Our First One-Week Cruise (San Juan Islands)

[hellosailor]

If you weren't referring to the OP (who is showing the UK as home)...getting a 27' boat up from the Columbia River to the San Juans, cruising up there, and then getting the boat BACK to the Columbia River, would take significantly more than a week's time.

About 500nm with a famously hostile lee shore for the first and last 125 of them. Something someone just getting started, or carrying family, simply might not want to tackle. That's 500nm at five knots, 100 hours of sailing, including zero hours of sightseeing or laying back in the San Juans. Five days and nights in transit and barely 24 hours to see the San Juans, if you leave just one day "in case".

Of course you could PM Jim and ask him how the trip went--that's two years ago now.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by anthony11

Last I checked, the Columbia was the border between WA and OR, so I presumed that the location of London wasn't currently accurate.

Just FYI, photos of the Columbia River Bar...








I can think of a lot of reasons crossing the Columbia River Bar would be a bad idea...

[anthony11]

Wow, had no idea it was like that where the river meets the ocean.

[Stillraining]

Yep ...Now thoes are 20 footers folks...

[jrd22]

Jeez, if it's like that all the time how do all those little boats get in and out of there on a regular basis?

John

[Stillraining]

It's not...ya just have to pay attention to the bar reports and get familiar with the pacific swell routine as to when to go and when not to.

[sailingdog]

Still-

In that first photo, I think those are a bit more than twenty footers...given the size of the tanker in the photo...and the fact that the deck is awash...

Yes, small boats can cross the Columbia River bar...but the shores north and south of it aren't all the friendly, and most of the time are a nasty lee shore... and there aren't many good ports of refuge if the weather turns nasty...so why risk it.

[blt2ski]

Anthony,

jim "USED" to live in Portland, Or, where he still keeps a C22 or something of that size, He sold the C&C 27, and now has something else they recently purchased in London England, where he is currently living with wife and kids.

It would be easier/cheaper to charter a boat out of Anacortes, Bellingham or equal to get to the SJ's than sail up from Portland!

Marty

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Still-

In that first photo, I think those are a bit more than twenty footers...given the size of the tanker in the photo...and the fact that the deck is awash...

Yes, small boats can cross the Columbia River bar...but the shores north and south of it aren't all the friendly, and most of the time are a nasty lee shore... and there aren't many good ports of refuge if the weather turns nasty...so why risk it.

OK...21' 6 3/4"......

[anthony11]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Yes, small boats can cross the Columbia River bar...but the shores north and south of it aren't all the friendly, and most of the time are a nasty lee shore... and there aren't many good ports of refuge if the weather turns nasty...so why risk it.

Thanks -- now I know.