My wife and I are considering spending a couple weeks there and since this would be our first time in the area, would prefer to do it with another boat or two who've done it before and know the tricks. At this point, we're open to any dates.
Anyone planning to tour the San Juans this summer?
- Thread starter $tingy Sailor
- Start date
My son and his family from Texas plan to spend two weeks cruising around the San Juan Islands this summer. Date has not been nailed down, but departure will be after June 15. I've spent years around these islands and for starters perhaps a dialogue here would be worth while. Most important system on a boat is anchoring. How do you have yours equipped? That will become important as we prefer many of the remote anchorages available in the islands as opposed to marina life.
A discussion about cruising the San Juan Islands from somebody who has "been there" would be much appreciated. We acquired Alibi last August and would love to spend some time cruising this summer. Topics such as best time to go, weather and fog expectations, currents and traffic, etc. would all be helpful topics. Also, we are moored in Tacoma, so with limited time available, some discussion of must see destinations for 2 weeks, and possible other destinations with more time available.
we will be returning this summer for 2 weeks, in july... we have been there a few times now but skipped last summer to sail lake tahoe... tahoe cannot compete with the san juans in any respect....except for the fresh water aspect and less boat clean up after we get home
...
there are many "must see" places in the san juan islands, but if you are going to see them all, you either need a few months, or you need to travel really fast, snap your picture, and then move on to the next "must see" place.....
so dont go there looking to see it all, just go there and stop as often as you can along your planned route, because there is something interesting in every place that you can stop....its ALL a must see spot.
and get off and walk the islands as much as possible, because each one is unique in what it offers those looking for the beauty in nature. there are a lot of historic sites to explore, and if the whole entire area wanst such an interesting place to see, we wouldnt hear so much about the beauty of the san juan islands, but we would only hear about an exceptional location or two within the islands...... plan to travel by boat 2-4 hours per day, and spend the rest of your time exploring on foot... or relaxing.
...there are many "must see" places in the san juan islands, but if you are going to see them all, you either need a few months, or you need to travel really fast, snap your picture, and then move on to the next "must see" place.....
so dont go there looking to see it all, just go there and stop as often as you can along your planned route, because there is something interesting in every place that you can stop....its ALL a must see spot.
and get off and walk the islands as much as possible, because each one is unique in what it offers those looking for the beauty in nature. there are a lot of historic sites to explore, and if the whole entire area wanst such an interesting place to see, we wouldnt hear so much about the beauty of the san juan islands, but we would only hear about an exceptional location or two within the islands...... plan to travel by boat 2-4 hours per day, and spend the rest of your time exploring on foot... or relaxing.
We have spent several days in the San Juan’s the past two years and loved every minute we spent in the San Juan’s. We hope to make it an annual trip but haven’t worked out or 2016 cruise plans yet. I will give you a summary of our itinerary for the past two years of the places we explored.
2014
1. Des Moines – Home Port
2. Port Madison – Nice protected anchorage
3. Pt Townsend - Port Hudson Moored for the night at the marina, very nice town and lots of food and entertainment options. We find this to be a nice spot just before or after crossing the Straits of Juan de Fuca as Wind, Waves, and Fog can be a factor.
4. Spencer Spit – anchored on the north side, beautiful spot
5. Rosario Pt – all the mooring balls were taken, we anchored but due to the rocky bottom I had to try a few spots before I found one that held well enough and had enough swing room. Went ashore decent food at the restaurant.
6. Eastsound – anchored and rowed into shore, nice little town to walk around, eat and shop.
7. Victim Island – very nice protected anchorage, had a very nice evening kayak around the island.
8. Friday Harbor – Nice marina it can be busy, but has fuel, water and pump-out plus lots of shops and restaurants ashore. We spent two nights at in the marina before heading through Cattle Pass check the tides/currents as Strong Currents can be a factor though this pass. I like http://deepzoom.com/ for planning my trips for tides and currents.
9. Port Ludlow - We spent two nights at this marina, it was okay but not much to do ashore nearby.
10. Des Moines – Home Port
2015
1. Des Moines – Home Port
2. Port Madison – Nice protected anchorage, as you can see we like this spot as a stopover heading north.
3. Everett – We pulled in for lunch and topped off the tanks
4. Langley- Nice little marina and fun little town to walk around, we spent a couple night here, it was a rendezvous with the Hunter Association of Puget Sound (HAPS)
5. Hope Island – We spent the night on the State Park mooring ball if you don’t already have an annual permit you might consider one as it may save you from having to go to shore to pay for a ball. What a beautiful spot this was to wait for the slack current before going through Deception Pass as strong currents are definitely a factor, we timed it perfectly http://deepzoom.com/ helped us plan it right.
