# I've become very concerned about the weather...



## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Hi, I have been planning a trip to Puget Sound to get and inexpensive sailboat, learn more how to sail, and then take off cruising the San Juan Islands, the Canadian Gulf Islands, and see where it takes me.

My family lives in Eugene, I came here two weeks ago to see them and get ready, and I've always thought that Eugene was in the same climate as Seattle. So it has been pretty nice, it hasn't rained and has been partly to mostly sunny all but two days.

I've got my maps, rain coat, foul weather gear. My passport that I let expire is on its way. I'm prepared. 

Then a cold front comes in last night, not real cold, but kindof cold, and I look up the weather up there again. It's been consistently 10 degrees colder and has rained everyday. If you read the tourist website, the San Juans are in some magic rain shadow, blocked by the Olympic mountains, and it is sunny 247 days a year. I've been looking since February 1 and it hasn't had one day of sun in the last two months.

I originally narrowed my choice down to Florida, San Francisco, and Puget Sound.

Florida- sounds fantastic, IF I had the money to stay longer and do the Bahamas. Otherwise, in summer it's going to be too hot and humid and I don't like the South.

SF Bay- Best weather, right now it's going to be 60's and sunny most weeks, I know that alot of people think of SF as cloudy and foggy, but it's really the secret sunny place, with palm trees, consistent winds, and a moderate humidity year round.
However, the bay has been completely overdeveloped, it's hard to get slips, and there is limited cruising. 

PNW- Isolated islands with secluded anchorages, cheap marinas, well, it's got almost everything, it's the perfect starter cruising grounds...except the weather is terrible.

I'm now worried that instead of having fun, learning sailing skills, I will sit in a marina huddled around a space heater trying to dry off. It's realy silly to change plans now, after all the research I've put into things, but what if summer never comes? People up there said the last three summers have come late and been short. If you look at the San Juans on a sunny day, it doesn't look like a better place exists, but if those days are few and far between I'm not sure it would be worth it.

I guess I'm asking for advice from more seasoned cruisers. am I worried for nothing? Is San Francisco a good, relatively easy place to learn to cruise? Or is it crowded and hassles. Are people up in Washington right now sailing and having a good time? Is California full of regulations where anytime I try to "park" it will be in front of someone's waterfront mansion and the coast guard will come give me a ticket? The boats seem cheaper in the Bay and there are more of them.


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## floridajaxsailor (Aug 4, 2010)

my experience is absolutely everything is more expensive in California
it is harder these days to anchor in random locations; it behooves one to find a cheap 
dock situation if possible
also, what if the weather turns tough for weeks
consider all
-JD


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

That's the best part about California(and Hawai'i). They never get weeks of bad weather. Hawai'i is where I have done all my sailing. It's just not been cruising, which is what I really want to do. 

I have big dreams, like alot of people, want to cross oceans, save money and go to the South Pacific, or spend a year in the Bahamas. But I need to learn the skills necessary first.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

Having been born and raised in this area.....yeah it is a bit cloudy at times, with no rain or very little rain I might add. Seattle proper gets 10-15" LES rain a year then part of the islands in Hawaii! ave is about 36", which is also 10" less than Miami gets from may 1 to Oct1! or anywhere else east of the mississippi mind you. In those 10 months, seattle is one of the wettest west of the mississippi at 10". ave west of is around 4-8".

We also get a lot of sunny days with north winds in the summer, or not much more than 5-10 knots. Altho if you can figure out how to deal with the tides and currents we have. you can probably sail and deal with them issues anywhere! 

Ave temps in aug are 80F if you are lucky!70-80F is typical high. It did not hit above 90 one summer for IIRC 5 yrs not too far back. Quite comfortable actually. 

Today, a bit cloudy, with some sun breaks, windy in the 10-15 range....about 50-55F out.....kinda nice actual. would be a great day for a sail!

marty


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Thanks, probably last minute jitters is all it is.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

You'll be fine. Get your boat and have at it. Cruising is dealing with whatever comes your way. You can always make your way south.


