Chapter # 2 Orcas Island Group

    When planning your cruise keep in mind that you can't see and visit everything you have ever read or heard about in one day.  You will have to pick and choose your destinations, and come back again one day soon.  Some choices make logical sense, such as planning a circular route to reduce distance. Another good idea is to Tip  plan an ice or provisioning stop three of four days into the cruise.  

The Orcas Island Group includes:

• Blind Bay & Orcas Landing
• Deer Harbor
• Doe Island State Park
• East Sound & Judd Bay
• Obstruction Pass State Park
• Rosario
• Olga

•     Rosario    

Shuffle Board at Rosario

    

Rosario once was a private residence, and the original mansion is now used as a museum and restaurant. When visiting don't be surprised to see large groups attending weddings and other events. The natural bay has been turned into a small marina with rental slips, and anchor buoys off shore. The anchor buoys and the free open anchoring area are open to the sound, the marina slips are not, nuff said? (hint -- open to the sound means, open to wakes and waves) On the float is a fuel dock, nestled on the manicured lawns are tame deer, a cafe and small grocery and gift store. Stop for an hour a day or overnight Visiting Rosario is the one place your friends will ask you about, it seems to have developed a mystique that has traveled to non boaters.

   

Rosario resort is much talked about and highly touted as the place to go of all places. My perspective is somewhat different.





First of all, yes you should go there and tour the mansion and free museum if you have any interest at all in the areas history.


Secondly there is nothing at all wrong with their store, fuel dock, restaurants, or marina slips. Very tame pet-able deer wander the spacious grounds and so do we when we visit.


Rosario is located part way in on the right side of East Sound, just a rock skip past the community of Olga. On shore you will find a well stocked store with slightly elevated prices, but after all it's Rosario don't cha know. The large two sided fuel dock is easy to get in and out of regardless of wind direction. The staff is very friendly and once let us leave the boat at the main dock, (we just pushed it past the fuel area) while we bicycled three hours to Moran State Park. They won all the points that day. Tip Rosario is one of those places you have to visit sooner or later to be a complete San Juan cruiser.

Rosario - one picture tells it all

•    East Sound and Judd Bay 

Eastsound is not a harbor, it's a city.  Its the biggest and main gathering spot on Orcas Island.  We have spent some enjoyable hours listening to home grown musicians and checking out craft and artist goods in local shops.
     There is no fuel, nor is there a suitable place to bring your dinghy ashore, except out on the point where the county built a public dock and small float.  You can tie up and walk to town where you will find a large full service grocery store that everyone on the island uses. The walk is a short two blocks.  Your not supposed to over night at the float, but you can anchor very close by.  Those anchoring may find some waves if the wind is blowing up East Sound, there's a pretty long fetch starting all the way down in Lopez Sound to get the swells rolling. Tip Anchor in nearby Judd Bay

Pay attention to depths as you ease yourself deep into Judd Bay, the more you go the more protected nights sleep you will get.  Don't assume when you get to Eastsound during flat calm conditions that it will last through the night.

•     Olga   

Olga offered us an empty dock, so we gladly accepted. On other visits we turned away vowing to return when there was room. The private mooring field is peppered with so many buoys it demanded full attention slipping through.

The sign says it all

 

Olga public dock has room for about three boats on each side, all buoys are private.

 

The dinghy's at Olga belong to locals, there is no access to beach except, a nasty slippery, very steep, and thorny trail in brush under ramp.

On shore at top of ramp is a flagpole, and a memorial bench. There are a couple blocks, if that, of roads to walk, some say private drive, keep out. There is no bathroom. The old store across the street is closed up and the property is for sale. Up a moderately steep hill about 1/4-1/3 mile is a restaurant on the main road. Some other boaters made the hike and reported good food. Other than private homes, most which look like second homes, that's it for Olga. I'm glad we finally stopped by Olga, but except for a place to tie up, what can I say.




The next time we are in the area and need a place to spend the night we will certainly consider Olga if a place at the float is available, but I'm sure we will simply run another ten minutes over to Rosario if anchoring is the game that night.


