple of the venders that get my attention during every visit—perhaps
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because of my Italian heritage, or the aromas that take me back to my childhood—are Dussa’s and the family operated Zara’s Italian Deli. The Zara family has been offering colorful and creative range of fresh pastas, sauces, olives and assorted antipasti for over 20 years. Along the island’s west side, there are a variety of marine supplies, boat maintenance services, a museum, a kayaking center, fishing charters and yacht brokers. If a large selection of marine products is required, Steveston Marine & Hardware, Vancouver’s best-known and largest marine supply store, is a half-mile walk southwest of Granville Island. Just south of the Public Market is the Net Loft, a complex of specialty shops. Here visitors will discover books of all kinds, handcrafted glass, 24
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PLANNING YOUR VISIT:
Canadian Hydrographic Charts 3463 and 3493. Quayside Marina; ranchovan.com/marina BellaGelateria.com BridgesRestaurant.com DocksideVancouver.com EdgewaterCasino.ca GIB.com GranvilleIsland.com/Public-Market MahonyandSon.com TheWicklowPub.com UrbanFare.com VancouverMaritimeMuseum.com
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fabric shops, art supplies, galleries, and musical instruments. The Granville Island Broom Company specializes in the traditional art of handcrafted broom-making. Sisters Mary and Sarah Schwieger learned to make brooms from their family while growing up. The brooms are woven using Shaker methods and are designed to withstand years with regular use. Visitors will see broom making in action, and learn the history and folklore of this rare craft. In addition to being a classic household tool, brooms are seen as a symbol of good luck around the world. After exploring Granville Island, visitors can relax, and enjoy a cold beer and a selection of pub fare at the Granville Island Brewery. If the crew desires something other than pub food, the island offers a variety of restaurants to satisfy any crew member’s taste. Vancouver’s Maritime Museum
Clay Lacy Aviation 206.762.2250 8285 Perimeter Road South Seattle, WA 98108
possesses a world-class collection of objects and stories. Among the many items on display there are three wonders not to be missed. The first is the Newt Suit, a wearable submarine built in 1984 by Vancouver designer Phil Nuytten. Second is the Arnold 176 Chronometer, which Captain George Vancouver relied on to accurately determine longitude on his voyage of discovery. This mechanical marvel was later carried by Captain Bligh of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame. The final must-see is the museum’s centerpiece. The Schooner St. Roch one of the world’s great Artic- exploration vessels and is an icon of Canadian Artic sovereignty. Visitors can go aboard, step back in time, and explore her deck and cabins. Built in 1928 to serve as an Arctic supply and patrol vessel for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in 1942 she became the first ship to cross from the Pacific to the Atlantic via the Northwest Passage, completing
a 27-month voyage from Vancouver to Halifax, Nova Scotia along the northern edge of the continent. Two years later she returned to Vancouver via the more northerly, deep-water route, making the east-to-west journey in only 86 days. The St. Roch was the first ship to complete the hazardous journey in both directions. False Creek has no shortage of dining opportunities to offer visiting boaters. For comfort food, head for Mahony & Sons at Stamps Landing. Dining on Bridge’s Restaurant’s large deck is a favorite of Vancouverites and visitors. The Dockside Restaurant in the Granville Island Hotel offers a Sunday brunch with jazz. For more laid-back dining, try a meal at The Wicklow Pub at Stamps Landing. Fish and chips are popular at the takeout concession Go Fish, located at Fishermen’s Wharf. If you’re looking for a lively urban port, the City of Glass is hard to beat.
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Fisheries and Aquaculture Bellingham Tech College by Sara Smith 26
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W
hatcom Creek does not have a very pretty past. Like many shorelines it was used as a garbage dump by early Whatcom County, WA residents. Raw sewage was dumped here too, until residents thought better about disposing of their sewage in the same place they harvest seafood. Concrete ponds were dug, and a sewage treatment facility plant operated until the early 1970s, when it too fell into disrepair. Today, it’s hard to see that past image at Whatcom Creek. The Whatcom Creek Hatchery opened its doors in the 1970s as a joint venture between Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Bellingham Technical College (BTC). The old sewage ponds were repurposed into fish holding ponds and the surrounding area turned into the Maritime Heritage Park. The hatchery supports a chum salmon run, with adults returning each fall to spawn. BTC students learn to fertilize salmon eggs, caring for them as they incubate over the winter. In spring, students feed the juvenile
chum, raising them in the repurposed ponds until they’re big enough to head out to sea. The salmon supports a local commercial and tribal fishery, and a popular recreational fishery, bringing income and jobs to the area. The Whatcom Creek Hatchery has been producing chum salmon for over 40 years, and recently added a Chinook rearing program to assist the state’s initiative to improve Puget Sound’s orca population. Students operate the hatchery as part of the BTC Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences program, under the guidance of the Washington state co-managers. The program has produced hundreds of technicians skilled in finfish-hatchery operations, who go on to staff state, private, and federal facilities. In 2013 a new hatchery facility, the Perry Center for Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences in Bellingham, WA, was built to replace the well-worn original hatchery, funded in large part by support from the local fisheries community. Salmon remain an important cultural icon in the Pacific Northwest,
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and one that many Northwesterners identify when describing their sense of place. Salmon-hatchery production is an integral part of maintaining this heritage, and BTC continues to support this industry through workforce development. In recent decades, another cultural icon of the Pacific Northwest has been gaining national attention: farmed shellfish. Washington state shellfish production is rapidly expanding, and shellfish are quickly earning a place next to salmon as an economically important marine resource. Currently, Washington is the nation’s leading oyster, clam, and mussel producer. The state directly and indirectly employs more than 3,200 people in this industry, which provides an estimated economic contribution of $270 million to the to Washington’s economy. Taylor Shellifsh—the nation’s largest shellfish producer—Drayton 28
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Harbor Oyster Company, Penn Cove Shellfish, and Legoe Bay Shellfish are all located on Northwest Washington’s coastline and are valued stakeholders with BTC’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences program. In addition to other shellfish farms dotted along the shores of Washington state, these farms make up a growing industry. A visit to the Taylor Shellfish Samish Bay farm on any weekend is an indicator of how fast the market is growing. The line for oysters and mussels often extends out the door. Workers maneuver tractors around tightly packed cars. The increased interest in locally-produced shellfish goes beyond getting a good meal. In addition to providing locally produced seafood, shellfish aquaculture has many environmental benefits. Shellfish are filter feeders and play a key role in improving nearshore ocean water quality. These nearshore areas are important nursey grounds for
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many juvenile salmonid species. Increased demand and increased production requires an increased workforce, which is where the industry is experiencing challenges. Bill Dewey, Taylor Shellfish’s public affairs director, says, “it is a constant struggle to find well-trained, qualified workers.” This sentiment has been expressed by other shellfish industry partners, including Leah Paisano of Legoe Bay Shellfish who stated, “finding skilled workers in shellfish aquaculture is difficult” and “shellfish hatcheries are difficult to operate, and require scientific training and a strong background in oceanic water dynamics.” To accommodate this industry need, the BTC Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences program worked with shellfish industry partners to redesign the curriculum and add more shellfish-based training modules. The curriculum will roll out in Fall 2018, and will now prepare
