How far do you have to travel

Along the lines of the perfect Anchorage.
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How far do you have to travel to get to your favorite spot.

The vote indicates the first choice by far.

*So how far?

SD

Within twenty miles are most of our favorite weekend destinations. Takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to get there, and two hours plus to get home (not as big a hurry on the return).* It takes about a week of slow cruising, or two days when there's fuel to burn to get to my favorite area within reach, and that is Spider Island, BC, just outside Hakai Pass.

-- Edited by Carey on Thursday 20th of January 2011 04:30:43 PM

Silver Lake, Ocracoke Island. 58 NM
A good day's run, but a great place to relax, bike to the beach, and and watch sunsets on Pamlico Sound.

In New Jersey you are almost never alone.* However we have a pretty quiet spot about 7 miles from our dock where during the week it is not bad.

One thing I have found about anchoring to the outside limits of a known spot is you become the turnaround bouy for the jetskis.

Thats what I like about cruising, you can find some out of the way spot to drop the Hook in Peace.**

JohnP

We have a number of "favorite" spots..... The fairly private bay down by the island in the San Juans where we have property is about two and a half hours away. While it's in the San Juans there is no public property or access anywhere around this bay so the only boats are local boats, mostly small fishing boats.

Like about seven million other people we really like Prideaux Haven in Desolation Sound. Fortunately when we were there in September there were only perhaps five boats in the whole area. Earlier in the summer there can be hundreds.* Desolation Sound for us is three days away although if we wanted to run from sunup to sundown we could get there in two.

The destinations Carey referenced that are a couple of hours away from Bellingham are some other favorites, particularly in the company of Carey and his wife.* These places can be a zoo in the summer but we've been the only boat at some of them in the winter on a few occasions.

Another favorite in the Gulf Islands is Cabbage Island.* This is about 3-1/2 to 4 hours away from our home slip*depending on the current.

And there are tons of little bays and anchorages farther north in the islands at the south end of Queen Charlotte Strait that are fabulous, but we've only visited them in the Arima while halibut fishing. Not had time yet to take the GB up there.**It would take four or five days to get up there in the GB unless we ran really long days.

The best marina (by our standards) we've visited to date is also in Canada on Vancouver Island, and it is about 5-1/2 to 6 hours away depending on the current.

And I would be remiss if I did not include our favorite "anchorage" in Europe which is on the Trent & Mersey Canal.* It is a 9 hour plane ride, followed by a two hour train ride followed by a 30 minute taxi ride followed by a four or five*hour run in the boat.* According to Google Earth, a Great Circle*line that starts on our boat in our slip in Bellingham*and goes directly to this spot on the Trent & Mersey Canal is exactly 4,570.84 miles long.* Long cruise in a GB.* Better in a 777.

Our favorite spot would be West Ship Island which is about 10 miles south of Biloxi Mississippi. To get there requires 12 hours of run time. We leave our slip on the Tchefuncte River, go into Lake Ponchatrain and head east passing beneath the Causeway Bridge (the longest bridge in the world), have the Hwy 11 Railway Bridge lifted and continue on beneath the "Twin Spans" heading out of New Orleans. Lake Ponchatrain is a tidal lake and as you pass through The Rigolets you can watch the water depth go from 10' or so to 45' and more.
Coming out of the twists and turns you come upon the CSX Railroad Bridge which always seems to be in process of being repaired. The dolphins usually start to show up in this area.
Leaving here you enter the Mississippi Sound and the water starts to open up. You are now also following the ICW eastbound and may see some commercial traffic. Past the entrance to Bay St. Louis Mississippi, pass north of Cat Island and a bit further you have arrived.
Most everyone anchors on the North Shore of the island. There are tours available of the Fort on the Island. Beautiful white sand beaches. After sunset you are not allowed on the island.

-- Edited by Forkliftt on Thursday 20th of January 2011 10:29:02 PM

Marin wrote:
And I would be remiss if I did not include our favorite "anchorage" in Europe which is on the Trent & Mersey Canal.* It is a 9 hour plane ride, followed by a two hour train ride followed by a 30 minute taxi ride followed by a four or five*hour run in the boat.* According to Google Earth, a Great Circle*line that starts on our boat in our slip in Bellingham*and goes directly to this spot on the Trent & Mersey Canal is exactly 4,570.84 miles long.* Long cruise in a GB.* Better in a 777.

Click to expand...

Hey Marin, come April, we are going over to visit my son and his family in London, and we have a week on those same canals booked.* Nearer the time I might PM you to get some tips re driving them large long things there, but it looks great - can hardly wait.

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Peter B wrote:

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Marin wrote:
And I would be remiss if I did not include our favorite "anchorage" in Europe which is on the Trent & Mersey Canal.* It is a 9 hour plane ride, followed by a two hour train ride followed by a 30 minute taxi ride followed by a four or five*hour run in the boat.* According to Google Earth, a Great Circle*line that starts on our boat in our slip in Bellingham*and goes directly to this spot on the Trent & Mersey Canal is exactly 4,570.84 miles long.* Long cruise in a GB.* Better in a 777.

Click to expand...

Hey Marin, come April, we are going over to visit my son and his family in London, and we have a week on those same canals booked.* Nearer the time I might PM you to get some tips re driving them large long things there, but it looks great - can hardly wait.PeterI have been the benficiary of Marin's knowledge of Great Britain, and I assure you you have found the right guy. He treated my wife and I to two wonderful weeks of canal boating, and another two weeks of Scotland's Highlands and London, that we will never forget. *He does know his way around.

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