San Juan Islands

[skipperpaul88]

Will be heading up to the San Juan islands the end of July and the first part of August. I will be heading up I 5 and launching at Bellingham Harbor. Anybody interested in buddyboating for part of the trip?

[C Buchs]

We went to Orcas Island before we got the boat. BEAUTIFUL!!! I want to go back, but I'm going to stay closer to home my first year. Where is your home base? I'm wondering who else may be on the Columbia River.

Jeff

[skipperpaul88]

Home base is South Lake Tahoe, CA.

I have been sailing the waters of The San Juans, Gulf Islands, and Desolation Sound for the past 12 summers with my daughter and wife when and where she was able to join us. Now my daughter is in college and wife is even more restricted with work so I will probably be solo for this trip. My journeys have always been on boats other than the X.

Would love to buddy boat with others for at least part of this years journey.

[C Buchs]

I can't make the trip, but if you are planning on stopping for the night in the Portland area, let me know and maybe we can meet for dinner or something.

Jeff

[Phil M]

What is the name of your boat? Spent Wave will be sailing the San Juans in August, but I'm not sure of the exact departure date yet. I will probably launch in Bellingham, as I have done that before and is this is a good place to launch and leave your truck and trailer for a couple of weeks or so. Although I am still working on crew connections, I have also done some solo sailing in that area and would do it again if I had to.

[Wind Chime]

Will be heading up to the San Juan islands the end of July and the first part of August. I will be heading up I 5 and launching at Bellingham Harbor. Anybody interested in buddyboating for part of the trip?

Hi skipperpaul88,

You might consider checking out our MacGregor club. We have 55 member boats and sail the San Juan's and Gulf Islands all summer long. We have members that live in both the USA and Canadian sides of this amazing archipelago.

This year two of our five official club cruises take us to Friday Harbor July 4th weekend and Sucia Island at the end of August, but we have ongoing members cruises where a group of members just get together to sail a weekend or so.

The cub will also be at Silva Bay on Gabriola Island in the Gulf Island during the first weekend of August. This is about 40 nautical miles north of Roche Harbor on San Juan Island.

Check out the club at http://www.MYCBC.com. Only $35 a year for membership, and besides all the local knowledge of launch ramps and passage planning tips, membership advantages also include discounts on; boat insurance, marine stores, Pacific Yachting Magazine, etc that more than offset the small membership dues, and piece of mind knowing you have so many friends on the water

Darry Major
Commodore, MYCBC.

[skipperpaul88]

Hi Phil,

Name of my boat is: "Inokea" and I have also launched several times in Bellingham. It is a great facility although there can be a persistant off shore wind that will require clawing your way out under sail, orjust powering out when you get tired of beating into the wind.

Your time frame is consistant with mine although I don't have exact dates yet. It would be great tieing in.

Paul

[skipperpaul88]

Thanks Commodore,

Will check out the club web site.

[Do+fus1]

Has anybody sailed out of Anacortes?

[Chinook]

The main marina at Anacortes is Cap Sante. There is no boat ramp there, so you must pay to have your boat sling launched. A good alternative is Washington Park, located at the west end of the channel where Anacortes is located, just beyond the ferry terminal. This is a city park with a nice launch ramp, with a dock alongside. They have handy tow rig and trailer parking near the ramp. The only shortcoming is that they don't have a hose with fresh rinse water, for hosing down the trailer. I get around that by driving into the campground and past the RV dump station, where I quickly rinse off the trailer. There are launch and parking fees. You may need to talk with a park employee in order to park for longer than a few days. Be sure to check the tides at both launch and pull out times, since the ramp is not really usable at a zero or lower tide. The Washington Park launch is a good jumping off point when heading over to the San Juans.

[Don T]

We went to Orcas Island before we got the boat. BEAUTIFUL!!! I want to go back, but I'm going to stay closer to home my first year. Where is your home base? I'm wondering who else may be on the Columbia River.

Jeff

We home port in PDX and sail the Columbia regularly.

Here are some video's of us on the lower Columbia last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw7mcPUUHlA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKnoKWojPS8

We have also sailed from Bellingham and Washington Park Anecortes. You can park for 2 weeks at Washington Park.

Wish we could join you but it's not in the cards this year.

Don

[C Buchs]

Don:
My wife and I got out on Wednesday evening around Lady Island. We had a great sail down river when the island wasn't blocking the wind and motor sailed back up after dinner. We saw an , but didn't catch the name. I'll be out tomorrow afternoon with my boys. Weather has been awesome! What's your boat's name? Ours is Summer Wages (until we change it).

Jeff

[Don T]

Hi Jeff,
She's the SS OTTER, a 95 vintage X. I'm buried at work this year and my wife is laid up again with knee problems so we won't get to enjoy this most glorious warm weather on the boat.

[Wind Chime]

The main marina at Anacortes is Cap Sante. There is no boat ramp there, so you must pay to have your boat sling launched. A good alternative is Washington Park, located at the west end of the channel where Anacortes is located, just beyond the ferry terminal. This is a city park with a nice launch ramp, with a dock alongside. They have handy tow rig and trailer parking near the ramp. The only shortcoming is that they don't have a hose with fresh rinse water, for hosing down the trailer. I get around that by driving into the campground and past the RV dump station, where I quickly rinse off the trailer. There are launch and parking fees. You may need to talk with a park employee in order to park for longer than a few days. Be sure to check the tides at both launch and pull out times, since the ramp is not really usable at a zero or lower tide. The Washington Park launch is a good jumping off point when heading over to the San Juans.

Does anyone know how much water you need to launch/retrieve at the Bellingham ramp?

We were advised that you can launch there on any tide, we haven't been there in several years so can't remember but it seamed like there were some tide restrictions.

Thanks
Darry

[Phil M]

If there are tide restrictions at Bellingham they might be for deep draft keel boats.