6. Lopez Island - Watmough Bay – Another great anchorage, there were a few mooring balls but we ended up anchoring. Nice small pebble rock beach was nice and the trail to the top of the hill gave us some spectacular views.
7. Sucia Island SP - Ewing Cove - This was another wonderful spot, we spent two nights one of the four mooring balls. Nice beach and trails. Plenty of room in Echo Bay you prefer or if all the mooring balls are taken at Ewing Cove. We were originally planning on one night here, but since it was so nice we stayed an extra day.
8. Patos Island SP - Active Cove – We originally planned to spend a night here, but since we spent the extra day in Ewing Cove we just stopped in to check it out. It was probably a good thing we spent the extra day in Ewing Cove, although this is a nice anchorage it is very small and might have only been one or two mooring balls. There were a few anchored as well but you would need a stern line or anchor to control the swing with the other boats.
9. Stuart Island SP - Prevost Harbor – We spent a night on a mooring ball, also a very nice anchorage and limited space at the state park dock as well.
10. Stuart Island SP - Reid Harbor – We didn’t stay here but stopped in on our way to Roche Harbor to check it out, and to use the pump-out station. The pump-out station is a manual one but it worked surprisingly well, didn’t take very many pumps at all to empty our tank. This is also a good spot to spend the night, they have some floating docks as well you can tie up to.
11. San Juan Island - Roche Harbor – This is also a very nice facility very well kept up and they have a large summer staff of college kids that meet you at the dock and fuel station. Also nice store and restaurant ashore, popular place for weddings so you will likely see one during your visit. We ended up spending two nights here as a Gail was forecasted for the following day and we had planned to be on the hook off of Turn Island. We called ahead to try and get a reservation at Friday Harbor instead, but they were booked. They only take reservations for a portion of their slips and the rest is available on a first come first serve basis. They also had a no boat turned away for boats our size (36’), but that could mean being rafted to other boats on the breakwater and I didn’t like the idea of banging masts in a Gail, so we spent the extra night at the dock in Roche.
12. Turn Island SP – As I mentioned earlier this was our original plan but since we spent the extra night in Roche we skipped this spot which means we did have to plan for the currents in Cattle Pass either. Instead we went on the west side of San Juan Island through Haro Strait hoping to spot an Orca or two, as I understand this can be a good area to see them, but we were not that lucky. This was a fairly long day from Roche to Pt Townsend, but we did get to sail a fair amount on this leg. Crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca it actually calmed down for a while and could actually almost water ski before the wind picked up a little more and the sailing improved.
13. Pt Townsend - Port Hudson – We spend two nights here so we had enough time to enjoy the town. I would recommend the Rose Theater – Starlight room as a unique experience to watch a movie.
14. Kingston – We spend a night here at the marina they have a good selection of restaurants a shore a close walking distance and although we didn’t take advantage they have a loaner electric car tenants can borrow to get supplies.
15. Des Moines – Home Port
Another tool I use for trip planning is https://activecaptain.com it has a good mapping tool and reviews of anchorages and marinas.
2014
1. Des Moines – Home Port
2. Port Madison – Nice protected anchorage
3. Pt Townsend - Port Hudson Moored for the night at the marina, very nice town and lots of food and entertainment options. We find this to be a nice spot just before or after crossing the Straits of Juan de Fuca as Wind, Waves, and Fog can be a factor.
4. Spencer Spit – anchored on the north side, beautiful spot
5. Rosario Pt – all the mooring balls were taken, we anchored but due to the rocky bottom I had to try a few spots before I found one that held well enough and had enough swing room. Went ashore decent food at the restaurant.
6. Eastsound – anchored and rowed into shore, nice little town to walk around, eat and shop.
7. Victim Island – very nice protected anchorage, had a very nice evening kayak around the island.
8. Friday Harbor – Nice marina it can be busy, but has fuel, water and pump-out plus lots of shops and restaurants ashore. We spent two nights at in the marina before heading through Cattle Pass check the tides/currents as Strong Currents can be a factor though this pass. I like http://deepzoom.com/ for planning my trips for tides and currents.
