STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
As technical and demanding as a day of boating might be, it requires very little historical knowledge to be enjoyed. Fishermen denote the passing of years in the movement of hot spots, and long-range cruisers might pass by a memorable anchorage and bemoan how much it has changed for the worse in the ensuing decade—but that is a very different kind of history. What I’m referring to is cruising to uncover a shared or forgotten past, to explore a new place with an open and inquisitive mind. That kind of cruising tends to deepen the experience in my opinion, adding a magnetism not easily ignored. I’ll be the first to admit that you don’t need any more context than a heavy hand on the throttle and an open chartplotter to appreciate sunshine and a little sea spray on your face. Then again, you wouldn’t travel to Elba without knowing who was exiled there, or explore Antarctica without at least acknowledging Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition.
Blake Island is another one of those places—the kind that enriches the curious traveler. Due west of Seattle, approximately 15 miles from downtown but practically a world away, lies the island in the
