Dock Walk II - Roche Harbor, San Juans

…Big Bucks, Bigger Boats—But Such Nice Showers (!)

Leaving San Juan Island recently, we shared our first “Dock Walk” column—a photographic meander through the big, busy Friday Harbor Marina, focusing on the marina’s endless variety of boat designs. Resupplied and cleaned up, we scurried away in search of quiet anchorages where there were peaceful island trails, relaxed boaters who shared our get-away spirit…but absolutely no showers.

After another solid dose of camp-cruising, we were in need of a good cleanup, so a few days ago we headed for a place with the best showers in the San Juans—Roche Harbor, home of megayachts, OnePercenters, high-priced T-shirts, over-the-top 4th of July fireworks we strenuously avoid, and great ice-cream cones.

Roche Harbor is one of those places you either pursue as a destination, or visit only for the showers and ice cream. We’re in the latter camp, rarely overnighting there ($87 for our guest slip—higher than any other place in the islands).

Walking the Roche Harbor docks in dirty jeans, a frayed Small Craft Advisor cap, wrinkled shirt and grungy sea boots, we sometimes feel out of place. Not uncomfortable, because who cares, but it’s sort of like wandering into a Land’s End photo shoot, where entire families, tanned sailors and even dogs look like they might be paid models. (Fresh white tennis shoes, clean shorts, shirts with boat names and such—all fine, but somewhat upper-crusty for us, and for our ancient wooden boat…a rarity in the shades-of-white-gelcoat marina.)