San Juan Island

Les · Aug 6, 2015

Oh my what a question. I've sailed these waters for about fifty years but have sailed a Hobie only once. And I sometimes live in Friday Harbor. So here goes.

The ramp at the south end of Friday Harbor is a good start. From there go out the little pass and around the corner to Turn Island. On the north side is a park. Fun to walk around the island. From Turn Island go across San Juan Channel and head for Fisherman's Cove and the little town of Lopez. Inside the cove there are two marina's and I'm sure they wold allow you to pull up on their lawn. In fact, one of them has great hamburgers. The walk to town is short and enjoyable. Also you could rent bikes and tour part of the island.

From Fisherman's cove, you can go west and end up in North Bay (I forgot but there is a ramp there as well on San Juan Island. Nice one with plenty of parking) and just south of North Bay is a beautiful rocky beach called "Fourth of July Beach". It is a park (with facilities!) and a wonderful place to sit and smell the coffee (out of your thermos). If you're lucky a fox will come down the beach to inspect you at about ten feet away. Beautiful animals. It really wants your sandwich--please don't feed the fox(s) as there are many rabbits on the island.

Another nice trip from this ramp would be the county park on Shaw Island just to the north of Canoe Island.

Now let's head north from your ramp in FH. Head up San Juan Channel to the Wasp Islands to Yellow Island. It is a nature preserve with a care taker on the island. This island is being kept the way the native Americans kept it for years. Stay on the paths.

From Yellow Island go through the islands (you won't have a problem with draft) and stop at Deer Harbor. What a great place. Has a pool that they may let you use. Better yet, you could spend the night (good accommodations) and head up the road for about a half mile and there is a top notch family restaurant. One of my favorite restaurants in all of the islands.

If you spend the night there you could the next morning go around Steep Point on Orcus Island and head for Jones Island. It is a state marine park and is one of my favorite places. On the north side is a cove and a small beach where you can land. Facilities! And a walk around the island is one of the best. But beware of the small deer. Everyone feeds them and they can become aggressive this time of the year.

So those of my recommendations out of Friday Harbor. Now lets go by car (after you get off the ferry) and go to Roche Harbor. Although expensive it is a wonderful resort and their dinning room is one of the best in the northwest. Now by boat head out to the south through Mosquito Pass (You'll have to power--it is a narrow pass and take the first left and then your first right into Garrison Bay. Garrison is my all time favorite place to visit. It's only a half hour at best from Roche and it is a National Park. It has buildings from early times (The Pig War--you do the research), a parade ground, the most wonderful walk up Young Hill to a grave yard still maintained by British volunteers from Victoria, BC. Continue up the hill and you can see Victoria across Haro Strait on a clear day. I use to play the pipes when they took down the British flag each evening years ago but I'm too old to play anymore. Pity. This is a great place....with park rangers to assist.

Leaving Roche Harbor one more time, head north through either of the passes into Spieden Channel. This is a good place to check your currents. But go straight across to Stuart Island. Another of my favorite places and sail into Reid Harbor. (You're close enough--we probably ought to spell that "Harbour"). At the northwest end of this beautiful place is a beach just perfect for your Hobie. And it is a state Marine Park. The main part of the park is in the narrow center of the island but at the northwest end is a road. Walk that road until you get to another road and go left. About two miles out you come to a lighthouse and Turn Point. This is a great place to watch Orca whales if they are in the vicinity. Put you feet up on the grass or sit on the porch steps and enjoy the view. Everything you see is British Columbia, CA. If you still can walk when you get back, cross over the narrow part of the island (plenty of trails) and visit Prevost Harbor. Then back to Roche for a great meal.

I hope I've tempted your cruising appetite to the San Juan Islands. Write me off line as I think I'll be living in Friday Harbor for September (without my boat--gasp!). Perhaps we can get together for coffee or dinner.

Sumner · Aug 6, 2015

I think you are going to have to get an 'over-length permit'............just kidding. I thought you were going to take the Mac on this trip?

You guys have a great time. I've been up there for a couple spring/summer/fall periods and now into Sept. is usually the best weather,

Sumner

===================================

1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac

Endeavour 37 Mods...

MacGregor 26-S Mods...

Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas

kloudie1 · Aug 6, 2015

San Juans

Love that place..
Picture is of Fourth of July Beach on a 4th of July a few years ago.
Don't forget to visit the little winery just north of Friday Harbor.

Mark Maulden · Aug 8, 2015

Les covered it very well...

Picflight · Aug 9, 2015

How are you going to take the Mac all the to Puerto Rico?
Where is this place with great hamburgers?

Excellent details by les, I will bookmark.

John Nantz · Aug 9, 2015

Shoreline Photos

Here is another resource for you - shoreline photos.

https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/coastalatlas/tools/ShorePhotos.aspx

They’re taken at intervals by the state to monitor the shoreline. One of the primary uses is to document any changes to the shoreline but surely one of the other uses is to catch those who make changes like installing bulkheads, piers, mooring buoys, etc.

