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seeking advice for BC gulf island cruise

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joe keith
1st Mate

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USA
26 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/25/2003 : 11:34:38

Hello group,

We have a C25 FKSR in sunny Colorado. Next summer we are planning to take a month off and pull it up to Washington and spend 2-3 weeks cruising the San Juans and Gulf islands. Any advice folks local to the area have would be a great help, in particular:

Where is a good place to put in and take out (we are thinking in the Anacortes area)? Also prefer a crane verses dunking the trailer in the salt.

We need a place to store a vehicle and trailer.

When is the best time to go (has to be June, July or August)? Good wind, less rain/fog, and less crowds are our preference.

What kind of ground tackle would you recommend (size and type).

Anybody have experience with the folding Porta-bote as a dinghy?

How far apart are fuel, water and waste facilities?

I have heard that Canada requires a permanently installed head with a deck pump out fitting (no porta potty) Is this true?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Edited by - on

Sunshine Daydream
1st Mate

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57 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2003 : 17:28:22

We are planning the same trip next summer. A must have book is "Gunkholing in the San Juans" (West Marine, Amazon etc.). We also bought the Evergreen Pacific "San Juan Island Cruising Atlas". I am hesitant to offer much more advice since we are still in the planning stages also.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2003 : 22:53:17

Hmmm... working on the same plans here... San Juan Islands in July or August. 2004 We may end up with a 'fleet'...

Edited by - on

Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2003 : 11:39:15

I trailer up there nearly every summer. Can't beat Cap Sante Marina, IMHO, in Anacortes for launch/retrieval with a lift. In and out for $30 Round Trip! Place to leave the vehicle, although it's not free. $15 a week or so. Provisioning right there. You should really see a few of the San Juans before going North across the border. Check the Customs situation so's you don't have things you'd lose. Certainly no weapons.....certain fruits are verbotun, and DO NOT have a beer in the cockpit!!!!!!! They are fanatic about no open containers in a moving "vehicle". I nearly got in trouble last summer! But the Police relented after I pleaded (accurately so) ignorance.

Get decent charts.....(a good cruising atlas will probably suffice)... there are rocks to find the hard way! A current table to go with tide charts is good. Lots of folks use Charley's Charts. I use Washburne's tables.

No experience with a Porta-Boat, but you will most certainly want a dink. Nothing wrong with a porta-pottie in Canada, although we prefer shore "duty" whenever possible!

As for time of year....I LOVE late June as the number of boats out is bearable, but you are more likely to get rained on. Wind is somewhat better then, but you always need a good auxiliary if you plan to go very far each day. Summer usually arrives after July 4, but the number of boats goes up exponentially. Often the wind is lighter later, but the skies are blue "er".....I just don't like the "angst" created by very full facilities, so I go earlier in the season; to each his own.

I really, really like Ganges for a "civilized, town-type" adventure...but we usually opt for the more out of the way, provincial park/ state park type spots up there. Civilization is good for good beer, showers, fuel and provisioning, etc.

2 anchors are a near necessity. For up there, I take a Bruce on the bow roller, 25' of chain and 150' (minimum) rode. I also take 200' of polyprope for a stern line to shore for crowded anchorages where you don't want to swing. It can be easier than a stern anchor. A Danforth is fine for a 2nd anchor, but they don't hold well in eel grass bottoms......

Think about timing your trip to co-incide with possible "Nationals" event on the Columbia River near Portland. Stay tuned...nothing is finalized on this by a long shot.

Gary B.
Encore! #685 SK/SR

Write back with specifics if you need. Glad to share what I know....

Edited by - Gary B. on 10/27/2003 11:45:46

RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2003 : 13:24:15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">less rain/fog, and less crowds are our preference.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I think those two are generally mutually exclusive variables in the western Pacific Northwest.

