Sailing to Flattop and New Channel

April 7, 2023 – A decent breeze and we were able to raise full main and headsail to sail the coastline to Point Caution and beam reach over the Shirt Tail Reef. Lots of cormorants on Low Island and a few harbor seals on the rocks showing at low tide. While drifting though the lee of Coon Island we saw racoon scurry up from the beach as well as harlequin ducks and black oystercatchers. Regaining wind we continued up into Spring Pass and up to Flattop Island. Drifting the South side we saw an eagle peer out from a nest and harbor seals were resting on the honeycombed sandstone shoreline. Currents ran well for us to sail to Ripple Rock and cut through the Cactus Islands. Eagles watched out over the fast moving currents that took us spinning and carried us in to Green Point. Over a hundred Steller sea lions were hauled out jostling for their space on the rocks. The flood tide gave us a fast sail back to Jones and the Wasp Islands where we enjoyed birthday cheesecake in calm waters before fun close hauled sailing against the flood into Friday Harbor.