Lovely two nights at anchor in Eagle Harbor. Weather was good, and we got a couple of nice paddles in. While paddling the inner harbor we watched two animals cavorting along the shore. I’ve gone back and forth between foxes and coyotes, and I think they were foxes – just not the red kind I’m used to seeing.

Tuesday morning, we took the kayaks to see the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial in the southeast part of the harbor, at Pritchard Park. Well worth the visit! Access by water is tricky. Waggoner Guide states that people visiting by water should do so via the beach and path. We, however, tied our kayaks to the dock at the marina next door and took a very short walk up the road. (We saw no signage, and there was no locked gate. No Trespassing signs were posted, however, that we saw when entering the marina upon our return from the memorial. No one around.)

I always enjoy looking at the ferries at the Eagle Harbor yard. The recently hybridized Wenatchee is there (unfortunately out of service after only a few weeks back in curculation) as are the decommissioned Elwha and Klahowya. They are both eyesores at this point and it will be nice to have them out of the way if they can ever figure out what to do with them. Looking at these ferries prompted me to find a recent Tacoma News Tribune article Nick told me about, discussing the problem of getting rid of old ships. The article talked about the old WSF Olympic, currently on the beach of Ketron Island. Very interesting. The article mentioned that this ferry is owned by someone who owns another ferry, on another island, and in worse condition than the Olympic. Wow. I can only conclude this is the Ocean City, a derelict just around the corner in Oro Bay, Anderson Island. This guy should be held accountable.

Construction is underway, which impedes the beautiful view a bit but can’t wait to see the finished Bill Point Regional Park, near the memorial.

We talked with a couple on a sailboat anchored near us in Eagle Harbor. When we mentioned we were going to Blake Island, he mentioned the new live camera. We talked to a ranger a couple of years ago who told us they had a camera they used internally, and how they wanted to make it available to boaters for checking on space available in the marina. Looks like they made that happen.

The camera is working but we found it difficult to ascertain exactly what was available. It looked like there was space, so we headed that way. We checked it a couple more times enroute and when we arrived found very little room. A small sailboat moved a few feet so we could fit in. To make this option a real benefit to boaters, a second camera with a different angle would be great. Here is a screenshot of the camera angle, and you can see ToG tucked into the far dock (which is where we prefer to be due to wave action in the marina).

Over margaritas on the roof deck (at high tide so the breakwater was not blocking the great view!) we talked about our years of visiting this jewel of an island. The fun we’ve had and the things we’ve seen. Many great meetups with boating buddies, including the time we hit rough water on the way here with Coorie Doon! (Happy hour began early that day…) That may be the same visit when a man fell off his boat. Interesting ships including the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier. UFOs. Yes, unidentifiable-by-us small white zippy planes or possibly drones flying low over the marina and around the island. (One flew over just as we arrived yesterday.) Wildlife including the ubiquitous and aggressively mischievous raccoons (strangely absent this visit), grazing deer, myriad birds including the delightfully vocal barn swallows perched on boat rails, plus eagles and osprey in the trees. Otters (pooping on the park boat, which was hilarious because the staffer kept cleaning it off, only to have the otter family return to poop again…and again), and geese in the hundreds (also not here right now which makes walking around much easier!).

And yesterday evening, as our Mexican meal was heating up on the grill, a man and his daughter from the small fishing boat in front of us came over to ask if they could put their dinner on our grill when we were finished with it. Apparently their cooking apparatus had failed. We were happy to accommodate them! The young girl brought us a very nice handmade thank you card later in the evening.

The weather has been partially sunny and in the seventies. Pretty much perfect…for me.