Our Boy Scout Troop has again had an opportunity to take our Chesapeake 17s on a camping adventure. This time through the San Juan Islands in Washington State. This group consisted of our veteran boat builders and their families so some of the boats in these pictures have been seen before in these forums.
We started the trip with 11 boats on the custom carrier sitting on a utility trailer made from a wrecked 5th wheel camper. We stayed at a motel in Anacortes on our first night. Early Tuesday we were on the ferry, headed for Orcas Island.
We drove to the North end of Orcas and put the boats in the salt water for their very first time. What a thrill it was to actually use sea kayaks in the sea!
We paddled north from Orcas to Sucia Island State park where we had a campsite reserved. The West side of the island has the smaller bay with a sandy beach. This trip was different from most of our other trips because we established a base camp on Sucia for several days and paddled our much lightened kayaks on our daily outings.
On our first outing from Sucia we paddled Northeast to Patos Island State Park. The water was mostly calm with manageable currents. The beach at Patos is gravel and looks out on the shipping lanes. The cargo boats that travel by are HUGE!
Patos is also home of the Patos lighthouse which is still operational. We were given a tour by the volunteer caretakers who eagerly shared their vast knowledge of the history of the lighthouse and the surrounding area. In good weather it is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
The paddle back from Patos gave us spectacular views and the chance to really get comfortable in the sea.
Our next day consisted of exploration of Sucia on land and by water. We portaged our boats across the narrow part of the island between the two most prominent bays and then paddled around the north side of the island back to our campsites.
After reaching camp the more agile of our group decided to test the chesapeake 17 as a standup paddle platform. After very little time the youngsters were able to stand up and paddle out to the marker bouys and back.
It was also a good chance to practice wet exit and reentry.
After three days on Sucia we moved on to Matia State Park where we set up camp for our last night of camping. This paddle was where I gained a great appreciation for the stability of the Chesapeake 17. There was a good breeze, a noticeable current and some waves that initially alarmed me. The boat cut through the sea like an ice skate on a frozen pond. A little lean. A lot of paddling on one side and we were soon in the bay.
As the weather improved we hiked the trail around the island
In the afternoon the water had calmed and we took to the boats for a trip around Matia. There were many seals and their pups and a couple of otters as well as eagles and other birds. So much to see.
Finally the sun went down and we turned in for our last night of camping.
In the morning it was paddle back to Orcas, load the boats and back to the ferry. The end of a wonderful adventure that we all swore to repeat.
