I'd love to sail the islands and I'm look for ideas related thereto. I'm an experienced sailer who has 5 years of sailing on the Chesapeake and in the Caribbean. I'm looking for a sailboat for 2-4 day excursion. The question is, how to make this come true without getting the wrong sailboat or spending an arm and a leg. Any ideas? Open to anything. I'd swap days on the Chesapeake bay for the San Juans. I'd love to get a 36, but I could easily sail anything else.
So, looking for good ideas. There will be at least 4-6 people in my group coming. So we've got lots of crew.
Again, any ideas?
Please click on the UserCP link, upper left corner of this page, and set up an automated signature. It is easy to do, and by identifying yourself more completely, along with a description of your C36 that you're willing to swap, you may get some good replies. Use my automated signature just below as a model of what kind of information you should include.
It's hard to get a response on an offer to swap boats if no one here knows anything about you. Seems reasonable to me that before I give my boat to someone I would sure want to know more about them.
Presumably you have a sailing resume ready to email for anyone who may be interested, along with references that can be checked. And that, vice-versa, you would want to do the same checking of anyone interested in using your boat.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
There are numerous charter companies located in Anacortes and Bellingham with many boat choices. I'd say that would be your best bet.
Steve M, Greg E, Kevin W
ThreeForAll
1991 C36 Mk I, Hull 1119
Bellevue, WA
I believe San Juan Sailing currently has a Catalina 36 Mk II - nearly new - in their bareboat charter fleet. Their number is 1-800-677-7245. They're very nice people to do business with. The best time to charter up here is from July 1 through end-September; although locals know it can be gorgeous in the off season as well if one can respond to weather windows as they become forecast.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
we are based in New Zealand but most years we travel to the US and charter thru Anacortes Yacht Charters ([url]www.ayc.com[/url]) for a week of fun sailing cruising in the San Juans, usually July or August. That time of the year is normally fine but it can get rather cold rather quickly. For the last five years there hasn't been much wind so we haven't done a lot of sailing but the little we have managed has been fun whilst not being challenging.
We normally leave from Anacortes but you could also charter from Bellingham or other similar ports. There are a couple of C36's that I am aware of in the various San Juan charter fleets.
Sucia Island is a great place to anchor out with gorgeous outlook to Mount Baker to the East. Roche Harbor is a great place to find a slip but you may need to book ahead if you are planning to visit in the peak season. The sunset "striking of the colors" is an experience not to be missed.
These can be quite "busy" waters with ferries and other commercial shipping sometimes interrupting those idyllic moments and you need to have experience with tidal flows to truely enjoy your time there.
All in all, the San Juan's are a great place to cruise in my humble opinion.
Neville and Catherine Dunton-McLeod
Tauranga, New Zealand
S/V Memory
1993 C36, hull#1276; SR, WK