# Puget Sound Charter recomendations



## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Ever since i learned to sail cruising the Puget Sound has been on my bucket list. The stars are lining up for this next summer to make this happen.

A lot of options are still up in the air. Are my wife and I flying or driving from Socal? Are we sailing solo(couple) or will we have another couple joining us.

Given how much is still in the air I am looking for suggestions of the following.


With which company to rent a boat?

Where to start a cruise and areas to cruise?

 How to get there if not driving?


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## newhaul (Feb 19, 2010)

Why not drive up and bring your potter launch at Anacortes and spend your time sailing the San Juan's-


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## djodenda (Mar 4, 2006)

Although I've never chartered with them, I have spent some time around their operations, and I've been very impressed with San Juan Sailing.

Many of the questions you are asking are answered on their website..

Welcome to San Juan Sailing

Feel free to follow up with any other questions you may have.


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

newhaul said:


> Why not drive up and bring your potter launch at Anacortes and spend your time sailing the San Juan's-


I have thought about it. But the Potter is a solo sailer when it comes to camping and my wife has expressed interest in joining me. I need to make this the best vacation ever to encourage future sailing vacations, boat ownership and all things sailing related.


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## jb1528 (Nov 10, 2010)

As to the where question, I think the San Juans are the place to be. There are lots of places to visit in a relatively small area with lots of diversity. Puget sound certainly has places to see but has a more Urban feel. The Canadian Gulf Islands are great too and my preference, but for the first trip might be too ambitious.

Jim


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## brianc (Feb 19, 2013)

Presumably you're thinking about a week long charter so I would definitely start in/around the San Juans and if you're up for it cross in to Canada to the Gulf Islands. There are more than enough places to visit in the San Juans with shorter sailing distances than if you tried to charter out of somewhere south in Puget Sound and you won't have to contend with the Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

If you're not driving there is a shuttle from downtown Seattle to Anacortes and the BoltBus goes to Bellingham. I've not used them but I've heard good things about San Juan Sailing out of Bellingham. They have sample itineraries but depending on what you're looking for (towns/marinas or quiet anchorages) there are lot of options not listed on many of the sample itineraries.


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

I had looked at a charter company out of Anacortes, which is a pain to get to that is why I considered driving. Bellingham looks like a much better option, with a twice weekly charter flight out of San Diego for only $200 round trip.


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## wristwister (Mar 20, 2013)

Great plan Jordan. A few years back, I too wanted to show my family the best sailing vacation ever, and I knew that wouldn't happen on my 26 footer. So I charted a lovely 38' hunter and spent a week hop scotching around the San Juans. Worked great, to the point where as we were heading back my wife said "Maybe we should start shopping for a bigger boat".

As mentioned above, San Juan Sailing out of Bellingham (Welcome to San Juan Sailing) has a stellar reputation, huge selection of gorgeous boats etc. If you can afford it, that's probably the way to go. However, we chartered with San Juan Sailboat Charters (San Juan Sailboat Charters). This is basically a guy who owns four sailboats and charters them out. Not as new and flashy as the major charter companies, not nearly the selection and customer support you'd expect from the others, but about half the price! We chartered their Hunter 38 and absolutely loved it.

Enjoy!


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## IStream (Dec 15, 2013)

Another option you might consider is a skippered charter. These folks in Bellingham takes three couples out at a time on their Jeanneau 54:

Sail the San Juans | San Juan Islands Sailing Charters | Bellingham, WA Sailing Cruises

Disclaimer - I bought their old boat when they bought their new one. I can also tell you that Jon and Jette are good people and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another boat from them, which is saying a lot!


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

Two other options, but a day longer to get to the SJ's, is Windworks and Seattle Sailing out of the shilshoal marina in North Seattle. Probably a 1-2 max hour taxi ride depending upon the day and time you come into Seattle. Then one more day motoring or sailing north depending upon the time of year. 

While I also hate to recomend this. THere are some motor boats available for charter too locally. We do not get a lot of summer winds, or it is light, can vary by the bay, straight etc as to if there is wind, or not! You see a lot of folks motoring with sticks on there boats to get to places, along with beating up to 6-8 knot currents etc. Give yourself both options frankly!

you will also find that there are plenty of van/taxi services that go from the outskirts of puget sound to Sea-Tac and back if you will. You may not have to go to Bellingham via a smaller airline. Anacortes also has a smaller airport east of town. Not sure of how many passenger flights go in and out vs Bellingham, which is bigger.

marty


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

Comox is the gateway to Desolation Sound (my stomping grounds) Many charter possibilities there. Just a side comment .My partner and I (both limited tonnage {60 t} skippers could possibly join you'all for a share of charter, we'ed love to get back to sea this fall. Jest sayin.


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## newhaul (Feb 19, 2010)

Here is a company that will get you from seatac to Anacortes 
Anacortes to Sea-Tac Airport & Seattle ? Airporter Shuttle Bellair Charters


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## Jammer Six (Apr 2, 2015)

Don't confuse the San Juans with Puget Sound.

Different sailing, different scenery, different resources.

Your phone and your credit card will work on Puget Sound and the ferries will see you. On the other hand, you won't see any deer.

I charter, but at the moment I wouldn't recommend the company I'm a member with.

