Hellooo?
- Thread starter Terry Cox
- Start date
I just moved up to Seattle area from Utah. Got a date next Tuesday to get my trailer and boat inspected by the WSP prior to titling / registration, and a outboard tune up scheduled for the following Monday. We're in Kirkland, but my new trailer is ready to go anywhere.
The little lady and I are very interested in sailing with other boats around the Sound. Any cruises planned?
The little lady and I are very interested in sailing with other boats around the Sound. Any cruises planned?
PNW Cruising Plans
Welcome to the PNW. Glad to hear from you. Our current plan is to head north beginning the middle of June with our flotilla. Destination is a Princess Royal Island circumnavigation, which is north of Vancouver Island.
I've been sailing for years around the San Juan and Gulf Islands. Some possibilities, depending on how long you want to be out, you can launch in Anacortes and take a short trip up to the east side of Cypress Island. There are three very nice places to stay; Cypress Head, Eagle Harbor and Pelican Beach. Department of Natural Resources have free mooring balls to tie up for the night with several nice hiking trails and camping sites ashore.
Plan on leaving during a flood and head north up Bellingham Channel to any of these places. We prefer anchoring in many of the small bays around the islands. Make sure you carry a good charting system, tide table and anchoring system.
I'm sure you have many questions and I would be happy to give you my opinion, advice, tips, etc.
Welcome to the PNW. Glad to hear from you. Our current plan is to head north beginning the middle of June with our flotilla. Destination is a Princess Royal Island circumnavigation, which is north of Vancouver Island.
I've been sailing for years around the San Juan and Gulf Islands. Some possibilities, depending on how long you want to be out, you can launch in Anacortes and take a short trip up to the east side of Cypress Island. There are three very nice places to stay; Cypress Head, Eagle Harbor and Pelican Beach. Department of Natural Resources have free mooring balls to tie up for the night with several nice hiking trails and camping sites ashore.
Plan on leaving during a flood and head north up Bellingham Channel to any of these places. We prefer anchoring in many of the small bays around the islands. Make sure you carry a good charting system, tide table and anchoring system.
I'm sure you have many questions and I would be happy to give you my opinion, advice, tips, etc.
Wow, that Princess Royal Island trip sounds fun. We're stuck working most weeks, so I'm planning some quick trips across the sound to spend a Saturday night and plenty of day sailing. Hope to get in a week in the San Juans later this summer, and I've been outfitting the boat in preparation for that. Shelter Bay is along that cut, right? If you guys ever sail down towards Seattle on a weekend, I bet we could join you.
If I may pick your brain about just a couple things: I've got a Danforth Fluke and a Lewmar claw anchor, both on 210' rodes and weight appropriate for the boat. Those worked great for me in the alpine reservoirs the boat and I are used to, is there a better anchor for the bottom around the Sound / San Juans?
And what are the late-season winds like, up in the islands? As in: are they fairly consistent and I can plan on sailing between anchorages, or are they more likely to be intermittent or light and I should expect to motor? (Of course, I'll be prepared to motor the entire time if I have to)
And I hope to see more sails on the water soon!!!
If I may pick your brain about just a couple things: I've got a Danforth Fluke and a Lewmar claw anchor, both on 210' rodes and weight appropriate for the boat. Those worked great for me in the alpine reservoirs the boat and I are used to, is there a better anchor for the bottom around the Sound / San Juans?
And what are the late-season winds like, up in the islands? As in: are they fairly consistent and I can plan on sailing between anchorages, or are they more likely to be intermittent or light and I should expect to motor? (Of course, I'll be prepared to motor the entire time if I have to)
And I hope to see more sails on the water soon!!!
San Juan Sailing
Yes, Shelter Bay is across the "ditch" from Laconner. Been there for several years and really like it. I normally always follow the ebb out and flood in to take advantage of tide currents that can run two to three knots.
Wind around the islands can be fickle at times. Usually summer winds are northwesterly. Quiet in the morning and strong on shore in the mid to late afternoon. I always pay attention to the wind direction and the island shadow affect. Another factor is the funnel affect. This affect can increase the wind velocity through long and narrow bays such as east sound on Orcas Island, Saratoga Pass in Port Gardner and Penn Cove at Coupeville.
I like our Danforth. It came with the boat, but I have made some upgrades that I mentioned in my previous article. More chain has helped as has a 20 pound kellet, or down rigger lead ball. The Danforth sets well in most areas around the islands. Most anchorages around here consist of mud or sand bottoms.
