Trailer to San Juan Islands Washington

[jssailem]

Here you go. A link to the info you seek.

More yes than Nooooo’s.

Washington State Recreational Boating Open for Day-Use Beginning May 5th - Waggoner Cruising Guide

We welcome the opportunity to get back out on the water; however, this is not a return to normal pre-Covid-19 recreational boating.

waggonerguide.com

 

[Mikem]

Thanks all for responding to this thread. Anyone have any covid updates on San Juans? Specifically, are any marinas offering transient slips or morings at this point?

San Juan Islands Travel Advisory

June 15, 2020
Based on our Governor’s “Safe Start” phased reopening plan, we are currently in Phase 2. This allows limited opening of restaurants, retail stores, some fitness operations, professional services, churches, and other activities and services. Travel is allowed for activities permitted in Phases 1 and 2. More recently, visitor lodgings have been allowed to reopen at 50% capacity in San Juan County. The details of this reopening may be found, HERE. We encourage you to contact lodgings and tour operators on our website about reservations; they would love to hear from you. Find updated transportation information here.

Face Covering Health Order
Our goal is to protect community residents, workers and guests in San Juan County. Please partner with us to take the necessary precautions for all of us to stay safe by following public health guidelines. This includes the mandatory wearing of face coverings inside businesses, and when a 6-foot social distance may not be maintained outdoors. Find face-covering FAQs, HERE.
Local Business and Restaurant Updates During Coronavirus:
Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce - Essential & Phase 2 business updates
San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce - Restaurant & general updates
Lopez Chamber of Commerce - Restaurant & business updates


Recreation

In Phase 2, outdoor activities for parties of up to four are encouraged. The Governor supports Washingtonians getting outdoors but requests folks follow social distancing guidelines and stay close to home while recreating. Outdoor tour companies may take up to 12 individuals under strict guidelines, check with your tour operator,

State Marine Parks, including docks, mooring buoys and camping are open. Camping at State Parks and at private campgrounds on the four ferry-served islands (Lopez, Orcas, San Juan and Shaw) is open at 50% capacity.

Camping will reopen at San Juan County Parks on June 30, group campsites at county parks will remain closed through the end of the year.

Out of county boaters are requested to provision at their home ports and limit time ashore on the ferry-served islands until we are in Phase 3.

Overnight moorage is open at 50% capacity at marinas and ports on the four ferry-served islands. Please make reservations before showing up at marinas and ports to ensure they may accommodate you.

What Will the Changes be in Phase 3?
Phase 3 allows non-essential travel. Restaurants and other businesses and services will be allowed to increase capacity. Newly able to open to varying degrees are bars, movie theaters, libraries, museums, and recreational facilities, including pools and gyms. Gatherings of less than 50 people are allowed including outdoor recreational sports for adults and youth. High-risk individuals should still use extreme caution with potential exposure, but there are no limits on their activity.
When and How Does San Juan County Move to Phase 3?
As laid out by the Governor’s plan, there must be a minimum of three weeks between Phases. The earliest our Health Officer is willing to initiate the process to move into Phase 3 is June 24. In order to progress to Phase 3, County officials all need to support advancing. If approval is given, San Juan County is required to go through an extensive application process that will be reviewed for approval by the WA State Secretary of Health. Find more information, HERE.
Find Governor's Latest Guidance for Business re-openings, HERE.
Find guidelines and a checklist for a safe and healthy visit to the San Juans here.

 

[azsailing]

thanks guys!

 

[Ken Cross]

Here's an update for what's open in the San Juans: Covid-19 - Waggoner Cruising Guide

Ken

 

[azsailing]

Hi Guys, we r planning to launch from Anacortes tomorrow. Does anyone have any tips on getting info on sea conditions? I have been using the NOAA website, are there other resources people use?

 

[jssailem]

Go out and have fun.
I use:

1. Windy.com,
2. listen to the NOAA broadcasts on the VHF weather channel,
3. NowCoast from NOAA can also be helpful. nowCOAST™: NOAA's Web Mapping Portal to Real-Time Coastal Observations, Forecasts, and Warnings There most recent broadcast - https://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/fz/fzpn01.kwbc.hsf.ep1.txt

Just a couple of ideas.

 

[Stu Jackson]

John's right. windy is very good I've found for this area, since you can zoom in for local unique conditions.
DeepZoom is great for currents. One of the best visual displays of currents I've ever seen, perfect for you.
The Canadian CG website does the Straits. They tend to do big area overviews, since, for example, the Strait of Georgia is huge, but they don't break it up like they do for eastern, central and western Juan de Fuca. Strait of Georgia - south of Nanaimo - South Coast - Environment Canada

If you speak French, too, the Canadian CG WX channel is fun to listen to.

Have a great cruise.

 

[AaronD]

@azsailing: Any news to report or pictures to share? My family is lobbying for another visit to the SJs in a few weeks, so I have a vested interest in hearing what you found.

 

[Terry Cox]

Sticking my wet index finger in the air gives me a good indication of wind speed and direction. Stopping the boat and observing drift also tells me current direction and speed. No need for an expensive ding dong smart phone or machine. I mean Columbus managed to find his way across the Atlantic without those devices. Just say’n.

On the other hand, our boat systems, including GPS chart plotter with tides/local services, water depth/temperature/speed, wind speed and angle of attack, autopilot self steering including routing, etc., etc., etc., do come in handy. Just color me a hypocrite, eh?

 

[jssailem]

Sticking my wet index finger in the air gives me a good indication of wind speed and direction. Stopping the boat and observing drift also tells me current direction and speed.

SO this would be called "Wayfinding"...

 

[azsailing]

Big thanks to those who responded. We put in at Anacortes. Went to Eagle harbor among other spots. We will definitely be back!

 

[jssailem]

Glad you had a good time. There is a lifetime of Water to explore.

 

[AaronD]

I just posted a bit of a trip report on my thread and thought I'd link it here too.

And a few notes on Washington Park in Anacortes, in case anyone who comes across this thread in the future might find them useful:

Washington Park is a better launch location than it was last year, as they repaired the dock, and it’s now long enough to launch or retrieve smoothly at something less than high tide.

The concrete ramp does drop off eventually. I checked with a boat hook, and the drop-off is only a few inches, so I wasn’t concerned when I dropped the trailer off while launching. We launched at a tide of about +1 foot, and that was just about the absolute minimum to launch and get safely out of the bay - if we had been 20 minutes slower, I’m not sure we’d have made it.

And, importantly, I don’t think you could safely pull the boat + trailer back over the lip of ramp's drop-off, and it takes more water to float the boat back on than it does to launch. So my estimate is that you need a minimum of about a +3’ tide to retrieve a C-22 (at least with the ride height of our 1981 Trail-Rite, which I think is a pretty standard model). We had about +5 when we recovered, and that's easily more than enough.

Due to current action, the west side of the ramp collects more sand and silt. So the east side has better traction, and is preferable for retrieving. I was able to make it up with a 2WD 3/4 ton, but just barely - I felt much more confident last year when we’d borrowed a 4WD rig. I piled the coolers, tools, kayaks, kids, and everything else I could think of in the bed for a little extra weight over the 2WD drive wheels, and that might have made the difference.

Washington Park charges $9/night for parking (and allows up to 14 nights). I’m told that the weekly rate for at Cap Sante Marina works out to a similar amount (and that's in a secured lot). So if you’re comfortable slinging the boat in and stepping the mast on the water, that might be a better option. But it is probably another hour of motoring each way.