Stealing Mark's idea to list favorite cruising places in SE Alaska, I'm going to start three other ones.* This one is for the San Juan Islands in Washington.
Our favorite destinations so far are:
Sucia Island Marine Park (good anchorages/mooring buoys, lots of nice walks from easy to challenging.)
Patos Island Marine Park* (Active Cove has only two (I think) mooring buoys and the bottom is not the greatest holding for anchors.* Nice walk out to the lighthouse, nice beach.)
Prevost Harbor Marine Park, Stuart Island.* (Somewhat exposed to weather from the north, nice walk from the county dock at the west end of the bay to the Turn Point lighthouse.)
West Sound, Orcas Island.* (Nice, low-key marina, rental cars delivered to the marina from East Sound, interesting things to see and do on the island.)
Garrison Bay, San Juan Island* (Fairly protected bay.* Can be crowded in summer with lots of boats on short scope with dragging problems if the wind kicks up. * Site of English Camp with some of the original buidlings from the British encampment during the "Pig War.")
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island* (busy little ferry town, lots of activity to watch in the harbor, good restaurants.)
Fisherman's Bay, Lopez Island.* (Entrance can be tricky, good anchoring in an often windy-ish bay, Saturday market worth visiting, two good marinas, one with a decent restaurant).
-- Edited by Marin on Sunday 10th of October 2010 08:02:04 PM
Our favorite destinations so far are:
Sucia Island Marine Park (good anchorages/mooring buoys, lots of nice walks from easy to challenging.)
Patos Island Marine Park* (Active Cove has only two (I think) mooring buoys and the bottom is not the greatest holding for anchors.* Nice walk out to the lighthouse, nice beach.)
Prevost Harbor Marine Park, Stuart Island.* (Somewhat exposed to weather from the north, nice walk from the county dock at the west end of the bay to the Turn Point lighthouse.)
West Sound, Orcas Island.* (Nice, low-key marina, rental cars delivered to the marina from East Sound, interesting things to see and do on the island.)
Garrison Bay, San Juan Island* (Fairly protected bay.* Can be crowded in summer with lots of boats on short scope with dragging problems if the wind kicks up. * Site of English Camp with some of the original buidlings from the British encampment during the "Pig War.")
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island* (busy little ferry town, lots of activity to watch in the harbor, good restaurants.)
Fisherman's Bay, Lopez Island.* (Entrance can be tricky, good anchoring in an often windy-ish bay, Saturday market worth visiting, two good marinas, one with a decent restaurant).
-- Edited by Marin on Sunday 10th of October 2010 08:02:04 PM