HARBORS July/Aug 2015 Issue

Connecting People, Places, Adventure and Lifestyle

HARBORS The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

Steveston

Historic Fishing Village

Great Juneau Fish-In Seals and Sea Lions of the Salish Sea

Anacortes Marina

Seaplane Winery Tour

USD $6.95 CAN $7.95

Ivory Kings

WWW.SANJUANAIRLINES.COM

You’re there.

CHARTER

SCENIC

BUSINESS

OR

SCHEDULED

PLEASURE.

We’ve got you covered.

San Juan

lands ... And Beyond

Point Roberts • Anacortes • Canada

Luxury accomodations ______________ Located directly inside Vancouver Int’l Airport ______________ Fully Soundproof ______________ Award winning restaurant and bar ______________ Spa, pool, fitness centre ______________ Minutes from the Richmond Seaplane terminal

Bird watching packages now available!

Book today with promo code: HARBORS to receive 15% off guest room based on availability

In partnership with:

604 207 5200 | fairmont.com/vancouverairport

Builders of Dreams Trust us to build your dream. West Bay SonShip is a leading, full-service shipyard for custom and semicustom luxury motor yachts, renowned for exceptional design and unparalleled craftsmanship. See our website for starting platforms ranging from 54 to 100+ ft, like the new 72-ft Sonship shown here.

U.S. CLIENTS Your Dollar Goes Further with Us!

We Do it All From simple repairs to complete refits to new builds, our expert craftsmen get the job done beautifully, efficiently, and at a competitive price. Our shipyard can handle vessels up to 110 ft LOA in our on-the-water boatshed or our marine ways.

Call us today to discuss building—or rebuilding—your dream.

NEW CONSTRUCTION & BROKERAGE Wes: 604.946.6226 ext.101 SHIPYARD SERVICE Danny: 604.946.6226 ext.107

WEST BAY SONSHIP 604.946.6226 8295 River Road Delta, BC V4G 1B4 dreams@west-bay.com

west-bay.com

F E S T I VA L

SEPTEMBER 11,12, 13

39 TH ANNUAL

© Photo by Neil Rabinowitz | HARBORS Graphic Design by Megan Foley

6

www.harborsmagazine.com

B O AT

PORT TOWNSEND

WO O D E N

2015

WWW .WOODENBOAT .ORG

SChEduLEd & ChArtEr FLightS F L O At P L A N E S • W h E E L P L A N E S

ALASKA SEAPLANES

Flying at a Higher Standard Scheduled service year-round, serving: JUNEAU SKAgWAY hAiNES guStAvuS HOONAH KAKE ANgOON TENAKEE PELiCAN ELFiN COvE EXCurSiON iNLEt SitKA

brown bear country!

Fly to

exclus i ve 6- hou r tou r

tour operates daily 5/15 through 9/15

packcr eekbea rtou rs . com

24/7 bOOKiNg ONLiNE

FrEEzEr ANd bAggAgE StOrAgE AvAiLAbLE

FLYALASKASEAPLANES.COM • 907-789-3331 • info@flyalaskaseaplanes.com

volume 6 issue 4

HA R B OR S

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine CONTACT 3214 45th Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116

E: info@harborsmagazine.com W: www.harborsmagazine.com

PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Katherine S. McKelvey BUSINESS MANAGER George V. Bivoino EDITOR Russ Young editor@harborsmagazine.com ART DIRECTOR Anika Colvin COPY EDITING Biff Burns ADVERTISING SALES ads@harborsmagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS Pat Awmack Sue Frause Deane Hislop Bart Rulon

Terry W. Sheely Terry Thompson Tom Tripp Russ Young

PHOTO CREDITS AJ Hunt pgs. 14-21 Terry Sheely, pgs. 22-25,27 Alaska Brewery, pgs. 23,26 Deane Hislop, pg. 28-32 AJ Hunt, pgs.40-45 Bart Rulon, pgs. 48-53 AJ Hunt, pg. 54-58 Doug Wilson, pg. 60

Ted Otis, pg. 61 Bob Howard, pg. 62 top Richard Bean, pg. 62 bottom right Pacific Sands Beach Resort, pgs. 72-73 Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, pgs. 74-75 Rosario Resort, pgs. 76-77

HARBORS Magazine is a proud supporter of: Pacific Salmon Foundation of Canada Long Live the Kings of Washington State The Seattle Center for Wooden Boats Alaska Fish and Game HARBORS Magazine is a proud member of: British Columbia Floatplane Association Northwest Marine Trade Association Northwest Yacht Brokers Association Washington State Seaplane Pilots Association PUBLISHED BY HARBORS Magazine is printed on recycled paper. Š 2015 by All Ports Media Group

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

www.harborsmagazine.com 8

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

All rights reserved. Partial or whole reproduction is prohibited. The publisher will not be held responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space of the ad. No changes may be made or cancellation accepted after the publication deadline date. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this magazine.

HAR B O R S

Welcome to HARBORS The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

A Note from the Publisher

Harbor Lights Greetings, The season is here and we at HARBORS Magazine are very busy checking out some of the most amazing destinations in the Pacific Northwest. We will be visiting fishing lodges and resorts throughout Alaska, British Columbia and Washington to bring back and publish stories in HARBORS for our readers.

In fact, we’re just back from a three-day weekend in Canada, visiting Steveston Village, enjoying the hospitality at the Fairmount Vancouver Airport hotel in Richmond, a wonderful dinner on at the Sandbar Seafood Restaurant on Granville Island and a stop at Taylor Shellfish Farms on Washington’s Chuckanut Drive for fresh oysters. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it, right?

Our fabulous team will be traveling by boat and seaplane to many locations, returning with exciting stories to tell. George Bivoino, our director of Business Development, and I will be traveling up to BC’s Hakai Pass again this year for some awesome salmon and halibut fishing. Our editor, Russ Young, will be adventuring around Vancouver Island and Desolation Sound. You may see writer Deane Hislop and his wife, Arlene, on their boat stopping at many ports this season. (One that I know of will be Pierre’s at Echo Bay, for one of Pierre’s fabulous pig roasts.) And writer Josh Colvin will be heading to the Last Frontier for the Race2Alaska, bringing back some HARBORS articles on some favorite destinations in Southeast Alaska.

If we are not up north adventuring the Salish Sea or the waters of Alaska, you might find us cruising here at home on our own Lake Washington and close to home in the San Juan Islands.

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 please make sure you are thinking about the environment and cleanwater practices, as well as safe boating, while cruising our waters this season.

In the spirit of the Pacific Northwest, safe travels!

Katherine S. McKelvey Publisher

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

9

10

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

2015 July/August

14

Features Steveston, BC

Historic Fishing Village

22

The Great Juneau Fish-In

28

Cap Sante Marina

34

Travel Maps

40

On the Waterfront

48

Seals and Sea Lions

Floatplanes, Bears, Beer and Wild Salmon Historic Anacortes, WA

Pacific Northwest Coastal Waterways

Decatur Island, WA

Pacific Northwest Marine Life

54

Seaplane Winery Tour

60

Ivory Kings

68

Gear Guide

72

Seaplane & Boating Destinations

78

Who’s Who in the Pacific Northwest

(photo by AJ Hunt)

Cover Photo: Seaplane traffic at Campbell River, BC.

Lake Chelan, WA The Other White Meat Water Purification Solutions Tofino, BC • Ucluelet, BC • Orcas Island, WA

Meet the Faces of HARBORS Destinations

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

11

Notes From Our Readers Fishing lodge owners find artwork through HARBORS Thanks for the article on the wildlife artist Walter Massey. We had been looking for art for our fishing lodge and were able to purchase some of his work at a gallery in Port Townsend, WA. We really enjoy reading HARBORS magazine and look forward to each issue.

Fisherman’s favorite read Love your articles on fishing by Terry Sheely; he gets me excited about fishing. I have seen his articles in other publications around the Puget Sound area, like Reel News. Would like to see more articles on how to catch fish. I am thinking about getting a new boat to go further up north, where the fish are apparently.

B. Johannes Anchorage, AK

Zach Olympic Peninsula,WA

Bragging rights from the Pacific Northwest Dear HARBORS: Thanks so much for giving us such a wonderful magazine to send to our friends back east. We get great pleasure sending it to our friends and showing them why we love where we live, and to convince them to come out west and visit us. They are always amazed at the beauty of this part of the country. You have given us so many ideas to visit in our 38-foot motor cruiser.

BC writers discover HARBORS For twenty years my partner and I lived in the Great Bear Rainforest restoring historical landmarks and recording history through the lens of a Nikon 36 MP camera. In the last three years, fourteen images have been seen on the Global BC television network. Since January, Global is showcasing two of our images to promote summer tropical destinations on BC’s rugged midcoast. Articles about us and articles we have written have been featured in books, magazines and newspapers.

Supernatural British Columbia has printed 40 images in their 2013, 2014 and 2015 travel guides highlighting the provinces beautiful scenery to visitors. We would like to do articles for your magazine on such topics.

Sam and Reggie Everett, WA HARBORS’ influence?

Every one of the Tacoma and Bremerton Yacht Club slips on Anderson Island is filled tonight (May 22) -something my local boating friends have never seen. Think they read the article about the island in the MayJune issue?

Sean Griffin Anderson Island, WA 12

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

Gordon Baron Chilcotin, BC

Send us your comments to info@harborsmagazine.com

In tireless pursuit of growth Change is inevitable.

And yet, so few recognize when things first begin to shift or when it may be time for them to take action.

What remains consistent for us through change is our passion for what we do, our dedication to whom we do it for, and the accountability we have for how we do it.

For almost half a century, our firm has built a rich legacy in the Pacific Northwest, creating compelling wealth preservation strategies and growth opportunities for high net worth individuals and families, and institutions.

1420 Fifth Avenue Suite 3200 Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 623-6172 www.badgley.com

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

13

Steveston, BC Historic Fishing Village

By Russ Young

14

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

T

he village of Steveston is a place to dine, a place to shop, and a place to attend festivals and special events. Perhaps most of all, it’s a place where one can experience and appreciate BC’s maritime heritage.

Located at the mouth of the Fraser River’s South Arm, Steveston is part of city of Richmond, BC, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Vancouver.

There was a time when 15 salmon canneries and the fishing boats that fed them dominated the local economy. Today, the commercial-fishing harbour is still a visual and economic centerpiece for the village, but Steveston also takes full advantage of its location, its charm and its history to make it a proverbial “great place to visit.”

The village hosts a dizzying array of events, especially during the summer months, including the biweekly Farmers & Artisans Market and weekly Music at the Cannery, and the biggest event: the Steveston Salmon Festival, held annually on July 1 – Canada Day. There’s a parade, visiting tall ships, a car show, cultural displays and 1,200 pounds of fresh sockeye salmon that will be barbequed.

Special events aside, each and every day Steveston offers a wide variety of shopping and dining options ranging from fish-and-chips and craft beers to exquisite seafood and fine BC wines. (You’ll also find Greek, Japanese, Mexican and Vietnamese food.

Pizza and burgers, too.)

Steveston also pays daily homage to its maritime roots. There are whale-watching excursions, a heritage walking tour and two National Historic Sites that are indicative to the appreciation for the area’s history.

One Steveston resident with a unique perspective of that history is Harold Steves. The 78 year-old farmer, business owner, environmentalist, former teacher and Richmond City The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

15

16

Councillor is the great-grandson of Manoah Steves, patriarch of the first non-native family to settle in the area.

