Poulsbo - Kingston to the San Jaun islands

centerline · Sep 6, 2014

it would be a fun trip from kingston... better plan for two days though, or as you said one very long day. long days take the fun out of it.

dont plan to sail much though, the summertime winds can be non existent to shifty, or they can be fair for a few hours in the early mornings.... not something to count on though unless a storm blows thru.

currents, YES... you will encounter some of the worst currents of your life in the san juan islands. they can be very scary if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that is due to the extreme undertows and the eddy currents if you get out in them on a full spring-tide exchange...
stay closer to shore when you see storm waters ahead of you, yet there is no wind or wave action anywhere else around you.

all but a very few of the islands have places to camp on the hard, moor or anchor, but keep in mind that washington state landowners own to the waterline, no matter where that may be at any given time of the day, so no beaching the boat or dinghy just because it looks nice there.
but there are so many state parks with dog areas, you should be able to find a place to stop every 3-4 hours if you wish, to let the dogs run...

most of the islands big enough to have any room for real bike riding has bike/moped rentals. most of the small islands, where we like to hang out, usually have paved trails, and you can walk around the island within 20 minutes... we hit the big islands for supplies only.

marinas with facilities are few in the san juans... and usually crowded, but always fun, even for me who doesnt like crowds at all...
in the paulsbo/kingston areas and north there will be a lot more marinas and more crowds....

I would recommend you carry no less than 6 gallons of gas.

with our 10hp honda, we made 143 GPS miles, all on motor power, and used less than 9 gallons of gas.... and some of it was against the current, which is inevitable in that location.
the current can be flowing in one direction in one area and within a half a mile another island is diverting the water in a different direction when you get there.... its hard to explain, but you will soon come to understand what i mean.

our hardest pull was going south thru cow pass athe south end of san juan/lopez islands... a 6.5kt current and we were motoring at wide open throttle making 7kts..... for .5 kt headway.... we hugged the shore and did better in a 5kt current... it still took us 80 minutes to get thru to calmer waters. and burnt a lot of gas. most other boats turned back as they couldnt fight the current and didnt want to get as close to the rocks as we did to make headway....

and there are a LOT of underwater reefs that arent in anyway dangerous for fear of grounding on, but the currents are so strong that the reefs can shift the flow of water dramatically when you get to one, so when you think you have a good, quick down current passage, you find you are being carried away in a direction that you hadn't planned for.

everything about the adventure is exciting and a big learning experience, and having your own boat to cruise on, in your own sweet time, is the only proper way to do it....

with all the talk about the extreme currents, I dont mean to make it sound dangerous, but it can be.... and there may be times when you are completely safe from any real harm, but at the time you wont know that....

get a "waggoners guide" to the islands and it will make the trip so much better in every way. its an adventure for sure!!

Joe2954 · Sep 6, 2014

I took our mac 26 to the San Juans several times in the 90s. However, we launched at the park by Anacortes and motored or sailed across. Some of the passes between islands have tidal currents exceeding your boat speed. Get good charts and good tide and current tables. There is often am fog. Be patient. Also straits can kick up nasty with opposing tide currents swirling wind etc. Leave the dogs home.

John Nantz · Sep 6, 2014

Current Atlas - a MUST have!

Cruising is more enjoyable when you can "go with the flow." To this end, be sure to get a copy of the "Current Atlas" and, AND, it's companion booklet, "Washburne's Tables YYYY", the YYYY part being the year as it is issued for a particular year.

Poulsbo Liberty Bay web cam: http://siteground315.com/~longship/
Note that it itsn't alway "up" and may display an old picture.

Kingston is not the most desirable place to anchor because where the water is deep enough it is quite open and the ferry drags in a wake that takes a long time to settle down.

Port Townsend: Do not anchor in eel grass protected areas, otherwise, there is lots of anchorage area around. Good place for bicycles.