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## Squidd (Sep 26, 2011)

It's that damn global warming...


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

SF Bay can be surprising cool/chilly with the perstistent heavy winds they get.

California in general is lousy cruising country

The PNW is a two season venue.. summer and spall.. yes, much cloud and rain for 8 - 9 months of the year, but generally good summers, and unparalleled cruising grounds esp if you take into account BC's very reachable waters. Good Shelter, abundant anchorages and services it's hard to beat. Florida is more consistently 'nicer' but for me I find that a couple of weeks in the heat and humidity of the tropics and semitropics is wearing.. the moderate conditions here in the PNW are often a relief.


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## SolSailor (Dec 30, 2012)

Squidd said:


> It's that damn global warming...


Hey Squidd... I've heard the weather over in Eagle River is great these days!! But only if you are the type of sailor that likes ice blades and considers his/her foul weather gear to be made by North Face and not Gil...


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## hasuehounds (Jun 27, 2008)

Best advise; go to bouy weather or a weather
Service and look for a five day forcast
Plan a short distance trip and work point to point.
Trying to plan long distances, for a beginner that
Has limited to no experience navigating in changing or 
Bad weather will only discourage you and damage your boat.
Plan a trip of 30 miles to start then chart your course point to point.
When we started cruising full time we started in
NC to Bahamas. We took the ICW most of the way.
That first year we went one day all day then found an 
Ancorage that night rested are and go on.
We averaged 12 hrs a day around 40-50 miles
That included delays such as bridges.
We made Florida in one month then waited
There for a weather window to the Bahamas.
Looking at such long range, your setting yourself up for 
Problems,disappointment and failure.
Find a short range easy plan. Prepare using good weather tools
Plan 5 day weather, then when you have a good weather
Window go to the first goal set. Each day set a new goal.
Stop worrying about being cold wet and stalled.
Prepare. Find weather then move. You'll learn new skills. You'll gain confidence..
Good luck. Btw both if us took sailing courses 
Before we left and we had navigation programs to 
Use on our chart plotter.
Going to sea without education, the right tools and 
Preperation with the goal of living in the cheap is an
Expensive and costly pipe dream!
If the weathers bad sit it out! If your ready then find
Weather and go.... If you get in trouble call the
Ciast guard!!!!
Being unprepared can set you up for real issues!!
The pacific is the hardest ocean to navigate, find harbors and
Deal with... Learn & plan better. Look short term and you'll succeed!!!
Fairwinds and following seas


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## hasuehounds (Jun 27, 2008)

Best advise; go to bouy weather or a weather
Service and look for a five day forcast
Plan a short distance trip and work point to point.
Trying to plan long distances, for a beginner that
Has limited to no experience navigating in changing or 
Bad weather will only discourage you and damage your boat.
Plan a trip of 30 miles to start then chart your course point to point.
When we started cruising full time we started in
NC to Bahamas. We took the ICW most of the way.
That first year we went one day all day then found an 
Ancorage that night rested are and go on.
We averaged 12 hrs a day around 40-50 miles
That included delays such as bridges.
We made Florida in one month then waited
There for a weather window to the Bahamas.
Looking at such long range, your setting yourself up for 
Problems,disappointment and failure.
Find a short range easy plan. Prepare using good weather tools
Plan 5 day weather, then when you have a good weather
Window go to the first goal set. Each day set a new goal.
Stop worrying about being cold wet and stalled.
Prepare. Find weather then move. You'll learn new skills. You'll gain confidence..
Good luck. Btw both if us took sailing courses 
Before we left and we had navigation programs to 
Use on our chart plotter.
Going to sea without education, the right tools and 
Preperation with the goal of living in the cheap is an
Expensive and costly pipe dream!
If the weathers bad sit it out! If your ready then find
Weather and go.... If you get in trouble call the
Ciast guard!!!!
Being unprepared can set you up for real issues!!
The pacific is the hardest ocean to navigate, find harbors and
Deal with... Learn & plan better. Look short term and you'll succeed!!!
Fairwinds and following seas


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

No rain today in the SJ's, yesterday was wet but not cold. The trees are all blooming and daffodils are in full bloom, tulips won't be far behind, tilled the garden a few days ago and we're about ready to plant some spinach. Spring is here. Here is a good site that someone here on SN put together to check the weather for Friday Harbor, I use it daily and generally the weather is nicer than the forecast.

