10 Day Sailing In The San Juan Islands, WA

In April 2021, we completed a 10 day sailing trip around the San Juan Islands. In this post, I will share the details of the trip and some exciting discoveries we made along the way. As always, we learned more about sailing and what we can do better which I will share in a separate post.

Day 0 - We chartered Raven from San Juan Sailing in Bellingham, our second charter on the boat. Raven is a beautiful and well maintained Jeanneau 419 with 3 staterooms and 2 heads, and can comfortably accommodate up to 6 people. It’s dual helm and max prop make it easy to handle and fun to sail, and the bow thrusters make it nimble when docking. You can double hand the boat easily. We opted to pre-board the evening before our charter started so we could get set up and inspect the boat before heading out. Though it costs $50 extra to pre-board it is well worth it as you can become familiar with the boat, check for any issues, stow personal belongings and groceries away in time, and get sailing in the early morning to start your charter. San Juan Sailing also did a great job having the boat ready on time and doing a pre-checkout checklist and walkthrough of the boat. After getting settled in, we made drove over to the Whole Foods in Bellingham and bought groceries - we like to leave purchase of perishable food until after we are settled on the boat so we don’t have to pack as much on the drive over to Bellingham and also don’t risk the food getting spoiled in the heat. With the pre-board option, we slept aboard Raven for the night and realized we would get a bit cold and asked for extra comforters which San Juan Sailing provided early next morning - we could run the heater longer but preferred to conserve fuel and layer up instead.

Day 1 (Bellingham to Sucia Island) - We woke up all excited and made a quick run to Woods, the local coffee shop to get our morning coffee and got ready to start our trip. We exited the marina on the West side past the fuel dock and crossed Bellingham Bay, watching for the markers and staying clear of the shallow waters in Portage Bay and the Point Francis on the SE side of Portage Island. We were greeted with good winds in Bellingham Bay and decided hoisted our sails as we made our way to the popular Sucia Island. We stayed in the deeper waters marked with 3 fathoms in the chart between Pt. Francis and the RG Buoy (NW0169) and turned starboard to sail up Hale Passage towards Lumi Bay. Hale Passage was wide with NE winds giving us the opportunity to sail and with the clear weather, we took in breathtaking views of Mount Baker on our SE and Lumi Island on our W. When crossing Hale Passage, watch for these three markers: 1) The Red buoy (R N “4) on the E side of the channel which you should leave on the starboard, 2) The Lumi Island Ferry which is marked by the Red Marker (Fl R 4s 12 ft) on your W side as you make your way up the channel, and 3) The Green buoy (G “5”) at Lumi Point/ Lane Spit on your W side which you should leave on your port.

Once in Lumi Bay, we rounded the RG buoy NW of Pt Migley on Lumi Island, leaving it on our port and headed SW towards Orcas Islands. We did this so we could cross the shipping channel North of Clark Island and outside the turning zone marked in a big circle on the chart book around the Yellow mid channel marker (Y “CA” Fl Y 2.5s). Once the shipping channel was behind us and we were clear, we headed NW towards Fossil Bay in Sucia Island to spend the night.

CAUTION: CROSSING SHIPPING CHANNELS- Remember when crossing shipping channels, post a member of your crew on the bow/ stern to keep a lookout for commercial vessels and also monitor your Chartplotter/ AIS to see the traffic. Commercial vessels you will encounter are shipping containers, barges being tugged ahead/ aft by tug boats, cruise ships, and other vessels. They travel much faster (20 knots - 30 knots) and can quickly creep up on you. Do not attempt to speed up in an attempt to cross ahead of them, their size and speed can be deceiving from a distance. It is much better and safer to cross behind commercial vessels, particularly for tug boats which may be pulling on a barge several hundred feet behind them with a thick chain under water which may not be visible. Do not linger in the shipping channel or attempt to sail when winds are low (better to motor across) and when crossing the shipping lanes, do so at 90 degrees to the channel so you are in the shipping lanes for the shortest distance and duration. If there are vessels in the shipping lanes, you should look at the direction the vessel is travelling in to assess if it is Northbound or Southbound to assess your safe crossing. When in doubt, hail the vessel on the radio at the commercial channel used in your area and discuss crossing options.

