For those of you that have plan on cruising the San Juans there are a couple of things to consider.* The nice weather is mid July through mid September, August being the nicest of the months, but is also the busiest time and has high thermal winds that can get quite rough and hard to dock.* Therefore its best to start out early like sun rise and plan on being to your next destination by about 10:00, 12:00 for sure.
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The month is Sept is the less crowded, no thermals but most mornings are foggy which lifts about 10:00 most days.** So if you do plan on leaving early the chances are you will be running by Charts, GPS and Radar which can be un nerving as you can see no further than maybe 50 to 100 ft.* However, since its not so crowed you dont need to start until the fog has lifted.* Crossing the Straits can be a concern with the large ferries, ships, and tugs, and in the afternoon the thermals winds and tide change can kick up white caps.
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I usually plan on cruising about 4 to 6 hours each day because of the thermals winds and/or the fog.* I do prefer cruising early in the morning as its quite/peaceful and many times the only boat out there and most of the crew, and passengers are still sleeping.* So hopefully by the time they get up, eat, and watch a movie we are at the next destination.
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If you watch and plan the San Juans can be done in a run about, but most boats are in the 30 to 40 ft range.* I would not go any bigger than 45 ft do to limited docking/and anchoring.* You might want to make reservations if you plan on hitting the popular marines like FridayHarbor, DeerHarbor, RougeHarbor, Rosario, and Sydney, Victoria.* Once across the straits and inside the protect water of the San Juans the water is a lot calmer/smoother.* However, make sure you knew where you are at all time as the land/dirt/rocks rises quickly, and do not cut buoys.* The San Juans islands are actual top of mountains with in a couple of feet the water will go from a couple ft to a couple of hundred feet.* So if you get mixed up, better to stop and get your bearings.
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Anyway the first time plan ahead, take your time and make reservations so you can enjoy the areas. **DearHarbor and Sidney are our favorite and make them home ports.* Dear is in the middle of the San Juans, a protect bay, with a swimming pool and spa.* Sydney is a tourist town but you can catch a bus to ButcheredGardens, which you do not want to miss and Victory, so plan at least 2 to 3 days. Friday is to crazy/busy.
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Make sure the boat has a reasonable stable range dink to go investigating as many of the bays, reefs, are not accessible with a big boat. You could spend days in each marina/town/city, so dont cut your self to short.* ********
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