The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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students equally for careers in both finfish and shellfish aquaculture. Students may choose from a two-year Associates of Applied Science (AAS), which prepares them directly for the workforce, or an AAS with a transfer option for those interested in continuing their education at a four-year university. Additionally, BTC now offers a oneyear certificate for a shorter introduction to finfish and shellfish aquaculture techniques. Faculty, staff and students worked on getting the pilot program up and running this year, making many changes to the Perry Center. The incubating
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chum eggs now share their space with a saltwater-reuse system housing oyster seed, donated by Taylor Shellfish. Old papers and office supplies were hauled out of a seldom-used storage closet and replaced with bubbling flasks of brightgreen algae—food for the new oysters. Plans for next year include installing a new filtration system to improve water quality, increasing algae production, and planting oyster seed in tidal flats at Taylor Shellfish’s Samish Bay location. Partially because the Perry Center is off campus, and partially because working with live animals requires a level of responsibility unique to most
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college programs, student involvement in the Fisheries and Aquaculture program goes far beyond listening to classroom lectures. Students have been involved in the planning and execution of many Perry Center improvements this last year. The program emphasizes hands-on learning and a well-rounded education covering not only aquaculture production, but also how to do so sustainably and responsibly. Students take courses in freshwater and marine ecology, as well as fisheries biology, natural resource management, and genetics. On a given day students might be
loading rainbow trout into a tanker truck for planting in local lakes at the Bellingham Trout Hatchery in Whatcom Falls Park, taking notes about their facility setup for Perry Center improvement ideas, or in the river assessing salmonid-habitat quality. Days are varied, but that’s part of the draw. “It’s like being in science class when you’re a kid and everything was super exciting,” says current student Kala Brood. The Whatcom Creek estuary has seen major changes in the last century: from sewage-treatment facility to chum- and Chinook-hatchery supporting commercial and recreational fisheries. With the expansion of shellfish and algae culturing, the BTC Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences program continues to drive positive change in the community through sustainable seafood production and workforce development to support growing fisheries and aquaculture industries. Graduates of the BTC program enter the workforce not only with strong technical skills, but also a deep appreciation for the multi-stakeholder environment of supporting, researching, and managing our aquatic resources.
BELLINGHAM TECHNICAL COLLEGE FACTS 79% Job placement rate of BTC graduates 300 scholarships worth $300,000 Awarded to 254 BTC students in 2017 – 2018, thanks to the support of the BTC Foundation.
With 35 associate degree and 43 certificate options, BTC offers something for everyone—including YOU! Phone: 360.752.7000 Email: btc@btc.edu
The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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Skagway to Ketchikan
Alaska
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The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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broughton islands desolation sound discovery islands Nanaimo North vancouver island sunshine Coast west vancouver island
bC seaplane service*
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bC Ferries service
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Lake
The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine riol
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Galiano I.
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Cape Flattery
Neah Bay
Tatoosh I.
Bamfield
False Bay
Lopez Airport
Friday Harbor
Clallam Bay
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SAN JUAN ISLANDS
Lime Kiln Pt.
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Bellingham International Airport
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Boundary Bay Airport
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Sucia I.
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GULF ISLANDS
Stuart I.
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Port Washington
Sechelt
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MONTAGUE HARBOUR
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VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL N. & S. AIRPORT/PATRICIA BAY Pender Is.
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VANCOUVER ISLAND
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Decatur I.
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ISLAND
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INS NTA Arm
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Haro Strait
Nanaimo to Olympia
Puget Sound
* Seaplane service available at all destinations by charter.
Bellingham Gulf Islands Nanaimo Puget Sound Salt Spring Island San Juan Islands Seattle Vancouver Island Victoria
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OLYMPIA Olympia Regional Airport
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Langley
Kenmore Air Harbor
Lake Union
SEATTLE
Edmonds
ss Po
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Possession Pt.
Scatchet Pt.
Double Bluff Useless Bay Pt. No Point
Freeland
Port Gamble
Elliott Bay
Boeing Field
Blake I.
Ba
id br
ge
Poulsbo
Bangor
Keystone
Cove
Oak Harbor
Pt. Wilson
Bush Pt.
Hood Canal Br.
Port Ludlow
Di Port Hadlock
Deception Pass
Decatur I.
NAS Whidbey Island
Smith I.
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Port Townsend
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sco very Bay
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Guemes I.
Cypress I.
alg LaConner
Everett
Arlington
S
W
Burlington
Lake Samish
Mount Vernon
Samish Bay
Lake Stevens
Lake Goodwin
Skagit Bay
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Freshwater Bay Angeles Pt.
Lake Wa rcer I.
assage
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Indian I. Marro wston e I.
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Waterfront Living in the Pacific Northwest by Jean Groesbeck
Storing Your Toys
The population increase and affluence in the Northwest have increased the ownership of boats, small planes, and “extra” cars—a convertible for summer and an SUV for winter to protect the luxury car in the garage. The demand for garage space, as 38
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part of the decision-making process for purchasing a home, has moved up the list of “must have’s.” A one-car garage in the 50s was a premium feature, but now three enclosed parking spaces are a minimum for most baby boomers or “echo boomers” (children
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of baby boomers). This demand created a boom in sales of condo warehouse space. Condo warehouse space is not what you might be picturing in your mind. This is not a low budget, beatup metal building surrounded by
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chain-link fencing, containing dark little closet-sized storage spaces. These are well constructed, insulated/heated spaces, often with oversized (8’-14’) electric doors, bathrooms, and some even have lofts for office space, game rooms, or as a man-cave or she-space. The warehouse space is purchased as real estate, and like any other condominium association, there are common grounds, such as driveways between buildings. Monthly condo fees are collected to cover security, maintenance of the common areas, sometimes a manager, and reserves for future maintenance. Prices are based on the percentage of ownership, determined by the space size in relationship to the entire association warehouse space. They have covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs). And there are some restrictions on the individual use, protecting all of the owners. Most have some type of security system including monitored security
cameras, electronic gates, fencing, burglar alarms and fire-suppression systems. Some are carpeted for classic show-car parking, or yacht and dinghy storage—or family heirlooms that no one wants, but getting rid of them brings too much guilt. Sizes most commonly range from 4001000+ square feet. Hangars for airplane storage can also be a condo unit. They might be a rectangular space but could also be a T-shape to accommodate the wings of a plane. Flipping the layout of every other area allows for the best use of square footage for T shaped hangars. The use of condo hangars could vary from storage of a private jet to the construction of an experimental airplane. Like condo warehouse space, these hangars often become hangouts for those with similar interests to “talk shop.” An open hangar door might reveal a wide-screen TV, couch, and maybe even a popcorn machine illustrating that the fun from space