9. Port Ludlow - We spent two nights at this marina, it was okay but not much to do ashore nearby.
10. Des Moines – Home Port
2015
1. Des Moines – Home Port
2. Port Madison – Nice protected anchorage, as you can see we like this spot as a stopover heading north.
3. Everett – We pulled in for lunch and topped off the tanks
4. Langley- Nice little marina and fun little town to walk around, we spent a couple night here, it was a rendezvous with the Hunter Association of Puget Sound (HAPS)
5. Hope Island – We spent the night on the State Park mooring ball if you don’t already have an annual permit you might consider one as it may save you from having to go to shore to pay for a ball. What a beautiful spot this was to wait for the slack current before going through Deception Pass as strong currents are definitely a factor, we timed it perfectly http://deepzoom.com/ helped us plan it right.
6. Lopez Island - Watmough Bay – Another great anchorage, there were a few mooring balls but we ended up anchoring. Nice small pebble rock beach was nice and the trail to the top of the hill gave us some spectacular views.
7. Sucia Island SP - Ewing Cove - This was another wonderful spot, we spent two nights one of the four mooring balls. Nice beach and trails. Plenty of room in Echo Bay you prefer or if all the mooring balls are taken at Ewing Cove. We were originally planning on one night here, but since it was so nice we stayed an extra day.
8. Patos Island SP - Active Cove – We originally planned to spend a night here, but since we spent the extra day in Ewing Cove we just stopped in to check it out. It was probably a good thing we spent the extra day in Ewing Cove, although this is a nice anchorage it is very small and might have only been one or two mooring balls. There were a few anchored as well but you would need a stern line or anchor to control the swing with the other boats.
9. Stuart Island SP - Prevost Harbor – We spent a night on a mooring ball, also a very nice anchorage and limited space at the state park dock as well.
10. Stuart Island SP - Reid Harbor – We didn’t stay here but stopped in on our way to Roche Harbor to check it out, and to use the pump-out station. The pump-out station is a manual one but it worked surprisingly well, didn’t take very many pumps at all to empty our tank. This is also a good spot to spend the night, they have some floating docks as well you can tie up to.
11. San Juan Island - Roche Harbor – This is also a very nice facility very well kept up and they have a large summer staff of college kids that meet you at the dock and fuel station. Also nice store and restaurant ashore, popular place for weddings so you will likely see one during your visit. We ended up spending two nights here as a Gail was forecasted for the following day and we had planned to be on the hook off of Turn Island. We called ahead to try and get a reservation at Friday Harbor instead, but they were booked. They only take reservations for a portion of their slips and the rest is available on a first come first serve basis. They also had a no boat turned away for boats our size (36’), but that could mean being rafted to other boats on the breakwater and I didn’t like the idea of banging masts in a Gail, so we spent the extra night at the dock in Roche.
12. Turn Island SP – As I mentioned earlier this was our original plan but since we spent the extra night in Roche we skipped this spot which means we did have to plan for the currents in Cattle Pass either. Instead we went on the west side of San Juan Island through Haro Strait hoping to spot an Orca or two, as I understand this can be a good area to see them, but we were not that lucky. This was a fairly long day from Roche to Pt Townsend, but we did get to sail a fair amount on this leg. Crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca it actually calmed down for a while and could actually almost water ski before the wind picked up a little more and the sailing improved.
13. Pt Townsend - Port Hudson – We spend two nights here so we had enough time to enjoy the town. I would recommend the Rose Theater – Starlight room as a unique experience to watch a movie.
14. Kingston – We spend a night here at the marina they have a good selection of restaurants a shore a close walking distance and although we didn’t take advantage they have a loaner electric car tenants can borrow to get supplies.
15. Des Moines – Home Port
Another tool I use for trip planning is https://activecaptain.com it has a good mapping tool and reviews of anchorages and marinas.
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Thanks to everyone for the responses!
It looks like a few of us might be able to coordinate on a trip already, let alone any others who become interested as the time draws nearer. I've spent some time researching the videos, trip reports, and itineraries of others and it all sounds fun to me. Our goal for this first trip would be to just get a taste of some of the many great spots and then come back annually to continue exploring the ones that we particularly like.