Sucia Island is a favorite for many. It has picturesque views of the mountains and spectacular sunsets. It has many options for anchoring - Echo Bay, Fossil Bay, Shallow Bay being the popular ones and Ewing Cove, Fox Cove, and Snoring Bay being the more secluded ones. While Echo Bay is the largest anchorage with many mooring buoys and a floating dock, it can get crowded. We opted for Fossil Bay and picked up a mooring buoy placed by the WA State Parks for the night. In the evening, we took out the dinghy past Johnson Point on the SE side of Sucia Island and watched the sunset. The pink hues on Mt Baker as the sun set on one side and the bright orange hues on the Canadian islands on other side were breathtaking. The winds had died down and the water was calm, reflecting all the colors of the sky. We made our way back, got dinner, and slept soundly as Fossil Bay offered good protection for the night from the NW winds.

Day 2 and 3 (Sucia Island) - We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning and decided to kayak around Fossil Bay and explore the island. After a quick breakfast and getting ready, we decided to sail to Patos Island to spend the night there. Unfortunately, we were late in leaving and were slowed down by the currents flowing in the opposite direction. Patos Island is the north most island in the San Juan Islands and has room for only 3 boats in Active Cove (2 on mooring buoys by the WA State Parks and room for 1 additional boat to anchor). When approaching Patos Island, stay West of Little Patos and enter Active Cove from the middle of the channel between Little Patos and Alden Pt. Do not attempt to cross in the narrow space between Little Patos and Patos Island on the east side of Little Patos - it is narrow, shallow, and currents are strong. Unfortunately, by the time we got to Patos, there were already 3 boats in Active Cove so we decided to head back to Sucia Island and spend the night in our favorite spot - Fox Cove. We have been unsuccessful in finding an open spot in Active Cove on Patos Island in all our sailing trips to the San Juans, perhaps we need to be there earlier in the day to find an open spot. The more times, we miss out on the chance of spending the night at Patos, the more we are drawn to it.

CAUTION: REEFS/ ROCKS EXTEND FROM THE ISLANDS - When sailing in the San Juan Islands, it is easy to get lost/ disoriented by the beauty of the landscape, the colors of the water, and the wildlife you may frequently encounter. While some members on the crew may be distracted taking photos or getting the boat ready for anchoring/ mooring, you must be extremely cautious of the many rocks and reefs that extend past the visible parts of the islands. Notably, the reefs and rocks marked as “Danger Rocks” near Sucia on the NE side and on the E side on the entrance to Echo Bay, as well as the reef extending on the West side of Little Sucia on the entrance to Fox Cove should be watched out for, in addition to the others marked on the chartbooks. Pay close attention to the chartbook and frequently zoom in/ out of your electronic Chartplotters to make sure you are clear of any rocks/ reefs. Make sure to check the tides and the currents, and make sure you are aware if your boat is drifting in a certain direction. Many skippers will give the helm to guests/ newbies who may be on the boat when motoring into a bay as they think the speed is slow and the approach is straight forward. We would strongly caution not to do that. Instead, have experienced crew monitoring the Chartplotters for depth, watching for rocks/ reefs, paying attention to and calling out the visible markers, and reducing distractions.

During our trip, we heard on Channel 16 that a 76 foot wooden yacht ran aground on the entrance of Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island after hitting rocks that extend past Charles Point. Later in our trip, when we sailed to Prevost Harbor, we were shocked and heartbroken to find that the boat was the iconic Norwester on her maiden voyage after a significant restoration. The risk of groundings is real in the San Juan Islands and can be mitigated with caution.

Fox Cove is our favorite spot on Sucia Island as it is secluded with only 4 mooring buoys and room for 2-3 boats to anchor, has wonderful views to the west, and close to Little Sucia which is the perfect spot for beachcombing. We admire the fossils millions of years old, fascinating sea life, and spectacular views from Little Sucia. The popular Mushroom Rock in Fox Cove is visible at low tides and kayaking close the shore offers mesmerizing views of rocks that have been cut over time. The incredible shapes and sunlight reflecting from the water and dancing on the rock face is so serene that it is easy to spend hours admiring and exploring these sights. We also spotted bald eagle, seals, and sea otters in Active Cove. The beach offers access to Sucia Island hikes and registration stations.

