Sailing and Hiking, charter/cruising area recs?

[nbourbaki]

Greeting experts!

I like to sail, my wife likes to hike, so looking for a good charter area that accommodates both. North America based (for now). PNW seems an obvious answer.

By hiking and sailing, I mean relative ease of anchoring/docking, leaving the boat for a day or two to go hiking or camping, without extensive travel between. And my wife prefers more civilized hiking, marked trails, campsites, rather than true backcountry.

So 2 questions:

1. Any particular part of the PNW especially suited for sailing to easy points of hiking access?

2. Areas other than PNW that immediately come to mind?

Thanks!

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by nbourbaki

Greeting experts!



I like to sail, my wife likes to hike, so looking for a good charter area that accommodates both. North America based (for now). PNW seems an obvious answer.



By hiking and sailing, I mean relative ease of anchoring/docking, leaving the boat for a day or two to go hiking or camping, without extensive travel between. And my wife prefers more civilized hiking, marked trails, campsites, rather than true backcountry.



So 2 questions:



1. Any particular part of the PNW especially suited for sailing to easy points of hiking access?



2. Areas other than PNW that immediately come to mind?



Thanks!

Puget Sound (USA) San Juans and Gulf Islands (Canada) lots of hiking.

Desolation Sound/Discovery Islands (Canada) also have many hiking trails.

Further north: very few hiking trails (except for a few places, such as Pruth Bay).

Overnight camping/hiking not really - - also, boaters generally prefer to stay on their boat at night to keep watch in case winds pick up.

Certainly wouldn't do this with a charter boat.

[dhenline]

the San Juans would be tailored made for this kind of experience but it would be DAY hiking and not overnight. As mentioned above, most people renting a charter boat wouldn't leave it anchored overnight and not be on board.

[nbourbaki]

Thanks! And yes you’re right. I don’t intend to leave a charter at anchor overnight.

I guess I mainly am interested to know if there are any particularly good state/provincial parks with good water access. Maybe even docks or marinas.

Thanks!

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by nbourbaki

Thanks! And yes you’re right. I don’t intend to leave a charter at anchor overnight.

I guess I mainly am interested to know if there are any particularly good state/provincial parks with good water access. Maybe even docks or marinas.

Thanks!

As others have posted, British Columbia Provincial Marine Parks are throughout the Gulf Islands and further north. Charter out of Sydney (Southern Gulf Islands), Nanaimo (Northern Gulf Islands), or Courtney (Desolation Sound). Most of the parks have mooring balls and floating docks for boat or sometimes just dinghy access to shore.

If you want to stay in the US then charter out of Friday Harbour for the Washington State Marine Parks in the San Juan Islands. There’s some pretty high mountains on a few of those islands!

Small marinas are scattered throughout but aren’t located in the parks.

[psk125]

Going in the other direction...
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...and_Maine.html
They are located in Northeast Harbor, in Acadia National Park.

[JPA Cate]

....And, still farther away, think of Auckland, NZ for chartering, then off to Great Barrier Island for some wonderful hiking. Camp on the boat. Originally hailing from SF Bay, I really enjoyed the greenness of NZ, and lots of hiking to be had. Wonderful trips to be had there.

In fact, there are also lovely opportunities in Tasmania, and other parts of Australia, but again, mainly day hikes and you on the boat overnight.

Ann

[nbourbaki]

Thank you all so much! Have actually been hiking both at Acadia and the PNW Gulf Islands this summer. And thanks for the NZ rec Ann, sailing there is certainly an ambition of mine.

Appreciate it.