The rhythm that seems to work best for us is 2-3 nights anchored out followed by a night onshore for a hot shower, a great meal, and softer bed. Our boat is a lot smaller than yours but we have a lot of fun with it. The First Mate will want warm, fair weather. I'd like to get in some good sailing too. Motoring for hours, which seems to be common in mid-summer, doesn't appeal to me much so maybe August or September is a good time? What's been your experiences with sailing conditions at different times of the year?
It looks like a few of us might be able to coordinate on a trip already, let alone any others who become interested as the time draws nearer. I've spent some time researching the videos, trip reports, and itineraries of others and it all sounds fun to me. Our goal for this first trip would be to just get a taste of some of the many great spots and then come back annually to continue exploring the ones that we particularly like.
The rhythm that seems to work best for us is 2-3 nights anchored out followed by a night onshore for a hot shower, a great meal, and softer bed. Our boat is a lot smaller than yours but we have a lot of fun with it. The First Mate will want warm, fair weather. I'd like to get in some good sailing too. Motoring for hours, which seems to be common in mid-summer, doesn't appeal to me much so maybe August or September is a good time? What's been your experiences with sailing conditions at different times of the year?
Nice write up salishmermaid.
Two weeks can give you a good taste of the islands. Launching your boat in Anacortes places you at the door step of the islands. Many choices from there. Some head west towards a first night anchorage. These can include Cypress Head, Eagle Harbor or Pelican Beach on the east side of Cypress Island. All three have Washington State Department of Natural Resource free mooring balls. Plan on arriving early to mid afternoon. Places like these fill up fast during the summer months.
Mid June through mid August will provide the best comfort temperatures. Evenings and day time cloud cover will be cooler, so bring layers of clothes. Sunny days offer shorts and short sleeve comfort. Most of the islands are quite massive, which creates wind shadows. Other than an occasional southerly, prevailing winds will be northwesterly. Mornings typically calm until the heated air rising from the ground will bring on shore breezes in the afternoon. These can be quite strong until dusk, when the ground cools off causing the on shore breeze to subside.
Another affect is funneling. Prevailing winds will enter narrow waterways that are separated by rising land masses. These winds tend to build velocity in these locations that parallel wind direction. Having this knowledge helps with your sail plan. So, even though winds around the islands can be quite fickle, I try very hard to sail as much as possible. Distant water surface state tells you where the wind is and that is where I go. I have waited hours for some wind to appear, then just give up and motor. Sail time is important and in my experience the islands have much to offer.
Later in August and into September is when fog conditions appear. Fog in the morning, burning off by midday. A Wagoners Cruising Guide along with a good tide book a must have.
Two weeks can give you a good taste of the islands. Launching your boat in Anacortes places you at the door step of the islands. Many choices from there. Some head west towards a first night anchorage. These can include Cypress Head, Eagle Harbor or Pelican Beach on the east side of Cypress Island. All three have Washington State Department of Natural Resource free mooring balls. Plan on arriving early to mid afternoon. Places like these fill up fast during the summer months.
Mid June through mid August will provide the best comfort temperatures. Evenings and day time cloud cover will be cooler, so bring layers of clothes. Sunny days offer shorts and short sleeve comfort. Most of the islands are quite massive, which creates wind shadows. Other than an occasional southerly, prevailing winds will be northwesterly. Mornings typically calm until the heated air rising from the ground will bring on shore breezes in the afternoon. These can be quite strong until dusk, when the ground cools off causing the on shore breeze to subside.
Another affect is funneling. Prevailing winds will enter narrow waterways that are separated by rising land masses. These winds tend to build velocity in these locations that parallel wind direction. Having this knowledge helps with your sail plan. So, even though winds around the islands can be quite fickle, I try very hard to sail as much as possible. Distant water surface state tells you where the wind is and that is where I go. I have waited hours for some wind to appear, then just give up and motor. Sail time is important and in my experience the islands have much to offer.
Later in August and into September is when fog conditions appear. Fog in the morning, burning off by midday. A Wagoners Cruising Guide along with a good tide book a must have.
Good point about the Wagonner Cruising Guide, Terry. For those that don't know already, you can download the 2016 guide as a 120 MB PDF file at the page linked by the picture below. Lots of current info and tips on the area.
warm fair weather is relative... it is a marine environment and the waters are cold.
so what this means is, even though it may be 80° while walking along the wharf, as soon as you get on the boat 30ft from land, the temps will drop dramatically due to the air movement over the cold water.... so dont go into it thinking you are going to experiance boating like you would in the south sea islands, because it can still be very chilly even on the very nice days.... but thats just a sailors life here in the northwest.