Manoah came from New Brunswick in 1877, and began farming and fishing. The area was orginally known only as “Steves,” but as paddlewheelers began stopping at a rudimentary dock to pick up produce, it became known as “Steves Landing,” and later “Steveston.”

Asked what it’s like having a town named after your family, Harold smiles and says, “As a kid, it took a lot of getting used to. Sometimes I would pretend I wasn’t sure about the ‘Steves’ people were talking about.”

However, it is hard to find local residents who aren’t aware of his continuing interest and involvement in historic preservation, environmental protection and economic development. And virtually everyone recognizes his cows: Belted Gallways that graze along the dyke north of Garry Point Park. “They’re a bit of a tourist attraction themselves,” says Harold. Their unmistakable white “belts” have led at least one child to dub them the “Oreo Cookie cows.” (And Harold confesses that it was he who painted the white belt on the cattle sign on the pedestrian/bike path.)

Harold’s 13-acre farm along the western edge of the village is a reminder of his family’s history, although it is now surrounded on three sides by houses. That’s evidence of how he and others have been devoted to the area’s growth and prosperity.

Among his chief interests is seeing a pleasure-craft marina developed inside Steveston Harbour.

That’s an idea that seems appealing to former cannery worker Bob Baziuk, although he leads the organization responsible for seeing that the harbour remains “first and foremost” a commercial-fishing facility.

Bob is a gregarious former hockey and football player who will sing you a song about the muddy Fraser River that he learned from his seventh-

WEST COAST VANCOUVER ISLAND C A N A D A

Fish, Relax, Repeat

855-266-3347 www.eaglenook.com • www.luckysportfishing.com

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

17

Right: Steveston restaurateur Jim van der Tas shows off farm fresh local produce.

Below: Harold Steves, great-grandson of the town’s founding father Manoah Steves.

grade music teacher -- none other than Harold Steves. He recognizes “Casual Friday” by coming to work dressed in a fleece jacket, cargo shorts and flip-flops. But Bob is anything but casual when it comes to his responsibilities as executive director of the Steveston Harbour Authority. It’s a non-profit organization that leases the harbour and its facilities from the Canadian government, with a mandate to operate and maintain it as a commercial fishing venue.

Home to more than 400 commercial vessels, Steveston is Canada’s largest fishing harbour. It is divided into two sites that encompass 43 acres: the Paramount site, which is the more industrial of the two, and the Gulf site, which encompasses the heart of the historic village and its boardwalk, shops and restaurants.

Among the spots to visit in the Gulf site is the public fish-sales float, open to commercial fishers so they can sell their catch to the public di18

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

rectly from their vessels. Depending on the season and who’s caught what, you can buy truly fresh crab, prawns, salmon, halibut, black cod or any number of other varieties. (Weekends offer the most variety, but be ready to wait in line whenever spot prawns are available!)

Adjacent to the retail stores and eateries and along the boardwalk, the float and the surrounding docks are a testament to the hardworking people – and their vessels – that still bring the ocean’s bounty to our tables.

Most of the boats aren’t shiny, or particularly attractive, but there is a unique charm to this genuine working harbour.

If you get a sense of deja vu while exploring the village, that probably means you watch the ABC/CTV series “Once Upon a Time.” Steveston serves as the imaginary town of Storybrooke, Maine where the television show is set.

Steveston has a somewhat check-

Bob Baziuk, general manager of the Steveston Harbour Authority.

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

19

ered, but interesting, past. In 1906, it was noted that there were 76 saloons, brothels and gambling dens in the town. And the area was a popular point of embarkation for southbound “rum runners” when alcohol was illegal in the U.S. during Prohibition.

Those days are long since gone, but a count of today’s restaurants, coffee shops and specialty stores would eclipse that number.

If you come to Steveston, an absolute must-see is the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, the last cannery standing in the area, and a National Historic Site that is a story in itself. (Editor’s note: We mean that literally. Watch for a story about the cannery in our next issue.)

The village is sized such that it can be explored easily on foot. However, a bicycle is a good idea if you’re interested in traveling the 5½ kilometer paved path that takes you up the West Dyke and along the Strait of Georgia, and/or if you want to visit the Britannia Shipyard (another National Historic Site) and the London Heritage Farm, both located east of the village, along the Fraser. The area is very flat, and has a substantial amount of dedicated pedestrian/bicycle paths. Rental bikes are available from Village Bikes (which doubles as “Any Given Sundae” when “Once Upon a Time” is being filmed).

If you’re a boater and wish to visit Steveston, be advised that moorage is limited. The City of Richmond has 500 feet of day moorage for pleasure craft at Imperial Landing. But Bob Baziuk’s staff at the Harbour Authority will do their best to accommodate non-commercial boaters if/when space is available; contact them for more information.

Accommodations within the village are also very limited – the Steveston Hotel is the last of seven hotels that once existed there – but there are plenty of options nearby in the city of Richmond. It’s an easy day trip if you’re visiting Vancouver.

20

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

Look for a story about the Gulf of Georgia Cannery in HARBORS September/October 2015 issue and more photos at www.harborsmagazine.com

Many Thanks to: www.tourismrichmond.com www.bluecanoerestaurant.com www.britannia-hss.ca www.tapenade.ca www.londonheritagefarm.ca www.village-bikes.ca www.stevestonharbour.com www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.org www.fairmont.com/vancouver-airport-richmond

The Great Juneau Fish-In Floatplanes, Bears, Beer and Wild Salmon

By Terry W. Sheely

W

hen fishing plans come together with floatplanes, bears, beers and wild places every sunrise brings a surprise in southeast Alaska.

From a warm, dry and pleasingly pampered three-star art-deco base camp in the Westmark Baranof Hotel in downtown Juneau my fishing buddy Jim Goerg and I plunged into an eye-opening sampling of the quality of wilderness action available by daytripping directly from the comforts of the state capital.

Our quick-hit adventures began with a half-day charter-boat trip from Auke Bay for halibut; included a day for silver salmon and another for a floatplane fly-out to a wilderness river packed with salmon; and ended flyfishing for kings on Douglas Island, just across the bridge from downtown.

As if that wasn’t enough we also rode the tramway to the hiking trails at the top of Mount Robson, dined on salmon fillets at the Gold Creek outdoor BBQ, took a short hike, and checked out the fur, mammoth ivory, gold and scrimshaw hawked in the downtown shops. That’s a lot to cram into one week, but when I took stock, I discovered that we had barely scratched the surface of the outdoor adventures outside the door of our three-star base camp. Old Juneau has a reputation as a ‘jump-off’ to big time outdoor adventures in neighboring Southeast wildernesses. New Juneau is an upbeat destination with its own lengthy list of go-do adventures, including great sport fishing.

In a series of half-day outings we found halibut, silvers, kings, pinks, lings, yelloweyes and angry red octopus.

We also found bears, glaciers and ice fields, and took an on-thedeck floatplane flight over ridges, avalanche chutes and under the peaks of Admiralty Island. Add to that bubblenetting humpback whales, endless eagles, fuzzy-faced sea otters and sea lions.

The most memorable catch of our trip belongs to Elizabeth Arnett, although it had Jim grinning like he’d just won the lottery.

Jim had no sooner hooked a bottomfish, and a split second later his rod hurtled past my head, dove over the railing and disappeared into 327 feet of Saginaw Channel saltwater.

Chilled fingers, wet hands, slippery rod – it happens.

On the opposite side of the 2 8-foot charter boat Elizabeth hollered, set the hook and I crossed my fingers. There was a cheer when the tip of Jim’s lost rod poked through the surface, securely tangled in her line, above a thrashing arrow-tooth flounder.

It was Elizabeth’s last bite of the morning – and Jim’s first lost-rod recovery – and just another extraordinary surprise in Southeast. As many years as I’ve spent on the saltwater, glaciers, rocks and rivers of Southeast I’m still regularly surprised, mesmerized and overwhelmed.

When Jim and I decided to head to Juneau again the choice was easy.

We contacted Elizabeth, a long-time friend at the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau, drawing on her local insights to put together our week of adventures.

The itinerary she came up with rolled out like Christmas in August.

We would start by taking an Alaska Seaplanes floatplane down Admiralty Island to Whaler’s Cove lodge near the Tlingit native village of Angoon. We’d fish both Chatham Strait saltwater and freshwater streams on Admiralty. Then back to Juneau for halibut and bottomfish, glacier views, salmon bake and mountain tram.

Then more wading for salmon, and brown-bear spooking. We also signed up for a tour of the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery, which is responsible for Juneau’s reincarnation as a top summer salmon-fishing destination. Then it was a wet-our-lips sashay through the IPAs, seasonals, stouts, ales, tanks

of aromatic hops, rattle of bottles and samples of fresh amber at Alaskan Brewing Company. Add a stop at Juneau’s iconic Mendenhall Glacier to photograph calving ice walls, floating bergs and black bears pouncing on sockeye in Sheep Creek. There would be little time for sleep.

Elizabeth said we could also fish the productive shorelines and beaches around town with Chum Fun Charters. Because of the downtown hatchery, salmon, cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden char follow and feed along the shore of Gastineau Channel in the business district.

At Angoon, on the edge of Admiralty Island’s Kootznoowoo Wilderness, we based at Whaler’s Cove Lodge for 3½ days of mixed fresh and saltwater fishing. The floatplane flight to Whaler’s was by any definition spectacular: blue sky, no wind and endless visibility. Our pilot grinned, banked and headed down the mountainous spine of Admi24

| HARBORS

ralty, rolling and dipping low over ridges through razor-rock passes, and mountainsides etched with brown bear and blacktail deer trails.

We ghosted past pinnacles, around meadows so green with heather, bear grass and blueberries that they seem to glow, and alpine lakes that I suspect have never seen fishermen.

The lodge offers fleets of 22- to 32foot skippered cabin boats, and 18to 24-foot self-guided center consoles and covered skiffs, tackle, bait, rain gear, boots, waders and a dining hall with three bulge-your-belt buffet meals a day. We scheduled two days of guided saltwater for salmon (coho, chums, pinks and maybe a rare August king), halibut, lings, yelloweyes, a fair sampling of the 20 varieties of rockfish and a bucket of snowy white true cod fillets for winter fish-and-chips.

On Day 1 we fish with Dick Powers, the original owner-manager who built the lodge by milling island

www.harborsmagazine.com

trees. When we stop in 175 feet of water a tower of baitfish registers on the Furuno 582. We’re on a flat at the top edge of a 1,000-foot drop.

Dick and Jim almost immediately double on hallies. Jim’s 12-pound shaker is released. Dick’s 40-pounder thumps into the box. Later Jim’s rod pounds down and he comes up with a 120-pounder that dwarfs the ADFG halibut maximum. While he’s playing it my rod goes down, stutters, dips. I come back solidly into a strange fish fight. I can’t figure out what I’ve got. The answer turns out to be a one-man hallie double, a 12-pounder on the bottom hook, a thrashing 45-pounder on the top.

The biggest goes in the box and we’re limited on halibut.

Next morning, with freshwater guide Bob Tardy, we adventure up light-tackle streams on Admiralty for a mix of salmon and char. At our first stop, a clear water stream small enough to cast across there are

brown bear tracks and shredded fish carcasses everywhere. Pinks and Dolly Varden are swarming the bottom.

I pick-out a slab chum salmon swaggering in the schools of pinks. Maybe I’m under-gunned with my 8-weight fly rod.

