What size boat is best in the San Juans? Bigger Boats - Smaller? Anything Goes

              Sometimes I see micro yachts being paddled or sailed across straits and marvel at them just as much if not more than the mega bruisers with the eight foot freeboard.

              The difference in expense, crew requirements, and comfort are obvious, and if you drill down into the pros and cons of mega versus micro, each skipper will have a laundry list rationalizing and justifying their choices.

                In the end, the boats we use in the San Juans are the ones we have, it's as simple as that.  It's not a matter of what is appropriate or proper, it's a matter of making proper choices for the conditions, and your boat's ability to handle those conditions.

               From a 14 foot open fishing boat, kayak or canoe, to the Queen Mary, all have a time and place in the San Juans.

                The boats in the pictures below are likely to be found just about everywhere.

So if it floats -- get going.

Everything but the kitchen sink

And the kitchen sink

Too big to fit in picture (please remove shoes!)

Runabouts - ski boats - open boats
Common at Jones Island

Mega yacht won't be using any of the park facilities.
These guys anchor out and dinghy into the coves and floats
See the tender on top?

Another camper on a runabout

They may be using tents onshore at one of three campgrounds on James Island, or just a lunch stop.

Kayak  campers use campground at top of steps

At Jones Island, its a full float of  day-trippers.

This trailer sailer just rolled down the ramp

becalmed in a car-topper in Lopez Sound

This boater paddles the final feet to Pelican Beach

Here's a shot that captures mega to mini.
The sailboat is a 70's Catalina 22 towing an inflatable. The mega is 164' Eileen , built in Italy with an 31' beam.  If you look closely you can see the 35 foot center console dinghy attached crosswise at Eileens stern.
This was at Friday Harbor on the 4th of July 2016.

Smart Boaters Follow Rules

Many of the rules we follow are based upon sound reason.  Sometimes a rule is put in place after tragedy strikes in an effort to make sure it never happens again.

It is impossible to personally experience and learn from every accident scenario so we must rely on others to come up with guidelines for us to follow.

This is why we are required to carry a pfd for everyone on board. This is why we carry fire extinguishers. 

Rest assured though, even when all the rules are followed, there are still plenty of dumb things you can do to potentially maim or kill your friends and family, or complete strangers.

The url below is for the Washington boating rules on the State Parks web site.
http://parks.state.wa.us/435/Boating

I Broke My Favorite Anchor

             I use a folding grappling hook type anchor for my secondary anchor.  I usually heave it off the stern, or paddle it out with the dinghy, and set it by pulling the primary in, shortening scope.

Anyway, last week I was helping out at a Boy Scout Eagle project, and we were pulling some small shrubbery stumps, and I got the great idea to use my anchor to hook onto the stumps and snap, I broke the cast iron shank right at the base. (No, I wasn't pulling stumps with my boat, that would be weird)

So now I'm short my favorite anchor,  but more importantly, how much should an anchor hold and should it break?  I didn't think I was pulling that hard on the stump, it seemed to break with little effort.

I'm wondering, of all the times I have anchored using my folding anchor, how close was I to snapping the shank and coming unhooked.

I would prefer that things bend and not break when overloaded, is that too much to expect?
I don't know the answer, but I'm going to take a good look at all my gear, especially things made of cast parts.

The shank broke under the locking bell