I have always been there for 2weeks at a time in july and typically when in a protected anchorage the weather will be t-shirt weather...but not always so much outside of the protected anchorage. just remember, some days are warm and some days are not, so take enough clothes to be comfortable either way.
some very nice days start off with a very heavy and wet fog in the morning, lasting sometimes til around 10am. and rarely, even later... we have also seen the heavy fog form in the afternoon....
during july, we have encountered cold rainy conditions for 3-4 days at a time.... but as long as you are prepared, and take it like a sailor should, it wont slow the fun down one bit.... its all part of the adventure.
a walk thru the forest trails on some of the islands when its is very soggy, raining, and a bit gloomy, where its all very quiet and you can hear nearly every rain drip that falls, is an adventure in itself. so be prepared to enjoy it rather than setting huddled inside the boat waiting for the sun to shine again.... a boom tent is a good idea.
lopez island, fishermans bay... they have a saturday market about 3/4mile walk up the road from there.... it was raining that day so we put on our rain clothes, rowed to the dinghy dock, and then walked to the market.
we ate lunch there(street vendor food) which was good, bought some fresh veggies to bring back to the boat, tromped thru the muddy grass and listened to some "street" music while eating some home made ice cream..... in the rain.
it doesnt matter where you go or what you do in the islands... because as long as you are prepared for it, the adventure will be enjoyable and memorable... but like I said earlier, stop as often as you can and get out and look around, because there is something everywhere....
one could go on for hours talking about all there is to see and do, but a lot of it is personal taste in what your individual likes and dislikes are... myself, as much as I like people, I despise crowds... I avoid them whenever possible, but both of us still have a strong curiosity, so we have to brave a crowd sometimes to get to what we want to see or do.. we both like book stores, and there is a used book store in friday harbor that has all its shelves loaded with books, and more books literally stacked waist high in the aisles and on top of the shelves and anywhere else space allows, with little trails thru the store..... and the place was so crowded with books and people that it was an experience that I will never forget.... and not a pleasant one for me, although all the other people seemed to be enjoying their crowdedness..... but I did find several good used books and their prices were right.
another rewarding adventure while at anchor can be had with a fishing pole and a crab trap..... get your license and feast away.... crab feeds and fresh fish never get tiring and really cuts the food bill.....
so what this means is, even though it may be 80° while walking along the wharf, as soon as you get on the boat 30ft from land, the temps will drop dramatically due to the air movement over the cold water.... so dont go into it thinking you are going to experiance boating like you would in the south sea islands, because it can still be very chilly even on the very nice days.... but thats just a sailors life here in the northwest.
I have always been there for 2weeks at a time in july and typically when in a protected anchorage the weather will be t-shirt weather...but not always so much outside of the protected anchorage. just remember, some days are warm and some days are not, so take enough clothes to be comfortable either way.
some very nice days start off with a very heavy and wet fog in the morning, lasting sometimes til around 10am. and rarely, even later... we have also seen the heavy fog form in the afternoon....
during july, we have encountered cold rainy conditions for 3-4 days at a time.... but as long as you are prepared, and take it like a sailor should, it wont slow the fun down one bit.... its all part of the adventure.
a walk thru the forest trails on some of the islands when its is very soggy, raining, and a bit gloomy, where its all very quiet and you can hear nearly every rain drip that falls, is an adventure in itself. so be prepared to enjoy it rather than setting huddled inside the boat waiting for the sun to shine again.... a boom tent is a good idea.
lopez island, fishermans bay... they have a saturday market about 3/4mile walk up the road from there.... it was raining that day so we put on our rain clothes, rowed to the dinghy dock, and then walked to the market.
we ate lunch there(street vendor food) which was good, bought some fresh veggies to bring back to the boat, tromped thru the muddy grass and listened to some "street" music while eating some home made ice cream..... in the rain.
it doesnt matter where you go or what you do in the islands... because as long as you are prepared for it, the adventure will be enjoyable and memorable... but like I said earlier, stop as often as you can and get out and look around, because there is something everywhere....