Marine Weather and Tide Forecast

If I recall you are talking about summer cruising. For the summer months head for Desolation Sound, warm water for swimming, the most spectacular scenery on earth, great people if you want to be around humanity or one boat nooks where you feel like you are the first person to have ever been there. Oh, and generally good sailing breezes in the afternoons. It can get hot, take something to provide some shade in the cockpit. And don't forget your fishing and prawning gear. I receive no compensation from the BC government for these glowing write ups)


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## Bilgewater (Jul 17, 2008)

northoceanbeach said:


> PNW- Isolated islands with secluded anchorages, cheap marinas, well, it's got almost everything, it's the perfect starter cruising grounds...except the weather is terrible.
> 
> I'm now worried that instead of having fun, learning sailing skills, I will sit in a marina huddled around a space heater trying to dry off. It's realy silly to change plans now, after all the research I've put into things, but what if summer never comes? People up there said the last three summers have come late and been short. If you look at the San Juans on a sunny day, it doesn't look like a better place exists, but if those days are few and far between I'm not sure it would be worth it.


The winter, late fall and early spring...
You will learn to love the rain in short order I would think. The rain makes the west coast what it is. The remote and isolated hikes through the tall overgrown deep forests don't feel right unless they're wet. The inlets don't look right unless the clouds are clinging to the mountains. There are many of us out cruising all year long. The best prawning and crabbing is right now at this time of year. Some of the best sailing is right now. There is beauty in all this, both summer and winter.

Today I'm in a light hoodie looking at steep snow covered mountain tops, rain every couple of hours and sunshine in between. All this and surrounded by what must be thousands of mussel ducks and all kinds of other wildlife. The PNW has much to offer...Enjoy it! One more thing, the summers are hot and nice. Did I mention that we can be sailing the Salish Sea shirtless in the summer and 45 minutes later we can be downhill skiing, cross country skiing or snowshoeing.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Thanks. I feel good. Those were nice descriptive posts. I have no doubt that it is beautiful and completely worthwhile. And Eugene today said rain for the forecast but it was light followed by sun. It's different rain up here. It's very light with thin clouds that come an go.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

Don't pay attention the forecast summary, read the details. I spent almost the entire weekend outside in Seattle (half of it on the water) and spent less than an hour total in the rain. Bring good clothes and enjoy the great scenery and sailing.

Also realize that most weather forecasts draw a rain symbol if there is a 30% chance of rain. There is always a 30% chance of rain here at this time of year, but that still means that 70% of the time it's not raining. Today was sunny until about 3pm. Last night at sunset I took this photo just outside of Shilshole marina:









The wind was weird this weekend. Both yesterday and today it switched between periods of being 5mph and 25mph and also kept switching between a northerly and a southerly.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Cool! Thanks, I also went online and got a very detailed and descriptive site for the average weather for Friday Harbor for the month of April since 1974. 

It's that 30% forecast symbol that was getting me, but also, I think I'm just a little nervous(and excited) to actually be leaving.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

You should also pick up a copy of this book:
Passage to Juneau: A Sea and Its Meanings: Jonathan Raban: 9780679776147: Amazon.com: [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@41MRdhiP3PL

The author sails north to Alaska at this time of year (and later in the book is there in July). He also does a great job of giving you some local history. It was a great sailing travel book.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

The thing one has to remember about rain forecasts, 30% means 30 of 100 days you will get measurable "rain" coming down at some point in time. 30% chance of showers is the same. "rain" vs "showers" are two different types of liquid coming down per say, more in the volume, how fast, much in a given time frame. 

