Sucia Islands

As you can see from the image, Sucia Island Sate Park, usually referred to in the singular, is actually a group of islands. It is quite convoluted, with several spots to anchor or catch a mooring ball.

Goodbye Shallow Bay!

And by “goodbye” I might mean “goodbye forever!” Last time we were here I believe I wrote that we rocked the entire time but thought it was worth the spectacular view. Well. We arrived Monday (July 10) around 2:30pm, set the anchor (no mooring buoys available) and the rocking commenced. The entrance to this small bay is west facing (hence the spectacular sunsets) and there were strong winds coming from the south – enough to create constant wave action. Add the frequent passing boat traffic and well, it was just too much. I admit I was feeling a little queasy and that almost never happens.

We hung out on the boat, cooked hamburgers for dinner, and watched a couple of shows. All while rocking…sometimes quite significantly. It was still that way when we went to sleep…wondering if we were gong to get any. It eventually calmed down.

We had planned to stay a few nights but we pulled the anchor and cruised around to Fossil Bay (same island) to try and find a more sheltered location.

After connecting to one of many available balls yesterday, we took the dinghy in for a hike. Fossil Bay is the only location on Sucia with docks.

I often talk about island hiking and Sucia has some of the best.

We took a long 7-mile hike to check out Ewing Cove, a trail that follows the northern edge of Echo Bay. Some people we know say it’s their favorite spot on the island. It is secluded, maybe a little quieter than other areas. We’ll make a point to stay in Ewing next time. On our first visit, some years ago, we stayed in Snoring Bay…and I remember rocking a lot.

Looking into Echo Bay:

I took the below photo to show that this part of the trail system follows the shore very closely, sometimes just inches away from steep drops to rocks and water. It seems I'm in a constant state of either gaining or losing my sea or land legs, so balance is an issue on very narrow trails with beautiful views I want to gaze at. Keep your eyes on the trail, Janine!

Another shot of Echo Bay:

From the head of Echo Bay:

The day was bright and lovely and the water was calm. Until 2am…more rocking.