comes from more than just storing a plane. Hangar space needs to be adjacent to an airport, so the land sometimes is leased, and the lease cost is included in the condo dues or paid separately. Boat condo moorage, sometimes called “dockominiums,” are increasingly more popular which means a hefty price tag. Boat moorage for lease is increasingly difficult to obtain, so purchasing a boat slip may be the only way to guarantee moorage during the peak of boating season. A marina’s amenities are reflected in the price of condo boat slips. Cost comparisons like covered vs. uncovered slips, wood vs. concrete docks, and/or public vs. private marina space will all affect the rate. Security, harbormaster’s office, clubhouse, laundry facilities, parking availability, dock boxes, storage lockers, CCRs, and location are all things to consider before committing to a lease. Covered slips are the most sought-
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after since they provide protection and reduces boat maintenance costs. The larger the slip, the higher the price; rates are based on the linear footage. Covered slips and larger slips have shown the highest appreciation. In 2011, a 60-foot covered slip in the Fidalgo Marina in Anacortes, WA sold for $4800 per foot, while the same size slip sold for recently for $5400/foot. So, what about the purchase of storage as a real estate investment? Rent prices are going to continue to escalate as availability falls further behind demand. Condo warehouse storage availability depends on location. In more rural areas, building more units on adjacent land is easy; therefore, supply can keep up with demand; however, appreciation of the units is not as likely. Hangar space is in short supply because of the need for runway access, so they are a better real estate investment because of the restrictions on the ability to increase availability. Boat moorage is the best condo storage space to purchase regarding a real estate investment. Building boat slips takes a decade to get through the permitting process, creating a massive barrier to increasing inventory. There is increased popularity for dry storage for larger vessels. However, for those that can afford it, leaving a boat in the water makes for better
40
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Great Choices for Recreational Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com
Ed Handja Personal Real Estate Corporation and Shelley McKay Personal Real Estate Corporation Your BC Oceanfront Team |Specializing in Unique Coastal Real Estate in British Columbia
Breathtaking Mary Point: Spectacular undeveloped 172 acres private oceanfront property on Cortes Island overlooking Desolation Sound, Strait of Georgia. Licensed private moorage, awe-inspiring views. $4,250,000Cdn Approx$3,331,556US
Walkem Island: 127 acre private island in Johnstone Strait between East Thurlow Island and Vancouver Island. Intriguing bays, beaches and peninsulas. Fantastic opportunity for a private retreat or an exclusive island community. $1,895,000Cdn Approx $1,485,482US
Balaklava Island Acreage: Boat access property off northern Vancouver Island. 143 acres, 725ft oceanfront, fully forested, SW exposure, well protected. Deep water frontage would accommodate moorage. $285,000Cdn Approx$223,410US
Great Choices for Recreational Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com
www.bcoceanfront.com
Ed 250.287.0011 Shelley 250.830.4435
Office 250.286.3293 | Toll Free 1.888.286.1932 edhandja@bcoceanfront.com shelleymckay@bcoceanfront.com
access and many experts argue that it is better for a vessel. Most boats are designed for weight displacement along the entire hull. Easy access allows for monthly checks of engines, generators and other systems which benefit from being run on a regular basis. A significant component of any condo moorage is the friendships that come from the community of fellow boaters. Almost everyone finds great joy in being able to have space devoted to a hobby, and neighbors that share their passion. This camaraderie is seldom a factor in the purchase of space, but it is often the reason why people hold on to the moorage space year after year. If you are interested in purchasing condo storage space in Skagit or Island Counties, call Jean Groesbeck. Coldwell Banker Bain/Jean Groesbeck & Assoc. LLC. (360) 941-3734. Jean@JeanGroesbeck.com.
compliments your lifestyle
Jean Groesbeck (360) 941-3734 Jean@JeanGroesbeck.com 5 Star Real Estate Services
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Sea-Run Trout
Puget Sound’s Other Great Gamefish by Terry W. Sheely
O
n a standard salmon rod this fish would be in the boat by now, but on this light fiveand-a-half foot trout rod it’s tearing me up ... , and I can’t stop grinning. Thin monofilament line is slicing green silk water along the beach, there’s a boil in the shallows where the fish swaps ends, and suddenly it’s heading in a new direction—both literally and figuratively. For years Washington and southern British Columbia Chinook and coho salmon fisheries have been sliding downhill, into tight-fisted fishing seasons managed by unpredictable emergency orders, unfriendly water temperatures tracked to climate change, baitfish shortages, habitat degradations in fresh and saltwater, cutbacks in supplemental hatchery stocking, federal ESA mandates, and a few dozen other lethal perplexities. Once the iconic pride of the Northwest and a treasure on the table, these salmon are having a tough go in Puget Sound, the Salish Sea, Hood Canal and even that one-time salmon artery—the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Strait. Decades of political, environmental and management abuses have come home to roost, and are sending fish managers scrambling into a
conservative era of recover, rebuild and restore. The intended long-run consequence is hoped to be a return to recovered and robust salmon stocks that will re-energize Northwest sport -fishing. The short -run, however, is a bumpy grinder with fewer fish available to catch, a patchwork of discouraging fishing seasons and an understandable drop in salmon-fishing enthusiasm. Except for a growing enthusiasm and the new-found passion of anglers chasing the twisting, two -pounds straining my trout rod. Deep-water salmon fishing may be on pause, but for a growing cadre of enthusiastic anglers, it’s being replaced and headed in a new direction that follows hundreds of miles of shallow, gravel-lined beaches of the Northwest. These beaches are alive with a robust population of beautiful and aggressive sea-run cutthroat trout, spiced with regional sprinkles of immature resident Cchinook and silvers that are spawning a challenging, and downright fun, small- boat sports fishery. For decades, sea-run cutthroat have been a closeted godsend enjoyed by a close-mouthed few, but now they are emerging as a rising popular alternative to a falling salmon fishery— an
The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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option that doesn’t require significant investments in time, boats, tackle or gear. Flying under the radar, in the shadow of our iconic salmon, has been good for sea-run cutthroat populations. Their numbers have built with little fishing pressure, enjoying mostly catch-and-release seasons, that expanded habitat areas. In Washington’s coastal and inland saltwater, sea-run cutthroat are the only gamefish with a year-round open season, and 100 percent catch-andrelease fishery. The result of a lifetime ignored in the shadow of salmon, by sport and 44
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commercial fishermen and not winding up on a dinner table, is that today there are few shallow, gravel-bottomed beaches in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea where these spunky gamefish can’t be caught—and released. My fish, a healthy thick bodied, wild cutthroat is still fighting when I swing it close to the boat, pull its head up just far enough to use the forceps on the hook shank and pop it free. I straighten the tackle; pull the oars, and the 10-foot boat scoots toward a disturbance in the water 30 yards south. Being able to use a small car-top boat, canoe or kayak is one of the
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beauties of sea-run fishing. These fish, unlike mature kings and silvers, are always within a few yards of shore, often close enough to cast from the beach, but still in the range of a small boat. Most Puget Sound waterfront parks are honey holes for cutthroat, especially clamming beaches which have both gravel and bits of clam food. With sea-runs, there are always options, but only one Seasea-Run eun Rulerule; fish just where you can see the bottom. If the water is too deep to see the bottom, you’re fishing beyond where cutthroat are feeding. But you might hook a small salmon.
