Anyone planning to tour the San Juans this summer?

[forbin]

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.

I've never stayed ashore but both of those places have great facilities...that won't help you much with the 'softer bed' request but it's an option if you end up not being able to find any place that is reasonable.

Also, the west side inside Cattle Pass, as centerline mentioned, is really a great beach and a good stopping point on the way in or out of the islands if it fits your plans. It's officially called 'American Camp' I believe.

I'm definitely not denying the benefits of a stern tie, I do carry 300 ft of line for it, just haven't used it [yet.]

Brian/Forbin

 

[centerline]

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 places undo strain on anchor and stern tie holding.

Regarding stern anchors, never used one. Prefer and trust more on a bow anchors. 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.

I have used the stern tie method on my boats for many years, and I will agree that sometimes it isnt reasonable to use one, but sometimes it isnt reasonable to be anchored in a particular area during a blow (or current change), regardless of the anchoring system, or what anchor you are using..... safely anchoring in an unprotected area, IS and always will be a matter of anchoring experience and technique used.

side current on the boat is more dangerous than a very strong beam wind when stern tied, because even with the wind across the beam, when you are stern tied, the anchor does not take the constant shock loading and directional changes like it does when just having the bower out... the swinging can cause an anchor to break out, or even "walk down", where as if there is just a steady pull on the rode, it can remain a strongly set.
so depending on the currents induced by the storm, a stern tie can actually be a good choice... and if you DO have some room, you may be able to ease the stern tie and let the boat head into the wind a bit until it subsides....

in a fairly well protected anchorage where there are several boats using stern ties, you should be prepared to do the same if you want into that choice spot....

a stern anchor. I have never used one except when fishing in a tidal river to hold the boat from swinging with the wind and tide change, but I have dropped a stern anchor over the side of the sailboat when at the apex of the swing, when swinging on the bower...... turn the rudder over to get the maximum apex, drop the anchor and let it swing back while paying out rode.... you will find a sweet spot where the stern anchor will be enough to keep the boat from swinging on the bower.... not really anchored, but to stop the swing....

 

[centerline]

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.

to each their own..... but this is a very expensive way to go. the owners of these places could care less about us budget minded folks in an environment where there are an abundance of multi-million dollar mega yachts, and the people who own them.

if your boat doesnt have enough room, consider taking an air matteress and a tent, and camp on the islands.... people who travel/cruise in open boats, kayaks, canoes, paddle board do it this way all the time. the most dangerous animals you will find there are the raccoons that will get into your coolers and eat your groceries for you... so as long as you dont have to go hungry, it will be another adventure...

it is my understanding that all of the populated marinas have guest showers (for a fee). I know most of them do.... where you can stop off for a couple hours and take a good hot shower.... and this is still much cheaper than a room.

 

[Terry Cox]

Roche and Friday Harbor have nice marina shower facilities; just be sure to take plenty of quarters to feed the machine. I've never used either of them as our boat has a free (sort of) hot shower system aboard. Ditto sleeping quarters. Finding sleeping quarters ashore during the peak season at reasonable rates will be difficult. Centerline's suggestion about camping gear ashore works if you are prepared for that sort of thing. I like it, but the admiral, not so much.

The other issue is letting a room reservation drive your cruising plans. Reservations come with hard dates, Weather, currents and available cruise time all come into play against these dates. I always hope for an available mooring ball at Eagle Harbor, but if all are in use, I can either wait for someone to vacate, or drop an anchor.

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Good points, guys. Thank goodness there are so many options! Each crew will need to decide for themselves what the best solution is for them considering their tolerance for the logistics and expense compared to the convenience and comfort. Personally, besides sleeping aboard most of the time, I'd like to try some secluded beach camping (I have a lot of wilderness experience) and a couple B&Bs to treat the First Mate. Mix it up to make it more interesting.