Day 4 (Roche Harbor) - We decided to stop at Roche Harbor on our third night so we could recharge the batteries and pump out. We sailed SW through President Channel and Spiden Channel, admiring the views and the lovely houses on the shore of San Juan Islands. It is advised for boats that do not have local knowledge to enter Roche Harbor between Pearl Island and Henry Island, i.e. leave Pearl Island on port and favor the deeper waters closer to Henry Island. Once in Roche Harbor there is ample anchoring South of Pearl Island and also past Mosquito Pass in Garrison Bay and Wascott Bay. If crossing Mosquito Bay, watch for the two rocks along the way and depths, and stay mindful of the markers. Roche Harbor during April is surprisingly empty in the month of April. There were just a handful of boats on the guest dock and there were 3-4 boats anchored when typically in the summer months, the numbers are in the hundreds. We took in the peace and quiet and kayaked from the marina to Wascott Bay and Garrison Bay (English Camp is right there on the shore), coming across a rock full of resting seals in Mosquito Pass. Though we steered clear of the rocks and gave them ample room, they were suspicious or curious of us and swam out all around us.

In the later afternoon, we headed out from Roche Harbor and started making our way towards Friday Harbor. At the east side of Spieden Channel, we were delighted to find two pods of Orca Killer Whales with at least one calf in the pod. We spent an hour watching them on a cool evening as the sun set and the waters were calm with no other boats in sight. It was a special moment for us, one we always dreamed about, one that had eluded us in all our trips until now, and one that is unlikely to reoccur in the future. We wished we could stay longer but the killer whales made their way towards Canada and as the daylight started fading out, it was time for us to find safe anchorage. We motored our way to Friday Harbor and dropped anchor on the SW side of Brown Island and East of the Ferry Terminal. The holding was good, though Friday Harbor is busy and the WA State Ferries run until late in the night and start early morning, so there is wake and some currents, but we slept well and enjoyed the lights in the night.

CAUTION: WA STATE FERRIES - The WA State Ferry routes are marked on the chartbooks and most Chartplotters. We highly advise you to stay clear of the ferry routes as Ferries travel at high speeds and you will be on the receiving end of a few loud horns if you are in the way. The ferries also show up on chartplotters/ AIS and answer on Channel 16 if you radio them to confirm passing and routes. It is best to be early and obvious in changing directions or slowing down speeds, and to pass behind the ferries instead of racing to cross in front of them. They will always be travelling much faster than you if you are on a sail boat.

Day 5 (Stuart Island) - Typically we would head straight from Roche Harbor to Stuart Island but during this trip, we had a friend join us from Seattle and arrived in Friday Harbor aboard Samish, the WA State Ferry from Anacortes. We picked him up from the Ferry Terminal on our dinghy and sailed towards Stuart Island. When leaving/ arriving at Friday Harbor, watch for the Danger Rocks marked in the chartbooks (BR “DR Fl (2) 5s) in the middle of the San Juan Channel between San Juan Island and Shaw Island. We sailed North via San Juan Channel to and through Spieden Channel towards the West tip of Stuart Island and rounded East on Turn Pt towards Prevost Harbor. Stuart Island has two wonderful anchorages - Reid Harbor and Prevost Harbor. On our last trip, we anchored on Reid Harbor and found it a bit more crowded than we’d like so we opted for Reid Harbor, and also to have more protection from the S winds. As we approached Prevost Harbor, we were saddened to see the half sunken Norwester on lodged on the rocks near Charles Pt. at the entrance. Exercising extra caution with Chartplotter zoomed in, we stayed mid channel to avoid the reefs that extend the SW tip of Satellite island. When entering Prevost Harbor, enter from the West of Satellite Island and avoid the East entrance as it is shallow and rocky. Once we moored on the mooring buoy, we took out the kayaks to explore the harbor and the seal rocks on the east of Satellite Island and came across many seals idling on the rocks. We also took our kayaks and dinghy to get a closer look at the Norwester and cleaned up some of the garbage (plastic bottles of dish soap and cosmetics and plastic bags that were floating around the wreckage. We hope she can be restored and sailing again to fulfil her purpose of raising funds for cancer research. Stuart Island State Park can be explored and there are marked trails that connect Prevost Harbor and Reid Harbor with spectacular views. We did two mile-long hikes to stretch out our legs and get some pictures of Raven in the beautiful anchorage before heading back for some dinner. At night, as the moonlight reflected on the water and the bay was calm, we took the opportunity to do some midnight kayaking and have fun with the bioluminescence in the water before getting a good night’s sleep.

