San Juan Islands-- Rookies

C

Catch 22

New member
Anna and I are heading out of Edmonds in the morning to the San Jauns. We have no real plan or schedule but we do have a few questions...

Dinghy/ Anchorage-- we have a nice 7"6" Maxxon raft. How necessary is a tender?

If we did not bring it is there plenty of fun places to get to with c-dory landing on docks?

CURRENT-- if only going ship to shore, do we need a motor or can we row?

Anchor Buddy-- How useful is this thing? Anyone use it?

FISHING-- any suggestions for salmon?
 
There was a recent thread about the San Juans so check that out to start with.

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=21973

Your other questions....

The Dinghy is a great enabler for you to be flexible and anchor to access areas that are busy at the dock or dockless. So long as you can carry it reasonably easy, I would take it along.

There are many destinations with docks so that will be an option for you much of the time. It is a little busy this time of year but my favorite smaller island is Matia.

Just try rowing to start with and within most areas you would anchor, you are protected from adverse current. Just don't get too carried away exploring by oars as if that is not a self enforcing guideline.

Anchor buddies are great and after a recent trip into BC I will be buying a second 50ft model just to I can have one for the tender and one for the boat when day tripping from an anchorage that I plan to return to. I would start a new thread or add to an existing thread of you want to know more about how its used. http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=20448

Can't help you on the Salmon but we do have fun fishing for Lingcod/Cabezon and other bottom fish on the outer shores of Clark, Sucia, and Patos islands. In season of course...

Greg
 
Take the dinghy. Some of my favorite places in the San Juans are State Parks, and they typically have limited dock space. If you anchor out or tie to a buoy you can still get ashore with the dinghy. Rowing should be just fine to get from the boat to shore in most places.

Some of the marinas are already full for Labor Day weekend (I know Roche Harbor is). If you're still out then, and don't have reservations, the dinghy may be essential.

Anchor Buddy might minimize rowing since you can beach the C-Dory and let the Anchor Buddy pull it back out, but I don't think it's a necessity, especially with a dinghy.

I'll be wandering around the islands until Labor Day. If you see a Nordic Tug 37 named Safe Harbour, say hi.
 
Hi kevin, We love going to the SJ's and anchoring out. a dinghy can be a great asset to have . There are a lot of docks that you can tie to but many times they are already taken this time of year. Having a dinghy opens up your options to anchor where every you like and not have the stress of not knowing if the dock is open or not.

When we first got the dinghy I thought that i had to have a motor. A motor can be a great tool and open up your range of adventure but its not necessary for anchoring out and going to shore. We always take the dinghy or the kayaks. We have not brought the motor with us this year at all. In side any of the anchorages current is not really a issue and with a cdory you can anchor close to shore inside of other larger boats.
 
Hey Kevin,

Like they said. I emailed you with my recommendations. Have a great time on your first trip to the San Juans.

Peter
C-Dancer
 
I'd agree that's its pretty busy up there right now to have to only rely on finding dock space. If you can Id bring the dinghy.

For fishing, look for a big bunch of boats trolling back and forth and fish there. All of the good spots will have fisherman working them. I'd pick the outside of San Juan island, eagle point area as the best of the spots, but depending on where your at the NW corner of Cypress island and the nw side of Guemes island. There's lots of spots, and usually lots of boats to indicate where the fishing has been decent. I'll usually ask people how theyve been doing and where and most everyone likes to brag so its a good source of intel :D
 
Can't speak to Anchor Buddy or salmon fishing, but the dinghy, ah, the dinghy! You have already received great advice. You need a dinghy because you cannot count on getting dock space at Washington State Marine State Parks (Jones, James, Sucia, Matia, Stuart, just to name some favorites), and some don't even have docks (Blind Island, Shallow Bay at Sucia, the SE cove at Matia, Spencer Spit and Watmough Bay). Commercial marinas, maybe, but that is not the "real" San Juan experience! Anchor out, dinghy in, hike the trails, see the sights, then back to your boat to swing on the hook for the night! A glass of wine and your favorite tunes on the cockpit! Nothing better!
 
The only thing I can add that hasn't already been said is that if you can leave early and arrive at your destination around 10 AM you do have a chance of grabbing a dock spot even at the busiest of parks this time of year, as that's about the time some boaters are leaving for their next destination. But I would never go to the San Juans without a dinghy this time of year because chances are you won't find dock space.
 
Just take the dinghy. :thup

if you go to Jones Island or Sucia chances are very strong that you'll need it. we grabbed the last dock space at Rosario, so the dinghy was a close call there too. If you go to friday harbor, west beach, or blakely you might not... but its better to have it and not need it than need and and not have it.

I row our dinghy. motors are nice, but I've not needed one yet.
 
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