Nsail wrote:
Questions -
1. Realistically, how long would it take to get to the San Juans at around 10 knots?
2. Are there nice places to stay overnight on the way (either marinas or anchorages)?
3. I've studied extensively about weather, commercial traffic, etc. from Anacortes and north of there, but haven't done much south. Is the traffic much worse and how does the weather compare?
4. Any other different things I should be concerned about?
5. Any recommended marinas (secure and close to downtown) in Seattle?
*1.* You can do it in a long day.
2.* Yes.* Between Seattle and the San Juans there are (on the mainland side) Edmonds, Everett, Oak Harbor (on Whidbey Island), La Conner, and Anacortes.
3.* The weather in the south sound is about what you get everywhere else.* The wind patterns and strengths can be different than what's going on up north at any given time because of the influence of the conversion zone but basically the weather over Puget Sound tends to be pretty similar from one end to the other.* We make the drive from the Seattle area to our boat in Bellingham and back almost every weekend and have been for the past 13 years.* Most of the time if it's raining in Seattle when we leave it's raining or thinking about it in Bellingham.
In terms of traffic you'll probably find a lot more in the islands during the summer months than you will down south.* Plus the traffic is much more "jammed together" in the islands where down south there is more room so the boats tend to be spread out other than the folks who are fishing or are in a sailboat race.
There is more commercial traffic up north than down south because of the shipping to and from Vancouver and the numerous Washington State and BC ferry runs.* But they all stick to their routes and lanes pretty closely so we've never found the commercial traffic to be any issue at all up north.* I would imagine the situation is the same farther south but with perhaps somewhat less shipping traffic.
4.* The south sound is really boring in our opinion which is why we don't keep our boat there.* And the distance to the islands is just long enough that people who keep slower boats like ours in the Seattle area (and who aren't retired) get to the islands maybe once or twice a year on vacation.* One big reason we keep our boat in Bellingham is that we can be in the middle of the islands in a couple of hours, which means we can go there on any weekend the weather cooperates.* Go out Saturday morning, enjoy the afternoon, evening, and following morning in the island and come back Sunday afternoon.*
As opposed to a full day's cruise from Seattle just to get within sight of the islands and then have to turn around and go back if all you have is a weekend, we can drive to Bellingham in two hours and then go out.* The same would be true if we kept our boat in Anacortes.
You will most likely have to sub-let a slip for the summer.* I believe most marinas have a fairly short limit on how long you can stay on the guest dock.* Squalicum Marina in Bellingham used to and may still have a sub-let list and if you got on it they would notify you when a slip tennant was going to sublet their slip and give you the contact information.* We did this for the first two years we were there while we waited to get a permanent slip assignment.
The new docks Carey mentioned are replaceing old docks and I suspect that when the project is completed all these docks will be assigned to permanent residents.* Last I heard there was a pretty long waiting list for slips in Bellingham, particularly in the 36-46 foot range.
5.* Marinas in the Seattle area are very expensive compared to the marinas farther north or south.* That may or may not make a difference to you, but we much rather spend a lot less on moorage in Bellingham and put the savings in the fuel tank.* Plus, of course, be much closer to the San Juan and Gulf Islands which is where we like to cruise.* We have no interest in boating in the south sound so even if the moorage costs were equal we would't keep a boat down there anyway.
-- Edited by Marin on Thursday 8th of March 2012 02:07:42 PM