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It’s not unusual to find cutts in or near a mix with juvenile salmon—silvers mostly, sometimes blackmouth chinook—which means the next strike could be a 10-20 inch trout or surprised young salmon of several pounds. Either species is a hoot on tackle matched to their size. Spinning rods designed for freshwater trout and six6pound monofilament lines or fly-rods in the 4-weight to 6-weight class bring out the best in these fish. In early fall or winter I’ve found it to be a good idea to step the tackle up a notch—maybe 6- to 7- weight fly rods, and spinning rods built for 10- to 12-pound test. Late August into November and beyond is when bigger fish are likely. Some situations call for trolling, others for casting. The pod I’m rowing into is set up for a cast fly. A few yards from the surface disturbance I quietly set the oars down, and start false- casting to lengthen line 46
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for a forward cast of a weight-forward line. Rarely, in these shallows, is a sinktip line necessary. I can see fish now, heavy stringers of silver darting after some type of fry. I have a No. 6 beadhead Clouser Minnow pattern knotted to 8-feet of fluorocarbon leader—no tippet. The first cast drops a few feet away from the frenzy. Let it settle. Take a couple of small strips to get their attention, then dart the fly to simulate a wounded, but escaping, prey and to stimulate a strike response. It’s so quick and predictable. This cutthroat seems heavier than the first, and it makes a strong first run. If I can’t see active feeders to cast to, I’ll troll—sometimes with a fly, sometimes with a Colorado spinner, small plug or thin-blade spoon like a Dick Nite or Needlefish. A small strip of firecracker herring can be dynamite. Fly patterns that imitate small minnows, fry, shrimp, snails, krill, or undulating
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brown sea worms are standbys. Most local fly shops will make seasonal recommendations. Rather than blind- cast, I prefer trolling to locate schools and then cast. Trolling a zigzag pattern, with a small outboard, kayak paddles or oars, I find the best results when the lure or bait is a long way behind the boat—150 feet or so. In the shallows, they inhabitthe sea-runs often spook from the passing boat, but resettle before the lure gets there. Rarely do I need to weight lures or bait. Best sea-run fishing times are lowlight periods; early mornings, evenings, overcast days and on incoming tides. Rarely, does a beach caster or troller have competition from other fishermen. Sea-running is a solitary sport, an esoteric meeting of a fisherman and a pod of feeding trout, both edging into salt water on a new direction.
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Sucia Island Marine Park Beautiful with an Intriquing History by Deane Hislop
T
here’s something very special about Sucia Island’s incredible beauty with the many bays, coves, beaches, and forest trails that inspire first-time visitors and park veterans. Its shoreline is the product of 48
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Mother Nature’s artistry with smooth sandstone curves, rounded arches and honeycomb hollows, plus six bays possessing their own unique personality. This cruising destination, only accessible by private vessel, receives more
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than 100,000 visitors each year, making it the most popular of all the San Juan Island state marine parks. Visiting boaters can spend a week at a time and every night in a different moorage. The park consistently ranks as one
of the top boating destinations in the Pacific Northwest. It’s comprised of 564-acre, 77,700-feet of shoreline, 48 mooring buoys, 2 docks (640-feet), 2 linear moorage systems (800-feet), 60 onshore campsites, and several miles of hiking trails. Located just south of the U.S/ Canadian border in the northern portion of the San Juan Archipelago, Sucia Island is made up of a series of long
fingers roughly running in a southeast direction. The island’s unusual shape loosely resembles a crab and is the result of a long process of geological history spanning millions of years. The island is composed of two very different rock formations that were brought together by low-angle faulting and 50-million-year-old river sediments that have slid over 70-millionyear-old marine sediments.
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From the limpets living in the tidepools to the bald eagles soaring above, Washington’s Sucia Island offers an opportunity to explore the delicate relationships between all the elements composing this diverse wildlife sanctuary. Numerous varieties of wildlife and waterfowl can be observed in the park, including great-horned owls, harlequin ducks and the great blue heron. Sea life includes seals, sea lions, river otters and the occasional whale. The Salish Native American tribes used Sucia for more than 2,500 years for summer hunting and foraging. Visitors need to use caution when navigating the water around the island. Francisco de Eliza, leader of the 1790 Eliza Expedition labeled the land mass “Isla Sucia” on his chart, the Spanish word “foul” or “dirty” in reference to the many rocks and reefs surrounding the island. In the late 1800s the bays of Sucia provided excellent hideouts for smugglers of illegal Chinese laborers, as well as for hiding illegally imported wool and opium. Still later, the island played a large role in rum-running during Prohibition, and in more recent years figured in drug trafficking. First homesteader Henry Wiggins moved to Sucia in 1860 to raise a family in the Mud Bay area. The Wiggins
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family later saw 1,000 workers arrive to operate a rock quarry next to Fossil Bay from 1900 to 1909. In 1920 the Harnden family came to the island to live in the old quarry workhouse. Returning from a vacation in 1929, they discovered their buildings were destroyed in a fire. They departed soon after. Private logging operations existed on the island sporadically from the 1800’s until 1955. Fossil Bay is one of the most popular moorages. The bay takes its name from the oyster, ammonites, snail and other fossils found in the surrounding bluffs. During the summer, boats raft on its 16 mooring buoys. The two docks are cluttered with deck chairs and barbeques. In April 2012, part of a femur bone from a theropod dinosaur was discovered in a rock on the island. The fossil was spotted and excavated by paleontologists from the Burke Museum. Visitors are reminded that fossil collecting is not permitted in state parks. At the head of the first dock is a plaque memorializing the efforts of Ev Henry and 40 yacht clubs. In the early 1950’s they began purchasing pieces of Sucia Island. Ev Henry spearheaded a successful drive to purchase more than 300 acres of the island in 1960. The clubs donated their holdings to
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Washington state, to be added to other state lands and to create the park as a gift to boaters. Every time we visit the park I give thanks to the man whose foresight saved Sucia as a natural attraction for all to enjoy. A short walk from the memorial is a park information board and trail map, the abandoned rock quarry and the ranger station. Snoring Bay is east of Fossil Bay around Wiggins Head. It has two mooring buoys, with anchoring room for only a couple of additional boats. Legend has it that the bay’s name was coined after a park ranger was caught napping by visiting park officials. The largest and deepest bay on Sucia is Echo Bay, with enough room for anchoring on even a crowded holiday weekend. The bay offers 14 mooring buoys and two linear moorage systems. The bay’s flat, sticky clay bottom offers secure anchorages for dozens of boats, and along with a mesmerizing view of Mt. Baker. At the head of the bay there is a peagravel beach, with driftwood at the high-tide line, making for a good dinghy landing. A narrow isthmus separates Echo and Shallow Bays, and it’s a brief walk between the two. Many times, this has been our starting point for exploring the island. The hiking trail system
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crosses the isthmus and fans out across the island. Northeast of Echo Bay lies Ewing Cove, formed where Ewing Island, Cluster Islands and Sucia create a small bay with four mooring buoys amidst the rocks. Although there’s limited
space, it’s a choice spot. Anchoring is not suggested due to the swift currents racing into the cove through a slot between Ewing and Sucia Island, and a slippery bottom. When entering the cove from Echo Bay, there is an uncharted rock that lies
Top of the page, Even at busy time there is plenty of anchoring room in Echo Bay. Above, Snorring Bay in the senter, Fossil Bay to the left and Echo Bay in upper right
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just below the surface east of the “Fish Haven” shown on the chart. It is dark, hard to see, and feeds on propellers. At the head of the cove is a crescentshaped beach that is classic San Juan Islands: rock protected, pea gravel beach, strewn with logs and driftwood at the high tide line, and fringed by tall trees that beckon to be hiked through. The beach is perfect for sunbathing and imagining what the island was like years ago. The Cluster Islands are an intriguing string of islets forming the southern boundary of this cove. We have spent many hours exploring the islets and tide pools. Two day-beacons mark a break in the reef that protects small Shallow Bay. As its name implies, it’s only 8-feet deep in its center at zero tide. The sun can warm the water enough to swim or wade for the brave individual, although at times scummy seaweed can make swimming unappealing.
