This section is for educational purposes only.  It is not to be used to plan an actual trip or as an aid to navigate waters.

     
The Place              The Sailboat

The San Juan Islands in Washington State are one of the most beautiful but challenging places to sail.  The information below will give the sailing characteristics of the setting and sailboat.  To the left are two links which contain a detailed description of our tracks, tides, currents and photographs of the trip.

Winds:  Often light in July and Aug.  On my sails in the region the best wind is in morning from 6:00 am to 11:00 am.   I have had ample wind on all of my trips which were in early June.
"The first rule for Coastal Cruising: start early; finish early." - Anonymous.
Tides:  The tides range from about 2 feet in a neap tide up to 11 feet in a spring tide.  The tides can create currents up to 6 knots.  In certain areas, the water can be funneled through the islands creating strong currents and eddies.
Waves:  Because of the small fetch, waves are usually small unless a strong wind is blowing against a strong current in a strait.
Currents:  May be up to 6 knots in a spring tide. (This is the large tide which occurs during a full and new moon, not a tide in the springtime).
Bottom:  Many rocks and groundings are usually hard.  Anchorages must be done in selected areas that are charted in order to find a favorable bottom.
Water Temperature:  48 to 50 deg.  Hypothermia is a real danger in any man-overboard situation.

Because of the tidal currents, the course to steer is often not the same as the course to make good.  One should use a range (lining up two landmarks on shore) or satellite navigation system to maintain a proper heading.

Judging the speed of the wind by the appearance of the water must be done with consideration of the current.  A wind blowing against a 6 knot current will form high waves and white caps around 10 - 12 knots.  However, when blowing with the current the formation of white caps and significant waves may be delayed to around 18 to 20 knots. 

Another challenge is the formation of dead wind zones at channel junctions and eddies which trap and accumulate logs and kelp.  Crossing these areas must be done carefully.  Logs can damage or puncture the hull and kelp can foul the prop.  Remember you may be in a situation of high current and low winds which will require motoring to safely navigate the waters.  To the right is a photograph of debris trapped in a dead wind zone at the junction of two water channels.   Note the difference in the water surface indicating different wind conditions.

To the right are pictures of Nereocystis luetkeana, a common kelp encountered in the Pacific Northwest.  This kelp commonly obtains lengths of over 10 feet and can easily foul a prop.  For more information see:  http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/kelpforest.html

One should also remember that a sailboat must give way to large vessels restrained by their size, fishing boats engaged in fishing and ferries. 

PFD:  Our PFDs were CO₂ inflatables.  The CO₂ cartridges could not be shipped by mail or airlines.  After we arrived we bought new cartridges in Anacortes. 

CO₂ Cartridges are consider hazardous material.  They may not be taken on-board airplanes without prior approval of the air carrier--See Regulation Title 49 part 175.  They can be shipped separately by an air shipping service but they must be declared and a hazardous material permit is often required.