In your case, though, you can get an idea of what your destinations should look like before arriving.

With regard to the arrival date being “after Labor Day”, for a sailboater that’s a very good idea because during the summer these islands are typically a virtual zoo of powerboats zooming about and, many of them don’t care how close abeam they come nor who they throuw their wake at. Having said that, there are also many sailboaters who "have gone over to dark side" and surely they will be more courteous. Last week I spoke to two more in our club who recently retired from sailing but not from boating. It’s sad, I know, but this is what can happen as we get older.

The grade schools start their schedules shorty afterward. For a couple Seattle schools I know of, they start on Wednesday, but the start dates vary by district. The colleges and the university start a couple weeks later. Years ago we encountered some college “kids” with “daddy’s boats” (a couple ~ 80-footers rafted together along with a Cessna 206 float plane) in “Desolation” Sound around mid September, what one would consider to be way late in the season. This was NOT a fun anchorage that night. Read: Party-ville! (Guys with their girlfriends.)

Hope the aerial phtos help provide some info.

Scott T-Bird · Aug 13, 2015

Sue and I stayed at Rosario's on Orcas Island a few years ago and loved the hike to the top of Mt Constitution (highest point in the islands iirc). That would seem to be too much for a day trip from Friday Harbor and you'd need to find transportation to the trail head, I think, if you were sailing to Orcas Is. But, we liked the laid-back atmosphere there. We were there in early May so nobody around.

Meriachee · Aug 13, 2015

walt said:
I am hoping to still take the Mac up there maybe next year. The ferry has some limits on size and height (7.5 foot)

Walt,
Why not just put 'er in the water at Anacortes and work out of there? Friday Harbour is not far at all, and save the ferry money.

Les · Aug 13, 2015

I was down on my boat yesterday and was reminded that I carry what I consider the latest and best cruising guide for the San Juan Islands. It is titled: San Juan Islands: A Boater's Guidebook. It even has some suggested cruises that you might consider. Although it is for regular sail end power boats it would be a good one to take on a Hobie.

You can get it at Amazon.

John Nantz · Aug 13, 2015

Put it on diagonally

For the purpose of going though the ticket booth, if it’s only 2 inches, tie it on sideways, then once on the boat, or off at the other end, straighten it out.

Meriachee · Aug 14, 2015

Please be sure if you book the ferry in advance, that you take the reservation sheet and confirm that you're checked in AGAINST that. We did exactly that this summer, the guy at the toll booth said he checked it off, did not, and we were charged the no-show fee. Then after being on the phone for 1/2 hour with them when we got home, they did reverse it, but the exchange changed in the interim, and it cost me $12.00, plus 1/2 hour of my time.

Sumner · Aug 14, 2015

walt said:
...The picture below shows the tide "height" for Mosquito pass. Is is a good assumption that currents would be minimum at the points C and E because the tide direction has peaked and is now changing direction?....

Slack usually follows low and high tide but how much can really depend on the location so no set rule. Where I went in on the way back to Florida (Stuart) slack (no current) was about 3 hours after low and high tide. (about 1/2 way between high/low or low/high tide) That was about the biggest offset I saw on the trip. At high and low tide in that cut (St. Lucie Inlet ) current averages 2-3 knots but can be as high as 6-7.

Local knowledge or possibly Active Captain can be your friend. I found out about the inlet at Stuart by googling it and also found the info using Active Captain. In the Bahamas I pretty much guessed about when the current might be lowest or highest. You want the current to be running the same way as the wind normally for best conditions if you can't catch it at slack. Current against the wind can build high steep waves.

Water has mass and it takes a while to slow that mass down and get it started the other way and in the case of Florida where the water can go inland so far and where there can be so much of it inland past a cut it can really take some time to get things going the other way and to get the current down.

One feature I like about OpenCPN is that besides the tide cycles it shows the current cycles for any reporting stations in an area. Those can help but if you aren't using the cut where the station actually is you can still find variances as you mover further from the station,

Sumner

(I edited this as I used the word 'current' before when I meant 'slack', sorry about that and it is worded correctly now

)

======================================

1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac

Endeavour 37 Mods...

MacGregor 26-S Mods...

Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas

John Nantz · Aug 14, 2015

Currents are really important

Walt - If you’re a sailboater the currents are really important here. There are currents, like the main ones with the graphs that are tied to the main channels, and then there are all the other currents. The ones that flow around the islands, and the back eddies.

Tacking at say, 6 knots to weather, one is only making maybe 4 knots in the direction you want to go. Subtract from that the current that can easily run at 2 knots and you might as well be anchored. The other way around and you’re having a great time.

The islands are full of currents going every which way so, when sailing, or even motoring with a small kicker, it really helps to have a detailed current map. And even while it won’t tell all, it’d be a step in the right direction.

With a detailed current map and a chart one can use some reasoning to gain an added advantage. Besides the main currents what I’d look for are the back eddys, often in bays or close along the shore. If along the shore, look closely for the little + and * signs on the chart. Look for those marks even if not near the shore but especially if close in.

San Juan Island

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