Oh, and we saw a little baby deer on the beach, way to go Olga!

•  Obstruction Pass State Park 

Obstruction Pass Park is somewhat unique in the fact that it is accessible by land or water. It is tucked away at the south east corner of Orcas Island at the end of a short half mile or so trail. The small campground is open to boaters, hikers alike. A single buoy is in the small bay plus room to anchor. The beach is dinghy friendly however being open to the pass and resulting traffic makes for lots of wake action at anchor. There are trails to hike and great views, bring your camera and lunch.

Obstruction Pass

•  Orcas Landing and Blind Bay

You need to add Orcas Landing to your list, most likely you will drive by and miss it completely because it is right next to the ferry terminal.  I avoid ferry's and so should you, but the short term, 30 minute dock is a handy crossroads and pit stop, at the top of the plank is ice and groceries.  Across the street is a public bathroom.  Expect auto and pedestrian traffic lining up to catch the ferry. The float is unprotected and your boat will be battered by waves and wakes while tied up, but you can tie on the inside and should if at all possible.

Visit Orcas Landing and then anchor across the way at Blind Bay, between both places you can have a decent destination.
Tip  miss the rocks at the entrance to Blind Bay

•    Blind Bay  

Not much here but a protected place to anchor.  I think a lot of people are reluctant to anchor just any old place like me so big old open bays seem to attract lots of customers. Right across the channel is Orcas Landing where you are not supposed to overnight at the dock so Blind Bay is the perfect spot for them. The image above is both Blind Bay and Orcas Landing.  Btw paddling a dinghy over to Orcas from Blind Bay is ill advised but possible. The current through Harney Channel could take you away, but that's how exploring and discovering works.  (that should have been a tip)

•  Doe Island State Park

I think Doe Island may be the smallest developed park in the San Juans. Its diminutive size makes it hard to spot on charts, Google earth or even when you are floating a half mile offshore and staring right at it.

Doe Island is a cute little park, sitting so close to Orcas Island it is easily missed even if your looking for it. Sitting just a few hundred feet off the east side of Orcas and just two miles or so north of Obstruction Pass, it's a side trip you should not miss. Stop there as a lunch stop or overnight-er. On shore are a few campsites and an old fashioned pit toilet, plus a few picnic tables. The circular shoreline trail may be walked in under ten minutes, maybe less than five if you speed walk.

Doe Island float

Take note please, as of this writing I was told  a storm damaged the float and it has not been repaired. Possibly the park is closed, but I would go see for myself. We drove by in late 2012 and the float was still pulled out. but there were some boats anchored. Go check it out!

   Tip  Obviously if you anchored here you would be well protected from the wrath of Rosario Strait, so Doe should be on your list of places to run and hide in a pinch.

•   Deer Harbor  

Upper right corner (Deer Harbor)

Way way on the far side, and yet still on the inside, but even past West Sound is Deer Harbor. 

Marina and fuel dock plus a small deli grocery on the wharf pretty much sums up what most boaters will want. They have overnight slips but on some summer weekends will likely need to be reserved in advance. There is a county dock adjacent to the fuel dock for your use. (that means, after you get fuel just shove your boat forward a few boat lengths and you are at the county dock and can now walk around.) Up the ramp at the end of the wharf are restrooms and a laundry. The large bay has room to anchor anytime, and anywhere. Deer Harbor is very close to Jones Island, so it is the obvious choice when making a run for ice or an expensive bottle of cheap wine. Just kidding, they have expensive bottles of expensive wine also.

Some final comments about Orcas Island, you would think that being the biggest and possibly the most mentioned of the San Juans, that Orcas would have more to offer the boater,  but it doesn't.  Oh there are a bunch of land accessed resorts and tourist attractions aimed at ferry riders, but we find Orcas mostly a big island to go around to get somewhere else.   Tip   Make a point of visiting Rosario (the museum) and using West Beach, Deer Harbor, and Rosario for fuel and provisions, but place the many other destinations much higher on your bucket list. Ouch!

BTW, Massacre Bay and Skull Island up at the top of West Sound, don't bother or waste your time. Ouch again!