Celebratory Cruise --  S/V Nellie Juan

By: Ken Pendleton                  submitted 3.17.2003

In October, Judy and I with select family members sailed our ‘new to us’ boat Nellie Juan to Victoria, B.C. for a celebratory cruise through the San Juan Islands.  We purchased our Sabre 42 from Signature Yachts in Lake Union in September.  Since it was too late to bring her home to Seward, we decided a short get-acquainted cruise would be just the thing to try her out.

We departed Bell Harbor Marina (downtown Seattle) on the 12th of October sailed across Elliot Bay to Winslow for some shopping and lunch, then on to Everette for the night.  The next day we were totally engulfed in fog as we departed Everette on our way north to La Conner.   

Nellie Juan (Sabre 42) in front of the

Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC.

We discovered the wonder of using radar and proceeded in dead calm through the inside passage between Whidbey Island and the mainland.   By mid-afternoon, the fog dissipated and we motored through the narrow slough leading to La Conner.  La Conner is an artist town and great place to walk and visit galleries, quaint shops, and discover a quiet waterfront café for dinner.  Departing La Conner, we headed for Anacortes Marina to pick up Judy’s two sisters and their husbands for a cruise to Victoria.

The San Juan’s are a fun place to cruise, lots of islands, villages and ports of call to explore along the way; just watch out for the tides and currents which can be quite strong if you are going the wrong direction.  We really enjoyed spending time at Friday and Roach Harbor on San Juan Island.  We enjoyed walking to many interesting shops, learning about local history and finding good places to eat, and drink.

After clearing customs, we tied up on the first dock in front of the Empress Hotel, one of Victoria’s famous landmarks.  We spent two days enjoying the sunny, warm days and enjoyed eating and drinking at some of Victoria’s best restaurants.  We especially enjoyed having drinks in the Bengal Room at the Empress Hotel, where rich dark wood, leather furniture and the wild African décor created an impressive environment for socializing with the rich and famous.

We sailed back to tie up and secure Nellie Juan for her winter moorage in Poulsbo Harbor.  We look forward to our next sailing adventure when we bring her home to Seward in May.