Wasp Islands & Rosario Resort
Unfortunately this time of year in the Pacific Northwest, prevailing winds are light and opportunities to sail are few. So once again we fired up the iron genny and made our way north to the Wasp Islands.
These islands are a collection of what the locals affectionately call "Piles of Rocks" at the western entrance of the Harney Channel between Shaw Island and Orcas Island. Most of them are known for their wildlife and wildflowers and are owned by the Nature Conservancy. A few islands have homes, but there are no amenities for the most part. Wasp Passage itself is a narrow channel between shoals and rocks, and without good charts and a depth sounder, may not be a wise choice for transit, particularly in bad weather.
Fortunately for us, it was so pretty and tranquil, slowly meandering among the islands. Until we got to the end of the Harney Channel.
The wind came up out of nowhere but was coming from directly behind us, so sailing wasn't an option. As we headed up the East Sound the chop and wind increased and as we came into Rosario the boats on mooring balls were bobbing around like corks. Didn't look like it was going to be a fun night for them at all, in fact quite a few of them must have got fed up with the washing machine type rolling and pitching because in the late afternoon they came in and took slips for the night.
The marina at Rosario has been upgraded since we were here last, but it's still tiny and cramped and shallow in spots. With the addition of 20 knots of wind and a fishing boat in our slip, maneuvering around got a little interesting. We need to maintain speed in order to retain steerage - without it, we're at the mercy of the wind and really can't do anything.
The dockhands raced down to help us with lines and move the fishing boat. The owner of the boat came down to move it but was taking his sweet time, the wind was picking up again, meanwhile Eione's skipper is doing 360's and reversing all over the place to try to maintain authority of the boat. Finally the guy gets away, and with a host of people nervously watching what could potentially be an almighty shit show with fenders at the ready, Daz expertly backs the boat into the slip with barely a wrinkled brow. A little applause from surrounding boats and impressed comments from the line handlers had a calm, cool and collected Daz stepping off the boat, adjusting the lines, and ready for a well deserved adult beverage! Such an amazing skipper!
Rosario is one of our favourite places to visit. We came here on our first San Juans cruise in 2015 on the Knotty Dog. The resort is lovely and has so much interesting history, it even has a pipe organ.
We spent 2 days here enjoying the sunshine, meeting other Hunter owners and relaxing aboard. We even did a few boat tours for people who asked us how we can live on a boat full time! After we show them around they're always amazed at how roomy and comfortable our floaty home is.
Life is good.
