So CaptainSkully, what your saying is my dream of a totally inexperienced sailor in a NE Dory sailing around the SanJuans is not that reasonable…. That’s OK, I planned on sticking to inland waters for several years anyway. That doesn’t mean I am giving up on the idea, just pushing it back for a bit. Let me ask you this Captain. What would be a reasonable daytrip for a novice to get his boat wet in the salt water? I live in Idaho but we normally like to vacation on the Oregon coast. Anywhere from Winchester bay up to Astoria. We have not yet explored the Washington coast. Any suggestions?
Mike,
Sailing is its own reward. You don't really have to make passages to enjoy it. For the first few years, you might want to just enjoy the boat and learn how to sail her safely and well --- lakes and large ponds in Idaho and inlets and bays in Oregon. Reading can teach only so much and the best experience is doing. Boating safety and sailing courses can't hurt either.
Open boats can be a lot of fun, but any open boat can be overwhelmed under the wrong confluence of circumstances. Safety should be formost --- and among the most important elements of safety are knowledge and experience. I have more than 60 years on the water and learned from my father, an veteran naval officer. I still learn new things almost every time I go out on the water. Also, no one goes aboard my open boat without wearing a PFD. It's cheap insurance and I've seen too many bad things happen too quickly on the water.
Regards,
Dick
Hey Mike,
Dick has the right idea. I have 10,000 miles offshore and I still enjoy tacking back and forth on Greenlake, which is a 2 mile long inland lake.
With that being said, there's no reason to not have a dream. The key to safely sailing a small craft is your response time. You have to be able to instinctively respond with the mainsheet and tiller. Having to think about what to do will take too long and get you into trouble. That instant response is a direct function of a considerable amount of experience sailing your boat in various conditions. There's a reason why everybody says don't cleat off your mainsheet, but keep it in hand to be able to ease/dump it immediately.
The entire Oregon coast is extremely unfriendly (read dangerous). It's all a lee shore. I usually go 20 miles out to give me plenty of time in case something happens.
I would suggest checking out the lakes that are on the coast. There are plenty of protected waters in the areas you specified.
As an example (although farther North), I would be happy puttering around Chuckanut Bay then graduate to island hopping East of Rosario Strait. Then shoot over to Lopez. Depending on my destination, Anacortes would be my choice of departure.
I'd also have "ditch points" in mind in case I don't make it as far as I originally thought. These would be protected beaches/coves, etc. possibly with camp grounds. Google Maps is your friend.
As an example, Sucia is my "white whale" and I plan on sailing there from Lummi Island - Legoe Bay for a Summer Sailstice get together.
The dream is probably the most important thing, that's what makes the magic happen. It's what gets you through the 100+ hours of build and expense. We'll all keep chugging along together and share our triumphs and challenges...
Thanks guys for your input. And I do heartily agree, I plan on putting in as many hours as I possibly can on the lakes around me before ever attempting anything more daring. Yes, PFD’s are a must and I am fitting my Dory with all the floatation that CLC recommends. Sailing around the SanJuans is just one of my possible wild ideas that have been playing around in my poor old head. The Columbia river is not that far off. And if Lewis and Clark can make it down that river I don’t see why I couldn’t either. Of course he didn’t have to contend with hydro-electric dams….. I also don’t have to sail the whole length, just some of it!!
Mikeflys
I have kayaked several times in the San Juan Islands doing multi-day trips.I have kayaked from Anacortes to Friday Harbor and been north to Sucia and all of the internal Islands. I have also sailed th San Juans in a 31 foot sailboat. If I have come away from those experiences with any knowledge at all, it is treat the San Juans with respect and never underestimate the power of wind, tide and current. The San Juans are unique so for their tides and currents and have their very own tide atlas and corresponding tide chart that is an absolute must when navigating those waters. Daily tidal races can be anywhere from 5 to 12 knots not to mention rip tides and eddies. Remember, the tide comes in and goes out four times daily so the water is essentially aways on the move. There are slack tides of course but one cannot count on wind during slack tide. In fact, one cannot count on the wind period and I guarantee you will not be rowing your boat in any direction but the direction of the tide. One can certainly use 'ferry angles' to self propel across the tides but make sure you have those angles carefully calculated or you will find yourself swept miles off course.
Having said this, the San Juans are a magnificent place to sail or kayak and epic adventures can be had. Mike, were I to be contemplating a sailing trip from Anacortes to Friday Harbor, I would allow two maybe three days. If for not other reason than to 'enjoy the journey' along the way rather than be determined to white knuckle it from point A to point B. There are lots of places to get off the water and several nice places to camp. but alos be aware that most of the San Juans are private property and many owners do not take kindly the interloper.
Hope this helps..
Vedauwoo
Great information Vedauwoo. I have not given up on the idea of sailing around the San Juan's, but I have pushed it back for several years! Everyone who has responded to this thread has commented on the difficulty level of sailing these waters. It is obvious this is a trip for the very experience sailor, not someone who has 1 summer of sailing experience 35 years ago. I want to enjoy the trip, not end up a casualty of the trip!! Also I live in a desert, the waters I have around here for boating are predominately man made reservoirs. A few natural lakes up in the mountains. And of course the Snake and the Salmon rivers are near by, but they are the home of white water rafters and kayaks. One thing we do have in abundance, wind!! My plan for this first summer is to sail the snot out of my little boat. Cascade Reservoir, Lucky Peak reservoir and Payett lake are going to be seeing a lot of me and my lovely wife. Next summer I hope to find more challenging water, who knows I mentioned the Columbia river. Big, wide, known for its high winds, lots of islands for camping on. We will see where the wind and water will take us......
http://tinyurl.com/yaxkzsqt
My wife and I are learning to sail in our newly-completed NE Dory. We're probably not getting the most out of the boat, but today we tacked out into a 12 knot wind and then came straight back on a run. We averaged three knots. Quite often we were moving along at four, but I executed some sloppy tack changes. Also we were hugging the coast (which makes the wind unpredictable) and changing tack constantly. Also a very heavy and chaotic chop. Max speed was 6.1.
I think Mark N above makes some very good points about average speed and trip planning. When the wind and chop are high sailing the NE Dory is quite tiring, physically and mentally. Personally, at this stage I feel like three hours is the maximum I'd feel comfortable doing without a break.