Normally I drop in about 20 to 25 feet of water with about 110 to 140 feet of rode (50 feet of chain and 60 plus feet of rope) with the kellet added once I set the anchor.
Yes, Shelter Bay is across the "ditch" from Laconner. Been there for several years and really like it. I normally always follow the ebb out and flood in to take advantage of tide currents that can run two to three knots.
Wind around the islands can be fickle at times. Usually summer winds are northwesterly. Quiet in the morning and strong on shore in the mid to late afternoon. I always pay attention to the wind direction and the island shadow affect. Another factor is the funnel affect. This affect can increase the wind velocity through long and narrow bays such as east sound on Orcas Island, Saratoga Pass in Port Gardner and Penn Cove at Coupeville.
I like our Danforth. It came with the boat, but I have made some upgrades that I mentioned in my previous article. More chain has helped as has a 20 pound kellet, or down rigger lead ball. The Danforth sets well in most areas around the islands. Most anchorages around here consist of mud or sand bottoms.
Normally I drop in about 20 to 25 feet of water with about 110 to 140 feet of rode (50 feet of chain and 60 plus feet of rope) with the kellet added once I set the anchor.
San Juan Sailing
Just as a footnote, the "ditch", aka Swinomish Channel, can get quite thin, especially a zero tide or less. So, to avoid getting stuck in the mud, I always transit the channel with a tide state of at least one foot plus. I use Bellingham as my tide reference. That applies whether using the south or north entrance.
Sometimes the channel comes in handy when weather becomes stinky out on the west side of Whidbey Island. But if you are launching in Anacortes, no need to use the channel. Both Shelter Bay and Laconner have nice boat launches, too. Makes the trip to the islands a bit longer, however.
Just as a footnote, the "ditch", aka Swinomish Channel, can get quite thin, especially a zero tide or less. So, to avoid getting stuck in the mud, I always transit the channel with a tide state of at least one foot plus. I use Bellingham as my tide reference. That applies whether using the south or north entrance.
Sometimes the channel comes in handy when weather becomes stinky out on the west side of Whidbey Island. But if you are launching in Anacortes, no need to use the channel. Both Shelter Bay and Laconner have nice boat launches, too. Makes the trip to the islands a bit longer, however.
Haven't checked out this forum for a while since it seemed nobody was ever here. Have a Macgregor 26D, but am in the process of upgrading to a Hunter 35.5 Legend. I will be moored at Chinook Landing in Tacoma and looking forward to significantly expanding my cruising area.
Great TJAR
Hunter Legend 35.5 a very nice boat. Sturdy, fast, and comfy for cruising the islands. At the moment I'm in Lund, BC working our way south to home. We've been out since June 15. It has been a great cruise. I'll do a log report when I get back.
Terry Cox
Hunter Legend 35.5 a very nice boat. Sturdy, fast, and comfy for cruising the islands. At the moment I'm in Lund, BC working our way south to home. We've been out since June 15. It has been a great cruise. I'll do a log report when I get back.
Terry Cox
I moved from Tyee to Port Orchard. But still make runs to Hylebos for bottom paint. Other than that I do plan to make some short sails to Blake Island and Port Townsand this summer. Welcome to the PNW.
I haven't been sailing much the last year, and now my boat's pretty much dock-bound until I replace the transmission. But it's sitting in Pender Harbour, one of the nicest spots on the BC coast. Once I get the transmission replaced (and replace the stuffing-box, engine, fuel tank...) I'm off for the summer. I think I'll re-visit the Gulf Islands for a few weeks - I've been going more North for the last 10 years or so, so it's time I rediscovered them. Then maybe up to the Broughtons for a while...
druid
druid
Yes probably several years from now, I will go north to Alaska. Gotta spend more time on my Coronado and get used to her.
Tnx Terry. It is a 2006 model with Wind instruments, autopilot, radar and hot water. It lacks heat and I'm looking into some solar panels. At the end of October I sailed to Bremerton to fulfill a 40yr promise I made to myself to sail there in my own boat when I was in the yards. I'll try Poulsbo when I get the chance.
Check out Blake Island near Bainbridge. It's a state park with a small marina and mooring balls on the west side.
Hi Gene, great. Some kind of furnace will come in handy during those extended season cruises. Al least it has for us. The link that follows describes my furnace install experience. That was several years ago and it has worked out great during those cold winter days and nights on the hook. A necessity for the PNW.
http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=45&aid=6007&mn=42