Dogs: Local beaches tend to be rather "muddy", muddy-sand, and the dogs will track this gritty stuff onboard so it would be a good idea to wash their feet. Maybe a small bucket of water and dip each foot in it?

Tides: Be sure to take the high tide into account when anchoring and computing scope.

Otherwise, now that elementary schools are in session there should be fewer Tupperware boats buzzing around.

Edit: Note that the Washburne's Tables are for last year because the current year is on the boat.

John Nantz · Sep 6, 2014

Trip planning: Poulsbo/Kingston to the San Juans

To add one more comment:

walt said:
But Im also wondiing about taking my Mac 26S up to the San Juans from Kingston? It looks like it might take one very long day or possibly two days of motoring/sailing to get there.. but overall not a big deal.

I'd suggest planning both ways. From Kingston it'd be a long day and from Poulsbo it is really a two-day trip.

Liberty Bay is a great anchorage but be sure to really set the anchor as the bottom is pretty chewed up from all the anchoring and can be a bit soft. From Poulsbo figure a leg to Port Townsend, anchor overnight (or two), then head out the next morning for the crossing.

The days are really getting shorter and the overnight lows are getting cooler.
http://www.centralmarketweather.com/Poulsbo/
Be sure to bring blankets, sweaters, and jackets.

Stu Jackson · Sep 6, 2014

IIRC, Waggonner's may well have the Washburne Guides in the back of the book. Check it out before you buy both.

www.activecaptain.com should also help.

Great cruising grounds. Have fun.

centerline · Sep 7, 2014

walt said:
After reading these threads, I am leaning towards putting in at Kingston and when we do our trip, go up through Langley, Oak Harbor, through Deception pass, then to the San Juan’s. Two things would be new for us, both currents and fog, both need to be studied.

I’m also thinking that right about this time of year would be ideal.
It actually sounds a little more relaxed visiting the small towns in the Puget Sound vs. the San Juan’s so should not be in a hurry to get up there.. My wife mentioned taking a month for this trip.. boy.. that sure sounds good to me. [/FONT][/COLOR]

no matter where you put in, its a grand trip. and yes, make enough time to see as much as you can... you never know when you will be able to make it back.

a lot of talk about the fog... when its thick, you can barely see the front of your boat thru it, but july thru august it almost always burns off by 10:30 or 11am.... sometimes not, but usually enough that you have enough visability to navigate safely...

sometimes its very thick, but hugs the deck (5-15' on the surface) and you can only see the upper portions of taller boats, and some times the deck is clear and you can see under the fog but not over it.... but a complete whiteout is the most common occurance.
later in the year, usually after mid august, the formulation of fog begins to occur more often.

currents... they are definitely there, but remember that closer to shore they are much less severe, unless there is a reef or point of land that is causing a shear.... the important thing is to try and go with the currents rather than ignore them.... if you want to get anywhere without burning all your fuel.

ive played around in tidal rivers and whitewater rivers with powerboats all my life and thought Ive seen some powerful currents..... but then i took my little sailboat to the san juans and got an education.
its not so much worse than a whitewater river, but the currents can be so much more massive in actual size and area. many many times more water passing under a person in so much deeper water. you cant just move over a few yards and be out of it.... you can feel the power of it and it can sound nearly as loud as a large waterfall...
there are a LOT of places with big currents but they arent everywhere so they can be avoided if you are aware of their presence, but every area does have its normal currents and tidal exchanges...

and visiting towns... if thats your thing then the san juans may become a bit boring.... off the top of my head I can think of 5 or 6 stops you can make that will allow for any form of entertainment in the way of walking about town and people watching.... and a couple of them may lose your interest within an hour.... but i dont mean that in a bad way, its just that these are island communities and some move a bit slower than what we may be used to.

the heavier populated areas in the sound are much more hustle and bustle like we know it, and that is what I like to get away from.... but then it comes at a price. my triple stacked ice cream cone in friday harbor cost me $7.50...

centerline · Sep 9, 2014

walt said:
I suppose this isn’t hard to find out on my own..