This west-facing bay offers eight mooring buoys, limited anchoring, sandy beaches and some of the most spectacular sunsets anywhere in the San Juan Islands. Potholes in the cliff at Shallow Bay are a product of microclimate that result in the weathering of the rock. Small cavities grow larger because the rock inside is damp and shady, increasing the decomposition rate of minerals that comprise the weathering rate of the sandstone. These cavities are known as China Caves, for when they were used as a hiding place for Chinese workers smuggled into the country as illegal laborers in the late 1800s. Located on the southwest side of the island is Fox Cove with its steep 100foot high sculptured sandstone cliffs. There is a shallow, sandy and muddy beach at the head of the cove. Four buoys are located well offshore. Fox Cove is where visitors will see the island’s best example of “surface
PLAN YOUR VISIT: NOAA Charts 18421 & 18431 Washington State Parks – parks.wa.gov hardening,” an unusual phenomenon that occurs when weathering causes certain types of rocks to get harder rather than softer. Weathering causes some of the minerals in the sandstone to dissolve, releasing iron, calcium, silica and other elements. If these elements precipitate near the rock surface, they have a cementing effect, strengthening the sandstone. If this hardened exterior zone is breached, the weaker interior stone rapidly erodes, producing a mushroom shape. The best example of this is the 8-foot tall Mushroom Rock located on the northern shore of Fox Cove.
Sails, ales & happy trails
Mushroom Rock located in Fox Cove
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IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON GROUNDFISH SPECIES (of Washington, Oregon and Northern California)
Anglers are responsible for knowing current fishing regulations, which can change frequently. Check the state website for up-to-date information.
Yelloweye Rockfish
Canary Rockfish (Slightly indented tail)
Adult
(Smooth jawline)
Juvenile
Bright yellow eye and raspy ridges above eye. Fins usually have black edges. Juveniles have 1 or 2 white stripes along side of body.
Tiger Rockfish
Dark Version
Variants
(Smooth jawline)
Variants
(Gray lateral line)
(Anal fin slanted)
Typically three stripes across side of head and gill plate. Body orange mottled with gray.
Vermilion Rockfish
Pink Version
Strong ridges between eyes. 5 or 6 vertical bars on body.
Lower jawline rough to touch. Body reddish and mottled with gray. Anal fin rounded.
Black Rockfish
Deacon Rockfish
Large mouth. Body mottled with gray. White belly. Black spots on the dorsal membrane.
Small mouth with extendedlower lip. Vague stripes across forehead. Blue-tipped pelvic fins. Many small speckles covering sides of body.
Bocaccio Rockfish
Blue Rockfish
Large mouth extending upwards. Slightly concave between mouth and dorsal fin. Body orange, olive or brown.
Small mouth. Vague stripes across forehead. Bluetipped pelvic fins. Large angular blotches on sides of body. Photos courtesy Vicky Okimura; WDFW
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REV. 2016
Quillback Rockfish
Copper Rockfish
(Deep indentations in dorsal fin)
Variants
Variants
Light colored band along the last 2/3 of lateral line.
Freckles on head and/or throat. Yellowish saddle markings do not extend to tail.
Yellowtail Rockfish
China Rockfish
Fins yellowish, large mouth. May have pale patches or spots on back. May be confused with Olive Rockfish.
Widow Rockfish
Broad yellow stripe starting on dorsal fin, along lateral line. Yellowish white freckles.
Brown Rockfish
Dark brown patch or spot on gill cover. Underside of throat and lower jaw pinkish. Fins may be pinkish.
Small mouth, anal fin slanted posteriorly.
Kelp Greenling
Cabezon
Lingcod
Flap of skin above eye and on snout. Huge mouth, small teeth. Body marbled. Smooth skin.
Large mouth and large teeth. Deep notch in long dorsal fin. Elongated body. Smooth skin.
Male Female Small mouth, small teeth. Blue spots may be faint except when breeding, when they become almost neon. Reddish spots on female. Smooth skin.
wdfw.wa.gov
dfw.state.or.us
wildlife.ca.gov Photos courtesy Vicky Okimura; WDFW
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Gustavus, AK Alaska Remote, Fish Rich, Glacier Spectacular by Terry W. Sheely
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A
young bear, fat on blackberries, quick-steps across the gravel driveway as we’re pulling into the lodge and disappears into a wall of willows and pink fireweed. There’s no sign of the cow moose that for the past two days has been feeding in the meadow at the edge of the lawn. It’s been another whirlwind day in laid-back Gustavus, Alaska. Our two limits of big August coho salmon and four chicken halibut have been left to chill in the cooler at Pep’s Packing, and fishing partner Jim Goerg and
I are fished-out, tired and ready for hot showers, drinks and dinner. Tomorrow, depending on the weather that rolls down Icy Strait, we’ll either hike a primitive trail up the Bartlett River into Glacier Bay National Park or take a floatplane past the impressive 15,000-foot-high icy spires of the Fairweather Mountain Range to a small lake at the edge of the Gulf of Alaska. Tonight, after a crab dinner we’ll kick back on the front porch, listening to a wolf howl in the distance while pulsating sheets of red, blue and
eerily green northern lights flare overhead. It’s so perfect, it’s surreal. In the great room of Bear Track Inn, in overstuffed leather chairs around a towering rock fireplace, four vacationers are excitedly reliving their sea-kayak adventure at Point Adolphus with nine humpback whales and a cluster of sea otters. Another couple is oohing over digital photos of their boat ride to the base of a calving glacier, one of the two-dozen active glaciers deep inside Glacier Bay National Park. Someone mentions brown bear tracks
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squished into a claw line of divots across the green at Mount Fairweather golf course, the town’s uncorrupted mile and three-quarters of 9-hole, 36 par really rough roughs and gametrail fairways. The mountain biking 50-something couple is asleep in their chairs, still wearing biking gear. There are muddy boots on the porch; fresh crab and smoked salmon on the snack table. A pair of curlycoated Chesapeake Retrievers waiting for someone to scratch their ears, and daily see-go-do options that could have been torn out of National Geographic magazines. Remote, isolated, scattered, and spectacular with mountains, saltwater and wilderness Gustavus) is definitely 58
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not an average Alaska destination. The town bills itself as ‘the gateway’ to Glacier Bay National Park, 50 miles west of Juneau, eye-level with Icy Strait, and 15,325 feet below the rugged summit of Mount Fairweather. The frozen white picket line of the Fairweather Range and the blue-ice walls of Glacier Bay National Park are all that separate it from the Gulf of Alaska. It’s an isolated community scattered between conifer walls, without a downtown core. If there is a heart of the town, it’s the intersection between the state ferry dock and airport, appropriately named, Four Corners. There’s a pizza place with a giant bear sculpture on one corner; on the other a gas