one could go on for hours talking about all there is to see and do, but a lot of it is personal taste in what your individual likes and dislikes are... myself, as much as I like people, I despise crowds... I avoid them whenever possible, but both of us still have a strong curiosity, so we have to brave a crowd sometimes to get to what we want to see or do.. we both like book stores, and there is a used book store in friday harbor that has all its shelves loaded with books, and more books literally stacked waist high in the aisles and on top of the shelves and anywhere else space allows, with little trails thru the store..... and the place was so crowded with books and people that it was an experience that I will never forget.... and not a pleasant one for me, although all the other people seemed to be enjoying their crowdedness..... but I did find several good used books and their prices were right.
another rewarding adventure while at anchor can be had with a fishing pole and a crab trap..... get your license and feast away.... crab feeds and fresh fish never get tiring and really cuts the food bill.....
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I completely understand, Centerline. We lived for several years near Portland, OR and we visit Seattle occasionally so we know what a normal day on the coast is like. I just mentioned the First Mate's preference because she's not too keen on going out around here until June or after September. I'm sure it will be an adventure whenever we go.
Depending upon whether your first mate has any interest in whales, up close and personal, nothing quite like a large bull Orca swim up right next to your boat, turn and do a tail slap, getting you and the crew wet. Or watch them leap completely out of the water and do a belly flop. Or observe a pod swim beneath your boat while you stand watching with your jaw dropped all while you hope they avoid ramming you. Or a Humpback whale much larger than your boat rise out of the water beside you, unexpectedly, close enough to reach out and touch him. Just say'n.
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What a fantastic response, everybody. Thank you for contributing your experiences. I definitely plan to "see it all," but not all at one time. I think it's worth an annual 2-4 week trip for the next several years. After all, that's why we bought Alibi, to explore Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and Desolation Sound. That should be plenty of cruising ground for the foreseeable future.
I have an old copy of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, but will order the new version. Winter is the perfect time for us to sit in front of the fire and dream of not too far away places to visit.
My take away is that mid-June to mid-Aug are the best for weather, but we always keep warm clothes and rain gear aboard just in case. A foggy, wet morning, sitting in the cockpit with hot coffee and binoculars, followed by 3-4 hours of sailing/motoring to a new destination with new views sounds like a perfect way to unwind from the normal stress of life.
I have an old copy of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, but will order the new version. Winter is the perfect time for us to sit in front of the fire and dream of not too far away places to visit.
My take away is that mid-June to mid-Aug are the best for weather, but we always keep warm clothes and rain gear aboard just in case. A foggy, wet morning, sitting in the cockpit with hot coffee and binoculars, followed by 3-4 hours of sailing/motoring to a new destination with new views sounds like a perfect way to unwind from the normal stress of life.
Our current hard copy of Waggoner is five years old. Close enough for most of what we do. Always wise to have the most current information. Be sure to include the Gulf Islands on your bucket list. They have much to offer, too.
As you get closer to activating your cruising plan for this season we look forward to another open dialogue here. Another consideration for the future; since it is quite a hike from Tacoma to the islands you might want to move the boat up here in a few years so that you can spend more time in the islands. Semi-ah-moo or Blaine are nice marinas to depart for northern provinces, such as Desolation Sound, and usually have space available. Anacortes, Shelter Bay and La conner also have nice marinas that place you right at the San Juan Islands' door step. Just one more thing to ponder during these winter months.
As you get closer to activating your cruising plan for this season we look forward to another open dialogue here. Another consideration for the future; since it is quite a hike from Tacoma to the islands you might want to move the boat up here in a few years so that you can spend more time in the islands. Semi-ah-moo or Blaine are nice marinas to depart for northern provinces, such as Desolation Sound, and usually have space available. Anacortes, Shelter Bay and La conner also have nice marinas that place you right at the San Juan Islands' door step. Just one more thing to ponder during these winter months.
Terry,
Since you brought the subject up to begin with, what have been your experiences with ground tackle for the island anchorages? I mean other than the minimum setup everyone should have: 200'+ of rode, 1' chain/LOA', and an average anchor. I plan on taking two sets, one with a better quality (Bruce, Lewmar, or equivalent) anchor, and a separate long stern tie line.