Upstream I run into a young brown bear that stands and looks at me quizzically before continuing to fish. Another brownie is feeding on salmon a hundred yards upriver. A third takes a look at us woofs and disappears into the high yellow grass.

The next river is a calendar picture.

The pool is half-a-cast wide, transparent and quiet. It’s fed by a waterfall that stalls and backs up migrating packs of salmon and char. From a perch atop a boulder I see dozens of big fish lit up in sun spears that shoot through the spruce moss and spotlight the bottom.

Jim throws a spinner into a tailout shadow, Bob and I drop small dark The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

25

streamers into the shifting mass of salmon. Triple!

Back in Juneau, we step on board a 28-foot boat in Auke Bay at Moore Charters with Elizabeth, skipper John Hayes and deckhand Wyatt Weimer.

Minutes later we’re running through mist toward a dot on the radar called Hump Island in Saginaw Channel.

Moore Charters specializes in fourhour trips from Juneau to area honey spots. Hayes tells me they target halibut or salmon. We opt for halibut.

The overcast is breaking up, silver shoots of sunlight are working through the grey and we’re moving through a string of deep-water halibut spots trying to outflank a hardrunning tide change. The morning produces a couple of edible halibut, large true cod, and several silver-grey rockfish.

When we nose into the Juneau dock there’s enough day left to tour the hatchery and brewery. Macaulay Salmon Hatchery at the south end of the city on Gastineau Channel has revolutionized local salmon fisheries and put Juneau on the map as a sportfishing destination. Releases of 121 million chum, 50 million pinks, 1.5 million silvers and almost a million king smolts have created fisheries that stretch along the downtown shore and wrap around nearby Douglas Island. We celebrate the day at Alaskan Brewing Co.’s complimentary tasting bar.

The next stop on this angling whirlwind is one of my favorite options.

Bear Creek Outfitters operates from a hangar at Juneau International in a room packed with fly rods, reels, waders, waterproof jackets, and a map on the wall marked with dozens of outlying salmon and trout stream options.

Our guide picks a hot spot based on what’s happening where, and we pile into a 5-passenger Ward Air de Havilland Beaver and fly out to otherwise inaccessible streams for catchand-release action. The trip targets 26

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

whatever is hot. Some days that’s fresh silvers; others, pinks, chums and Dolly Varden. Couverden Creek at the south end of Chilkat Peninsula, is reported to be full of pinks and incoming silvers.

Flying a couple of hundred feet above Stephens Pass I look down and see the black heads of three humpback whales blow through the surface, bubblenetting herring. We land in the shallow, grassy bay, wade to shore and while the plane roars off, walk less than 100 yards to the first salmon hole.

The next hours are heaven-sent, sight-casting to pinks, chums and occasional silvers. Throw the fly, sink, swish it along the bottom. Strikes are predictable. No sign of bears this time, just fish, solitude and a wall of sweet thimbleberries.

The next morning we leave the hotel in a light mist, pass the infamous Red Dog Saloon, cross the Gastineau

Channel Bridge, turn right and drive up Douglas Island to Fish Creek.

The creek is narrow, slow, and dark.

It purls into Gastineau Channel between tree snags and perching bald eagles.

Big kings flush like horses from the tailouts and belly down in the pools.

Fish Creek is a natal stream for one of the Macaulay net pens where chinook are held and imprinted as baby smolts to return as smoking-hot adults.

I measure a short cast to a dark pool beneath an overhanging spruce, power drive a backcast and shoot a line toward the shadow at head of the pool.

The orange yarn-puff with its gauzy white hackle hits the water looking every bit like a clump of salmon eggs.

Split shot carries it to the bottom rolling across pea gravel, drifting into the dark.

There’s a tug ... and another day-tripping fish fight is off and running.

When You Go….

Juneau CVB www.traveljuneau.com 800-587-2201 Whaler’s Cove Lodge www.whalerscovelodge.com 907-788-3123 Moore Charters www.moorecharters.com 907-723-8472 Bear Creek Outfitters www.juneauflyfishing.com 907-723-3914 Westmark Baranof Hotel www.westmarkhotels.com/juneau 907-957-1234 Macaulay Salmon Hatchery www.dipac.net 877-463-2486 Alaska Seaplanes www.flyalaskaseaplanes.com 907-789-3331

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

27

Cap Sante Marina Anacortes, Washington

By Deane Hislop

I

n years past, Arlene and I would visit Anacortes, Washington either on our cruise north to the San Juan Islands and points beyond, or on the return. Located on the northern shore of Fidalgo Island, it was known as the “Gateway to the San Juan Islands” and not considered a cruising destination.

Over the past few years the Port Commission and city leaders have taken steps to increase the town’s

28

| HARBORS

appeal to Northwest boaters, and as a result Anacortes is no longer considered a gateway to somewhere else.

With the latest major improvements to Cap Sante Marina and the historic downtown, Anacortes has taken on a new look and a new brand: “Coast in.

Hang out.”

The recently upgraded marina features include roomy fairways; wide, stable concrete floats for boats up to 130 feet; wheelchair accessibility; 30-

www.harborsmagazine.com

and 50-amp power; and free Wi-Fi. Other marina improvements are a check-in kiosk in the guest moorage area, and covered activity floats with barbeques, which are a big hit with groups and yacht club rendezvous.

The 120-foot Fido’s Fuel Dock offers diesel and ethanol-free gas at among the lowest prices anywhere in the San Juans. For those arriving from Canada, a U.S. Customs clearance office is located in the northeast corner of the

harbor office building.

The marina monitors VHF 66A for slip assignments. Reservations are recommended during the summer months.

The shore-side facilities are well maintained and spotless. Laundry, shower and restroom facilities are located in the harbor office building, at the top of the gangway. A 24/7 self-operated waste pumpout barge is available at no charge. There is also an The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

29

on-dock portable unit available during normal business hours. You will find the marina staff very considerate and helpful. If there is something you need, talk to the staff and they will do everything in their power to fulfill your needs.

For provisioning, there’s a supermarket only a block from the marina, as well as a West Marine store within a five-minute walk. There are ethnic restaurants, pubs, coffee houses, delis, bakeries, book stores, art galleries, antiques and shops of all kinds on the city’s main street, Commercial Avenue; allow time for some serious browsing. Downtown Anacortes is flat and easy to walk; even so, the Port of Anacortes keeps a fleet of complimentary bicycles on hand for use.

The crown jewel of Anacortes’ retail stores is the Marine Supply & Hardware Company with its squeaky wood floors and overflowing bins and shelves. Located at the north end of Commercial Avenue and established in 1913, it’s said to be the oldest continually operating chandlery on the West Coast – and a legend throughout the Pacific Northwest.

We have several favorite restaurants when in town. It’s hard to beat Calico Cupboard Café for breakfast. Gere-aDeli offers a large selection of sandwiches, soups & salads. Enjoy the best pizza in town at Village Pizza/ Wheelhouse Pub; for a great burger it’s the Brown Lantern Ale House.

There is no shortage of selections for dinner: Adrift for Asian and Mediterranean influences; Anthony’s Home Port, overlooking the marina, for Northwest seafood; Frida’s Gourmet Mexican Cuisine is not your average burrito and taco bar; and for Northwest cuisine and locally brewed ales and lagers, the Rockfish Café.

One of Anacortes’ many unique features is the Anacortes Mural Project, brainchild of lifelong resident Bill Mitchell. His vision has resulted in the creation and display of more than 100 life-sized murals, which are based The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

31

on photographs of early life in Anacortes. The murals are an eclectic mix of local characters: mayors, bartenders, gold miners, railway conductors, priests, boxers, musicians, storekeepers, skippers and fishermen.

There are many heritage maritime attractions in Anacortes, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 163-foot steam-powered snag boat W.T. Preston. The fully restored Preston, a National Historic Landmark, is on display ashore a block north of the marina and is open for tours. During her 50 years of service, Preston and its crew kept Puget Sound and river waterways clear of snags and other navigational hazards.

Next door to the Preston is the historic railway depot, and while passenger trains no longer stop here, the building is a community gathering place and is the location of the Saturday Farmers Market (April – October).

There is always something happening in Anacortes, regardless when you visit. Each year, the city hosts a colorful schedule of events including a Salmon Derby in March, On-theWater Boat Shows in April and Oc32

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

tober, the Waterfront Festival in June, Shipwreck Day in July, and the Art Festival in August. The Oyster Run, at the end of September, fills downtown with the Northwest’s largest motorcycle rally. Twice a week during the summer the Port of Anacortes hosts concerts in Seafarers’ Memorial Park, at the south end of the marina.

For a little exercise, we like to follow the esplanade to the east side of the marina, where a trail will lead you to the top of Cap Sante Head, providing rewarding views of the marina, downtown, San Juan Islands and Mount Baker. On a summer evening the view of Fidalgo Bay and the setting sun reflecting on Mount Baker is outstanding.

Visiting boaters are discovering that historic Anacortes, with its updated marina and attractions, is indeed a beautiful location offering something for all ages, making it a cruising destination in and of itself.

When You Go….

Cap Sante Marina www.portofanacortes.com Adrift www.adriftrestaurant.com Anthony’s Home Port www.anthonys.com Calico Cupboard Café www.calicocupboardcafe.com Brown Lantern Ale House www.brownlantern.com Frida’s Gourmet Mexican Cuisine www.fridasgourmet.com Gere-a-Deli www.gere-a-deli.com Rockfish Café www.anacortesrockfish.com Village Pizza/Wheelhouse Pub 360 293-7847

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

33

Ketchikan to Skagway

Alaska

34

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

35

Inl

et

Port alice

et

t

nle

sa I

za Inlet

Nootka islaNd

t Tlupana Inle

Critter Cove

tahsis

m I.

Wo

lls We

Psge.

S

W

Farewell Harbour laton lodge

r

Inl et

ughto n

N. Bro

Eden I.

I.

ow n

led

Ha rb I.

Tur n r I.

ou

Baker I.

ton

gh

br ou

Blackfish lodge

Bonwick I.

nd

Sou

i.

sullivan bay

Jennis bay

Inle t

son

Ali

E

N

Port Harvey

Gilford island

Tribune

sayward

W. T hur low I sla

ke I .

wic

and Chn

l.

Inlet

Kn i ght

blind Channel

Har d

Sunderl

Port Neville

Call

knight inlet adventures lagoon Cove

Thompson Snd .

CamPbell

nd

Cor de

Quadra

t

d

d n Isla

Maurelle Island

Sonora Island

el ann Nodales Ch

Okisollo

nle

rm Ram

Raza I. Pr sage yce r Pas

Stuart I.

knight inlet lodge

East Thurlow Island

gh rou hb o

Inlet

g Lou

kwatsi bay

Pierre’s at echo bay Paddler’s inn

Channel

Kingcome Inlet

shawl bay Frank’s Fishing lodge

Nimmo bay

nd.

disCovery islaNds & desolatioN souNd

Joh w.

Cra nst cro on ft i. e

Hanson I.

alert bay

sund’s lodge

Pacific Outback resort

Vernon Lake

ize

Sey mou

Bel

GreeNway souNd

Numas I.

un d

t So

Nu gen

l

Bligh I.

Strange I.

esperanza

Esperan

Zeballos

trai t

telegraph Cove

ton S

Ma lcol

False Head

Peel & Deer Is.

Hardy Bay

Deserters Group Is.

Walker Group Is.

Port mCNeill

Port Hardy airport

Zeballos In let

kyuQuot souNd Fair Harbour

Drake I.