A week ago, the forecast was for the next 5 days to have lots of rain, looked bad, at the end of the week, I think we had maybe .5" of rain, no flooding as predicted, etc etc. You take what you get. If it is truly raining. you enjoy it and go from there. 

Saturday I was up skiing at snoqualmie pass. It was typical spring NW weather. Don't like what you have right now, wait 5 min. I went from sun to snow to rain to sun to snow to rain in 3 hrs on the hill! talk about funky weather. As mentioned, yesterday was nice until about 3pm or so, then scattered showers, one 5 mi stretch was a few ice pellets with in the rain, it was mid 40F at the time.....

Marty


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

The weather is certainly going downhill, I blame the planned start of your trip .

It's looking a lot better this weekend though, I think I'm going to head over to Kingston for an overnighter/spring shakedown trip.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Yeah...that's why I haven't left yet, it was windy and hailing here and I talked to the Ranger guy and he said it was really bad up there. So, the weekend. Plus, that US25 that keeps getting relisted with the price lower, Tacoma is my first stop and he isn't available until Saturday but he said everything is really nice, look at thee engine, that's a good price is the boat is as good as he says it is.

Not to change topics, but why is everyone, including my friends and family who I show the boats I am looking at so in favour of the Ranger? I like it, don;t get me wrong, but what are others seeing that I am not? Are they just really good boats? Are they super hardy? I realized that if I trust my boat, I love to sail in high(ish) winds, say 15-25 knots.


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## justflie (Apr 10, 2012)

Just a point of clarification, excluding the panhandle, Florida is not the South. It's a lot of RI and NJ transplants. I grew up in RI and half the state has Florida license plates because they're down there so much!


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

justflie said:


> .....I grew up in RI and half the state has Florida license plates because they're down there so much!


Common to most Northeast states, as snowbirds move there permanent residency to FL to avoid the highest State income taxes in the Union. Must spend 6 months plus one day there and be able to prove it, but that not really a burden. Cell records and credit cards are easy for you to prove you are there, but also for another State to prove you weren't.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

justflie said:


> Just a point of clarification, excluding the panhandle, Florida is not the South. It's a lot of RI and NJ transplants. I grew up in RI and half the state has Florida license plates because they're down there so much!


Yeah, I was there a long time ago and I really liked the keys. I know it's a different world than Mississippi. I'm just scared because it still is technically the south and alot of scary stories come out of Florida.

I used to listen to this radio show called loveline, and they had a funny segment called Germany or Florida, where they told about a crazy news item, and you had to guess where it happened.
I think the interior might be weird.

Hell, I don't know, everyone I've ever met, says Miami is so dangerous. I just want California from the 80's back really, so I'm trying to find a place to replace it and there isn't one.


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## strandedsooner (Mar 26, 2009)

I've been staying on Whidbey island (which is just south of the San Juan's) for the past week and its been blowing pretty good nnw. We did however see a few boats out Saturday when we stopped in Seattle on the way here. The advice to check the Friday Harbor weather is good. My experience is its quite different than Seattle.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

If you come to seattle satruday, there should be 60 or so racing south to three tree point, and back to shilshoal! Final of three Center SOund series races. Then April has something just about every weekend, with the 2nd saturday being one of the larger race, Sloop taverns Blakely rock benifit regatta, usually around 120-130 or so going from shilshoal to blakely rock and back. Something every weekend thru the end of june if you played your card correctly!

Yes it has been blowing a bit. i went across the narrows bride, bloing around 30 out of the south, later took the ferry from Bainbridge island to seattle, blowing out of the north at 20 or so. Calm in Port townsend, altho the wnd was out of the north!

Funky weather week, typical spring! Heck, I even had snow on the ground for a mile or so south of port townsend, with sun in PT, and south of there! Name the weather, I had it, found it etc. today!

Marty


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## strandedsooner (Mar 26, 2009)

It was 50's today and sunny on Whidbey. Absolutely beautiful. Would have been an awesome day to go sailing. Had to settle for hanging out on the beach.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

strandedsooner said:


> It was 50's today and sunny on Whidbey. Absolutely beautiful. Would have been an awesome day to go sailing. Had to settle for hanging out on the beach.


