Puget/San Juan Sailors

[Ken Prichard]

May

Went last year in May before the long weekend. Everything was great including weather and available moorage space. We chartered with San Juan Sailing in Bellingham and were very satisfied.

 

[Jim G.]

Georgia Straits and Lake Michigan.

Is there anyone out there with personal experience of the seas and bad weather conditions in summer of the Straits of Georgia as compared with Lake Michigan or the Great Lakes in general ?. Jim G.

 

[rsn48]

Georgia Straight

I don't pretend to know much about Puget Sound, but my comments are true around the South West Coast (American speak: Pacific North West) of Canada; and its pretty much true of weather down to Seattle. Seattle weather and Vancouver BC weather is pretty much the same thing.Summers in the Pacific North West and South West Coast of Canada are different than any other part of the country. And it is pretty much a "crap shoot" until the 15th of July. We can have amazing Aprils and Mays - or not - and June can be great - or not - but once you hit the 15th of July until the last week of August, the weather has been historically great in terms of sun and no rain, but there can also be a lack of wind (bring lots of fuel).In the last three summers, the first two Junes were very hot - unusual for around here - but last June was on and off again rain. Don't trust June's in the Pacific North West. And in fact don't trust the first two weeks of July either.With April, May and June, the weather can be great, but it also can deteriorate for weeks at a time to rain, rain, and more rain, with possibilities of showers to follow.The last week in August also deteriorates for about a week, then we move into a wonderful fall. All falls here have been terrific, since I moved here in 1973. However two falls ago, was the exception - rain - that proved the rule.For good sunny weather, but maybe iffy wind, the best time to schedule your time here, if here for a month is from 15 July to 15 August.

 

[Terry Cox]

Jim G., I know nothing about the Great ...

Lakes, but have spent plenty of sailing time around and through the north and south end of the Strait of Georgia. This past season we made our second cruise to the Discovery Island Group just north of the Strait. We've also spent considerable time around the San Juan and Gulf Island Groups.We left Everett, WA last June 21 and returned August 13. During that time we had a few days of showers, one storm force system that came in from Alaska while we were at anchor in False Bay and one or two gale force systems. It comes with the territory and we love it.A few days we had fickle wind, but the many more days we had okay to wonderful wind conditions. Sail to motoring time was maybe 80%; wing-on-wing from Everett to Pirate Cove.As mentioned in an earlier post weather in these parts is a crap shoot, but you're either in the game or not. Just keep an ear on your local marine forecast, Ports and Passages is a handy book to time slack water at various passes and a Garmin chart system will help keep you safe from submerged objects.Terry

 

[Capt Ron;-)]

San Juan De Fuca - Georgia Straits

A lotta responses here. I don't live up thar no more, but I still am up there a half dozen times ayear sailing, and the winds can be fickle and STRONG even in summer.90% of the time the wind is heading East from Cape Flattery down the Straits, then splits up at the 'round-about'.I left Anacortes in July 2003 in a 50ft Cymbal, nice power vessel with twin Cats. It was a beautiful day, sunny, hot not a breath of wind. Two hours later the wind was gusting to claose to forty, and though the waves had no fetch, we had 'em on our beam and were rollin so far that I had to 'tack' to keep a better angle. One experienced crewman was down, so we headed into Port Angeles, real nice to get tied up in there around 2200 after dark.

 

[seanshine]

Terry Cox

Terry, where is Pirate Cove? I was thinking downwind with a southerly, you could make Penn Cove. I'm stumped. Thanks.

 

[Terry Cox]

Seanshine, Pirate(s) Cove is on De Courcy...

Island just before you get to Dodd Narrows, the inside entrance to Nanaimo. Lovely little harbor with a tricky channel entrance, a bit small, okay anchorage, stern tie available. Plug your nose when you haul up the anchor to get underway. WHEW!Docks are private, Island has several nice hiking trails, lots of wildlife, and a treasure chest remains on the point. Yes, sort of unusual for that time of the year to have southerlys well into June. They stayed with us all the way up. When we went the year before we had mostly northerlys.We arrived at ebb tide and as we entered the entrance our depth meter said we had less than a foot beneath the keel and we draw 4' 11". No grounding that day.Terry