Neroutsos Inl

Port Hardy

Lake

Victori a

Lake

Alice

Ho lbe rg

et

Inl

Tahs is

ino

Nigei I.

ish Lake Nimpk

Hope I.

ss

www.harborsmagazine.com

Esp

nel

h ug Bro

Lak e

n Cha

. n Is Wakeman S

rdo

ha en C trait Passage

Go

Que eS rlott I

ry

a it Str

ne Chan

Calm Chnl.

Dru

Bute

* seaplane service available at all destinations by charter.

broughton islands desolation sound discovery islands Nanaimo North vancouver island sunshine Coast west vancouver island

bC seaplane service*

Cortes island denman island Hornby island Galiano island mayne island Pender island Powell river Quadra island salt spring island saturna island sunshine Coast southern Gulf islands vancouver victoria

bC Ferries service

toba wildernest

t

| HARBORS

tas

et

Inle

36

e Gol

Inl

f t I. E. Cracro

ro

say A

Port Hardy to Nanaimo

British Columbia

C

Channel

Nootka souNd

Pe

nin

a sul

Flores Island let

Long Beac

h

Haggard Cove

i ern Alb

Parksville

vaNCouver islaNd

t

Gillies bay

r.

Hrb

a Tob

e ll Pow

sakinaw lake lodge

Nelson I.

Jerv is In let Hardy I.

Powell river

Lake

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine riol

a I.

ic Cow han

Galiano I.

Silva Bay

I Narrows

eGmoNt

Pt. Grey

Burrard Inlet

Pt. Atkinson

el

Anvil I.

Horseshoe bay

How e So und Keats I.

Gambier I.

ough Chann el n br

suNsHiNe Coast

bowen island

GibsoNs

sechelt

malibu Camp

Princess louisa inlet Chatterbox Falls

Princess Royal Reach

Salmon Inlet

PeNder Harbour Garden bay madeira Park

Strait of Georgia

N. & S. Thormanby Is.

ach Wales Re

d Hotham Hea Sound Foley of nce Pri

Inle t

toba wildernest

Goat Island

on Red

t Eas

n el

seCret Cove

Gab

Nanaimo Airport

NaNaimo

ose

Nan o

QualiCum beaCH

Hornby I.

lund

I.

Pachena Pt.

bamField

rtus I.

Tza l Trevor Channe

el

Inle

Cameron Lake

Horne Lake

Denman I.

blubber bay

West Redondo Island

o n S o u nd olati Des Mink I.

eti

Henderson Lake

eaGle Nook lodGe

Port alberni

S pr oat La ke

Elsie Lake

Twin Is.

Harwood I.

Savary I.

Hernando I.

Marina I.

D

Ram Raza I. P ge ryce assa eer P

Stuart I.

qu Las

hann agle C rial E Impe

Cen tra

Cape Lazo

Mittlenatch I.

Cape Mudge

Comax

CourtNey

ox Lake Com

oyster river

Campbell River Airport

Cortes Island

Rea

nd

la d Is

Maurelle Island

Island

el

broken Group is.

Lou

.

Gr

el hann don C

dy Lk

Kenn e

ea t

ke La

nn

barkley souNd

Tofn

o In

ClayoQuot wilderNess resort

Gold river

Lower Campbell Lk.

nd Sou

a Ch

Amphitrite Pt.

Inlet

Upper Campbell Lk.

Quadra Island

Okisollo

Sa e bin

uCluelet

Tofino-Ucluelet airport

toFiNo

ClayoQuot souNd

Vargas I.

t

In ert

chal a

b Her

Shelter Inlet

boat basin

Mu

CamPbell river

Passage Discovery

t Tlupana Inle

ahousat

Hot springs Cove

Hes qui at

Bligh I.

Lake Buttle

Calm Chnl.

Sutil Chnl.

rm say A

nl.

Wad dington Ch

Strange I.

el

Cha nn

Mil lar

do I.

Critter Cove

I.

Me are s

d un So we ll Be d

let

Ho mfr ay Channel

disCovery islaNds & desolatioN souNd

Island

Sechelt

islaNd

Penin sula

l

Inlet

Baynes

Texada

Sechelt

Ma Strait

t

sula Penin

ina lasp

nle

Channel Malaspina

Reach

Mon t a g u Ch an n

C ha n ens

Thor

Que

e Lak

HARBORS |

37

Cape Flattery

Neah Bay

Tatoosh I.

Bamfield

False Bay

Lopez Airport

Friday Harbor

Clallam Bay

Sekiu

SAN JUAN ISLANDS

Lime Kiln Pt.

Roche Harbor Airport

Speiden I.

LOPEZ ISLAND

o ait f an u J d

Fidalgo I.

Sooke

Freshwater Bay Angeles Pt.

Sinclair I.

r.

Hrb

C

Maple Bay Duncan

Discovery I.

VICTORIA

Butchart Gardens

Inner Harbour

Sooke Lake

Valdes I.

Kuper I.

Ganges

Sidney I.

James I.

Sidney

Lopez I.

Shaw I.

I

Decatur I.

Blakely I.

Str

Anacortes

Guemes I.

Birch Bay

Samish Bay

Portage I.

Lake Samish

BELLINGHAM Lake Whatcom

Bellingham International Airport

Abbotsford

an Indi

White Rock

Blaine

Bellingham Bay

Sandy Pt. Lummi Bay Lummi I.

Sinclair I.

Cypress I.

Boundary Bay

Boundary Bay Airport

Richmond

Semiahmoo

Matia I.

Sucia I.

Patos I.

Pt. Doughty

Waldron I. l anne nt Ch e Presid

Speiden I.

Iceberg Pt.

Cattle Pt.

Saturna I.

Lyall Harbour

Point Roberts

Tsawwassen

Westham I.

Burrard Inlet

Squamish

VANCOUVER Coal Harbour

Pt. Grey

Pt. Atkinson

Bowen I.

el

Horseshoe Bay

Gambier I.

Anvil I.

CO AS T ough Chann el n br

Thor

How e So und

Keats I.

BEDWELL HARBOUR

Johns I.

Griffin Bay

San Juan Island

Henry I.

Gibsons

Vancouver International Airport/ Fraser River

Mayne I.

Miner’s Bay

GULF ISLANDS

Stuart I.

Moresby I.

Port Washington

Sechelt

Strait of Georgia

Galiano I.

Telegraph Harbour

Thetis I.

Silva Bay

MONTAGUE HARBOUR

Chemainus

Ladysmith

Nanaimo Airport

Nanaimo

ose

Nan o

VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL N. & S. AIRPORT/PATRICIA BAY Pender Is.

Anacortes

a

uc F e

Lake Crescent

a ad n es t a a C St d ite n U Pillar Pt.

Rosario

Mt. Constitution 2,407 ft./734m

Eastsound

Matia I.

Sucia I.

VANCOUVER ISLAND

Allan I.

Burrows I.

Sperry Peninsula

Decatur I.

Blakely I.

ISLAND

ORCAS

Camp Orkila

West Sound

Fisherman Bay

Shaw I.

Jones I. SAN JUAN Deer Harbor ISLAND

Roche Harbor

Henry I.

Waldron I.

d

Johns I.

Skipjack I.

ss I. Cypr e

Soun

Patos I.

s I.

Stuart I.

me Gue

East

Parksville

Bay Sa an ich Inlet

nd

an ich ow

d sula

Sou Barkley

Islan

Orca s

www.harborsmagazine.com ng

rait

West Sound

nel

spri

io St

Stuart Chan

Salt

l anne San Juan Ch

Ros ar

a I.

nd o I.

riol

sla alg

Gab

ich P enin

t

Saan

s Coa ay

ne

Mon t a g u Ch an n

| HARBORS S hi uns

INS NTA Arm

38 U MO

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

WA Seaplane Service*

Gulf Islands Vancouver Nanaimo Victoria Salt Spring Island

BC Seaplane Service*

Anacortes Bainbridge Island Bellingham Bremerton Clinton Coupeville Edmonds Fauntleroy Kingston Mukilteo Port Angeles Port Townsend Southworth Vashon Island

WA Ferries Service

OLYMPIA

Olympia Regional Airport

I.

I.

et Gig Inl Harbor

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine American Lake

Fox I.

each lly R ua

Nisq

on ers

And

r Car

Sequim

Dungeness Spit

I

Maury I.

nd a sl

in

I.

Kingston

Lake Tapps

Auburn

Lake Youngs

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Issaquah

Lake Sammammish

o Kirkland n gt shi Bellevue

Renton

nd ou

Kenmore Air Harbor

Lake Union

SEATTLE

Edmonds

S ion

Hat I.

Langley

Port Susan

Paine Field

ss sse Po

Clinton

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.

Iceberg Pt.

Coupeville Penn

Port Townsend

Protection I.

Kiana Lodge

TACOMA

Tacoma Narrows Br.

n ho s Va

Bremerton

Seabeck

bo

Da

y

a bB

Quilcene

Sequim Bay

Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Tacoma Narrows Airport M cN eil

let

e In Cas

Belfair

A SUL

Brinnon

NIN

P PE

A KITS

Hoo

l

NS

NT AI

OU

M

na d Ca

C

PI

OL YM

Port Angeles

Alderbrook

Lake Cushman

let

Nanaimo Sidney Vancouver Victoria

e I.

sco very Bay

Puge t

Inle

io o I.

Anacortes

Guemes I.

Cypress I.

alg LaConner

Everett

Arlington

S

W

Burlington

Lake Samish

Mount Vernon

Samish Bay

Lake Stevens

Lake Goodwin

Skagit Bay

Fid

Freshwater Bay Angeles Pt.

Lake Wa rcer I.

assage

BC Ferries Service

Harts tin

Indian I. Marro wston e I.

S o u nd

d

t Whi d b ey Isl an

Ho lm

es H arbor

n ma

Bay lla Pad i

Lopez I.

CA

Ros ar

o I. Ca

Saratog a

Lake Crescent

d In Bud

lag

E

N

lley

y

Lake Whatcom

Val le

uam ish V a

git

Ska

DE

Adm iralt y

Me

OU

Cattle Pt.

NS NT AI M SC A

P

a ay Oak B

n

l Sti

HARBORS |

39

On the Waterfront Waterfront Living in the Pacific Northwest

40

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

Elegantly Simple Island Lifestyle Decatur Island, WA Waterfront Home

By Russ Young

What could possibly be more stereotypically “Pacific Northwestern” than living on a houseboat in Seattle?

Actually, there are a multitude of responses. But in the case of Paula Szkody and Don Brownlee, the answer is, “also owning a home in the San Juan Islands.” Which, for them means an elegantly simple home on Washington’s Decatur Island.

To many, a 1,200 square-foot house with “sorta” three bedrooms and a single bathroom may not sound like much, but that opinion might likely change when walking in the front door of Paula and Don’s home. It doesn’t take long to be captivated by the view from the kitchen/dining/living area through three walls of floorto-ceiling windows. And it’s only a few steps onto a spacious deck that overlooks Blakely Island and, in the distance, Rosario Resort. From there, it’s so quiet that they can hear ferries long before they come into view.

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

41

Upstairs, they’ve taken full advantage of the view from the center sleeping loft, which serves as their master bedroom.

It’s apparent that the couple doesn’t require a lot of room to be happy. They first lived together in a 500 square-foot houseboat, and later raised two children on the 1,300 square-foot floating home that they still call home.

