This discussion is making me want to go ride the ferry to Friday Harbor for lunch. Maybe we should have a NWOS meeting on a ferry!? Park the rigs at Anacortes and walking on (Walking?!?!? In a vehicle related group!?!?) would be a fun and inexpensive day trip.

Thanks for all the tips.....we are investigating the suggestions and will post with more questions.

Steve

Question regarding WA ferry service...

Am I understanding this correctly....If I purchase a ticket for truck/trailer/fam to go from Anacortez to Vancouver island via the San Juan, can I stop and spend a couple of nights on Orcas Is. and then a couple of nights on SJ is. and then head over to Vancouver island without purchasing additon tickets?  Also is it true that the east route back to Anacortez is no additonal charge..?

Thanks

Steve

Hey, Steve, glad you made it over here. 

If you take Wa. State Ferries to any of the Wa. State Islands, you pay one time only for a round trip, (out and return ferry).  BC Ferries out of Canada charges you each way, once there, then another charge for return, because Vancouver Island is so large, many people never need to return to the mainland.

However, I cannot answer with certainty how you pay if you go from Anacortes thru the San Juans to Vicotria (Vancouver Island).  I'm pretty sure they would charge you there, then charge on the way back again.  Sounds like you've read the Wa. State Ferry website and its not clear.

Small Pox is  where San Juan Co. Campground is,  my personal favorite.  Good water access.  If someone sees Orca whales they shout and you can look up from your campsite and see them.   Friday Harbor is cute as can be.  Roche Harbor reminds me of Mackinac Island, only smaller.

I like the Pot Holes for half a day on the south end of San Juan.  If accessed with the Zodiac, be careful heading thru Cattle Point, AKA Hell's Gate. Tide charts are a good idea.  While the Great Lakes can get very  big and ruff, they don't have the tides, currents and rips like they do here.

Camping on Sucia is very nice indeed.  While The Puget Sound is not as cold as Lake Superior, hypothermia is still a constant threat.  While I often sea kayak out to Sucia, I've never been in a Zodiac and don't know how they hande the rips between Orcas Island and Sucia.

A bus tour of Victoria, Vancouver Island is fun. Victoria is a very unique North American city.

Go Wings.

All,

Thanks for the many suggestions and information.  Based on the info provided we are in progess of planning a couple nights on Orcas and a couple nights on SJ with day trips in the boat or truck as weather permits.

I am ready for some of this:

Local knowledge:

On your way to Anacortes, make time to stop at Deception Pass.  Park at the visitor parking on the south side of the bridges,get out and walk the bridges.  Not too many places like that in the world that are so accessible to view from above. Its pretty cool. You will see classic eddylines and whirlpools and wave trains, depending on the tide.  If its full flood, you may see sail boats go thru doing 360s in the whirlpools in the middle of the main current.

You will NOT encounter anything nearly as intense as that, but it will give you a great overhead view of the much smaller scale situations you may find yourself in.  When you feel the Zodiac suddenly being pushed around by eddy currents that you cannot see, you'll have that visual on file to relate to.

I'm not trying to frighten you, just trying to give you a headstart on the little learning curve.  Its not that big of a deal, but the water is 47 degrees which means hypothermia is always a threat. Not as cold as Superior, but similar to the off shore waters of Michigan.

Your boat cruises fast enough, you will not have issues going against the tide.

Your concerns will be eddylines caused by current being funneled around a point or some obstruction.  Usually significant when current meets "open water" so to speak (like Cattle Point).  When possible, take them more "head on" than not.  At these areas you may also find clapotis; where waves (or just wave vs current, or current vs wind) heading in opposite directions meet and clap up together.  A litle momentum thru these areas helps. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clapotis

You are going to have a blast. Be careful. I came out here from Michigan 10 years ago...and never went back.  If you like motoring thru the islands and wheeling thru the mountains...there's more here than a man can see in one lifetime.

Go Wings

Edit:  Oh yeah, and take the short cut to the Ancortes ferry from Deception Pass.  The first left after crossing back north over the bridge take Rosario rd left.

Yeah Wings!  Game on tommarow night!
Deception pass sounds nice we will check it out and survey the waterway.  360s!....On purpose?
 

Looks like four nights in the SanJuans is the plan.  We were planning to go on to Victoria but we are considering heading up the coast north of Vancouver for a few days instead.  Has anyone been to the the Howe sound area?...Gambier Island?....coastal area up highway 99?  I am wondering how croweded these areas will be in Late June?

Thanks again for the help.

Steve

Craig,  Great Idea.  I am reading through there web site now.

Steve

Nate,

I have a few former classmates that live in Bellingham...I'm not sure what the MI - Bellingham connections is?

It is a little rough here in Mi...and Yes I work for an Automotive supplier....Luckly we are on the West side of the state so it's a lttle less doom and gloom.  How is the economy in WA?

Thanks for the relpy.

Steve

As you return to North Vancouver from Howe Sound, may I suggest a stop at The Boathouse restaraunt on Horse Shoe Bay. Request table 101 outside on the deck in the corner by the boats. Great view, great sea food.

I realize you have to draw the line somewhere, but its hard to head up Howe Sound without continuing another 45 minutes beyond Squamish all the way up to Whistler.  Primo Downhill mountain biking off the chairlift.