San Juan islands in early April

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bellevuesailor
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San Juan islands in early April

Post by bellevuesailor »

Has anyone cruised the San Juan islands early to mid Apr? Is that a bad time to be out there?
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Chinook
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Re: San Juan islands in early April

Post by Chinook »

April in the San Juans could be wonderful. Of course, it could also be really windy and soggy. All depends on what the weather is doing. By April, the weather should definitely be improving. It will be windier, on average, than in mid summer, which can be a plus for a sailboat. Forecasting for this area is quite reliable, up to a week out. To increase your chances of a great time, I'd suggest targeting your time slot, and then mind the forecast. Try to be flexible in your dates, in the event that a storm system is predicted to blow through on your target dates. One nice thing is that you won't be contending with crowded waters and full marinas in April. It should be easy to find places to stay. I'd recommend picking up a good tide and current table publication. I like to have Ports and Passes on board. It's handy for planning ahead of time. You don't want to be crossing Rosario Strait when the wind is opposing current, and in the spring you can get some extreme tides and strong currents. The book will also help you plan when to depart and arrive back at the boat ramp. Most ramps aren't usable on a minus tide. Watch out for places like Speiden Channel and Cattle Pass during peak flood or ebb. They can both run 4 to 8 knots and look like whitewater rivers. Be sure and post a report on your trip. Hope it works for you.
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Highlander
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Re: San Juan islands in early April

Post by Highlander »

It,s been a really nice spring here so far but she sure cools done at night & very windy some days :) which makes it even colder maybe I,m just getting older & wiser & grumpy ! :D :D :D :D

J 8)
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Highlander
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Re: San Juan islands in early April

Post by Highlander »

Weather not looking so good for the rest of this wk ! :(

J
bwygirl
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Re: San Juan islands in early April

Post by bwygirl »

April in the San Juan Islands can be real nice, or cold and windy. This Saturday it is not looking good to be out there, lot's of wind coming. Sunday looks better. There is a nice app for the cell phone called Predict Wind, I use it a lot to see if it is a good day to go sailing or too windy! Yes, I like light wind. But the San Juan Islands are great to visit, on your list should be 1) Anacortes to launch 2) Friday Harbor 3) Roche Harbor 4) Rosario Resort and 5) the outer island state parks like Sucia, Clark, and Stewart.
Have fun!
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Highlander
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Re: San Juan islands in early April

Post by Highlander »

I bought the cd " A Cruiser,s Guide to Washington State,s " San juan Islands about ten yrs ago I think so it,s kinda out dated maybe as to ph # & such but still very informational 60 min video with tide & current info , & I,m so much looking forward to doing some cruising around there this yr :)

J 8)
bellevuesailor
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Re: San Juan islands in early April

Post by bellevuesailor »

Thanks everyone for the replies.

An update - I made it to the San Juan Islands but not in Apr. I went in early June. It was warm during the day but quite chilly at night. The nights I had in harbor I kept my electric cabin heater on which helped.

I launched from Anacortes. I went to Jones Island, Friday Harbor, and made a brief lunch stop at Blakely Island. Jones Island was the highlight of the trip. It was pretty quiet early June. The hikes were very scenic and there is fresh water and clean toilets on the island. I was able to tie up a the dock instead of anchoring or grabbing a mooring ball.

I bought the Dreamspeaker Cruising guide for info before I went. It's a bit of an expensive book at $50 dollars but very nicely illustrated and informative.
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