The real start of our cruising was felt in the San Juan Islands. After 3 long daysails (with lots of motoring too) we had found our 1st paradise. We spent our time getting to know Lorien and her systems even better, exploring several of it's islands and coves, and even hosted a few guests.
The 1st was our Tacoma friends Chris and Merilee along with Hilary & Mike (Merilee's sister and brother-in-law). Lance and I picked them up in Anacortes and quickly whisked them away to what would become a nice overnight on a mooring ball on Cypress Island. We tried our hand at crabbing, catching several tasty red rocks, but losing one of our two pots in the process. Turns out sending an empty pot into 50' of chilly water without any line or buoy attached is a sure way of never retrieving it.
After their short stay, we headed back for Anacortes to send them on their way while immediately picking up our new guests for another short stay. This time it was Lance's old pal Andrew and his wonderful little girls for a few nights aboard. This was their 2nd visit to Lorien and we were excited to have them back! Andrew and Lance had a great time catching up, while the girls loved everything about being on the boat for a few days. Everything except the close encounters with crabs.
All in all, our month in the San Juans was amazing, but way too short lived. One could spend several whole summer seasons here and never get bored. It's a truly gorgeous place. One we hope to return to in the future.
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