Anyone sailed from Seattle to the San Juan Islands? Looking for advice.
Posted by FinancialRice7291@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 14 comments
How long did it take? What was your route? Time of year? How do I do it??
I have a sailboat and I've never ventured past the Seattle area.
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
[removed]
blahblagblurg@reddit
This is another site with distances. You could use this to pars out any hops you would want to make along the way.
https://www.nwcruising.net/
finger_my_earhole@reddit
This website reminds me of the good-ol days of the internet.
All its missing is an animated under-construction.gif and a .midi file playing in the background
blahblagblurg@reddit
What? Your mind isn't blown by the mini-QR looking links?!!
imnotmellomike@reddit
Ohyaa definitely. The way up through the canal that goes to la Conner is pretty cool if you're going with the tide through there.
We'd do port Madison --> port Ludlow (very cool go way in there) -->Everett or somewhere anchored near by --> Anacortes through the canal then cypress or whatever.
We'd come back across the straight to Port Townsend. Easy also just pick a day with 15 or less knots if you're worried about it. Also the current as you approach port Townsend gets wild. I did said out of port Townsend one day in 40kts heading south and it was pretty wild on my 23foot centerboarder at the time so I'd suggest avoiding that unless your yacht is a bit bigger.
Overall very fun trip. Just go through the tide or current rips at slack or near to it and you'll have a blast.
Also anchor with 5:1 don't be the dingus sliding around in the anchorage
millijuna@reddit
Do you have a trailer for it? Too be honest, I would seriously consider trailering it to either Anacortes or Bellingham and launching from there.
It’s going to be a long slog to do it on your own bottom both ways.
But the San Juans are absolutely worth the visit.
Agentcoyote@reddit
Just use https://www.deepzoom.com/ to plot the course, see currents and ETAs based on your boat parameters, currents and departure date/time. It takes some time to figure out things but I’ve been using it for all my passages up and down the puget sound and San Juan Isl. Here is a trip I plotted last year for reference https://www.deepzoom.com/trip/csv2nbp3
automaticpragmatic@reddit
Done deliveries from Seattle to Anacortes a couple times. Plan for lots of weird current. It’s manageable but different than central sound
Zooccotto@reddit
Your other alternative is to go up behind whidbey and time deception pass for slack water.
Then diciest part of outside, assuming not blowing a banshee on the straight, is wind and currents opposed at admiralty inlet. Had some surprisingly choppy seas between port Townsend and whidbey.
Fog also can be a problem later in summer.
roger_cw@reddit
The most common route is to stop in Port Townsend. You'll be able to go through the Port Townsend Canal given your boat size. This let's you avoid Admiralty Passage. The currents can be your friend but also you enemy. Schedule wisely. Port Townsend is a nice stop if you need to wait for the weather window. Personally I think you should make a trip or two to Port Townsend and back to Seattle just to get used to it. Then venture up to the San Juans.
PacificIsMyHome@reddit
Done it a few times.
Plan on some hops, and weather and tide decisions. Be willing to stop and wait for good conditions.
Jumping out into the straights in adverse conditions is asking for trouble.
I have been both sides of Whidbey.
Saratoga Passage is protected, but has deception pass or Swinomish Channel current and tide challenges (Air and water draft issues in the channel, and strong currents in both)
The straights have swell/fetch, commercial traffic and wind more like offshore.
Do your homework and look at the options on the chart.
Check AIS a few times to see what normal traffic looks like in the shipping lanes.
Look at currents at deception pass.
Once you are familiar with the options (I am guessing probably not La Connor since you want to sail) Refine the questions you have, and I will see if I can help more.
jh937hfiu3hrhv9@reddit
One or two days depending on how many hours you want to be underway and your timing. You have three possible routes. Consult your charts. You can get decent weather windows anytime of year. It appears by your questions you are not ready to do it. It is far more complicated than you imagine. Take some courses.
light24bulbs@reddit
I did it in my Ericson 30+. Overnighted in Port Townsend which was great.
There are a lot of dead spots down in the lower sound, plan on a lot of motor.
Sh0ckValu3@reddit
On a Balboa 20 I would assume this is a 2 day trip to get there - maybe 3 if you don't want to be up at the crack of dawn. I've done it on a 46 foot racy boat in a stiff breeze - and even that was a long day.