When I was in Edmonds, and crossed the 520 bridge on LK Washington, the water was pretty dang flat! a bit o wind, not enough to sail......waterski on the other hand. Boo ya!


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

I had a great time sailing last Saturday. Blue skis, 6 knots of wind (enough to get my Pearson moving at about 4 knots) and starting to get warm. A friend and I sailed from Shilshole across to Port Madison, did some anchoring practice (sailing on and off of the anchor), hung out on the hook and ate some food, then headed back. We did have to motor part of the way back due to schedule and winds that got very light after 4pm.

The long range forecast for this weekend is also looking pretty awesome. I'm probably doing an overnighter on Friday night to take advantage of it.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

Alex,

Nice to knowyou got some sailing in, the last of the 3 CYC races was canceled. I think 2 of 3 for lack of wind, or not everyone could finish..........not a great series this year. Meanwhile, a few yrs back, the scatchet head race (2) had a few dozen sail repair/blow outs, 2 groundings, one man overboard, broken boom........fun day ont he water that day it were! I hit 11 some odd knots with main and 110 up! The Carr hit in the low 20's from what I recall from a crew member!

Marty


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

Yeah, I was at the start of the second one, where we floated around for 3 hours waiting for wind before going back in. This third one they at least started, but the wind was much lighter south of Seattle and few boats made it to the point. There is a long thread about this on Sailing Anarchy.

Hopefully the SYC Tri-Island has better luck with the weather. It looks like they get more people signing up for the casual/cruiser class so I'm planning on racing in that series. The CYC CSS only had one casual/cruiser boat per race, which isn't much of a race...


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

If I could get a crew, I would do the cruise triisland, only because there is more 180-220 rated boats. I'm at 195. Not fun racing the mid/short on if you are 195, next slowest is 150-160, all you look at is transoms! 20 miles is plenty of race for 8 yrs, vs 35 for 12, or 80 for 36hrs in the sound.

Got signed up for the BRBR the other night, so will be down that way in 2 weeks too, then off to opening day dressed up and may do the mark mayer race sunday ont he lake. ANother fun weekend of racing, is ap 20, 21 out of meydenbauer YC. free moorage, neat welcome dinner friday, formal sat eve. food at the awards on sunday. usually pull off 3 races saturday and 1 on sunday with time to still get home.

Marty


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Awesome forecast for the Easter weekend here this year!.


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## hasuehounds (Jun 27, 2008)

Not every one has crew or wants it, on a 40'caliber LRC where would I out them?
On Easter weather. Easter holiday is celebrated from 
Holy Thursday to Easter Monday. Most stores shop and services are closed
As its a government holiday 
The weather on the west side of the island sucked
It has rained on and off for 3 days. Once it clears you open a hatch 
Get some fresh air only to have to run up top
To close them as heavy rain again starts.
It has not been fun! In Lindberg bay we've had Easter
Spring break parties that have lasted till 2 am with canned music
Today the music is over, no air traffic from the airport and it's quiet 
Finally.... Yes most times the weather is lovely but not this year at this time.
We wondered if tropical low/front moved in creating
This unpleasant weekend..
As for predicting weather I've learned to watch bouy weather
And travel with the time frame that is green
You can't predict it and you have to learn to live with it
No matter where you are
Btw we've had 3 ft swells for two days, yes it's been uncomfortable!!!
Paradise isn't always what you daydream it is!


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

So far the weather has been pretty terrible. It was nice the first two days and then it has been cloudy and cool-cold. And there has been either no wind whatsoever or 30mph wind and son like right now. 
I really hope may is better. It's such a beautiful place and when it was sunny my there were snow capped mountains in the distance and you could see for miles. Well it hasn't been that long but the forecast looks grim. I'm liking it and I know it's early. But for such a "sailboat" place, the weather is so bad that not many people go sailing. Almost nobody except for Wednesday and Friday races and even then almost nobody. 

