SF Bay to Puget Sound

[dhmeissner]

Hi everyone!

Well this is my first post. I have a '78 San Juan 23 sailboat that we sail around Seattle and Puget Sound. Her name is Pondweed.

But we are about to purchase a stinkpot. A Roughwater 35 that is located in the Bay Area. We are wondering if we should cruise it up the coast or not. What are the conditions like going north? Cruise speed would be 6-9 knots. I already think I know the answer is to ship it up I5, but I could be talked into sailing her.

If this is not the right forum, please advise.

Thanks!

[Stu Jackson]

Cruising the Northwest Coast - A book by George Benson

Scroll down, box lower right, Cruise Nartratives

[delmarrey]

There are a few variables to take in consideration:
Condition of the boat and motors!!!!!
Are the fuel tanks clean?
What's the fuel consumption? (hopefully diesels)
The weather, leaving in mid June would be best IMHO.

Making the trip straight up the coast is going to reduce your miles (knots) per gallon by 2 or 3 knots due to the southward current.

Weighing out the costs and wear & tear should be the determining factors. But I think powerboats are less to ship then sailboats. You can get an estimate.

[xymotic]

And it's not a particularly fun or scenic trip either.

[webejammin]

We bought our boat in San Diago a couple of falls ago in Oct and wanted to get her up to the Columbia River so being in the fall with stormy weather already starting we trucked her. I've been studing the coast trip and found the best weather window is in mid July to the last of Aug when the swell period is over 12 seconds and winds are not stormy. I under stand from some sailboat racers that taking the close to shore route saves time by staying out of the almost 2 kt southern current but it is better in daylight because of crab pots inside the 3 mile limit at around 6 fathums ( I'm told ) when possiable. The cost for shipping was around $5600.00 to Portland but our little catamaran is 14 beam and would pass under all the bridges on I 5 and that made it cheeper for us. There's a good book on the coast called San Diago to Seattle and it shows all the moorages and anchorages, and I have the George Benson book too. We hope to sail/cruse the Columbia river bar to the San Juan Islands this summer and back before the forcast flotesome from Japan's tsunami in 2013. Good luck with your new boat and definitely pull the fuel tanks and scrub them before heading north, I found soo much crap in our tanks from California's disel when I pressure washed our tanks, glad we didn't try crusing her up the coast without cleaning the tanks.

[Bash]

Assuming the boat you're looking at has the Ford-Lehman 120 hp diesel, your range at 8.5 knots would be 800 miles.

I wouldn't want to make that trip without radar.

[webejammin]

Originally Posted by Bash

Assuming the boat you're looking at has the Ford-Lehman 120 hp diesel, your range at 8.5 knots would be 800 miles.

I wouldn't want to make that trip without radar.

Yes really good digitial radar is needed. We didn't have it but do now

[bobconnie]

Well Ive run up and down this coast for over 40 yrs and if you have a good sea boat with diesel engines (and clean tanks LOL) and a Coast Pilot and radar you should not have any Big problems as long as you listen to the weather forcasts, and know the tides so you can make a bar crossing if needed !! I personaly think its a Pretty cruise my self but Im a history buff and the old lumber landings are still something to see "if the fog lets ya see LOL" and really there are lots of places to get inshore either to dock or anchor if ya look real close ! anyway watch the weather and have a safe trip just my 2 cents Bob and Connie

[rubyjean]

Going north from the bay to PS, I would make stops at Bodega Bay, top w/ fuel, then to Fort Brag to wait for a weather window around Cape Mendoncino. In fort Brag stay at the dock at the Italian Resturant across from the CG Station. Great people there and good food. When contuining north from there, stay off at least 30 miles to clear Punta Gorda & the Cape. stop at Eureaka [humbolt bay] top w/ fuel and proceed to Coos Bay [charleston boat basin]. Nice big harbor entrance, watch for ships. On north stay well off Cape Foulweather and head to Newport Or. to top w/ fuel. If possible proceed to Gray's Harbor, try to avoid the Columbia River bar if possible, it can be very dangerous there. Also use caution at Gray's, the bar can be bad there as well. From there it's about a day's trip to Cape Flattery & Juan Fuca. I think you know the rest. These stops are about 24 hours or less and the stops allow rest & weather watch's..

...Have a safe trip an enjoy the beatiful coast. Cape Mendoncino & Cape Blanco are sites to be seen..Michael..

[rubyjean]

PS..Late July & August is pretty nice. Flat sea's and low wind most of the time. Storms last year came out of the south..Michael..

[dhmeissner]

Thanks for all the replies and advice!

The boat is a Roughwater35 with a Lehman 120. Owner says the tanks were cleaned and fuel polished. Of course I will check all that out myself. The boat has a 20mi Radar and Standard Horizon chart-plotter on board.

I will definitely keep an eye on weather and sea conditions.

[dhmeissner]

Hi,

I found a great article on the passage from SF to PS.

Marine surveys, Captain Alan Hugenot San Francisco, CA White Papers

Scroll down to the .pdf NORTH_of_SF_05-2000

There are many other great articles there as well. Capt. Hugenot is doing the survey on my boat.

Cheers