One thing I haven't researched yet but am curious about is the long-term truck/trailer parking and security situation. I imagine the private and state launches charge per night for parking? How safe is leaving your rig for weeks on end? Obviously, I wouldn't leave anything valuable there within sight. I also lock my trailer coupler. But I can also imagine it would be a playground for thieves and vandals knowing that the owners are far away and not likely to show up at any minute.

What's the prevailing wisdom on that?

 

[Mark Maulden]

Check on Pacific Marine Center and Marine Service Center in Anacortes. They both have large areas for land storage which are fenced off and secure. A lot of boats on the hard during the winter months so i think they would have space in the summer.

 

[Terry Cox]

Not so much vandalism/theft around these precincts. Marinas, such as Cap Sante, La conner and Shelter Bay all have launch facilities and parking. Best to check with them beforehand whether they charge or not. They have designated parking areas for short (72 hours) and long term parking. Most all have some form of security patrol.

In the past I've used Cap Sante as a rendezvous point for guests. My guest(s) will leave their car parked in the designated area, have never had a vandal problem and it has always been free. The marinas in our area are very accommodating to visitors. It means good business to them.

I know that some of the state parks have launch facilities and parking. Again it is best to check beforehand whether they charge or not. I think that most do.

 

[centerline]

Roche and Friday Harbor have nice marina shower facilities; just be sure to take plenty of quarters to feed the machine.

I always hope for an available mooring ball at Eagle Harbor, but if all are in use, I can either wait for someone to vacate, or drop an anchor.

we have used the showers in both places and they are clean facilities with plenty of hot water, although the roche harbor showers dont have exhaust fans, so its hard to dry off in a very steamy "sauna like" room.....

Terry has a great point... we learned it quickly. always arrive at your planned anchorage early in the day, so you can either get a choice spot, or anchor out and wait til someone leaves so you can take the spot they vacate.....

arriving at the end of the day can work in some of the large anchorages, but the small ones can bee so full that it can be worrisome for you and the neighbors in where you can anchor without having problems in a wind/current shift....

and this doesnt mean that you will be the cause of the problems.......
we were docked at the nw anchorage of Matia island, and later in the evening a 42' sailboat came in and anchored on the sw side, inside of the mooring ball field.... at about about 7am when the current was running heavy thru the area and the tide was dropping, I happend to be setting in the cockpit drinking a cup of tea watching the boat turn circles in its anchor rode.
soon I heard a distinct rumble, and I knew immediatley what happened (its keel dragging on bedrock).... it took a full five minutes for anyone to show on deck of the 42, and then they ran around the boat looking over the sides.

the anchor rode was chain and the woman began drawing the anchor by hand, and continued to do so, while the guy tried starting the motor..... but soon their boat drifted broadside out to the boats on mooring balls.... and tangled with them... the owners of first quietly anchored(previously) boat (about a 36ftr) was on deck immediately.... the bow sprit of the anchored boat got into the shrouds of the out of control 42..... and the way they were connected to the mooring ball, they couldnt get loose from it... the current was holding them together and the bit of surge was grinding damage into both of them....

the 36 got his engine started and powered into the 42 in an attempt to swing his boat around and let the 42 drift away, and as you can imaging there was a LOT of cussing, verbal assaults, and actual shrieking/screaming going on.....

after a few minutes the swing DID help to separate the boats.... and gave the 42 a chance to get its engine started.... its anchor was still hanging over the side but looked to be clear of the bottom...

but what happened next was a daja vu..... the 42 circled back around and came back up against the current so as to keep away from the other boats on the other mooring balls.. it circled around, up current from the boat that it just got free from, and got broadside again up current from the 36.... and the same dumb thing happened again, with the exception of getting locked together. when the guy saw he was drifting towards the 36, he must have got in a panic and cut his throttle, because his forward momentum stopped and he drifted....

the screaming, cussing and the "you dumbass, you are doing the same *u*king thing".... finally we could hear the 42 apply full power and as it tried to clear the 36, but the 42 caught the bow of the 36 with its stern at nearly full speed..... and of course, caused more damage to both boats.....

the last we saw of the 42 it was about a mile out and drifting... the 36 had several thousand dollars damage to hardware, rigging and hull....

this was a 25 minute event and all took place at the closest mooring ball to the dock, so everyone on all the boats was up watching the action, with a front row seat.....