The weather is definitely prohibitive to doing too much. Which is a shame because it is such a beautiful place.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

I wrote a long reply that Sailnet ate.

Summary:
The weather in PNW is very dynamic at this time of year and long range weather forecasts are nearly useless (but getting better thanks for a new long range weather radar). Pay a lot of attention to the next couple of days out, but little attention to the forecast beyond that.

The weather.gov (NOAA) and other weather sites do a poor job of picking icons for weather forecasts. Read the text, ignore the icons. For instance Tuesday has a 30% chance of rain and if it does rain it will be about 5 hundredths of an inch of rain (barely anything). NOAA is showing an icon for heavy rain, when they should just show one for clouds. Learn to use the hourly weather forecast on weather.gov, it's generally pretty accurate day of.

Port Townsend is a breezy place with unobstructed access to the Strait. The San Juan Islands are often sunnier and are almost always less breezy. Seattle is about as cloudy, but less breezy. Spring is about the breeziest time of year. It brings out more sailors (not cruisers) and more big races than summer.

It's two weeks into spring.

Most people work weekdays, so there are less boats on the water then. Last weekend there were tons of boats out of Shilshole on both Saturday and Sunday. I haven't seen so many empty slips since moving into Shilshole in early Fall.

Cliff Mass and Jeff Renner's books are PNW Weather are interesting and available at many used book stores around here. They will give you more insight into local weather patterns.

It's sunny, blue skies, and breezy in North Seattle right now while NOAA tells me there should be 95% cloud coverage. I don't get too hung up on weather forecasts.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

Next saturday willbe a race off of shilshoal that usually has 100-130 boats in it. Many from shilshoal, but a lot from outside the marina too. I'd swag at least a 1/3 come from outside marina's. There was 50 registered as of last night.

You learn to go out no matter the weather around here, and enjoy the day. Ihave RC duty off of edmonds tomorrow. Not sure what the weather is at the moment. last year it was 15-25, we did a south end of edmonds to meadow point to the south, as we had the wind etc for that long a race. Did not want to set up a buoy race which was on the doc. Same as tomorrow.

SHould get busier as the summer goes on, then wanes about october to november.

Marty


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I think seattle has better weather than here. The forecast usually calls for slightly warmer. Sorry. Just getting a little frustrated because tree are so many things I want to do. But can't because I'm cold and wet all the time. 

It's cloudy here and no wind. J was ok the first couple days when the highs were high 50's low 60's. but now it's low 50's and becoming highs in the upper 40's. 

I just feel so wet. And I want some wind. It's light and variable winds and a chance for thunderstorms producing hail. I got depressed because I looked at the Friday harbor average weather for may-sept. it's really only nice June through August with the maximum daily high at 71 with 23% clouds in July. 

I'm sorry your post got lost. That happens to me sometimes.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Ok in stead of complaining about it ill do something about it. 

I looked up the Seattle forecast side by side with port townsend and Seattle is definitely nicer. I wish they would stop that lie the tourism board over here keeps peddling about the Olympic mountains blocking the rain and clouds and how here ip to the San Juan's are sunny 267 days a year and dry. Probably sunny 80 day but I digress. 

I called shilshole, Elliot bay and poulsbo. Elliot was 390 for a month to put me in the smallest slip they had, a 32. Which is fine. Shilshole said full but call a moorage coordinator Monday. Poulsbo will hook me up for less than 200 and ill still be a ferry ride from Seattle I I want to hang out in the city. 

Any advice in these or other marinas for me to continue waiting for cruisin weather? I'd also have to get back here to get my car somehow. Do you know of a bus or anything? It some combination of biking and ferries might work if I could keep it under 40 miles. 

Time to take action. PT is cool but its just too sleepy and cloudy with less places to go and no wind I get there. So somewhere by Seattle would be for the best. Ill meet more people and go out on races and have a lot more fun. Thanks as always for the advice.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

You can bus and bike to Port Townsend pretty easily. Look up Kitsap County Transit for the services over there.