Since you brought the subject up to begin with, what have been your experiences with ground tackle for the island anchorages? I mean other than the minimum setup everyone should have: 200'+ of rode, 1' chain/LOA', and an average anchor. I plan on taking two sets, one with a better quality (Bruce, Lewmar, or equivalent) anchor, and a separate long stern tie line.
high tech ground tackle is not necessary.... the anchors you mention are fine. for the most part, anywhere you will be anchoring is pretty well sheltered and no more than 30'deep with a mud or sand bottom, with locations available that are as shallow as you want to go.
there are spots with clay bottoms and others with bedrock, so no matter how high tech your anchor is, it wont grab hold.
these spots are not common in the anchorages, but as I like to anchor where other people arent, I find them regularly.....
there are spots with clay bottoms and others with bedrock, so no matter how high tech your anchor is, it wont grab hold.
these spots are not common in the anchorages, but as I like to anchor where other people arent, I find them regularly
.....
I've been up there for a total of about six weeks on separate occasions and I'm planning a three week trip up to Desolation Sound this summer so here's my input.
With regard to anchoring, you're typically going to find good holding in mud or sand bottoms and there is almost always a good spot in 20-30 feet. The deepest I've anchored is 50 feet near Cattle Pass but it wasn't really necessary except that it's where I wanted to be.
My first trip up was with a Fortress anchor but it didn't reset well once (got a chunk of something unidentifiable in the fluke and we were slowly dragging) on a current shift so I decided to keep it as a backup and replace it with a Mantus which has been amazing. There were a couple times that I can't believe it held, in particular when the rode wrapped the keel and held us sideways to a 3 kt current while rafted to an Islander 36. The cost of a "new generation" anchor is well worth the additional reliability imho. Attached to that I have 35' of chain and 320' additional feet of nylon rode. Like I said it's definitely more than I've needed but it's nice to know it's there if I do. I've never had to use a stern tie in the San Juans.
I saw only a couple mentions of tides and currents so I'll mention them again...definitely pay attention and plan ahead. In transit watch for current in general and waves (wind waves or swell) against current (Cattle Pass, Rosario Strait, Juan de Fuca (Point Wilson especially.) At anchor make sure to include the tide changes in your rode calculations so you don't ground or break free. I also like deepzoom.com and I have a current atlas as well which has been really helpful.
Anyway, it's definitely a fun place to visit.
I agree with forbin....
But being set up to stern tie can allow you in to an anchorage where you could not otherwise be.... when other boats are stern tied and there is a limited room, another boat or two can probably fit in when anchored in the same manner, but a free swinging boat would be a hazard to itself and others in the same area..... east jones island comes to mind, and also along the north bank inside of roche harbor....
There are other less known very secluded coves/anchorages that are above and beyond any thing you could wish for, but most of them take a stern tie, and side ties for safety in the event of a wind shift.
But the stern tie is probably more of an issue when you are rowing the dinghy and need to be close in, where as with a motor you can anchor way out and motor in to the dock/beach...
Inside of cattle pass, on the west side is a very long secluded beach with excellent anchoring, and crabbing.
and I would never discount the advantages of using of a new gen anchor, but any of the old style anchors will work well in mud or sand... even the new gen builders will admit the danforth is an excellent anchor in mud and sand, and that ANY anchor can drag if it fouls.... but the new gen anchor manfactures all argue thet their anchor will reset quicker if it breaks out during a wind or tide shift.... that is their selling point.
But being set up to stern tie can allow you in to an anchorage where you could not otherwise be.... when other boats are stern tied and there is a limited room, another boat or two can probably fit in when anchored in the same manner, but a free swinging boat would be a hazard to itself and others in the same area..... east jones island comes to mind, and also along the north bank inside of roche harbor....
There are other less known very secluded coves/anchorages that are above and beyond any thing you could wish for, but most of them take a stern tie, and side ties for safety in the event of a wind shift.
But the stern tie is probably more of an issue when you are rowing the dinghy and need to be close in, where as with a motor you can anchor way out and motor in to the dock/beach...
Inside of cattle pass, on the west side is a very long secluded beach with excellent anchoring, and crabbing.
and I would never discount the advantages of using of a new gen anchor, but any of the old style anchors will work well in mud or sand... even the new gen builders will admit the danforth is an excellent anchor in mud and sand, and that ANY anchor can drag if it fouls.... but the new gen anchor manfactures all argue thet their anchor will reset quicker if it breaks out during a wind or tide shift.... that is their selling point.