The design was a collaborative effort between Paula, Don and architect Tom Lenchek of Balance Associates in Seattle (see sidebar), although much of the inspiration came from photos that Don and Paula saw of Tom’s mountain home in Winthrop, Washington. “Tom did some simple sketches and the design just sort of went “pop,’” says Don. There wasn’t total agreement on all of the elements; Tom admits that he tried to dissuade Paula and Don from surrounding their fireplace with stone. | HARBORS

You’ve found the

Perfect Home Commercial Insurance Employee Benefits Personal Insurance Risk Management Surety

www.psfinc.com Let us customize the

2233 112th Avenue NE Bellevue, Washington 98004 425.709.3600

Perfect Insurance

3800 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 601, Anchorage, Alaska 99503 907.562.2225

But, as he points out the rock fireplace with a smile, “You can see who won that one.”

As casual, comfortable and welcoming as the house is, a conversation with Paula and Don is more likely to center upon the joys of island living as opposed to their dwelling. They came to love Decatur after winning a week’s stay at a house on the island during a fundraising auction. After buying their 130-foot diameter lot – the same size as the other 94 lots in the Decatur Northwest development – they had their home built ten years ago. The couple did most of the interior work themselves, taking another year to complete it.

Living on Decatur Island isn’t for everyone. There is no state ferry service, so access to the island is via personal boat, private ferry service, or by air. San Juan Airlines and private planes can land on the grass-andgravel airstrip at Decatur Shores, The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

43

although the faint-at-heart might reconsider after seeing the sign that reads, “Caution: people, wildlife, holes, mud on runway!”

There is no store; nor is there a restaurant. But to hear Paula and Don describe it, there is a strong sense of community: “Who wants to live on an island by themself?” he asks. There are shared vehicles, a Saturday market, a communal chicken coop with fresh eggs, multiple community gardens, a nine-hole golf course in the evergreens (“Bring lots of balls,” says Paula), tennis courts that host lessons during the summer and a library. The sheep that roam “Sheep Hill” belong to everyone, although professional shearers come in to cut and collect their wool.

Don and Paula are both astronomy professors at the University of Washington (each has an asteroid named after them), so they are sought-after when the community gathers to watch eclipses or meteor showers.

When they do seek a little time away from their 3½ square-mile island, their 22-foot Wellcraft is their ticket to adventure. “It’s freedom,” Paula says. “We walked every trail on the island in our first three years. So the boat gives us access to every island in the San Juans.”

Nonetheless, few of us would blame Paula and Don for being perfectly happy right where they are.

And after sharing a glass of wine and a light lunch on their deck, you’ll realize that “happy,” if not “perfectly” so, is an apt description of these two Decatur Islanders.

44

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

Architect Tom Lenchek Just as island living might not be for everyone, architect Tom Lenchek of Seattle’s Balance Associates can tell you that the same is true for designing and building island homes.

A veteran of a half-dozen such projects, he shares stories about those like one on British Columbia’s Cortes Island. Just to get to the site, he had to fly from Seattle to Vancouver, take a seaplane to Campbell River, then a small boat through high seas to the island – only to find that the power was out at the site. Or he can tell you about the challenges of timing very infrequent tides to get a barge and floating crane close enough to deliver and assemble modular-home sections to a waterfront perch. But he’s also likely to tell you that the principal challenge of building on an island is controlling the cost. Still, after starting his architectural career working on large buildings, he gravitated to residential projects on (hopefully) what he calls “National Park quality” sites.

A Wisconsin native who was drawn to the Pacific Northwest by the opportunities to ski, climb, hike and bike, Tom and his wife have homes in downtown Seattle and Washington’s Methow Valley.

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

45

San Juan Island

SAN JUAN ISLAND

800-262-3596 BeOnSanJuan.com

1

1 • Waters Edge with Dock. Private waterfront cabin on Garrison Bay with a dock right in front and only $695,000.

8 • Elegant Waterfront San Juan Home

2 • Developers Dream or Hideaway,

9 • Panoramic Waterviews. Ten acres with 4200sf lodge style home with water, valley and mountain views.

Private and tastefully updated preserving timeless appeal on two very private lots.

Waterfront with Dock, 3 tax parcels, wells with water and seller terms available.

Private waterfront with two homes, two boat houses, garden, moorage and shop.

4 • 180° Views of San Juan Channel

Waterfront home and guest house perfectly sited on point offering majestic island views.

5 • Classic Neil Bay Waterfront Cabin Park cabin on the water’s edge of sheltered bay near Roche Harbor Resort & Marina.

6 • Custom Built Open Concept Home

on 5 acres with vaulted ceilings, loft master suite, 3bd/2ba and detached garage w/studio.

7 • Vintage Friday Harbor View Home just a few blocks from downtown, Seattle Yacht Club and Capron’s Landing Marina.

-— — — — — — — — -— — — — — —

3 • Blind Bay Acreage with Dock

mls# 783885 / Pat O’Day

2

10 • Water and Mountain Views from

where the eagles soar. 2600+sf home,1100+sf guest house and additional building lot.

11 • Prestigious Waterfront Location

6,800sf home, indoor pool and spa, large deck, prime Orca Whale watching.

12• Exceptional Shaw Island Estate

Striking George Suyama ome on 2parcels of 54+acres and 2100±feet of waterfront.

mls# 728279 / Pat O’Day

3

13• 3 Architectural Shaw Island Gems 2.7 gated acres, 650+ft waterfront, sport court and colorful sunsets.

mls# 745286 / Gregory King ● Sybil Mager

Signature Cape San Juan Beachfront Home Privately sited, elegant captivating home offering a walk-out beach atop sweeping Cattle Pass views. mls# 770236 / Linda McMahon ● Gregory King

10

mls# 788237 / Gregory King ● Sybil Mager

4

mls# 626657 / Pat O’Day

5

mls# 783660 / Pat O’Day

6

mls# 781089 / Rebecca Hughes

7

mls# 476082 / Thalya Harvey ● Pat O’Day

8

mls# 767939 / Mary Jane Anderson

9

mls# 551475 / Gregory King ● Sybil Mager

11

mls# 629289 / Gregory King ● Sybil Mager

12

mls# 774273 / Michael Linehan

13

mls# 585309 / Gregory King ● Sybil Mager

BeOnSanJuan.com

48

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

Seals and Sea Lions of the Pacific Northwest

By Bart Rulon

I

t was a year with an epic pink salmon run, and it was possible to catch 50 fish a day – even from the beach. To keep things interesting I decided to switch gears and try fly fishing. It turns out the fish were lots of fun to fight using a 6-weight fly rod, but then I got way more than I bargained for. I hooked into an average-sized pink salmon and after a few minutes it was starting to tire out from the fight. The fish was almost in when it suddenly took off like a runaway train. Line was peeling out at a speed I had never seen before, and there was no stopping it! What in the world happened? Then it dawned on me that a harbor seal I had seen earlier must have decided to grab my tuckered-out salmon as an easy meal.

What the heck was I going to do?

Luckily, just before I ran out of line the seal decided to drop the salmon.

Harbor seals, California sea lions, Steller sea lions, and northern elephant seals can all be found in the Pacific Northwest. If you’re a scientific type you know that seals and sea lions are classified as pinnipeds from the suborder Pinnipedia. The most abundant of the bunch are harbor

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

49

seals. Harbor seals are 5-6 feet long, and weigh between 130 and 255 pounds. Most seals are gray with dark spots, but they can also be black with white spots and rings. At low tide seals typically haul out of the water to rest and warm themselves up on a favorite secluded rocky island or sandy beach. Harbor seals are not capable of sitting up tall, like a sea lion can, so they have to resort to laying on their bellies or sides. This means they have to bounce around on their bellies in order to move. They are never found far from the water’s edge and only a few bounces away from slipping back into the water for safety. They are very confident and graceful swimmers.

Harbor seals can dive to a depth of 1,500 feet for up to 30 minutes, but 3-7 minutes is more common.

In the spring and summertime, during the pupping season, harbor seal moms commonly leave their young pups on the shore by themselves as they swim out to hunt for food. Many an innocent beachcomber has come across one of these seal pups and falsely assumed it was abandoned and needed rescuing. The pups are often so naïve that you can walk right up to them. It’s best to keep your distance, so you don’t delay the process of mom coming back to feed and protect the pup.

Sea lions are also very common in the Pacific Northwest, and they come in two varieties: California sea lions, and Steller sea lions. We only see male California sea lions in this region because females stay closer to their breeding grounds farther south. They average about 7-1/2 feet long and can weigh between 700 and 1,000 pounds. On the other hand Steller sea lions can be 7-1/2 to 11 feet long.

Females can weigh 770 pounds, and males can reach 2,400 pounds. Like the harbor seal, these two species haul out of the water, especially around low tide. Sea lions can sit up tall, which helps distinguish them from the seals, and they wattle around 50

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

john jacob

rye whiskey Small Batch Distilled from WA & OR Rye

“Genius in A Bottle” Go Meda ld l Winn er

- Sunset Magazine

50 B RYE W EST HIS

“Worth Seeking Out, Plenty of Character”

ISKEYS

-Whisky Advocate Magazine

Top Fifty Rye Whiskeys, Gold Medal Winner • Locally Sourced & Distilled • Hand Crafted in Historic Fremont fremontmischief.com Seattle, WA

It’s time to try our award-winning wines.

Northwest Cellars wines are highly praised, including a Double Platinum, Platinum, 8 Double Gold, and 24 Gold Medals.

Order online at: http://www.

NorthwestCellars.com/ wines.html Or call (425) 825-9463 Or scan this code

Get 15% off when you mention this ad.

Offer expires March 31, 2015 Bob Delf: Owner, Wine Geek

11909 124th Avenue NE Kirkland, WA 98034 (425) 825-9463 info@northwestcellars.com www.northwestcellars.com © Richard Duval Images

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

51

from side to side to “walk” on their flippers. California sea lions typically have a chocolate-brown coloration, whereas Steller sea lions are a lighter, tan color.

California sea lions are the only species in this area that bark. Steller sea lions may growl and groan at each other, but they don’t bark, and harbor seals are usually pretty quiet.

Male California sea lions have a distinct bump on their forehead called a sagittal crest which is one of the first things to look for when a pinniped’s head pops up at the surface. If you get a close look at a sea lion, you’ll see that they have tiny external ear flaps, which seals lack.

Sea lions are capable of jumping out of the water and pulling themselves up on a buoy with the aid of their front flippers, which seals can’t.

It often takes several attempts for a sea lion to make it up on a buoy, especially if there are others already up there playing “king of the mountain.”

Watching the process can be really entertaining.

You may come across a seal or sea 52

| HARBORS

lion with large numbers branded on their sides. Marine biologists brand both to better understand population dynamics, migration patterns, habitat use, and conflicts with humans. These large permanent numbers make it much easier to study the animals from a distance without interrupting their normal behaviors. Some California sea lions have been branded because they have a habit of feeding on endangered salmon and steelhead runs at dams, fish ladders, and waterfalls, where the fish are particularly vulnerable to predation.

The largest pinniped found in Pacific Northwest waters, but the most rare, is the northern elephant seal. Females can weigh up to 1,700 pounds and be 10 to 12 feet long, but the males can be 14 feet long and reach a whopping 5,000 pounds. They look like a small car! These animals are champion deep and long divers, capable of reaching depths of 5,000 feet and staying under for almost 2 hours.