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station with 1937 bubble-gum pumps and a pre-WWII Pegasus sign. The 441 year-round residents are scattered in homes and home-businesses between clumps of dwarf conifer trees on the scrapings of an alluvial flat. Less than 200 years ago this place was being flattened into the shoreline by massive glaciers, now receded 60 miles inland. The spongy ground continues to uncoil from the weight of those glaciers, decompressing, rising, cracking foundations. Twenty miles of road, some paved, hold the scattered community together. At the end of Mountain View Road, ten miles from the airport, in Bartlett Cove is the headquarter of Glacier Bay National Park. The park
has 3.3 million roadless acres of ice walls, icebergs, ice pans, ice fields, ice water, ice-capped peaks, bears, wolves, otters, salmon, halibut, bottom fish, Dolly Varden, cutthroat and moose. Ice and wildlife dominate in Gustavus. Of the 30-some B&Bs, lodges, merchants, fish guides, art galleries and other recreational services, 18 have “glacier,” “bear” or “wolf ” in their business name, and most of the rest have something to do with “whales.” Oddly, for a town with a substantial shallow halibut bank, located on the edge of one of the richest thoroughfares for migrating Chinook, coho, pink, chum and sockeye salmon in Southeast, Gustavus is not particularly well known as a fishing destination. But it should be. The town’s roots are anchored in salmon. Tlingit tribes once operated fishing villages on the site, and in the 1920s commercial canneries and salteries dotted the shoreline. In seven days of fishing in and around the mouth of this spectacular
national park, Jim and I found quality and quantity in a variety of saltwater salmon and halibut locations, freshwater rivers, and fly-in lakes. Competing fishermen are few and far between. For several trips, my favorite fish guide has been Jim Kearns at Fairweather Adventures, a countrystyle B&B with moose in the petunias. During every fish trip, he shares his encyclopedic knowledge of this intriguing complex; fish, ice, wildlife, history, geology and the wonders of the park. And he catches fish: halibut, coho, Chinook, pinks, lings, char, yellow-eye, rockfish and all the rest. Great as it is, the fishing potential at Gustavus is lost in the international attention focused on the uniqueness of adjacent Glacier Bay National Park. Roughly 360,000 tourists ooh and ahh through the park—mostly from cruise ships. But few people step ashore. Fortunately for fishermen, few of these masses fish. Most, in fact, slip past Gustavus on excursion boats, and here-to-there tours. Enough do stop, though, to keep this little
hard-scrabble community economically alive, and to put it on the service to and from Juneau on Alaska Airlines’ summer schedule. There are two ways to get here; water or air. Alaska State Ferry runs scheduled service from Juneau, along with cruise ships. During summer Alaska Airlines flies a 737 on a 13-minute hop to the airport, and five air-charter operators provide small plane flights to Gustavus, to GBNP headquarters, and on flight-seeing and adventure areas. Most lodges and B&Bs will make transportation and fishing guide connections. Gustavus is a microcosm of Alaska: small, scattered, independent, rich with see-go-do wilderness adventures and some of the most spectacular sights imaginable. Hike a glacier while sheets of ice calve, land salmon and halibut, kayak, climb, mountain bike, hike, fly, boat and ... whales, sea otters. It’s here; all of Alaska is here, and every time I come back I find more… www.gustavus.com
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PACIFIC SALMON ID
Spawning Phase
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/salmon/identification.html
CHINOOK (K ING)
Female
• Olive-brown colored body • Large spots on back and both lobes of tail • Mouth is black with black/grey gum line
Male
Female
COHO (SILV ER) • Greenish-black head with red to maroon colored body • Spots on back and only upper lobe of tail • Mouth is black with white gum line
Male
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PINK (HUMPY) • Vast majority return during odd-numbered years • Large oblong spots on back and both lobes of tail • Males develop pronounced hump
CHUM (DOG) • No spots on back or tail • Greenish to dusky mottling on sides • Males have reddish-purple vertical markings
SOCK EY E (R ED) • No distinct spots on back or tail • Greenish head • Brick red to scarlet red colored body, female coloration is more dull
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
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OUR MISSION
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Endangered No More A Milestone for Salmon Recovery in Hood Canal by Mark Glyde
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I
n the estuary flats of Washington’s Lilliwaup Creek, a long leg of the journey to bring salmon back from the brink of extinction has come to a happy end. Last February, a generation of hatchery-born Hood Canal summer chum was released into the creek for what scientists hope is the last time. The success of Long Live the Kings’ conservation hatchery program to boost summer chum runs on Lilliwaup Creek and the Hamma Hamma River is a bright spot in the story of salmon
recovery. On the West Coast, 28 stocks have been added to the federal threatened and endangered species list in Washington, Oregon and California since the early 1990s. None have yet been declared fully recovered. “When I started there were hardly any fish, and it was very difficult to find even five pairs. I was out every day for a month in a drysuit looking for fish, looking behind every rock in the river,” said Rick Endicott, facility manager for the Lilliwaup Field Station
run by Long Live the Kings, a conservation and research organization. Only 70 chum made it back to Lilliwaup Creek in 1993, when Endicott and state fisheries managers first started capturing returning fish, harvesting their eggs, and releasing salmon at the fry stage, when they would naturally emerge from gravel beds and head for the saltwater of Hood Canal. Today, the 1/4 mile stretch of brackish water between Hood Canal and
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Lilliwaup Falls boasts spawning clusters that rival similarly-sized streams in Alaska, the world’s bread basket of wild salmon. LLTK has released about 150,000 chum salmon fry each year into Lilliwaup Creek since 1993. Today, between 1,500 and 3,000 chum return to spawn. Over half are born in the wild, a sign that hatchery rearing is no longer needed. LLTK stopped aiding the Hamma Hamma River population when it reached a similar milestone in 2009. Now, nearly 5,000 summer chum spawn each year. Those runs are part of the larger Hood Canal summer chum population, which joins Snake River fall Chinook and Oregon coastal coho as one of the only three populations of salmon on a path to recovery, and, 66
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one day, delisting and removal from America’s Endangered Species Act list. For tribal fishermen and anglers, the rebound of chum means more opportunity in the future to catch not just chum, but also prized for their flavor Chinook and coho salmon. Because the three species mix in the waters of Hood Canal and its feeder rivers and streams, managers have curtailed fishing on all three species to minimize incidental catch of chum by fishermen targeting Chinook and coho. The recovery of chum and other salmon species depends on a combination of actions including innovative science, careful harvest management, and habitat restoration. On more than a dozen salmon streams that flow into Hood Canal, local leaders and
