Seattle to Port Townsend

[canyonbat]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I suppose Spencer Spit would be good if you can make it that far. Avoid James Isl as the bottom is rock and the currents are swirling around thru there.
Time Guemes passage so the tide is not coming out strong, hard progress and standing waves if there is much wind against the tide too.

We like Spencer Spit but its not much closer, if any, than Anacortes itself. Was thinking about someplace around half to three quarters of the way up to make two easy days of it.

[brianc]

Originally Posted by canyonbat

We will be going from Shillshole Marina up to Anacortes around the 26th or 27th of October in a, new to us, 40 ft Beneteau. What would everyone's favorite stopover for a night be on that trip. Slip, mooring ball or at anchor makes no difference to us. Was considering Port Townsend but open to anything.

Port Townsend is probably a good stop because anything else is nearly as far as Anacortes. The first stop across the strait (assuming the weather makes it passable) that I would go to is Watmough Bay. There are two or three mooring balls there and it's a really pretty stop, though no services.

I'll second avoiding James Island (at least the east side), I had one of the worst nights of "sleep" there I've ever had.

If you want to go the inside route through the Swinomish Channel, La Connor isn't bad but you'd have to check sedimentation and any current information, etc, depending on your draft. There are a couple good spots inside of Deception Pass if you wanted to go on the inside but without transiting the Swinomish, but then you have to time the current in Deception Pass avoid wind/waves against current.

Brian

[senormechanico]

Mats Mats Bay. Lots of room, good protection. One of our favorite local spots for an overnighter.
Watch the depth going in at low tide.

[dmksails]

Just tried Deepzoom.com. Great site! I'm hoping to start the trip on 10/20 - looks like there may be a weather opening then. If I take off at 5am, I'll have some current against me for the start, but should get a nice push for the later half and get to Port Townsend by 3pm. I think I'll go outside as I would be hitting an opposing current thru the channel, but I haven't made my mind up about that yet. It also looks like I'll be single-handed.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by canyonbat

We like Spencer Spit but its not much closer, if any, than Anacortes itself. Was thinking about someplace around half to three quarters of the way up to make two easy days of it.

Yes very true, you are almost to Anacortes. Unless the tides running strong against you in Guemes Channel.

[brianc]

Originally Posted by dmksails

Just tried Deepzoom.com. Great site! I'm hoping to start the trip on 10/20 - looks like there may be a weather opening then. If I take off at 5am, I'll have some current against me for the start, but should get a nice push for the later half and get to Port Townsend by 3pm. I think I'll go outside as I would be hitting an opposing current thru the channel, but I haven't made my mind up about that yet. It also looks like I'll be single-handed.

You don't mention it, and I didn't feel like looking through your post history to find out, but are you aware of the potential problem areas (rips, etc) in and around the strait and the weather/tide/current scenarios that can cause them? You can get caught off guard, especially single-handed, on what may appear to be a perfectly calm day weather wise.

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Suggest you buy a 50 ft. tape and have someone help you measure it. You'll be using it to measure sails, as well, at some time. It's a good idea to also measure the distance from your topsides at mast base level to the water, so as to learn your "air draught." Then write it down somewhere. I'd have to do that, I can't remember important numbers at all well, gotta write them down. Good luck.

Ann

Write it so you can see it from the helm.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Pyxis156]

Originally Posted by canyonbat

We will be going from Shillshole Marina up to Anacortes around the 26th or 27th of October in a, new to us, 40 ft Beneteau. What would everyone's favorite stopover for a night be on that trip. Slip, mooring ball or at anchor makes no difference to us. Was considering Port Townsend but open to anything.

One of our favorite stopping points and probably a little less than half way to Anacortes for you is Port Ludlow. Protected, lots of anchoring room, good holding bottom. Singlehanded our old Tartan 3700 to Anacortes and stopped there overnight, easy to anchor out by yourself.

Or if you prefer, the marina has quite a bit of space for transients. The restaurant at the resort is right next to the marina, good beer on tap and good food. Free WiFi from the marina as well. Were just there last week on our way back to Gig Harbor from the San Juans.

Regarding tides, while they can really slow you down what I would be more concerned about is not having the wind against the current. From Point No Point north, if the wind is against the current a vicious steep 3-4' chop forms in many places and in a smaller boat, while it isn't life threatening, it is truly miserable and very slow going. Our Tartan hated the stuff and I have chummed more than one trip going through those conditions. Just last week we were heading south from the San Juans and they predicted 5-15 from the SE. By Smith Island it was blowing a steady 20 and 25 by Point Partridge. We hoped to beat the tide change but were slowed by the wind on our nose across the Strait and caught Admiralty Inlet just as the tide started flooding... Very uncomfortable. Our current boat is 54' and about 50,000 lbs and it still pounced some.

[s/v Beth]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

I used the Canadian Fisheries Book https://www.amazon.com/Current-Atlas...XA3RVXTFTVBT29 in the past, their URL is: 2016 Current Tables - Tides, Currents, and Water Levels.

I use these guys too.
Wind and Current, Current and Wind. d
They are all that matters in the Salish.

[IdoraKeeper]

A couple things occur to me. I live in Port Ludlow, advice about stopping there is good. When you check the weather in the morning for final leg you can retreat to the inside with half of the back tracking. Before continuing north check the New Dungeness bouy on the NOAH site also Smith Island weather station. Real time conditions. If it's at or near your limits go inside.. If it's bad don't try to sneak out of Deception Pass. During an ebb with a strong south wind conditions between Deception and Gueymas channel can be destructive and the current in the channel will be near your hull speed.
Regarding PT channel, it's narrow, if your mast height is within a few feet of the clearance height and you meet another vessel coming south bound there is no room to move over to pass port to port, no room to retreat and the clearance under the bridge arch reduces rapidly away from the center. Current is a factor there as well.
Juan de Fuca can be tricky causes frequent delays, a schedule can cause trouble. Otherwise, enjoy! I wish I was going but stuck fixing stuff.

[dmksails]

Thanks for all the great advice! Yes, I'm aware of the rips that can occur off some of the points. Back in the '90s I crewed on a light 27-ft sailboat and we went thru the area at Point No Point. It was pretty calm - only about 1-ft waves, but the eddies and whirlpools were disconcerting. I will be keeping a close eye on the area.

[senormechanico]

I deliver a 29 foot power boat from my neighborhood on West Whidbey island to Lake Union back and forth every year, (April to November ish) tidal currents are something for you to watch, but tidal rips are not a big deal until you get to the entrance to Eastern Juan de Fuca Strait with wind against the current.

I've sailed all these areas for many years (and done the above deliveries as well with a stinkpot).
It's not that big a deal crossing a rip ! Just look out for debris in the water.
If you read the eddies, stay on the side of the spin which is going the way you are.
That will give you the best SOG (speed over ground).

[Cheechako]

Yeah, rips in the sound are no big deal as long as you are not out in the Straight or Deception Pass. As Idorakeeper mentioned, going the wrong way with wind against tide in Guemes channel you will be sailing great and going nowhere.

[Stu Jackson]

https://www.starpath.com/catalog/books/1806.htm

Downloadable key codes are in the text. This is for the Gulf Islands.