While I don't know much specifically about cruising the San Juans, I grew up in Portland (similar weather) and was involved with a lot of outdoor activities and agree with Gary that late June is a good time. I remember doing a lot of trips that time of year and recall June 20 being the date after which you had a much better probability of having decent weather. That date leaves an almost 2 week window before the big crowds arrive for the July 4th weekend.

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TRogers
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 10/29/2003 : 19:51:57

While I don't have any specific advice on the gulf islands, you might enjoy the following website posted by my brother about trips up and down Washington/Vancouver coast including one trip circumnavigating Vancouver Island (look at the trip report titled "Fall 00 - Around Vancouver Island". He owns a Pearson 39.

http://www.geocities.com/billisfree/sailing_stories.html

Edited by - on

John Mason
Admiral

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USA
687 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2003 : 14:05:11

Here's a website with some good info and pics about the San Juans and other parts of Puget Sound. Not much about the Canadian side though.

http://www.nwboating.com/

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2003 : 15:13:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TRogers
 
He owns a Pearson 39.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
WOW! What a boat!

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2003 : 00:16:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gary B.
 Can't beat Cap Sante Marina, IMHO, in Anacortes for launch/retrieval with a lift. In and out for $30 Round Trip!
Gary B.
Encore! #685 SK/SR
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Gary - When I contacted Cap Sante Marina about this, I was told that the $30 hoist had a 22' / 3500# limit, and that for a Catalina 25 size boat, you have to use their Travel Lift, MUCH more expensive, $150 I think they said. Is it actually okay to use the $30 hoist for a Catalina 25 and I was given wrong info on the phone?

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Sunshine Daydream
1st Mate

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57 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2003 : 10:22:26

I hoisted a 24' / 5,000# bayliner for around $30 there 3 years ago with no discussion.

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Rob Wells
Deckhand

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USA
5 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2003 : 13:40:46

I have used the launch facilities at Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham and highly recommend them. They have a 4-lane concrete ramp and fresh water hose bibs to rinse your trailer. With a brake flushing system installed on the trailer you should be able to keep things clean. Squalicum charges $5 to use the ramp and overnight at the guest dock is about $12 for a 25' boat. There is a gravel lot nearby for long term parking, no charge! Go to www.portofbellingham.com to learn more.

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Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 11/01/2003 : 11:49:52

I have used the $30 R/T sling for YEARS, including last summer with a small fleet. They hoisted all of our C25s with it; I have witnesses. It says 6000# limit right on the hoist.......plenty for our boats, with engines on, etc.
Trust me on this.....if they aren't doing it now, it's a very, very recent policy change. I doubt it much.....

Gary B.
Encore! #685 SK/SR

Edited by - on

rclift
Navigator

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USA
152 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 01:17:19

Hey Gary, I had this from our trip this summer. Encore or maybe Breezy on the lift at Cap Sante. The lift even handled my tall rig although you will want to make sure the base of the mast isn't hanging over the bow pulpit more then a foot. When they lower the boat to the water it has to clear the edge of the dock.

Ray Clift
Buzz 1361

Edited by - rclift on 11/06/2003 09:13:08

Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 12:18:20

Yo, bro! That be Doug Lewis's Breezy. Encore! has WN registration. Thanks for validating my post, Ray.

Gary B.
Encore! #685 SK/SR

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Sunshine Daydream
1st Mate

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57 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 19:41:52

Joe,
Hopefully you are still tracking this thread. I just recieved my Garmin Bluechart CD (Americas v.5.5 from which I downloaded the Seattle US023 section with my first unlock code) for my Garmin 176c chartplotter. With that onboard with the Evergreen chart atlas and basic navigation tools, I feel pretty good about navigating in the islands. All of the charts (digitized versions of the original paper charts with the same chart numbers and everything) are on the CD with tons of extra info added. It is pretty impresive. I have used other Garmin software in the ocean and feel pretty comfortable with it but have found some nav. aids to be off, but not by far. The bluechart is definately a step up from their previous offerings. I plan to manually upload info from the Gunkholing book to the GPS so I can locate specific anchorages etc. without having to spend too much time plotting.

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