Day 6 (Jones Island) - We made our way out of Prevost Harbor and turned starboard to sail towards Jones Island. With SE winds, we sailed for the morning and arrived at Jones Island by the afternoon. We opted for a mooring buoy on the North side of Jones Island, made a quick sandwich and decided to explore Jones Island. We now understand why Jones Island is a favorite spot for campers and kayakers. The island has campsites with scenic views of the San Juan Islands and the San Juan Channel and President Channel. There are multiple hikes on the circumference of the Jones Island that deliver stellar views and opportunities for photographs. In April, the island and anchorages (both on North and South side) were mostly empty, making it a special experience. We spend some time walking the beaches, taking in the views, and relaxing on the boat in the evening. Late evening, we made our way back to Friday Harbor to get protection from the Small Craft Advisory that was issued for the night and early next morning and to see off our friend who boarded the WA State Ferry the next morning. While our initial plan was to anchor/ moor on Turn Island State Park near Friday Harbor, we found that the mooring buoys were removed and decided to opt for the convenience of the Friday Harbor Marina instead to recharge batteries and pump out as well.

Day 7 (Blind Bay) - We had a late start and took the opportunity to wash down the boat, clean out the trash, and get some coffee from one of the coffee shops at Friday Harbor. While the winds stayed strong, we exited Friday Harbor, kept clear of the Danger Rocks and made our way towards Upright Channel past Turn Island and the South Tip of Shaw Island. We continued north on Upright Channel before turning West into Harney Channel rounding up Hankin Pt on Shaw Island. The views to the east as we sailed on Harney Channel towards Blind Bay on Shaw Island were incredible. Watch for the Ferry Traffic in Harney Channel as they travel between Orcas Island Shaw Island, and towards San Juan Island. As we rounded up Point Hudson on the north side of Shaw Island and continued West, we saw the entrance to Blind Bay on our port side. Blind Island is a WA State Park that sits in the middle of the entrance to Blind Bay, on the west side of Blind Island are rocks that extend outwards and visible, and on the east side is the Shaw Island Ferry Terminal. Entering Blind Bay from the east side of Blind Island is advised and there is are marked Danger Rocks on the east side of Blind Island. Safe passage into Blind Bay is between Blind Island and the marked Danger Rocks - as always, pay close attention to the depths in the Chartplotter and approach at slow speeds, watching for drift and currents. Past the Danger Rocks, turn south of Blind Island where there are three WA State Buoys and there is plenty of anchorage with good holding in Blind Bay. Once moored, we took the dinghy and headed to the Shaw Island General Store to restock our kitchen supply and explore the bay before stopping over Blind Island for a quick walk on the little island and taking in the the spectacular 180 degree view of Harney Channel and West Sound. The evening called for S and SW winds and we were well protected and spent a quiet evening in Blind Island.

Day 8 (James Island) - We woke up to the first rain on our trip and treated ourselves to a hearty breakfast of champions and hot coffee on our boat as we enjoyed the views of Blind Island and the WA State Ferries. We headed east on Harney Channel and went towards the North of Blakely Island to refuel our boat and dinghy. Unfortunately, the Blakely Island Store at the Marina was closed for the season so we couldn’t get the delicious donuts that we would typically get during the summer months. The entrance to the marina at Blakely Island is tricky with shallow waters and preferred entry during high tide and slack. After fueling up and stretching our legs on the docks, we made our way East through Peavine Pass and after rounding Blakely Island, we headed south towards James Island. While we could have gone south from the Fuel Dock at Blakely Island Marina and crossed east through Thatcher Pass, we wanted to sail the SW winds and avoid Thatcher Pass which is in the ferry route. Though Rosario Strait can have strong currents and the commercial vessels in the shipping lanes, we hugged the east side of Blakely Island and enjoyed the sailing, taking caution of the Black Rocks on the SE side of Blakely Island marked in the chartbooks (Fl G 4s 10ft 4M “9”) south of the Green buoy (G “11”). Since the day called for SW and W waves and we wanted to avoid the rolling swells caused by the busy Rosario Strait, we avoided the option to moor on the East side of James Island and docked on the public dock on the East Side across from Decatur Head.