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Just checked out deepzoom.com. Sweet! It doesn't get any easier than that. Thanks for the tip!
Shifting slightly away from anchoring out, the First Mate has started looking into rooms in Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor for onshore nights. She's finding them filling up fast. What have been your experiences with hotels, B&Bs, etc? I'm sure there are some really nice ones, but we're also on a budget and can't live like rock stars.
Shifting slightly away from anchoring out, the First Mate has started looking into rooms in Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor for onshore nights. She's finding them filling up fast. What have been your experiences with hotels, B&Bs, etc? I'm sure there are some really nice ones, but we're also on a budget and can't live like rock stars.
Our boat came equipped with a 40# Danforth, 30 feet of 5/16 grade 40 chain and 250 feet of 5/8 three strand nylon. When we first purchased the boat in 2002 I had some anchoring lessons to learn.
Those lessons have helped make what I consider to be a very effective anchoring system suitable for just about any occasion. Still have the 40# Danforth. Very effective in PNW waters. Also, still use a 20# kellet (lead down rigger ball). So, Belle-Vie now has 50 feet of 5/16 grade 40 chain, 150 feet of 5/8 three strand nylon, another 50 feet of 5/16 grade 40 chain and another 150 feet of 5/8 three strand nylon. Each is connected to the other using a warp splice.
Typically I shoot for 25 feet of water to drop and set the anchor. Usually settle with a minimum of 110 to 140 feet of rode unless sour weather is in the forecast. A SS carabiner secures the kellet to the end of the first 50 foot segment of 5/16 chain. This helps with catenary.
Catenary is also the reason for alternating between chain-to-rope to chain-to-rope. This tip came from another seasoned sailor that seemed to make sense when lots of rode is needed for much deeper water and/or sour weather conditions.
In all the years of anchoring hundreds of times in PNW waters, one time the anchor did not hold and that was in a strong blow in Cortez Bay on Cortez Island, BC. It is a notoriously poor anchorage consisting of a thin layer of mud over hard shale. Needless to say even with 300 feet of rode, Belle-Vie at 35,000 pounds still moved about 100 feet that night.
In all the years of anchoring, the Danforth has always reset itself when a wind shift or tide current change occurs. Perhaps there are more modern designs that do a better job than the Danforth, but as long as the Danforth does its job, I am a happy sailor.
Those lessons have helped make what I consider to be a very effective anchoring system suitable for just about any occasion. Still have the 40# Danforth. Very effective in PNW waters. Also, still use a 20# kellet (lead down rigger ball). So, Belle-Vie now has 50 feet of 5/16 grade 40 chain, 150 feet of 5/8 three strand nylon, another 50 feet of 5/16 grade 40 chain and another 150 feet of 5/8 three strand nylon. Each is connected to the other using a warp splice.
Typically I shoot for 25 feet of water to drop and set the anchor. Usually settle with a minimum of 110 to 140 feet of rode unless sour weather is in the forecast. A SS carabiner secures the kellet to the end of the first 50 foot segment of 5/16 chain. This helps with catenary.
Catenary is also the reason for alternating between chain-to-rope to chain-to-rope. This tip came from another seasoned sailor that seemed to make sense when lots of rode is needed for much deeper water and/or sour weather conditions.
In all the years of anchoring hundreds of times in PNW waters, one time the anchor did not hold and that was in a strong blow in Cortez Bay on Cortez Island, BC. It is a notoriously poor anchorage consisting of a thin layer of mud over hard shale. Needless to say even with 300 feet of rode, Belle-Vie at 35,000 pounds still moved about 100 feet that night.
In all the years of anchoring, the Danforth has always reset itself when a wind shift or tide current change occurs. Perhaps there are more modern designs that do a better job than the Danforth, but as long as the Danforth does its job, I am a happy sailor.
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Regarding stern ties, I have used them in the past, but generally only in calm or mild weather conditions. If the wind picks up abeam, the wind force pushing against the high freeboard placing undo strain on anchor and stern tie holding.
Regarding stern anchors, never used one. Prefer and trust more on a bow anchor. Placing both risks a similar condition as with a stern tie. Undo strain on both by the high freeboard windage abeam. Just my two cents worth.
Regarding stern anchors, never used one. Prefer and trust more on a bow anchor. Placing both risks a similar condition as with a stern tie. Undo strain on both by the high freeboard windage abeam. Just my two cents worth.
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