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volunteers have been building healthy habitat one tree and one log at a time. Bankside forests regulate flows, tempering flood and drought damage. Woody debris builds in-river structures where fish can rest, avoid predators and find food. “For the people who live there it’s been a huge community effort doing different kinds of restoration. And there have been limits on fishing,” said Scott Brewer, executive director of the Hood Canal Coordinating Council. “Unlike many (places) in Puget Sound, recovery activities seem to be working, but you have to keep at it. We need to support remaining actions necessary to get them across the finish line.” “It’s been very uplifting being part of something that’s working and for
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lasting change, said Joy Lee Waltermire, a biologist and hatchery manager with LLTK. “When I started I thought my goal was to put myself out of a job. Now I want to do this for more than summer chum.” Summer chum also returned to Union Creek in record numbers, rewarding countless hours of sweat equity invested by hundreds of restoration volunteers led by groups like the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group. In other watersheds on the Kitsap Peninsula side of Hood Canal, however, salmon recovery has a long road ahead. No summer chum are showing up yet in the Dewatto River or Big Beef Creek. The optimism of science, policy and community leaders is tempered by caution that it’s too early to declare the job done. “As much as everyone here would love to see summer chum fully recovered, we want to wait for a few years before anyone talks about delisting so we make sure (the run) is healthy and ready to roll,” said Paul McCollum,
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director of natural resources for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. Beyond the reach of local salmon recovery heroes, the intensifying impacts of climate change present new and formidable challenges. Scientists warn a warming ocean will likely mean more frequent and extreme high-temperature cycles, like the recurring El Nino weather pattern responsible for atmospheric rivers that drive windstorms and flooding. And that means lean times for salmon as the productivity of their prey, like herring and krill, falls due to warmer water in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists and fisheries’ managers know a lot about what salmon need to survive and thrive in freshwater environments: the rivers, estuaries and streams where they spawn, feed and grow. We have much to learn about what affects salmon survival in the marine environment of Puget Sound and the open ocean. LLTK is leading research in collaboration with tribal, federal, state, and
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independent researchers to find out why salmon are suffering high-mortality in Puget Sound. Study results, and proposed actions to improve marine survival, are expected in 2019. The study is likely to recommend modifications to Hood Canal Bridge, a known chokepoint where predators wait for salmon. As 4- to 6-inch juveniles, chum salmon migrate out of Hood Canal, under the bridge, and through the Strait of Juan de Fuca before heading north to the Gulf of Alaska. In the ocean, they will feed and grow for two to three years, reaching about two feet in length and weighing 8 to 10 pounds before returning to their birth waters to spawn the next generation of fish. The legendary life-cycle of salmon, which demands extreme endurance and a sharp homing instinct that scientists still don’t fully understand, has fascinated humans for millennia. Salmon have a remarkable ability to survive and adapt. Over the eons, these resilient fish have bounced back from calamities like earthquake-driven landslides choking off access to rivers and spawning grounds. For people doing the hard work of salmon recovery, patience and persistence do pay off. About 15,000 fry, hatched from eggs collected from only five adults, were released into Lilliwaup Creek in 1993. Eight salmon generations later, thousands return. “It’s remarkable how quickly they’ve recovered,” said Endicott.
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DON’T THROW JUST ANYTHING by Tom Tripp
Many boaters either don’t realize, or have forgotten, that if they are operating a vessel 16 feet or longer in Washington waters, they must carry a throwable flotation device. These are referred to by the U.S. Coast Guard, which certifies them, as Type IV personal flotation devices (PFDs). Other U.S. states have similar regulations, and Canada has its own. Your boat probably came with a throwable if it was new but may no longer have one if it was previously owned. Typically, they are either seat cushions with straps on the underside or a 70
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ring that might be mounted in the cockpit somewhere, or more often, inappropriately stuffed away in a locker or somewhere in the cabin. Aside from just not being available and ready to throw, the biggest problem with most conventional throwables is that it is challenging to throw them accurately. The seat cushions will depart the general vicinity with even the slightest breeze, and an accurate toss of the ring requires some skill at something like an overhand frisbee throw if you don’t have room enough to swing it for
an underhand toss. It’s a problem because even if you have a throwable if you can’t get it to the person in distress, you might as well not have it. Enter the ThrowRaft TD2401, a throwable flotation device that inflates automatically upon entering the water. Developed only three years ago by the newly formed ThrowRaft company, it comes packed in a compact bag that is 11 inches by 4 inches. At one end of the bag is a sturdy strap that gives you a good grip and lets you throw it accurately as far as 40 feet. When it enters the water, a high-visibility yellow raft inflates nearly instantly. The raft is 22 inches by 21 inches and provides at least 20 pounds of buoyancy. Fisherman and yacht captain Troy Faletra founded the company that makes the TD2401. Faletra himself was once stranded 9 miles offshore, eventually making his way back to land after 16 hours; he knows what its like to be without your boat suddenly. The compact nature of the TD2401 means you are not going to have to find room for it on the boat. It’s about nine times smaller than a ring buoy and five times smaller than the typical square cushion. You can keep it with you or in a ditch bag. In fact, it’s small enough that even small vessels such as kayaks and canoes should have one. Even if it’s strapped atop the kayak, it will be fine. The company makes a nice mountable container if you have a couple of inches of bulkhead space, but it’s not necessary. It’s certified to not inflate just from being splashed. Like all good inflatables, it must be submerged to inflate. The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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PUZZLE SOLUTION (complete puzzle on page 82)
And it will submerge enough if you throw it. In the unlikely event an inflator fails, there is a manual inflation tube, which is also used to deflate the device when it’s time to repack. Another compelling feature of the TD2401 is that it is easily repacked and reused. The process takes only a couple of minutes and involves replacing the 24-gram CO2 cylinder followed by a simple refold. The company says it can be reused several times without concern for reliability. The price isn’t inconsequential, but at approximately $130, it’s worth every penny. Like personal electronic beacons for rescue, crowd-sourced bottom mapping, and DSC radios, the ThrowRaft TD2401 changes part of the game and an important part at that. Get it and have it ready any time you’re on the water.
