San Juan Islands Boating Guide: Best Routes, Tips, and Weekend Trip Ideas

What is the best way to plan a short boating trip to the San Juan Islands?

   Planning a short San Juan Islands boating trip requires choosing the right launch point, boat size, and destinations. This guide explains weekend cruising routes, tips, safe boat choices, fuel planning, and recommended stops such as Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor, Sucia Island, and Jones Island. It also covers camping gear, safety equipment, and how to adjust plans when tides or weather change.

Simple 3-5 Day San Juan Islands Boating Itinerary

This step-by-step cruising plan helps new skippers organize their first San Juan Islands trip. Starting from Squalicum Harbor, the route visits Sucia Island, Jones Island, Friday Harbor, and Rosario while keeping distances short. The plan also includes advice on provisioning, anchoring, and planning a relaxed family boat-camping cruise.

A Two-Day or Weekend Boat Getaway to the San Juans

Planning a quick boating getaway to the San Juan Islands sounds simple, just point the bow north, err, west, and go. But a trip to the islands demands a bit more thinking than your average lake outing or day cruise. Before you load the cooler and cast off lines, you should take a moment to make sure your boat, gear, and expectations all match what a San Juan weekend requires.

Rainbow over Brown Island in Friday Harbor

How to Plan the perfect San Juan Islands getaway

Friday Harbor Marina from steps to Whale Museum

Friday Harbor marina map

Not Every Boat Is Ready for the Islands: 

click below to continue

What I Wish I’d Known Before Taking My Boat to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands

  Where do you tie up in Friday Harbor, and what else is good to know?  

Breakwater "A" is where most new arrivals pull in unless they have a slip already arranged.

Before arriving in Friday Harbor, there were a few things I really wish someone had told me.

These tips come from arriving by boat, making a few mistakes, watching other skippers struggle, and learning what actually works once you’re in the harbor.

#1 Breakwater “A” — What You Can (and should not) Do

After many visits to Friday Harbor, I learned that it is okay to tie up at Breakwater “A” without a reservation or even asking permission. That sounds ideal — and sometimes it is — but don’t count on it being open. It often fills up, and the outside of the breakwater takes a beating from wakes and wind waves, which explains the name.

Friday Harbor Marina Map

Tip:  Several times we have observed boats being wave and wake damaged, bouncing and crashing while tied on the outside.  One time, I stayed behind to hold the boat off, even though I had lots of big fenders.

8 more tips   >>>

When a boat comes in to the float, should you offer your assistance?

Are boaters required to help?

Would you turn down an offer to help you when you need it - just before you crash.

This is a re-post I have moved to 2019

would you offer this guy a hand?

Heck yes!

That's just basic thoughtfulness, if a boat was sinking you would offer aid, (that's the law) give them a lift or pull them from the drink. Right! I certainly hope so.  This would be a good time and place to check out a post called "Paying it Forward" click to rush away and read it!>>

Welcome back, you can now read the rest after the jump >>

Five Tips for Bicycles and Dinghy's in the San Juan's

Is it worth it to take bicycles on our boat to the San Juan Islands?

Yes, and if you limit yourself to places with docks to offload bikes you are also missing out on some of the best places worth exploring.

 Learning to haul bikes in the dinghy opens up a world of  onshore expeditions.

     Furthermore, if you are planning to use a dock to unload bikes, and the dock is for whatever reason, ie. crowded or out of service, there go all your well thought out plans. However, we have only used the dinghy to haul bikes a few times, it turns out that most places with rideable trails and roads also have a dependable dock. I still think it is best to be prepared.

     Prior to heading out you should experiment with ways to load bikes into the dinghy.

  You do not want to learn the hard way what not to do. Poking a hole in the favorite and likely the only inflatable would be the hard way.  I think type four seat cushions will protect an inflatable, but I have never tried it since my dinghy is fiberglass.
     Plan ahead, one time we sewed up huge bicycle bags from tarps to protect our bikes during an extended trip we knew may have salt water cascading over us.

Tips:

• Bring your old bikes if possible, saltwater means rust. Flush and wash asap afterwards.

• I accept that I will be wading in ankle deep water when reaching shore, so I wear sandals.

• Bike chains, pedals and spokes will get snagged, be patient and  super careful not to do damage while transporting and untangling a mess.

• I bring a tire patch kit, basic tools and pump.

• plus I use that anti leak slime stuff in all my tubes.

• Many of our bike rides end up as hikes where we leave the bikes unattended so we bring a cable and lock.  It's not that I don't trust people, I just don't want to risk walking miles and miles back to the boat.

Going ashore we took two at a time, which meant three round  trips for four people.  Upon coming back, Ryan suggested we try stacking all four bikes which meant only two trips.  Count them, it worked fine. The dinghy is a nine foot Livingston.