 

[FastOlson]

When planning your summer vacation in the islands, have you caucused with your local Catalina 22 fleet members? When we cruised (and raced) our Ranger 20 for five years we created lots of sailing memories with the local R-20 fleet families.
There is probably an active C-22 fleet in the Sea Tac area. If you are not active in that group, get active.
Trailer sailer fleets often buddy boat by road to great cruising locations. We used to drive up to the the Sound from Portland with other families. Good times. Great memories.
Small boat raft-ups were fun.
Cheers,
Loren

 

[forbin]

Centerlines story is why I try to get a ball if there is one available and another reason I have 350' of rode available if I need to anchor out of the way. We sail around like crazy at anchor in current and wind shifts so it's necessary to pick a spot carefully especially around boats with all chain rode that in calm conditions mostly just pivot around the chain.

 

[centerline]

Centerlines story is why I try to get a ball if there is one available and another reason I have 350' of rode available if I need to anchor out of the way. We sail around like crazy at anchor in current and wind shifts so it's necessary to pick a spot carefully especially around boats with all chain rode that in calm conditions mostly just pivot around the chain.

And a simple stern tie from the 42 could have prevented a lot of headache, heartache and damage.....

 

[Stu Jackson]

and the "you dumbass, you are doing the same *u*king thing".... finally we could hear the 42 apply full power and as it tried to clear the 36, but the 42 caught the bow of the 36 with its stern at nearly full speed..... and of course, caused more damage to both boats.....

the last we saw of the 42 it was about a mile out and drifting...

Anybody get the name?

 

[steve stark]

Good points, guys. Thank goodness there are so many options! Each crew will need to decide for themselves what the best solution is for them considering their tolerance for the logistics and expense compared to the convenience and comfort. Personally, besides sleeping aboard most of the time, I'd like to try some secluded beach camping (I have a lot of wilderness experience) and a couple B&Bs to treat the First Mate. Mix it up to make it more interesting.

One thing I haven't researched yet but am curious about is the long-term truck/trailer parking and security situation. I imagine the private and state launches charge per night for parking? How safe is leaving your rig for weeks on end? Obviously, I wouldn't leave anything valuable there within sight. I also lock my trailer coupler. But I can also imagine it would be a playground for thieves and vandals knowing that the owners are far away and not likely to show up at any minute.

What's the prevailing wisdom on that?

Mark and Terry have given you good info on parking. Another great place to launch and Park is Blaine. Lots of parking, very cheap, and a nice reach on the Georgia Strait down to the San Juan from up top or across to the Gulf Islands.

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Whew! A tangle like that could ruin your trip.

Speaking of mooring balls, any tricks for outfitting and handling a dinghy for excursions ashore? Our boat came with an inflatable raft and oars that the previous owners used for this purpose. I'm thinking a patch kit, 20'-30' of polypropylene line to tow it with, and keep a watch not to let it tangle in the outboard prop is all. Anything else?

 

[centerline]

Anybody get the name?

yes.... phone numbers were exchanged at the time of separation, and before the deja vu happened.... and it got reported to the coast guard.
accidents and mistakes can happen, and everyone watching felt bad for both boats/owners, but on the second pass by the 42, his cover was blown as he was proven to be incompetent... nobody felt bad for the verbal assault he got then.....

its obvious the 42 was too much boat for its owner to handle in that situation, but the same may be said for an owner of a 25footer if he/she is only a fair weather weekend sailor and never learns how to handle the boat in challenging conditions.....

when in a situation, one has to consider every possible course of action and compute all consequences of the possible decisions very quickly, in an attempt to make the right moves to stay out of danger.... this is called forethought and is something that is easily practiced every moment while on the boat, but very seldom is by most boaters...... it can be practiced while planning a repair.... and while planning to untie from the dock for the cruise, and every moment in between until the boat is back at the dock and locked up for the week....
the more one practices and the better and faster their forethought works, the better seamanship skills they will have....

sadly, some people dont have enough and dont have the common sense to know how to get more....