Dives of 1,000 to 2,000 feet for 2030 minutes are more common. The most obvious feature of the elephant

www.harborsmagazine.com

seal is the male’s big floppy nose, called a proboscis. When he surfaces from a long dive you might see him resting to catch his breath with that proboscis pointing straight up.

All pinnipeds are opportunistic feeders, and eat a large variety of fish species, squid, octopus and crustaceans. Harbor seals have the widest variety in their diets, including over 60 different types of prey; elephant seals are known to feed on sharks.

All four species’ populations were in decline until they became protected from hunting in the early 1970s both in Canada and the U.S. Since then their populations have increased significantly to the point where some may be at or near their carrying capacity. Increasing populations of pinnipeds has led to more sightings of transient orcas, which feed on marine mammals.

If you spend any time boating or just walking the beaches in the Pacific Northwest you will likely come across seals or sea lions. Hopefully you will now have a better idea exactly what species you are looking at.

54

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

SEAPLANE WINERY TOUR

By Russ Young

Y

ou might assume that as “The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine” HARBORS wouldn’t be featuring the rolling hills of eastern Washington state. However, we decided that in this issue we should include a story set in a place nearly 100 miles (as a de Havilland Beaver flies) inland from Puget Sound.

Truth be told, our unanimous decision was made while sitting on the deck at Rio Vista Wines in Chelan, Washington, enjoying the view of the Columbia River and sipping a delightful summer wine called “Sunset on the River.” But Rio Vista is indeed a destination for both seaplanes and boats, and we hope you will agree that a visit there – flying in via Chelan Seaplanes – is a unique Northwestern experience.

It’s safe to say that although some wine-tasting tours might start with a greeting from the winemaker, a trip to Rio Vista (Washington’s only waterfront winery) is the only one where the vintner will wade out to help pull your seaplane up to the beach, and help you keep your feet dry as you step to shore.

But casual, comfortable and friendly are the principles by which everyone at Rio Vista operates, and it starts with owner/winemaker John Little. The same holds true for the folks at Chelan Seaplanes, who partner with the winery for this unique The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

55

aerial experience for oenophiles.

The winery-tour-by-seaplane starts on Washington’s largest lake, 50-mile long Lake Chelan. One of Chelan Seaplanes’ distinctive yellow-and-orange Beavers will take you for a tenminute scenic flight over the hills between the lake and the river. After landing – and perhaps, a waters-edge greeting from John, and/or “Rocky,” the winery’s black Labrador Retriever – you walk up a sandy beach and through the three-acre vineyard to the winery itself.

Inside, you can taste wines with names like Whacky White and Loony Red, but the medals that Rio Vista wines have received will let you know that their business is no laughing matter. The 2013 Riesling Estate, the 2013 Viognier, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and the aforementioned 2013 Whacky White have all brought home gold medals from wine competitions.

Make sure you give yourself time to enjoy the gallery of works by artist Kerry Siderius. Her work is centered on eastern Washington’s vineyards, orchards, rolling hills, lakes and rivers. Take a close look at Rio Vista’s labels, many of which feature her original works.

You can get an informal tour of the operation by John, a former schoolteacher, carpenter and orchardist.

He began making wine from kits as a hobby and planted his first grapes in 2000. But it became a profession after he and his wife Jan, also a former schoolteacher, both retired in 2004 and moved to Rio Vista. They now grow an impressive variety of their own grapes, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In addition to hosting weddings and renting out a room for two that has a wonderful view of the river, Rio Vista hosts a variety of events yearround, starting with a New Year’s Day sledding party to spring barrel-

tasting in May and the fall crush in October.

Chelan Seaplanes’ winery-toursby-air are seasonal; you’ll want to check their website for available dates and additional information.

Once you and your wine have made it back to their dock on Lake Chelan, you may want to inquire about a 40-minute flight up the lake to the village of Stehekin – the scenery is breathtaking.

If you’re a boater, you can land yourself at the beach below the vineyard; Rio Vista’s website will tell you what you need to know. (And although we’re partial to seaplanes and boats, you can drive to the winery, or visit their new tasting room, “The Cabin,” in the Lake Chelan community of Manson.)

But if you’re out tasting wine, it’s a great idea to have a designated driver, and who can think of a more responsible “driver” than a professional seaplane pilot? So we recommend that you try tasting-by-air at Rio Vista ... a unique and unforgettable experience for your senses of taste, smell and sight. www.riovistawines.com www.chelanseaplanes.com 58

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

59

60

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

Ivory Kings The Other White Meat

By Terry Thompson

T

he line on your fishing rod screams as it peels off the reel, causing your heart to race in anticipation of fighting, and hopefully landing, the iconic king (Chinook) salmon that is doing its best to dive to the ocean depths. While catching these magnificent fish can be thrilling, it can be equally as exciting to anticipate the joys of sharing the bounty with friends and family around the dinner table.

King salmon are arguably one of the most sought-after fish for sport anglers; they are also one of the finest delicacies to grace your table. But did you know that kings can have differently colored flesh – red, white or even marbled?. In my mind, each color has its own wonderful texture and flavor; yet my favorite at any moment is the one sitting on the plate in front of me. My perfect scenario would be to have a small fillet of all three at once, so I could continue my ongoing research into which tastes better.

Most king salmon have a flesh color that ranges from reddish orange to pinkish-red. Not long ago the whitefleshed king salmon was considered less desirable by commercial fishers and restaurateurs. Today, the white or ivory king is highly sought-after and brings a premium price at the market or restaurant. Catching a white king is entirely by chance, so their availability to both the sport angler and consumer is highly variable, depending on the luck of the day.

So are these the same fish, or are they a different sub-species of Chinook salmon? And, what causes this difference in flesh color?

No matter the color, they are exactly the same species of fish. Known by biologists as Onchorhynchus tshawytscha, or Chinook salmon, they are the largest of the Pacific salmon and have many different local names with the most common being “king.” The difference in flesh color comes from their genetically determined ability to metabolize naturally occurring pigments from their food. These pigments, called carotenoids, are found in their diet of shrimp, krill, and crabs—crustaceans that are rich in astaxanthin, a carotenoid found in most marine life. Good analogies would be the or-

ange beta-carotene found in carrots or the bright-red carotene lycopene found in tomatoes. White-fleshed king salmon don’t have the genetic ability to break down their food and store the red-orange carotene in their muscle cells. The marbled flesh color sometimes found in king salmon comes from their limited ability to metabolize carotene, causing the flesh to take on a marbled look. Often, this marbled flesh is more reddish towards the spine and whiter near the belly.

The trait that keeps these fish from taking on the red pigment is passed on or inherited from the adult spawners to their offspring. The ability to metabolize carotenoids is a dominant trait; as a result, the majority of king salmon have red flesh.

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

61

62

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

Essentially, all white kings come from the rivers and streams from the Fraser River in British Columbia, north to the Chilkat River in Southeast Alaska. Biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimate that approximately 5 percent of the king population in this region carry the recessive trait that produces the white flesh. However, there are river systems where upwards of 30 percent of their fish have the white flesh trait. That said, there are some smaller river systems within the Fraser River watershed where nearly 100 percent of the population are white-fleshed kings!

There are some anglers who feel they can predict if the salmon on their line is either a white or red king, depending on how it reacts when caught. But the only tried-and-true method to determine its flesh color is when cleaning your daily catch.

A diet that includes wild salmon has been shown to yield health benefits.

Some studies have shown that both red and white kings are very similar in terms of their composition of heathy lipids, moisture, protein and omega-3 fatty acids, or the “good” fats.

Seafood chefs rave about the meltin-your-mouth flavor of the white king, but most don’t prepare them much differently than the red-fleshed fish. Each fillet brings a show-stopping delicacy to the dinner plate.

When dining out you can expect to pay more for the white or marbled king, since their supply is extremely limited and unpredictable.

Bottom line: if you want to join with me in my taste-testing research on king salmon, I would encourage you to buy a fishing license, and get out to enjoy your local fishing spots along the Pacific coast. Who knows … you might be that lucky angler bringing home a beautiful white king.

But wherever your fishing trip takes you, enjoy the day and keep fishing for and eating sustainable wild salmon.

By Seaplane or Boat. . .

However you arrived – We’ve already been there.

From Washington to Alaska, Your Source for Marinas, Restaurants, Services, Points of Interest, etc.

To get your copy call

(425) 488-3211 or visit

www.boattravel.com

Locally owned & operated since 1974. Spacious one and two bedroom suites in the heart of downtown. Complimentary shuttle to and from Victoria Harbour Terminal.

Mention HARBORS Magazine and

SAVE 10% off the daily quoted rate

Call us at 1-800-663-5891 | www.chateauvictoria.com

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

63

EXPERIENCE THE WEST COAST WITH

Your West Coast Island adventure would not be complete without exploring the beauty of Tofino and Clayoquot Sound by air in our classic DeHavilland Beaver. Tofino Air offers spectacular scenic flights, scheduled flights for a soak in the Hot Springs and charters to remote locations only accessible by floatplane or boat. All you need to do is sit back, focus your camera and enjoy your time with us.

250-725-4454 1-866-486-3247 www.tofinoair.ca

64

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

65

66

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

67

Water, Water ...Everywhere

By Tom Tripp

“… nor any drop to drink,” says the quote from Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. If you’re in your boat, cruising through remote Northwest Passages, or hiking through primeval rainforests on the Olympic Peninsula, you will eventually need water to drink. Here are two different solutions for you – one for fresh water and one for salt water.

Fresh-Water Solution – Naked Filter This is a truly revolutionary product that, quite aside from what it will do for hikers and campers, may well change life itself for the hundreds of millions of people on the planet who do not have access to safe drinking water. The Naked Filter is a Kickstarter-funded project of Silicon Valley startup Liquidity. It uses a unique, nano-fiber membrane tech68

| HARBORS

nology that filters 99.9999 percent of the microorganisms in any water sample. You simply fill the 24-ounce water bottle, screw on the cap with the filter inside, and drink away happily, knowing you are drinking water that is clean, clear and safe. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that the water flows through the filter virtually as if there was no filter. You don’t have to squeeze the bottle hard, only to get just a trickle.

Victor Hwang, the founder and acting CEO of the company, thinks it will be perfect for outdoor enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest. “Naked Filter will be a great companion for fresh water kayakers, boaters, fishermen and river rafters. Thirsty? Just lean over the gunwhales, fill the bottle from the lake or river, screw on the cap and drink your fill. Though the

www.harborsmagazine.com

surface water in the Pacific Northwest is often beautifully clear, Naked Filter will protect you from the invisible Giardia and E. Coli, from animal and human waste, that may be lurking.”

However, Hwang added a reminder that the Naked Filter does not desalinate seawater: “So for the oceangoing sailors, keep in mind we won’t save you if you are lost at sea.”

The filter for the water bottle works as effectively on its last day as on its first. The filter will gradually clog with whatever was in the water and the flow will stop. That’s how you know it’s time to change the filter. The Naked Filter has just gone into production and will be available in retail outlets later this summer. You can pre-order at www.nakedfilter.com. A bottle and one filter are $23.99; a three-pack of replacement filters is the same price.

KATADYN Powersurvivor 40E : The world‘s smallest electrical desalinator.

Saltwater Solution – KATADYN PowerSurvivor 40E/80E Watermakers If you’re cruising in remote saltwater, as many do in the waters that stretch from Puget Sound to Alaska, you will probably need a source of fresh water to replenish your tanks. The only way to do this without a stop at a dock or marina is with a reverse-osmosis watermaker installed on your boat. It’s quite a bit more of an initial investment than the Naked Filter for freshwater filtering, but getting the salt out of the ocean is a more challenging task.

