North SFO to SEA

[seair737]

I am heading from San Francisco to Seattle....48' motor yacht.....I would like to know all my fuel stop options along the way, with good harbor entrances, etc.
I have about a 400 miles range (new purchase)?

Leaving next week....June 26-27thish....

Thanks

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, seair.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by seair737

I am heading from San Francisco to Seattle....48' motor yacht.....I would like to know all my fuel stop options along the way, with good harbor entrances, etc.
I have about a 400 miles range (new purchase)?

Leaving next week....June 26-27thish....

Thanks

Click over to "ActiveCaptain", register (for free) and use the interactive cruising guide to see your various port options along your route. YTou can use your "safe range" (i.e. cruising range leaving a reasonable fuel reserve) as your prospective distance between ports to identify possible refueling stops. Then, you can make your "float plan" based upon the timing of tides and currents for your entries and departures.

FWIW...

[seair737]

thank you....I do use ActiveCaptain..
I was also looking for someone who may have cruised those waters, and had first hand experience.

Thank you

[Jas0381]

As I recall,

Fort Bragg, Cresent City, Garibaldi, Port Orford, Neah Bay and Port Angeles.
Did it about a year ago. Not all easy in easy out. We did it on our 56 footer.

[Nic.A.Wil]

Hello Seaair737,

I planned a passage in July, but headed the opposite direction, Victoria BC to Half Moon Bay CA. Posted a thread a few days back in regards to this trip (Fuel) and received something similar to what you're receiving from the group here.

Note, one shared that the fuel station no longer exist at Fort Bragg. I will dig around as this was a way point for me after I traveled around Eureka.

-Nicholas

[Lepke]

I commercial fished that area. It's best to plan on breaking the trip into pieces. The prevailing swells are from the NW, so you have them against you all the way. In periods of good weather the swells aren't noticeable. The spring summer weather pattern starting with a low: After each low pressure area goes thru, the wind blows from the NW at 10-20kts (or more) for a couple days (or longer) making bigger swells, especially at headlands or as ground swell in shallower water. I've seen 50' or more just in a headland groundswell. Then a few days of milder wind and the ocean settles down. A few days, maybe even a week of good weather before another low comes in.
In almost any weather of this time you can survive, but unless you have a time table to meet it's more comfortable to sit out the bad weather. All the bars are easy to cross in good weather, especially at high tide/slack water. The worst is ebb tide with a strong wind the other direction. The only places you can get into in really bad weather is Drakes Bay, sometimes Bodega Bay, Crescent City and usually the straits of Juan de Fuca.
Plan you trip around fuel stops for what is a comfortable run for you. Always have a 25% fuel reserve. The bars can close in bad weather and aren't fun in marginal weather. I run 25 miles out to miss the ground swell and most of the ship and fishing traffic. There's more floating debris now, and watch for fishing buoys.
There can be really bad weather any time of the year. Get the weather info in advance. Plan on making your bar crossings early when bad weather shows. All the ports have fuel. Drakes Bay and Bodega Bay are the only good anchorages until Neah Bay. The rest are either open to the swells or impossible to enter in bay weather. The bigger harbors have places to anchor if you don't want to pay dockage.

[seair737]

Thank you, that is good information..

[Moontide]

Has bend over 20 years since I did that trip, but even then there seemed to be a harbor every 30 to 40 miles once north of SF. Some good restraints too. If you want a fun channel go left just inside the Columbia River entrance.

Allow time as the NW winds are probably blowing now. Cape Mendecino can be a bitch .

[Paul Elliott]

Here are some good resources for weather / forecast / harbor bar conditions:
Ocean Prediction Center - Pacific

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/marine/BarObs.php

[captainwireman]

I made dozen or so deliveries up that route. Be prepared. I can't remember one that didn't pound the crew and shatter the wannabe. Certainly look for the weather windows and my personal wishes for reasonably fair seas.