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Peaceful Journey
by John Lund
Stuart Island's two harbors offer welcome solitude
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We were looking for peace and quiet as we slid into Prevost Harbor at Stuart Island, Washington. We were bound for points north, but we'd had a hectic time celebrating at Roche Harbor Resort, just three and a half miles away.
When we rounded Satellite Island by the western channel, our skipper, Mike Wood, breathed a sigh of relief. "This is it," he said. "Feet-up time."
Mike Wood, his first mate Tristin Wood and I were just starting our first cruise of the season.
Ahead, several large sailboats were tethered to Washington state marine park mooring buoys. Their reflections reached invitingly across the dark waters of the bay.
This is, indeed, the place to relax. Stuart Island has no commercial businesses, no bar, no lines and thankfully -- for tonight anyway -- no ear-ringing rock 'n' roll.
Stuart Island's arrowhead shape points directly toward the Canadian Gulf Islands, a scant three miles away. As the Lower 48's most northwestern point, Stuart Island is a favored stopover for San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands cruisers traveling between Washington and British Columbia waters.
Yet, the protected anchorages of Reid and Prevost Harbors offer enough of the quiet pursuits of clam digging, fishing, crabbing and hiking to attract boaters to spend a day or two away from the hectic mainland.
Within the island's two adjoining state marine parks -- a 44 acre facility at Reid Harbor, and 40 acres at Prevost Harbor -- visitors will find floats, mooring buoys, campsites, picnic tables, cookstoves, drinking water, toilets and a marine pumpout station.
Both parks have beaches that allow small boats to put ashore. They are excellent destinations for trailerboaters, who often put their cars and boats on a Washington state ferry to Friday Harbor, then and cross San Juan Island to reach the Roche Harbor launch ramp.++Getting There==Before crossing Speiden Channel, trailerboaters should spend a moment studying tide tables, as this is a tidal current area. All navigators will find NOAA Chart #18432 (Boundary Pass) useful.
When entering Reid Harbor, stay to the center of the channel, passing tiny Cemetery Island. Once past, favor the west side of the entrance into the narrow harbor.
When you're in, you'll be snug for the night in one of the islands' most protected harbors. Only continuous east winds will ripple the waters inside.
Even with 15 buoys, two floats where boats raft up and a dock on the north shore, Reid Harbor fills to capacity early in the day on weekends and holidays. Fortunately, a mud bottom at a consistent 30 foot depth offers ample secure anchorage for late arrivals.
Prevost Harbor is situated to the north, across the long narrow neck of land dividing Stuart's two anchorages.
By boat, enter the harbor using only the western channel between Charles Point and Satellite Island, a private island owned by the YMCA. The eastern channel is strewn with rocks and should only be entered in a dinghy or row boat.
In the lee of the island, you'll find six buoys and many anchorage areas around the bay.++A Place to Relax==
It was a quiet Sunday afternoon when we pulled in and grabbed a mooring.
After tying up, we relaxed for an hour before heading ashore to hike along a five-mile round-trip trail. The path leads to Turn Point Lighthouse and Stuart Island's third state park -- a 67 acre facility that encompasses land only.
Jutting out from shore, Prevost's long dock and float will accept a few small boats and dinghies while their owners explore the island's many trails and roads. From the dock, a half-mile long trail through madrona and evergreen trees leads visitors to the north end of Reid Harbor.
On the trail, high above the anchorage, the Woods and I saw picture-perfect views of fellow boaters below, enjoying the afternoon.
We followed the contours of the bluff, then followed another trail for a half mile, leading to a turn-of-the-century, one-room schoolhouse. Stuart Island children and others from surrounding islands came here for decades, until it closed in 1961.
The old school reopened briefly in 1977, during the construction of a more modern building. Completed in 1981, the all-new one-room school has won several architectural awards for its unique design.
Today, the old school still stands, as a historical remnant of days gone by.
The trail continues west and then turns right to the lighthouse. A few steps past the turn, to the left, a pathway leads to the island's historic old cemetery.
Another trail connects the island's county-maintained dock with Turn Point Lighthouse. If you turn left on this pathway, you'll see private pastures, rustic barns and a tiny airstrip.
The scene is as rural and the walk is as enjoyable as any you'll find on the islands. From Reid Harbor to the lighthouse is a leg-stretching two and a half miles away.
Dropping down the hill to the lighthouse and the 67 acres of undeveloped park adjacent to it, you'll get a glimpse of the straits beyond.
As you step through the trees beside the old lighthouse and the lightkeeper's house, an incredible 300 degree view will unfold. From Turn Point's high rocky cliffs, all the islands that can be seen to the north and the west are Canadian.
Once an Indian encampment, Turn Point was named for the right-angle turn ships made as they rounded from Haro Strait to Boundary Pass. One can only wonder at the number of countless freighters, barges, log booms, tankers and other vessels that have passed this point since the light was built in 1893.
During summer, brilliant sunsets make this an exceptional spot. It's thrilling to watch as the sun, in a great flaming ball, disappears behind the mountains of Vancouver Island.
If you come at sunset, remember to take a flashlight. We didn't, and the last stumbling half mile of walking back to the boat in the dark seemed to take forever.++Rested and Ready to Cruise==
The next day, with the cry of the loon as our wake-up call, the Woods and I met in the cockpit, coffee in hand. We watched as the sun turned the gap between the horizon and clouds into a brilliant golden band.
Neighbors from the buoy next door greeted us on their way past, jigging rods slung over their dinghy's bow.The harbor entrance offers good bottomfishing off Charles Point, where the bottom rises sharply from 200 to 100 feet. Stuart Island's sharply rising southwestern side is another good bottomfishing area.
But further exploration would have to be put off until our next visit. ,/Stormy Weather=='s crew, now refreshed -- sans cobwebs and ringing ears -- was eager to head north, thankful for this brief, but enjoyably serene stay at peaceful Stuart Island. Cruising Contacts
U.S. Coast Guard*(206) 286-5400 or VHF 16
Ken's Diving & Towing, Friday Harbor, WA*(206) 378-5808
Washington Department of Wildlife/Shellfish*(206) 753-5700
Washington Department of Fisheries/Sportfishing*(206) 753-6600
Washington State Ferries*(800) 843-3779
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This article first appeared in the November 1, 1993 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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