Riding the Tour de Lopez via Sailboat!
Part of our gearing up for the approaching season includes stretching our legs and taking the boat out for some pre-season runs. We decided to take Diminuendo over to beautiful Lopez Island to experience our first real bicycle ride of the year riding the Tour de Lopez. This beautiful 31- mile ride covered almost the entire island, and concluded with a delicious BBQ lunch and entertainment at the finish.
We stayed the first night in Fisherman’s Bay, just off Lopez Village. It is a delightful anchorage, but plan accordingly – you need to time your arrival and departure very carefully! The mouth of the channel is very shallow, even at a zero tide. Entering and leaving the harbor on a flow high tide is not just recommended, but required!
(shallow) entrance to Fishermans’ Bay
After the ride, we motored over to Decatur Island and spent a pleasant night in Sylvan Cove.
The weather, which had been so agreeable for our ride, finally let loose and we were serenaded to sleep by the sound of raindrops on the deck above. Thank goodness for diesel heat, especially in finicky April! The following morning we had to fight the currents all the way back to Bellingham, but managed to get some sailing in none the less!
Sylvan Cove on Decatur Island
Lopez Island is the most bicycle friendly (and flattest) of the San Juan Islands. As a result, bicycle rentals are a very popular way to tour the island. Rental shops provide a wide range of bike – from fat tire cruisers to speedy race style bikes. Reservations can be made in advance to assure you of the bike of your choice, and they even deliver! Let us help you design a personalized sailing adventure that includes a stop on Lopez if you want to experience riding the island for yourself!