A reverse-osmosis watermaker makes fresh water by forcing salt water through a special membrane at very high pressure. The KATADYN brand of DC-powered watermakers is a popular one among recreational boaters.

Their PowerSurvivor 40E is a compact, efficient watermaker that can run for hours, using only four amps of power. It produces about oneand-a-half gallons per hour, which makes it appropriate for sailboats and cruising boats with a couple of people aboard. The PowerSurvivor 80E uses eight amps but will produce four gallons per hour, suitable for larger powerboats and groups of people. The 80E will run you about $5,000; the 40E about $4,000. A typical installation will feature a raw-water pickup, sometimes T’d off the engine raw-water pickup, a pre-filter to take out larger contaminant particles, and a wastewater discharge. The waste discharge is important because reverse-osmosis watermakers only convert about 10% of the incoming salt water into fresh. The rest is used to flush the membrane and carry off contaminants. To learn more, check out www.katadyn.com

Naked Filter: A revolutionary breakthrough in providing clean, safe drinking water.

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

69

Don’t Miss Our Next Issue September/October 2015 Connecting People, Places, Adventure and Lifestyle

HARBORS The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

Great Bear Rainforest Boating Gear

San Juan Island Winter Fishing

Misty Fjords Air Gulf of Georgia Cannery Foss Waterway

USD $6.95 CAN $7.95

70

|

More great destinations to explore.

Subscribe today! www.harborsmagazine.com HARBORS www.harborsmagazine.com

PUZZLE SOLUTION (complete puzzle on page 82)

HARB ORS

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

71

Destinations

Seaplane & Boating

Pacific Sands Beach Resort, Tofino, BC

With blankets wrapped warmly around us and wineglasses in hand, my friends and I have settled into the Sand Dollar Suite at the Pacific Sands Beach Resort in Tofino, B.C., and are taking full advantage of our beachfront location. We are ensconced in a row of Adirondack chairs on the westfacing deck, for a front-row seat to the fiery oranges and reds of a spectacular February sunset.

Four girlfriends and I have booked the resort’s winter storm-watching package, but it’s turning out to be a weekend of stunningly beautiful weather and we’re in a prime location to enjoy it. Our two-bedroom suite, with its wraparound deck, is only a few feet from the sands of beautiful Cox Bay, renowned for its surfing and tidal pools.

The family-owned resort, with its 1,000 feet of beachfront, was purchased in 1972 by the Pettinger fam72

| HARBORS

ily and after 40-plus years under their ownership, has only recently changed hands to new owner, Gordon Nelson, a Vancouver-based entrepreneur. The suites and beach houses that comprise the resort sit on 40 acres and are a short drive from both Long Beach and the charming seaside town of Tofino.

With its vaulted ceilings and floorto-ceiling view of the ocean, our suite in the beachfront building is spacious and comfortable. While the bathroom fixtures could do with some updating, everything is spotlessly clean. There’s a fully equipped kitchen (with complimentary Tofino Coffee Company coffee!), a gas BBQ on the deck, a gas fireplace in the living room and enough rain slickers for all of us. With a queen bed in one bedroom and a king in the other, four of us enjoy the comfy pillow-top mattresses while the fifth sleeps on the queen-sized sofa bed in the living room.

www.harborsmagazine.com

By Pat Awmack

As this is a signature suite, it has own personal hot tub on the outside deck—quite a treat, as we all retire there after dinner to soak and listen to the constant roar of the ocean on the nearby shore. A stay in one of the newer beach houses—which have the option of one, two, or three bedrooms— includes upgraded amenities such as a gourmet kitchen, a double soaker-tub, 300-thread count sheets, down duvets and pillows, a fireplace in the master bedroom and in-suite laundry.

Each suite or house comes complete with at least one flat-screen TV and a DVD player. Bring your own DVDs or borrow from the 500-movie library in the main office. It’s requested that you make a donation of $2 to the Raincoast Interpretive Centre in lieu of a rental fee. Although we had the best of intentions and planned to watch movies, we found long walks on the beach and the crisp ocean air a

strong soporific, and were all in bed by 10:00 pm every night.

The main office also houses a 24hour coin-operated laundry and an Espresso bar as well as heaps of board games, beach toys and boogie boards.

Bike rentals are available, allowing you to take advantage of the paved bike path into Tofino. Although complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort, until the installation of the new fibre-optic cable to Tofino is completed in early 2016, Wi-Fi service tends to be spotty and frustrating.

There is, however, a computer in the office which is available to guests.

Pacific Sands, with its expanse of lawn, easy access to the beach, and kids’ camps and s’mores roasts during the peak months of July and August, is a the perfect location for a family vacation. At camp, kids will learn coastal survival skills, go on nature walks, and learn about the local sea life.

The resort is also a favorite for girls’ weekends, but also as a romantic getaway for couples – and it really is the perfect place for dog-owners to vacation with their pet. Certified as a petfriendly resort, the resort welcomes furry friends by providing them dog dishes, treats and pet towels. There are even pet-wash stations, handy when your dog has been cavorting on the beach.

There is no restaurant on-site, but every suite does have a kitchen. We’ve dined at the Sandbar Bistro at neighboring Long Beach Lodge in the past, and on this visit we drove five minutes into Tofino to dine at Wolf in the Fog, voted Canada’s Best New Restaurant for 2014 by Air Canada’s enRoute magazine. I highly recommend both restaurants.

Getting to Tofino involves a ferry from Vancouver and a three-hour drive across Vancouver Island. Or you can fly, on either a charter or scheduled flight, into the Tofino airport or Tofino Harbor. Contact the resort to book the complimentary shuttle from either.

Pacific Sands Beach Resort 1421 Pacific Rim Highway PO Box 237 Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0 800.565.2322 www.pacificsands.com The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

73

Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, Ucluelet, BC

The road from Nanaimo to Ucluelet cuts across the width of Vancouver Island, winding around mountains and past swift-moving rivers and lakes. I was on my way to Black Rock Resort, a beautiful oceanfront haven situated on a rocky headland, overlooking the pounding waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Having popped in a couple of years ago for a look around, I was thrilled to finally be able to soak up some of its west coast ambiance for myself.

For me, one of the draws of this resort is its natural setting; the grounds are covered with typical west coast foliage so the moment I arrived, I felt completely at home. Surprisingly, I found out from Adele Larkin, general manager of the resort, that some visitors have been disappointed to not find more manicured grounds.

She explained, “Once construction was complete, in an effort not to overpower the natural features of the property, we deliberately re-natural74

| HARBORS

ized the 8.3 acres back to its original state. It’s disappointing when people complain about how unkempt the grounds are.” Believe me, they’re not – it’s all intentional.

The main building straddles the drive and entryway; its blue-grey wings bring to mind the undulations of the adjacent ocean. Larkin mentions that they remind her of the outspread wings of an eagle, so I guess it’s all about perception. The design of the resort, with its rock, steel, glass, and wood features, both enhances and contrasts the wild landscape.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby—as well as in the suites—not only optimize the natural light, even on the greyest of days, but allow for breathtaking ocean and sunset views.

Adele recounts to me how, even after working there for six years, when there’s a beautiful sunset, she and other employees call each other out to the deck to watch the sun slip gently

www.harborsmagazine.com

By Pat Awmack

over the edge of the Pacific. Unfortunately, when I was there, it was a drizzly February day and there was no sun to be seen!

In keeping with the theme of bringing the outdoors inside, the walk to my suite was down corridors of soft greens and browns, making me feeling that I could be walking a forest path rather than a hotel corridor. My one-bedroom Lodge Suite didn’t disappoint. It was more spacious than I could have imagined, with a deck running the length of the suite. If it hadn’t been raining, I probably would have spent my entire stay sitting outside, watching the ocean roll in.

The one-bedroom suites here are perfect for family vacations, as most sleep four, have a separate living/dining room area and a full kitchen. I could quite happily have lived there indefinitely. The heated slate floors, soaker tubs, and rain shower heads in the bathroom were nice touches

and the “L”-shaped sofa in the living room was the perfect place to curl up later that evening.

With time to kill before dinner, I headed outside to explore the beach.

Once outside, it’s obvious where the resort gets its name. Black rocky outcroppings surround the resort, and if you look closely enough, you can see flights of cormorants perched above the water line. Overhead, a bald eagle soars and the waves whoosh gently against the shore with its piles of driftwood.

Next, it was on to the Float Lounge, with its cozy fireplace, for a fortifying drink to banish the chill of the outdoors. As the light faded, I sampled one of the specialty cocktails the bar is known for. From there, I moved on to the dining room, the Fetch Restaurant, where my meal began with an amuse bouche that consisted of tuna on a profiterole with spicy relish and cream. It’s the first time I’ve ever had a server tell me the name of the boat that the tuna was caught from – the chef firmly believes in only serving fresh, seasonal seafood.

The resort is steps from the Wild Pacific Trail, a three-section hike that allows you to skirt the clifftops and shorelines of the west coast of Vancouver Island. Hikers walk through old-growth forest with massive logs, tangled roots, mosses, lichens and massive ferns. Be sure to ask for a trail map at the front desk before embarking on it. Oh – and watch for wildlife. On a recent half-marathon that included a stretch of the trail some of the runners ran into a black bear.

It’s simply one of the joys of living in British Columbia.

Black Rock Oceanfront Resort 596 Marine Drive Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0 877.762.5011 www.blackrockresort.com The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

75

Rosario Resort, Orcas Island, WA

Orcas Island is one of 172 islands that make up the archipelago known as the San Juan Islands. As the largest of the San Juans, the horseshoeshaped island springs to life in summer, both on and off the water.

Whether traveling to Orcas by boat, ferry or seaplane, the island has long been a destination for city-weary residents searching for a calmer slice of life.

One of its earlier residents was Robert Moran, a shipbuilder and former mayor of Seattle who constructed a palatial estate known as “Rosario in Eastsound.” Located on 76

| HARBORS

40 acres overlooking Cascade Bay, the Moran Mansion was completed in 1909. The family eventually sold it, and since 1960 Rosario has been a popular destination for travelers.

Owned by the Barto family since 2008, Rosario Resort & Spa features 107 guest rooms located in three areas surrounding the Moran Mansion.

Although there are no guest rooms in the mansion, which is on the National Historic Register, the Mansion Restaurant is located on the lobby level and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner – all with water

www.harborsmagazine.com

By Sue Frause

views. The adjacent Moran Lounge, housed in the mansion’s original living room, features fireside cocktails and a bar menu. Presiding over both is Executive Chef Dan Koommoo, most recently with Novelty Hill and Januik Wineries in Woodinville, WA. The seasonal Cascade Bay Grill & General Store is a short walk from the mansion, overlooking the Rosario Marina and featuring casual, outdoor dining.

On the second floor of the Moran Mansion is a museum, which pays homage to Robert Moran. It features original photos from the early 1900s

and a display of ships built by the Moran Brothers Company in Seattle. Don’t miss the afternoon musical presentation by Christopher Peacock, Rosario’s general manager.

Grab a cocktail in the bar and head up to the second floor, where the accomplished pianist will share his musical talents on the 1900 Steinway grand piano and the 1,972-pipe Aeolian organ. Presented MondaySaturday at 4 p.m. in the summer months, it combines music, historical photos and tales of times gone by at Rosario.