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SOUTH WHIDBEY HARBOR A Boating Paradise
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Destinations
Seaplane & Boating
Oak Bay Guest House, Victoria, BC
Duncan Murphy doesn’t like to call his Oak Bay Guest House a “bed and breakfast” establishment. “‘Bed and breakfast’ brings to mind a couple of spare rooms in the house of an elderly woman,” he says. “I prefer to think of this more as an inn.” That being said, Duncan and his wife Deidre own a guesthouse that is an absolutely charming, comfortable and welcoming bed and breakfast, or inn, or any other name. It’s also one of the two places to stay in Oak Bay, British Columbia. (We’ll feature the other one—the Oak Bay Beach Hotel—in the September-October issue of HARBORS.) 74
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Formerly the Newport Inn, what was once a single-family Victorian house has been welcoming guests since 1922. Duncan says it’s strikingly similar to his childhood home in England. There are nine guestrooms and two suites; we had the good fortune of staying in the Oriental Suite, which has a queen-size bed, a small private porch and a sitting room with a view of the herb garden. In the best tradition of B&B’s ... err, inns ... the other rooms offer a variety of bed sizes, showers or clawfoot bathtubs, views of the grounds and other amenities. The names of the rooms provide similar variety; they include
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by Russ Young
the Club, Regent, Skater and Raphael Guestrooms, and the Romance Suite. Duncan explains that a previous owner was offered a great deal on brass nameplates for the rooms, but that he had to have them engraved at the time of purchase; hence the off-the-top-of-one’shead choice of names. Duncan’s an outgoing Brit who got the urge to operate a guesthouse after managing a similar establishment in New Zealand. Although he lives nearby with Deidre and their sons, there’s an employee who lives in the basement: David Mitchell, a gregarious Australian from Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. He’s a photographer
who has traveled the world—he met Duncan when they both worked in Dubai—but welcomed the opportunity to “put down his backpack,” at least for a while. Although it’s a short walk to the village of Oak Bay, and its shops and restaurants, and just minutes to Victoria by car, you may find yourself inclined to stay on the property for much of your visit. There is a sunny communal space—appropriately named the Sun Room—on the top floor. You’ll find lounge chairs for conversation or reading, games and puzzles to play, a teapot and Keurig coffee machine, along with a large-screen TV. Downstairs, there is a cozy fireplace room. Outside, the gardens are lovingly maintained, with some sunny spots to sit and enjoy the quiet, as well as the antics of the ubiquitous local hummingbirds. And of course, there is breakfast, served on English china in an elegant dining room that has the original 1912 sideboard and a big window— framing an attached hummingbird feeder. The muffins were freshly baked, the fruit tasted farm-fresh and the frittata was perfectly prepared. Although he’s a big fan of the city next door to Oak Bay, Duncan uses the terms “hustle and bustle” to describe the level of activity in Victoria. Everything is relative, but there is absolutely no hustle or bustle in this neighborhood, making the Oak Bay Guest House a wonderful alternative to staying in Victoria ... or to experience Oak Bay as a destination in and of itself.
Oak Bay Guest House 1052 Newport Avenue Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8S 5E3 1.800.575.3812 www.oakbayguesthouse.com
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Lakefront Hotel, Anchorage, AK
Lakefront Hotel, a Millennium Hotel, is a luxurious 3-star property just minutes from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska. The hotel is strategically located on Hood Lake which is a hub for seaplanes carrying year-round passengers to and from Anchorage, hosted by remote fishing and skiing lodges across Alaska. Many fishing lodges and resorts have small kiosks or stand-alone structures along the lakeside in front of the hotel for their guests to board seaplanes to and from their secluded locations. If you are lucky enough to get a room with a view of Hood Lake, you will experience a pageant of seaplane activity in and out of the lakefront. Hood Lake is a state-owned seaplane base with an operating control tower. It is 76
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the world’s busiest seaplane base, handling an average of 190 flights per day, and during the winter months the frozen lake surface is maintained for skiequipped airplanes. But don’t worry about not being able to sleep from the sound of planes taking off and landing, as the rooms are understandably sound proofed and planes are limited to daylight hours. The hotel features a lodge-like milieu of Alaskan heritage and wildlife in the lobby, giving first-time Alaska travelers some awesome close-up views of bear, moose, deer, sheep and mountain goats, all surrounding a massive stone fireplace. Many of these creatures can be seen in the wild while traveling through Alaska. The hotel has spacious double room, and one-bedroom suites offering first class amenities of in room
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by AJ Hunt
LCD TV ‘s, coffee makers, free Wi-Fi, small refrigerators, a private safe and a minibar. The service is excellent and very accommodating to travelers, and one noteworthy feature of the hotel is that they will store your packed fish in the hotel freezer at no charge, until you are ready to leave for your flight out of Anchorage. There are several unique dining experiences within the property. The Flying Machine Restaurant, Fancy Moose Lounge and the Lakeside Patio. Flying Machine Restaurant is inspired by Alaska’s rich heritage of aviation and serves breakfast and dinner offering traditional American cuisine with a distinct Alaskan twist. The menu features fresh seafood, steaks and a variety of other appetizing fare. Enticing cocktails and a casual
dĂŠcor allows you to dine and capture the very essence of Alaska. In summer months dining on the lakefront patio offers lake and mountain views along with a ‘Northern Exposure’ ambiance of enthusiast travelers. Many are waiting to board a seaplane at the lakefront or have just returned from an exciting Alaskan adventure. It is not unusual to strike up a table side conversation with travelers wanting to share their experiences in the last frontier.
Lakefront Inn
4800 Spenard Road Anchorage, AK 99517 907.243.2300 www.millenniumhotels.com
The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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Friday Harbor Grand, Friday Harbor, WA
by Sue Frause
By Pat Awmack
Seeking a classic bed-and-breakfast experience on San Juan Island? Hope to stay at a place where you can enjoy the view, walk into the Friday Harbor, and even sip wine and enjoy piano music in the parlor? If so, the place you’ve been looking for has recently opened its doors and awaits your arrival. The Friday Harbor Grand, owned and operated by innkeeper Farhad Ghatan, features five spacious rooms. Originally known as the Bowman House, it was built in 1880 for John Bowman, the first judge of San Juan County and one of Friday Harbor’s founders. Over the years it has been home to many prominent locals. A full renovation of the inn resulted in a new upstairs, complete with wide 78
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plank oak floors and Persian carpets. Most rooms have kitchenettes, and several have private decks with views of the town, harbor and Mount Baker in the distance. The suites are spacious and well-appointed, featuring vaulted ceilings, soaking tubs, flat screen TVs and free WiFi. The Harbor View Suite features a wrap-around deck, full kitchenette and king-size bed. The Orcas View Suite offers a covered porch, full kitchenette and a king bed, while the Sunshine Suite includes a private porch, full kitchenette and two queen beds. The Evergreen Suite has a full kitchenette and a queen bed. Tje ground-floor Garden Suite features a private entrance, full kitchenette and a queen-size bed.
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A full breakfast featuring locally sourced, fresh ingredients is served on the veranda or in the dining room, depending on the season. And on most evenings, guests are invited to relax in the parlor while listening to classical piano music by Farhad on his 1910 Steinway. The talented pianist is sometimes joined by guest artists. Complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres are served. The Friday Harbor Grand is centrally located, within walking distance to the Washington State Ferry, restaurants, shops, the San Juan Islands Museum of Art and The Whale Museum. Nearby dining options include The Place Restaurant & Bar for fine dining on the water; Coho Restaurant, featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine with a
Mediterranean flair; and the Backdoor Kitchen, specializing in seasonal global fare and creative cocktails in a casually elegant setting. For food and libation lovers, San Juan Island features four shellfish farms, three island vineyards, one brewery, seven wine tasting rooms, and locally distilled spirits and cider from one of the state’s oldest cideries. The San Juan
Island Farmers Market runs mid-April through the third week in October. It’s located at Brickworks in the heart of Friday Harbor. Plus there’s whale watching, sea kayaking and 247 days of sunshine a year. San Juan Island is sublime no matter what the season, and the Friday Harbor Grand is a wonderful base from which to explore.
Friday Harbor Grand 345 Blair Avenue Friday Harbor,WA 98250 360.378.0442 www.FridayHarborGrand.com
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The old Lakota was wise. He knew that man’s heart away from nature becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too. ~Chief Luther Standing Bear
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