If you are interested in Lake Union there is a shallow short slip in front of my old Catalina 25 that might take you month by month. I can get the contact information for you. It is $185/mo, which I think is about the cheapest moorage anywhere. At this time of year it will take you a little over an hour to get out of the locks. Liveaboard might not be an option though, and it doesn't have electricity.

Shilshole has an empty slip available at the very end of the S-dock (I know this because I'm also on the S dock), but might be full on liveaboard status. If you'll only be there for a month I wonder if you should just lie about that status. They do require insurance. It is probably slip S-2, and it should be about $250/mo for your boat. Some of the 30' slips on S-dock also recently opened up, but maybe they've already found people for them. 

My next race is on 4/27, if you are in Seattle then send me an email and I can put you on the crew list.

You should also check Seattle Craigslist for slip sublets. It's not quite the right time of year for them, but some may show up.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

Also, the nice blue sky here disappeared around 11, and now it's dumping rain.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Thanks. After running out of propane for my heater and waking up grumpy the sun came out. ! Think it passed over to you. I could think about getting a liveaboard slip I. Shilshole and keeping it as a base. Ill call them Monday. 

I'm not a rich fancy guy but PT is a little sleepy for me. I like the happy hustle and bustle of people going out and about to ther yachts and the feel of a lively happy place. 

The paper here did day thus is the oldest county in the state with the average age 57 compared to 37 nationwide.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

Not positive, but I believe Edmonds has sm smaller slips that might be open. Not sure about liveaboard ability on some. I'm recalling that they limit how many at a given time. say no more than 20 with 2 per dock or something to that effect. It was raining for a bit about noon, as I was down trying to clean the boat up some. Have rc duty tomorrow, race's the next two weekends opening day the first weekend in may at seattle yacht club, where we are planning to decorate my boat for the parade. it can be busy down this way.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

pnw is beautiful. is freeking COLD and wetter than i like with COLD rain. always.
is why i dont sail there.....
even san diego is colder than........
if you decide to live on a boat you will find weather is your life and you may even be able to figger out the weather man is always wrong....
good luck and happy sails...may your jib stay full and your stick upright.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

The weather is pretty terrible right now, but this is still a beautiful part of the world to be in.

Somehow despite all of the rain I've been out sailing 3 times in the last week (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday). We were lucky and picked a 4 hour window yesterday with almost no rain and even saw a sliver of blue sky. I worked on my boat all morning and was glad for the diesel heater.

However I do recognize that it's a lot easier when I'm getting back into a warm house afterwords instead of using boat heat down below.

northoceanbeach: Let us know if you do end up moving to Seattle. It would be great to see the Ranger 23 and if you are still here in May I could probably get you out for a Duck Dodge on a friend's boat.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I have waited Long enough that I have to either pay a months moorage today or move so I'm going to stay here. I'm still going to come by Seattle though. I should probably go to eugene and result anyways and drop off my bike. It's really not being used as much as I thought I would and that v berth looks pretty cozy.
Plus I can title the boat there an not have to pay sales tax so the trip will pay for itself. Also my passport arrived. I could just have it mailed but there are sme things i. could do. 

I've been getting things done on the boat. It looked nice when I it it and it looks nicer now. The main reason I started this early is I was afraid that if I waited until summer all the boat would be sold. So no hurry.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

You might check maps of the Gulf Islands and see if the bike would be useful there. 

In the San Juans the town is often not near the marinas. On Lopez it is a pleasant 15 minute walk from Fisherman's Bay to the center of town. You can dock in Friday Harbor. On Orcas the town is pretty far from the public marinas though. I haven't spent enough time in the Gulf Islands to get an idea there.

I like to bring a folding bike with me. They are pretty good for the types of rides that I'll do while sailing. On my Catalina 25 one would fit under the V-berth, on my Pearson a Brompton fits nicely on the shelf by the quarterberth/aft-cabin.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Thanks Alex. I got a folding bike today and I've been riding it in the sun (and 40mph) wind to the store and back, installing clutches and cleats. Which was a success. 

Looks like the weather is going to be warmer at the end of April. Sure started out cold.


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