A Lot of Happy Crabbers in Hunter Bay – San Juan Islands, WA

We’d heard a lot about Hunter Bay from other Tuggers –

Hunter Bay is a big open anchorage, not too far from Anacortes. According to reports from local boaters, it’s an excellent spot for crabbing. On our way back to the mainland for a marina stop in Anacortes, before we head to South Sound, we stopped for two nights in Hunter Bay. We had fun watching the dinghies, and small boats, zip back and forth to their crab pots to set or pull in their catches. A lot of happy crabbers in Hunter Bay!

We had recently met Bruce and Debbie, on Morning Light. They are “tuggers” who love to hunt for just about any seafood, in season, in the Pacific Northwest. We enjoyed bumping into them from time to time during this trip, Jim and I especially liked their enthusiasm for their ability to haul in big catches from the sea. One night, while in Hunter Bay, they treated us to a distanced Happy Hour on their boat. We brought drinks and a snack to share and sat in our dinghy while we chatted off the back deck of their boat. Debbie first served us a tasty shrimp cocktail followed by a crab treat. Cocktails on Morning Light became our dinner that night, as we were so full by the time we left.

You can see more of Bruce and Debbie’s fishing adventures on…
Elkind Productions Ranger Tug trailer 2020

Early morning fog (below) and the eerie sound of foghorns off in the distance, greeted us the following morning. We waited for it to lift before we moved on to Anacortes.