James Island offers magnificent views of Rosario Strait and Lopez Island. There are hikes around the perimeter of the island that leave you in awe of the beauty and the serenity. Even though you are on an island, it felt like a large rainforest with vibrant wild flowers and old Pine and Madrona trees. Watch carefully for the many slugs that are casually crossing the hiking paths as you soak in the endless views of the water and the tall trees. The hikes are close to the edge and in some places difficult, so keep an eye on little ones and pay close attention. On the hike, you can cross over and see the east side of James Island and the moorage options. We were definitely gasping on each turn along our hike. At night, as the rain continued, we opted for an early dinner and watched “The Hunt for Red October” on the TV aboard Raven before calling it a night.

Day 9 (Chuckanut Bay) - The next morning, we learned that our neighbors on the dock aboard “Tethys” were Nancy Erley, her wife Lynn, and their dog Lulu. Nancy has successfully circumnavigated the world twice with each passage 5 years long and currently teaches offshore sailing to aspiring women sailors. They were very kind and welcomed us on Tethys, which was simply beautiful and so well maintained. Nancy was working on refitting the electricals on her VHF with a “Women can do anything” poster. We felt so inspired and in awe of Nancy, and helped them cast off as they continued on with their travels. We did a quick walk on James Island next before casting off and heading to Chuckanut Bay. We didn’t anticipate the currents and back eddies on James Island dock to be strong and appreciated the helping hand from fellow boaters who were docked on James Island. As we headed off, we found that our kayak had overturned and become waterlogged so we hoisted it up with the halyard and drained it. Shortly after as we were sailing, we noticed the kayak was drifting and quickly performed a mock man-overboard (MOB) drill to successfully rescue our kayak. The clouds were low and thick and we continued on sailing in Rosario Strait past Cypress Island and Sinclar Island, making sure to leave the Red Buoys to our starboard as we sailed to the southern tip of Lumi Island, staying clear of the Viti Rocks which are marked between Sinclair Island and Lumi Island. Once in Bellingham Bay, we continued sailing on the south side of Eliza Island towards Chuckanut Bay. We opted to anchor in Pleasant Bay on the south of Chukanut Bay to stay protected from the SW and W winds overnight. Pleasant Bay is beautiful with tall cliffs on the West and South and houses lining up the bay and mountain on the East side. We spent our evening kayaking, reflecting on the trip, and fighting the sinking feeling that the trip would end the next day and we’d be back to our daily grind. We also felt grateful to have had a safe and fulfilling trip. We slept well to the music of rain that night.

Day 10 (Return to Bellingham) - The day started with low clouds and rain, as we hustled to pack up our belongings, eat breakfast, and clean up the boat. We waited for the clouds to clear up before motoring north to Squalicum Bay to return the boat and end the charter. It took us an hour to unload the boat, clean up, and refill the water tanks. We thanked Raven for her comfort and spirit, and for treating us so well on the trip, thanked the San Juan Sailing team, and set off for Seattle. On the way, we treated ourselves to Fiamma Burgers in Bellingham and milkshakes.

There are so many things on this trip that will be memorable, from the joys of watching Orcas to the deep sadness of seeing the wreckage of Norwester, the excitement of meeting Nancy and the jaw dropping beauty of the San Juan Islands. More importantly, it’s the time spent with family and friends and the time spent sailing, bonding, and sharing the experiences together which we will cherish the most.

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more adventures and posts where we’ll share some learnings we’ve had along the way. Please post in the comments or reach out via email if you have any questions or need any information.