friday harbor

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butchpaula

New member
good morning, we are very new to the c-brats and would love to attend the friday harbor gathering. we will be traveling from northern california in a motorhome. would appreciate any info on where to stay and launch. sounds like a great time and always love the seattle area.butch paula bbrjpaula1@yahoo.com
 
Assuming you are coming up I-5, the best launch for Friday Harbor is probably Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham. Everett is good as well. Both have ample parking, but Bellingham has free parking, I think there is a nightly fee at Everett (somebody else can confirm or deny). With a motorhome with at trailer (correct assumption?), you would definitely want to check with the Harbor Office, I suspect they would want you in the overflow parking on Hilton Street.
 
Here is a link to the current Friday Harbor thread.

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=23744

That will get you to the most current info about the CBGT (gathering).
At the top of the C-BRATS home page, in the button tray just under the right side of the Logo there is a button for "Event Signups" click there and it will take you to the sign up page. It's easy and the cost is worth the entire trip plus more. :wink: It helps for the planning for those that do, to know who and what and when.

Good info, WELCOME and look forward to meeting on the water.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

JC_Lately_SleepyC_Flat_Blue_070.thumb.jpg
 
I think there is a nightly fee at Everett
Click to expand...

There is. And it is by the day.
http://www.portofeverett.com/marina/rates-availability

Everett to Friday Harbor is a much longer trip than Squalicom to Friday. So it depends on how much time you have and what do you want to see/experience. We have done longer term parking at Squalicom and they just asked us to register at the office and park across the street, in the gravel lot.

Both are nice, modern ramps.

Here you go. For comparison:
http://nwcruising.net/routes3/route.0429.html
57.3 nautical miles 8:11 @ 7 knots
http://nwcruising.net/routes/route.0042.html
27.1 nautical miles 3:52 @ 7 knots

There is also the ramps at Cornet Bay, just inside Deception Pass.
Cornet Bay, Whidbey Is. Friday Harbor, San Juan Is. 23.0 nauticalmiles 3:17 via Thatcher Pass
Cornet Bay, Whidbey Is. Friday Harbor, San Juan Is. 21.5 nautical miles 3:04 via San Juan Channel
 
Thanks for helping guys. These are good options for launching and parking with even more out there but they start getting further away from the event pretty quickly. The question about how far they want to boat is a good one.

Butchpaula,

Feel free to post any further questions to the thread linked by Hardee so other attendees can easily use this good info as well.

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=23744

Greg
 
Just for planning purposes, Bellingham is about two hours north of Seattle, depending on traffic. If you are pulling a boat behind your motorhome, you will definitely want to check with the office at Squalicum Harbor (Bellingham) for parking info.

If you aren't bringing a boat, and are planning to bring the motorhome to Friday Harbor, you will have to put the motorhome on the ferry at Anacortes - when we brought our small motorhome with a small cargo trailer to San Juan Island (where Friday Harbor is located), the cost was around $350. There are NO full service RV sites on San Juan Island. There are about 8 RV sites with electric and water at the fairgrounds or at Lakedale Campground (about 8 miles out of Friday Harbor), a similar situation with electric and water only. No sewer connections, but they do have a dump site.

Because of the cost of bringing an RV on the ferry, most people don't... thus, the reason there are no full service commercial sites on the island.

The other option is leaving your RV in Anacortes and walking on the ferry to Friday Harbor (about $12+ per person). The nearest RV park to the Anacortes Ferry Landing would probably be Fildago Bay RV Resort (several miles out of Anacortes, then another 4 miles to the ferry landing).

The best way for a boat owner to get to Friday Harbor from the mainland is by private boat. Then, there is that issue of what to do with the motorhome while you are gone.

My wife and I have worked in Friday Harbor the last 4 summers, and have spent quite a bit of time cruising in the San Juan Islands. We are RVers, so we understand that aspect of it, too. Drop me a PM if you have any questions.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Hi, I would be willing to let you park your rv at my house in marysville if you are going to launch in Everett. Which might work depending on how long you are gone. We will trailer to deception pass and launching there for the friday harbor gathering. If you were only gone a week or two I would be glad to help out. I have the space so its not a problem.
 
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