The 'scoop' on costs at Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes

[Jesse Days Pacific Star 2]

All:

The first mate just got off the phone with Cap Sante Marina.

There are two slings. The standard is 15 bucks in and 15 bucks out. The motorized wheeled large sling is 45 buck each way.

To leave you rig and trailer there is 3 bucks per day.

We're slinging in on Saturday the 21st and the next morning heading into the San Juans. We'll sling out on the 28th. Ports of calls in the islands are going to be 3 nights at Deer Harbor and 2 nights at Islander Lopez Marina/Resort. They've got a heated swimming pool, can't wait.

Cheers,
Jesse

[BK]

We are Deception right now which is 8 miles below Anacotes. Itis only $5 to launch and $10 a adya to park. We leave on Tuesaday for 3 weks in San Juans. Maybe see you up here.

[Jesse Days Pacific Star 2]

What's the boat name, we'll look for you?

[Doug Faigel]

Jesse,

I also be launching from Cap Sante on Aug 21 and heading to Deer Harbor. Do you want to meet up and travel together?

I am driving up from Portland and hope to be at Anacortes between 10 and 12.

My email: [email protected]

I've not been to deer harbor before. But Lopez islander is nice with a good restaurant, and attractive looking pool and bikes for rent.

Doug
"Little Princess" 2001 26x

[BK]

My boat is Seabird. Washington Park also has a ramp for $5 and parking is $25 a week (03' prices). They are near the Anacortes ferry. Watch your depth sounder going into Lopez, it is shallow. The Waggoner Book shows the correct path to enter.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I'll echo the comment on Fishermans Bay. You pretty much have to head for the beach on the north side of the red entry marker on the pileing. The entry will magically appear to the right just about the time you think you are going to run aground on the beach. We entered at low tide and it is fairly narrow, but as long as you follow the buoys you will have plenty of water. Be sure to go clear into the bay after entering before making the turn to the right for the resort docks. Pass that red nun to the right before you turn for the docks. The Lopez Islander is the second set of docks in.

[Jesse Days Pacific Star 2]

Hi Doug:

Not sure what time we'll get to Anacortes. We're coming from central Washington (Ellensburg).

We'll just 'play it by ear' and see what works out. We're heading to Deer Harbor via the Thatcher Pass route. I haven't been to Deer Harbor either.

Doug, I see you have a .edu e-mail address. Do you work for one of the universities down there? I work for Central Washington University as the campus Web Master.

BK, we'll keep an eye out for 'Seabird.'

Duane and BK, thanks for the info on depths. I'll keep a watchful eye on the Garmin.

14 days to go!!

Cheers,
Jesse

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

You'll enjoy both places.

Lopez Islander is a good marina, the pool is across the street in the hotel area. It's smallish, but clean, the showers are OK as marina showers go but other places are much nicer. Bring quarters. The restaurant at the resort is good, but not spectacular. It's quite a walk to town from the resort property. Bring some good shoes.

Deer Harbor is very nice marina. Great little store/cafe on the dock. A much nicer pool also up across the road in amoungst the cottages. The restaurant at the Deer Harbor Resort is nice, but a bit over priced. Watch out for the bees on the outdoor patio seats. A short walk down the road and through the woods shortcut is the Deer Harbor Inn. This restaurant has great fresh food, but is also not cheap. There's also a very nice gift shop down the road, 'Rutabega' that my wife really liked. Other than these places you are pretty isolated unless you catch a cab/bus to Westsound.

[BK]

The bees and yellow jackets are bad this year in the San Juans and Gulf Islands due to dryness. I bought a mosquito screen from Bed and Bath that supposed to go over a large bed for $30 . It works great. It goes over the Biminii and encloses the cockpit. Everyone asks me where did I buy it as they are getting bite.
Everyone says it is not crowded in the Gulf Islands this year. I just now pulled into Ganges and they said they are not turning anyone away. Usually on a Saturday with the fair it would be sold out.
I have to say I love my new GPS 176C Chartplotter. What a device! I am glad I bought the Puget Sound Blue chip, It helps a lot.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I feel sorry for those in or headed to the San Juans or any where in Puget sound this weekend and next week. After a very warm dry summer the rain is back. There are four weather systems lined up to come ashore over the next week. The rain is already falling north of Everett and west of Olympia. It's rare around here to see anything other than shades of green on the weather radar, but right now there are bands of yellow and even some red showing very heavy rain. By tonight the entire sound will be wet. The next system slides in early Monday, then another Tuesday and the last late Wed early Thursday. By Friday the sun is back.

At least with this kind of weather there is plenty of wind for sailing. The trees at my house are already waving away.

We canceled our evening sail. We sold a two hour sunset cruise as part of the fund raising auction at our school last year. We were scheduled to take our guests out tonight but they have asked to re-schedule later in September.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The bees are everywhere up there and even far more down here in the city than usual.

Our full enclosure keeps all the cockpit nicely bee and bug proof. I just picked up a 25"x25" weighted screen that drops over the forward hatch so now we can keep it open and the windows in the cockpit rolled down without being bothered by the bugs.

[Tom Spohn]

In Deer Harbor, if you are looking for a good meal shoreside, I recommend the Starfish Grill. Last year for my wife's birthday the manager drove all the way to Eastsound to a bakery to purchase a special birthday cake. They will really go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable.

Up the hill about a block from the restaurant is a great pool. I forget who owns it, but it is easy to find and cheap.

You can stay on the dock, or anchorage in the harbor is plentiful with good holding and protection.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The pool is part of the Deer Harbor Resort, which is a separate entity from the Deer Harbor Marina. The Starfish Grill is also part of the Resort. We spent two nights at the end of our recent trip in one of the resorts waterfront cottages as a reward after 10 straight nights on the boat.

Another great restaurant is a brief walk down the road and through the woods (look for the short cut sign) to the Deer Harbor Inn. It's a been a family owned restaurant for many decades, everthing is always fresh and very tasty, and cheaper than at Starfish.

Suprisingly, the store and diner on the dock at the marina also has great burgers and ice cream.