But if this is easy to answer, were slips at marina's easy to rent for a day or a couple days? About what cost (I have the old Mac.. @26 foot)? Showers? Arrange in advance or just show up? Cell phone coverage in the area?

Where were the "fun" marina's - mostly in the San Juan’s during the more crowded times of the year?

the "fun" marinas are the dock ties at the smaller islands... an anchor ball leaves you by yourself as does an anchor drop.... near the crowded "established" marinas, its just like anywhere, you have the friendlies and not so friendlies, but at the secluded island docks you can expect everyone to be friendly...

actual marina slips are no problem for a day or two, but expensive. call ahead is quicker, because they sometimes have to scramble to be accommodating even though they are full up. expect around $35 per night for a 26ftr.
nearly all marina areas I have visited have anchorages.
anchor balls are cheaper but usually full up.

showers are available at all the marinas I know of... they take quarters.
no water or showers at the smaller islands, but they all have composting toilets.

a $10 coleman shower bag works great if you dont mind taking bit of a "rinse" in the cockpit.. most areas you can anchor away from everyone else and just get naked if you want to... it works well for us, and then sun dry afterwards.

depending on where you are, the anchorages can be very large, yet protected.... on sucia Island, echo bay, which is fairly well protected we counted 92 boats, anchored or on balls, ranging in size from dinghy sailors to 50-60footers, and still room for many more.

depending on the carrier, cell phone coverage is decent, (we have both sprint and verizon) but near the canadian boarder it can be a bit in and out.... if you lose coverage, just move over a few feet and you will pick it back up.
gotta make sure you dont cross the boarder and take/make a call... EXPENSIVE!!!

centerline · Sep 11, 2014

i think all the marinas in the area, as large as the "area" is, understands that most transients cruising thru the area have a dinghy along with them.... and they allow it alongside or stern tied to the mother craft in the transients slips.

earlier i spoke about the large anchorages that are available. dont misunderstand that for meaning most of the anchorages are large, cuz they arent.

they range in size from secluded one boat anchorages to the more popular 4-8 boat "harbors" that have a dock tie and anchor balls in addition to some small additional anchoring space available for a couple of boats, to the bigger areas....

some "harbors" also have other methods of "mooring", such as lineal side ties that can be a dock finger itself that is anchored out by itself in the middle of the harbor, that several boats can tie to and then you take the dinghy to shore, and another method that is hard to describe, is a large floating hawser or cable stretched between pilings that you tie to.... almost like side tying with a buddy boat, but with a bit more buffer between the boats.

almost any anchorage open to the north or east in the "islands" is considered protected in normal conditions... the anchorage in swifts bay (no balls or docks) just north of spencer spit on the NE corner of Lopez island is almost unused but has a great view all around, is very large and reasonably protected, with lots of crab for dinner.... but people seem to crowd the spit.

Robby in WA · Sep 23, 2014

A couple random things off the top of my head:

The best showers in the islands are at Rosario Resort. You can grab a mooring buoy and use the spa facilities. Also a great place to check out and the wind in East Sound (Orcas Island) is almost always good.

People use a 4:1 scope because it gets crowded and mud is great for anchoring.

A couple favorite secluded spots: Sucia Isand (Fossil or Shallow Bay). Stuart Island (Reid Harbor) - great hike to Turn Point lighthouse for Orca watching. Jones Island (get there early as there are only a few mooring balls and it's dodgy anchoring). Cypress Island (Pelican Beach) also a fun hike to Eagle Cliff overlooking the islands.

Roche Harbor - is a fun stop for supplies.

I bring my German Shepard all the time. It forces us to get off the boat and hike. There are great trails and wildlife all over the islands.

If you get a free day head down the west side of San Juan Island and look for Orcas.

Poulsbo - Kingston to the San Jaun islands

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