On the lower garden level of the Moran Mansion is The Spa at Rosario, featuring treatment rooms, exercise and weight rooms, sauna, whirlpool and a historic tiled indoor pool. There are also two outdoor pools, one at the mansion for adults only and a family pool located at the marina. Other recreational activities include kayaking, whale watching/wildlife cruises and fishing charters.

Just a few miles away from Rosario Resort & Spa is Moran State Park, made up of more than 5,000 acres donated by Robert Moran to the state of Washington. With 30plus miles of trails for hiking or mountain biking, and five freshwater lakes, you can also drive to the top of 2,409-foot Mt. Constitution for a 360-degree view of the San Juans, Vancouver Island, the Cascades and the Olympics. Back down the mountain, swimming and paddle-boat rentals are available at Cascade Lake Picnic Area.

Rosario Resort & Spa 1400 Rosario Road Eastsound, WA 98245 360.376.2222 800.562.8820 www.rosarioresort.com

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

77

Who’s Who in the Pacific NorthwesT Connecting People, Places, Adventure and Lifestyle…

Meet some of the faces and characters of the Seaplane and Boating Destinations around the Pacific Northwest. If you ever run into them along your travels be sure to stop and say hello!

Lisa Samuelson Occupation Owner, Samuelson Communications – Seattle

Birthplace Melbourne, Australia

John Bausch Occupation Marina manager, Salmon

Bay Marine Center – Seattle

Birthplace Seattle Hometown Haines, AK Favorite PNW Destination Mt. Rainier National Park

Best Boating & Fishing Destination Lynn Canal, AK Favorite Eatery Kickin’ Boot, in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood Best Meal Buttermilk fried chicken

Birthplace Vancouver, WA

Best Boating & Fishing Destination Reid Harbor, Stuart

Operations, Promech Air/Alaska Cruises Inc.

Hometown Ketchikan, AK Favorite PNW Destination Bellingham, WA

Best Boating & Fishing Destination Seward, AK

Favorite Eatery

Ray’s Boathouse, Seattle

Hobbies Home improvement and woodworking.

Favorite Read John Grisham novels

Most memorable experience on the waters of the PNW

Hobbies

| HARBORS

Favorite PNW Destination

The North Cascades Highway - more of a journey than a destination. It’s a great road trip with incredible scenery and some great hikes along the way.

Best Meal

Most of my boating experience is in Southeast Alaska in Lynn Canal and near Juneau, fishing commercially for salmon and crab. My first time on watch on a “big boat” (45 feet), I had the midnightto-5 a.m. watch. The last thing the skipper said before disappearing down the stairs was, “Watch out for icebergs.” I spent the entire five hours wishing the sodium lights would reach farther than they did and thinking every piece of seaweed was ice. Needless to say, I did not need coffee to stay awake that night

Hometown Mercer Island, WA

Occupation Director of Tour

Favorite Read Lord of the Rings

trilogy

78

Tony Hancuff

Ray’s Pacific Northwest Chowder, followed by the pan-seared halibut

Boating, flying, fishing in Alaska

Most memorable experience on the waters of the PNW

Several years ago, three friends and I kayaked through the San Juan Islands.

Starting in Friday Harbor, we spent five days tooling around the area.

www.harborsmagazine.com

Island. While you’re there be sure to do the six-mile round trip hike across the island to the Turn Point Lighthouse and take a picnic lunch. The view from the lighthouse of Haro Straight and Boundary Pass is stunning.

Best Meal Oysters gathered from

the beach in Cortes Bay, BC, slurped straight from the shell, washed down by champagne.

Hobbies Waterskiing, swimming, snow skiing, travel (anywhere and everywhere, I always make sure both of my passports are current!), running, cooking, reading.

Most memorable experience on the waters of the PNW My

husband and I were cruising in South East Alaska on a friend’s restored 1930 Tongass ranger boat. We came across a pod of humpback whales “bubble-net feeding.” That’s when the whales swim in a circle around a school of fish, blowing bubbles to create a “net” to trap the fish.

The ring of bubbles encircles the school, and eventually the whales break the circle and gulp thousands of fish in one swallow. It only occurs for a few weeks every year and Alaska is the only place in the world where this cooperative feeding occurs. It was thrilling to watch the whales lunge straight out of the water.

Who’s Who in the Pacific NorthwesT

Michelle Dunn

Sean Griffin

Vince MOrlet

Occupation Director of Communi-

Occupation Photographer and

Occupation Owner, Tapenade

Birthplace Toronto, Ontario

Birthplace McCloud, CA

Birthplace Los Angeles

Hometown North Vancouver, BC

Hometown Anderson Island, WA

Hometown Richmond, BC

Favorite PNW Destination

Favorite PNW Destination

Favorite PNW Destination

Best Boating & Fishing Destination The boating is

Best Boating & Fishing Destination Carlson Cove,

cations at Tourism Richmond, BC

Steveston Village in Richmond

outstanding between Richmond, the Sunshine Coast and up past Savary Island to Desolation Sound

Favorite Eatery When I’m in

journalist

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Anderson Island

Favorite Eatery

Moctezuma’s – Tacoma, WA

Favorite Read Freddy and Fredericka

Steveston and want a patio experience with great BC wines and fresh seafood, either Blue Canoe or Tapenade Bistro

by Mark Halpirn

Favorite Read The English Patient

Acapulco margarita

by Michael Ondaatje

Hobbies Running, swimming, tennis, and exploring and dining my way around the PNW with friends and family. We hope to buy a boat this year and I’d love to begin stand-up paddle boarding.

Most memorable experience on the waters of the PNW

I have had many great local BC experiences and I’m always looking for a chance to get out on the water.

I’m grateful for a morning outing on a prawn-fishing boat out of Steveston with Frank Keitsch of Organic Ocean, followed by a delicious seafood meal.

Frank even let me drive the boat!

There was also a perfect day trip with friends in their Boston Whaler.

We cruised up Howe Sound, went swimming and waterskiing, and then stopped on Bowen Island for lunch.

Of course on every trip you see plenty of wildlife and the scenery is always breathtaking.

Best Meal Carne asada with an Hobbies Photography, karaoke,

bowling

Most memorable experience on the waters of the PNW

I have next to no experience fishing.

But when it was squid season, I got a rod, reel and squid jig, and set up near a group of teenage boys. It was almost midnight on a freezing January night. Thanks to their spotlight, I could see squid caressing my jig with their tentacles, then darting away. Moments later, I’d see one of the kids hauling in a squid – “my” squid. By 2:30 a.m., squidless, I’d had enough. I asked the boys their secret. “I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong,” I said. “I see the squid come up to my jig, but they don’t bite.” “Well that explains it,” one said, “Squid don’t bite; you have to snag ‘em, We’ve been trying to figure out what the hell you’re doing, letting them all escape!” I still have next to no experience fishing. But I know – at least in theory – how to catch a squid.

Bistro – Steveston, BC

La Conner, WA and Comox Valley, BC

Best Boating & Fishing Destination Boating: Indian Arm Provincial Park, BC; and Fishing: Stamp River – Port Alberni, BC

Favorite Eatery

Hilltop Bistro – Nanaimo, BC

Best Meal

Anything with fresh local fish

Favorite Read The Economist

magazine

Hobbies

Travel, hiking, canoeing, fishing

Most memorable experience on the waters of the PNW

On a cold and rainy weekday last December we ventured out on the Stamp River near Port Alberni -- and we were the ONLY boat on the river that day. It was amazing to be out alone, with no one else but the fish; a totally serene and private experience in our own backyard.

The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine

HARBORS |

79

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Solution on page 71

HARBORS

ACROSS:

2. A stationary device used to secure a rope aboard a vessel 5. A facility where ships or boats are built and repaired 6. A member of a vessel’s crew involved in commissary duties or in personal services to passengers or other crew members 7. A type of fishing boat designed to catch herring in a long drift net, used in Netherlands and Great Britian 12. One who engages in an act of piracy 13. A bed or sleeping accommodation on a boat or ship 14. A beam extending out from the hull, used to support an anchor when raised in order secure or “fish” it 16. A long journey by ship 18. The compartment at the bottom of the hull of a ship or boat where water collects and must be pumped out of the vessel 19. Navigational instrument showing the direction of the vessel in relation to the Earth’s geographical poles or magnetic poles 22. Washington State Ferry terminal just northwest of Seattle 23. The anchor line, rope or cable connecting the anchor chain to the vessel 24. A person who steers a ship 25. A unit of speed: 1 nautical mile (1.8520 km; 1.1508 mi) per hour 27. A small flag, typically triangular, flown from the masthead of a yacht to indicate yacht-club membership 28. A person who designs, builds and repairs ships 30. Afloat and unattached in any way to the shore or seabed,

82

| HARBORS

www.harborsmagazine.com

but not under way 31. A shadow-draft, lightweight boat, about 5 to 7 meters long with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bow 32. To tie up along a pier or wharf

DOWN:

1. A hallway of a ship 3. The person lawfully in command of a vessel 4. The principal flag or banner flown by a ship to indicate her nationality 8. A fishing boat that uses a dragnet to catch fish 9. A large sail flown in front of the vessel while heading downwind 10. To make fast a line around a fitting, usually a cleat 11. A depth finder that is uses sound waves to determine the depth of the water 15. A flat-bottomed vessel used as a ferry, barge, or car float 17. The maximum speed of a ship; faster than “full speed” 20. A vessel used to provide transportation services for people and supplies to and from shore for a larger vessel 21. The area towards the stern of a small decked vessel that houses the rudder controls 26. The aft “wall” of the stern; often the part to which an outboard unit or the drive portion of the stern-drive is attached 29. A rope that ties something off

A L E X A N D E R M A R I N E U S A™

www.alexandermarineusa.com

visit our SUMMER OFFICE in Roche Harbor!

OPEN JUNE - SEPTEMBER 11AM-5PM, WED-MON

2014 90’ OCEAN ALEXANDER JUST arrived in Roche Harbor!

JUST ARRIVED

2016 85’ OCEAN ALEXANDER Roche Harbor

2015 44’ TIARA COUPE Roche Harbor

206.344.8566 949.515.7700

| SEATTLE, WA | NEWPORT BEACH, CA

2012 78’ OCEAN ALEXANDER

OUR TRADE

Roche Harbor

2015 36’ TIARA Roche Harbor

*AMU is the official dealer for Tiara and Pursuit sport yacht models in the Pacific Northwest and operates as the full-line dealer for Pursuit in California. AMU is the exclusive dealer for Ocean Alexander yachts on the West Coast.

www.alexandermarineusa.com

Q U A L I T Y C R U I S I N G, REAL COMMUNITY You’re not just buying a boat, you’re joining our family.

W

hen you buy a Ranger Tug you expect the fuel efficient Volvo diesel performance, the convenience of trailering and the generous accommodations. What may come as a surprise is the passionate group of owners known as “Tugnuts.” Most everything you want to know about our boats, along with camaraderie, cruising, tips & customer service are just a few clicks way on our online forum Tugnuts.com.

“We see boating as a lifestyle choice more than a recreational activity and as such we were drawn to Ranger Tugs because, overall, we felt that being a member of the Ranger Tugs family would provide us with a feeling of community while doing what we love to do most… boat!”

— Jim & Lisa Favors, R-27 TrailerTrawlerLife.com

RangerTugs.com Tugnuts.com R-21EC + R-25SC + R-27 + R-29S + R-31 COMMAND BRIDGE + R-31 SEDAN

MADE IN USA