| Do you have any experience in sailing? Why not | | | | and barren rocks is located some 60 nautical miles |
| charter a sailing yacht and explore the magnificent | | | | north of Seattle. With more than 200 rocky islands |
| San Juan Islands next summer? That could be a | | | | and a dozen state parks left undisturbed, this is a |
| wonderful adventure for you and your family! | | | | good chartering area for beginners; the waters are |
| There are many different ways of doing a sailing | | | | reasonably protected even in storms off the Pacific. |
| vacation. You can charter a yacht and sail it all by | | | | The historic seaport town of Anacortes is a pleasant |
| yourself or you can hire a skipper. If you don't feel | | | | one and a half hour drive north of Seattle. |
| comfortable enough with your sailing skills, the skipper | | | | Surrounded by water and dotted with several |
| will take care of the day-to-day running of your | | | | marinas, Anacortes has rightly earned its title as |
| yacht, leaving you free to do anything you like. The | | | | "Gateway to the San Juan Islands." All the beauty |
| skipper will help you become accustomed with a new | | | | and intrigue of the San Juan's and Gulf Islands are |
| yacht or area, and he will give you sailing tips and | | | | within cruising destination of the town.The weather is |
| answer any questions as you sail. Another option is | | | | generally mild all year long. The summers are mostly |
| to join a flotilla. Many flotilla itineraries include special | | | | sunny with temperatures ranging from the low 70's |
| events like shore parties and fun regattas, and give | | | | to the low 80's (19-25 C). |
| you the chance to mix with other sailors. | | | | Much of the cruising area of the Pacific Northwest is |
| The sheltered waterways, bays and fjords that | | | | in the "rain shadow" of high mountains that block |
| extend from south of Seattle through British | | | | many of the weather systems that come in off the |
| Columbia and into spectacular Southeast Alaska, are | | | | Pacific Ocean. The result is that rainfall can be as little |
| some of the world's most spectacular cruising | | | | as 20 inches annually in some areas. From May to |
| grounds. Puget Sound connecting the Pacific Ocean | | | | October the winds are mostly moderate (6 - 18 |
| via the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the Pacific | | | | knots). This varies by locality and time of day with |
| Northwest offers nearly 300 islands and some 2000 | | | | the fresher breezes occurring in the afternoons in the |
| miles of shoreline. The San Juan Islands are the most | | | | more open areas and the lighter and more variable |
| popular charter area in the Puget Sound and also in | | | | winds occurring among the islands. |
| the Pacific Northwest. This cluster of inhabited islands | | | | |