This is a very inaccurate assumption. Even the smaller bodies of water here can develop closely spaced, steep, wind waves that can be very dangerous, particularly to boaters inexperienced in these conditions.
Certainly the big bodies of water-- San Juan Strait, the Strait of Georgia, Queen Charlotte Strait, Johnstone Strait, can get downright deadly to small boats when the wind kicks up.
But the smaller bays like Bellingham Bay can whip up into big, breaking,, closely-spaced waves on windy days. There have been boats-- not a lot fortunately-- that have Ben caught out in the following waves, broached, rolled over, and sunk in Bellingham Bay. The most recent I'm aware of was a 30-something foot commercial fishing boat that was lost with all hands. This inside a bay that most evenings looks like a dead flat lake.
And if the wind opposes the current, watch out because that's when it can really get serious. Given our high tidal range and resulting strong currents, wind forecasts become very important.
Given the waters that we boat in, which include Bellingham Bay, Rosario Strait, and the south end of the Strait of Georgia, we have set limits on the strength of the wind we will go out in. If the wind is from the SE-S-SW our limit is 20 knots. If the wind is from the N-NW our limit is 25 knots although a wind this strong
must be going the same direction as the current. And we
really need to want to go out to do so at the upper ends of our limits.
Obviously the forecasts and currents play a major role in our route and go-no go decisions when wind is or is likely to be a factor. The relative directions of the wind and current have a major effect on the conditions we will encounter. Local knowledge, which in this case we have been accumulating for the last 14 years (we've only just scratched the surface in this regard) is also an important factor in our decisions. If the wind is this and the current is that we have learned that in such and such a channel or bay, water conditions will be X.
To think that just because our inside waters are isolated from the ocean and the Pacific coast they will be relatively mild, think again.