February 2014

Near the “9 o’clock” portion of the San Juan circle, and less frequently navigated for initial entrance to the San Juans from central Puget Sound, is Mosquito Pass. Navigation though Mosquito Pass is not inherently dangerous, but must be both deliberate and well planned to avoid coming to grief on a reef. Currents are a […]

Most boaters bound for the San Juans from central Puget Sound will have entered the archipelago prior to reaching Peavine or Obstruction Pass. The two passes run on either side of Obstruction Island, between Orcas Island to the north and Blakely Island to the south. Peavine Pass, immediately north of Blakely Island, is the more

Arguably the busiest access into the San Juan Islands, Thatcher Pass is almost due west from the last buoys in Guemes Channel. Thatcher Pass is a busy route for Washington State Ferries. As with other commercial vessels, pleasure boaters are expected to stay well clear of ferry traffic. Keep a constant watch. Simply because there

In the southeast corner of the San Juan circle, Lopez Pass is the first opportunity available to boaters transiting Deception Pass to exit Rosario Strait. Vessels crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca and electing not to use Cattle Pass may likewise choose Lopez Pass as an alternative to continuing north of Rosario Strait.

Many boaters crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca will opt to enter the San Juans through Cattle Pass. Some boaters using Deception Pass may elect to use Cattle Pass as well, although boaters transiting between Deception Pass and Cattle Pass should avoid getting too close to the southeast shore of Lopez Island. Reefs, rocks,

Last month, we examined a variety of routes and considerations of concern to boaters planning a cruise from central Puget Sound to the San Juan Islands. Once across Rosario Strait, or the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the islands are arranged in a nearly circular configuration. The largest islands form the major portions of the

Boaters who did not elect to overnight in LaConner might well decide to put into Anacortes. There’s a great public marina at Cap Sante. Anybody bypassing Anacortes will typically use Guemes Channel between Fidalgo and Guemes Islands as an approach to the final crossing prior to the San Juan archipelago. (It should be noted that

A local insurance professional once stated that the southern entrance to the Swinomish Channel is, year after year, the site of a lot of claims resulting from grounding. Experienced mariners know better than to “cut” any of the buoys here. A range in Dugwalla Bay, to the west, is defined by marker boards with red

Under the right conditions. San Juan bound boaters choosing the Inside Passage can continue along the eastern shoreline of Whidbey Island and turn toward the islands by transiting Deception Pass. Deception Pass is both dramatic and scenic, but knowledgeable mariners avoid the pass if the current is running more than a very few knots. Tide

When the Strait of Juan de Fuca is too rough for a comfortable crossing, or when conditions are marginal and the forecast is not favorable, boaters cruising to the San Juans from central Puget Sound will often “run up the inside route” east of Whidbey Island. The lee side of Whidbey can remain very passable