Good luck.


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## LexiQU (Sep 18, 2015)

exciting


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## LexiQU (Sep 18, 2015)

LexiQU said:


> exciting


Maybe you can do that. With your Samsung Galaxy s6 edge plus case, you can do many things. Its Samsung Galaxy note 5 case would be great.


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## Cap'n O (Mar 31, 2016)

wristwister said:


> Great plan Jordan. A few years back, I too wanted to show my family the best sailing vacation ever, and I knew that wouldn't happen on my 26 footer. So I charted a lovely 38' hunter and spent a week hop scotching around the San Juans. Worked great, to the point where as we were heading back my wife said "Maybe we should start shopping for a bigger boat".
> 
> As mentioned above, San Juan Sailing out of Bellingham has a stellar reputation, huge selection of gorgeous boats etc. If you can afford it, that's probably the way to go. However, we chartered with San Juan Sailboat Charters. This is basically a guy who owns four sailboats and charters them out. Not as new and flashy as the major charter companies, not nearly the selection and customer support you'd expect from the others, but about half the price! We chartered their Hunter 38 and absolutely loved it.
> 
> Enjoy!


I'm wondering if anybody else has any experience with San Juan Sailboat Charters (not San Juan Sailing) or if wristerwister, you could say a little more about your experience. There's almost zero information about them on the web beyond their own website. Thanks!


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## wristwister (Mar 20, 2013)

Cap'n O said:


> I'm wondering if anybody else has any experience with San Juan Sailboat Charters (not San Juan Sailing) or if wristerwister, you could say a little more about your experience. There's almost zero information about them on the web beyond their own website. Thanks!


It was a few years ago that I chartered with them. At the time he had 4 boats, I took the biggest, his Hunter 38. I think he may have gotten another boat or two since then. As I recall, it was pretty much a one man operation, with him checking boats in and out, cleaning them up, checking skippers credentials and skills etc. His boats are a little older than what you might get from a major charter company. The boat was clean enough by my standards, but not my wife's. She did more cleaning before we left. Over the course of our week on the water, there were a couple minor things that went wrong on the boat. The water pump went out, a reefing line got jammed, maybe another little thing or two. No problem, I fixed them.

Bottom line, given how much cheaper the charter was than any other charter company in the area, I was thrilled with them and would charter again with them in a heartbeat. But if you're into having everything new and spotless and flashy, and want exemplary customer service, and have no problem paying a premium for that, you might be better off with San Juan Sailing or one of the others.


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## Jammer Six (Apr 2, 2015)

I haven't charted with either of them simply because they don't do daysails, only one week (or more) charters.

I can see that with my wife, but beyond her there's not very many people I'd be willing to spend a week on a boat with.


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## danvon (Dec 10, 2012)

+1 (or more) on the San Juans. Much more relaxing and more places to go than in Puget Sound. I did charter with San Juan Sailing a few years ago and found them very easy to deal with - the boat was well set up & maintained. On the other hand, I have to say that the posted rates for San Juan Sailboat Charters are amazingly low.


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## sparrowe (Nov 29, 2010)

Several years ago, we chartered with another outfit (Sail Northwest) out of Bellingham. When spending a night at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island, we found ourselves in a slip next to a couple sailing 'Sea Eagle,' a 34' Jeanneau from San Juan Sailing. We got to talking, and were invited aboard for a drink. Beautiful boat in first-rate condition, and equipped in ways our charter wasn't (chart plotter, radar, heater, electric windlass, shower, etc.). The couple raved about their experience. If we go back to the San Juans, we definitely will charter from San Juan Sailing. (Sail Northwest appears to be no more.)

If you haven't sailed the San Juans before, going with an experienced outfit is worthwhile. There are 'local conditions' and hazards that you need to understand, including currents, tides, submerged rocks, and deadheads (logs bobbing vertically in the water). Especially important is understanding the flow - the sound is like a huge toilet that flushes and refills with the moon; if you don't 'go with the flow' you won't get anywhere fast. San Juan Sailing has a detailed Captain's briefing about these conditions, and they'll help you read the charts and timetables.

Gorgeous area for sailing!


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

A lot has changed for me since I asked this question initially but we are finally getting to do this trip. I now know I will be sailing in the Salish Sea not Puget Sound.

A week from now my wife and I will be boarding a 40 foot Jeanneau out of Anacortes and trying to make it to Desolation Sound and back in the 14 days we have. We were going to have others join us but they flaked out and we have been too busy to try to round up other crew. My wife and I spent 5 days sailing around Catalina last October as our warm up cruise, but feel we have our work cut out for us with the tides and anchoring. Catalina was almost uninhabited when we visited and we had mooring balls each night.

The following itinerary seems ambitious but it is our blueprint to start out.
San Juan Sailing Desolation Sound Cruising Guide

A lot of questions will follow this week as we prepare for this cruise.


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

Good choice. Very warm and clear. Decent winds lately. Bet that sched will be a bunch of motoring but then most of my experience was a 22 ton gaffer without an engine..I'm in Nanaimo. I'd shout you a beer at the dingy dock pub if you make it this way. Full of opinions and tales of about just about any where on the coast. Feel free to holler .Len. @ 250 -- 591..7601


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