 

[Terry Cox]

Hey centerline, an ouch of a story. We've been into Matia many times. Normally there are two mooring balls, sometimes one and other times none. Either way, I would never anchor in there; too small with maddening currents and really no place to stern tie. Dock side not so bad; inside the flowing currents. Nice little island. Rarely have I come in and was unable to find a place to tie up. Parks allow three deep raft up at the dock.

Then other times I will hang out across the channel in Echo Bay until something opens up in Matia. Interesting story about the old man that lived on the island for many years. Very little evidence left, but there are a few fruit trees remaining of his habitat on the west side of the island.

 

[Terry Cox]

Whew! A tangle like that could ruin your trip.

Speaking of mooring balls, any tricks for outfitting and handling a dinghy for excursions ashore? Our boat came with an inflatable raft and oars that the previous owners used for this purpose. I'm thinking a patch kit, 20'-30' of polypropylene line to tow it with, and keep a watch not to let it tangle in the outboard prop is all. Anything else?

Sounds like a good plan. Always best to have some way to get ashore for hikes, camp fires, etc. I normally never tow our boat. It sits on the transom ready to launch when needed. When towing, make a bridle for the inflatable, then a single line from it to your boat. Some tow with their dinghy far behind, others bring the dinghy right up to the stern. Sailor's preference. Any kind of line that floats will do.

A sturdy boat hook comes in handy when it comes time to snag the mooring ball ring. I prefer the Garlick brand as they guarantee their hooks for life. They have replace three of my hooks so far. Stuff just happens on the water.

 

[centerline]

Whew! A tangle like that could ruin your trip.

Speaking of mooring balls,

its my opinion that one should never clip directly into the mooring ball ring, but rather pass their mooring line thru the ring and back to a cleat on the boat... this way you can always get loose from it easily in almost any event.... the 36 in the tangle could not get free from the ball because of the way they clipped in to the ring..... if they could have gotten free, the holding pressures between the two boats would have lessened, and it could have ended quicker with less damage....

the dinghy, as long as it floats it will take you places, and with a motor or oars it can take you a bit quicker, and hopefully even bring you back. its a must have in most places during the busy season because the docks are usually full of boats that got there before you and in the off season the docks may be pulled to prevent storm damage to them, so you have to dinghy in from your anchored boat.
and there is a lot of neat places to explore outside the anchorage and around the island... if you have a seaworthy dinghy that is safe in choppy water where currents can be present.....

 

[centerline]

Then other times I will hang out across the channel in Echo Bay until something opens up in Matia. Interesting story about the old man that lived on the island for many years. Very little evidence left, but there are a few fruit trees remaining of his habitat on the west side of the island.

its a neat little island. we picked a few apples from the trees... still a bit green, but Rochelle likes green apples with salt... yeck!

 

[Terry Cox]

Mark and Terry have given you good info on parking. Another great place to launch and Park is Blaine. Lots of parking, very cheap, and a nice reach on the Georgia Strait down to the San Juan from up top or across to the Gulf Islands.

Great idea Steve. Blaine is very nice. If you leave Blaine and head across Georgia Strait towards the Gulf Islands, you cross into Canadian waters. To do so requires that you have a valid passport and that you clear Canadian customs at one of their stations beforehand. The nearest one to Blaine is Whiterock, just across Semi-ah-moo Bay from Blaine. It is a cell phone clear from the government dock on the south side of the breakwater.