Peter: San Juan Channel can be no fun sailing against the current and wind. The a strong adverse current and wind make going to weather a slow process. The current runs strongly so if at all possible go with the tide. It is especially strong by Friday Harbor and as you get near Roche Harbor and Spieden Island in Spieden Channel. Use the current atlas to see what you can expect as it gets a little strange in Spieden Channel - at times the current will be with you in San Juan Channel and then turn against you in Spieden Channel. If the wind is against the strong current the seas built up to be steep and very lumpy - especially the tide rips by Limestone Point and Spieden Island. SJ Channel is a narrow-ish in places and heavily trafficked in the summer. Wakes can be bad, especially at the turning points, such as Limestone Point. San Juan Channel winds can blow stronger than other areas due to channeling effects. Haro Strait can be a great reach as the wind is usually on the beam (blowing north or south). The current runs strong in Haro so watch closely your course made good. A strong wind against the current will get nasty. Listen to the forecast and wind reports. Normal midish-June through earlyish-September wind will be blowing in Haro, if at all, out the north in the morning (morning winds coming from Georgia Strait) and out of the south mid-to-late afternoon through the evening (the common afternoon and evening gale wind blowing SW from Strait of Juan de Fuca). This can mean a period of no wind mid-day. How much wind is experienced near turn Point has to do with the strength of the weather systems comes from the north by Nanaimo and west down the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The stronger system 'wins'. Listen to the Canadian marine forecast as they provide a wind forecast for Haro. US doesn't. Review charted reefs and shoals you will transit approaching Sydney. Keep track of your location as it can get confusing with all the low islands once departing Haro proper. The big ships move fast in Haro. In clear weather can see them coming from the south but they are obscured coming from the north by Stuart Island (Turn Point). They report to Victoria Traffic on VHS channel 11 - listen in to get an idea who is headed north and south! With the above said last year I never sailed across Haro between the Sydney area and San Juan Channel - crossed many times but never enough wind to sail! Was in a few good blows in San Juan Channel. :: Dave Scobie :: M6'8" #650 :: SV SWALLOW - sv-swallow.com :: former owner M17 #375 SWEET PEA - m17-375.com :: former owner M15 #288 SCRED - www.freewebs.com/m15-named-scred/ On Mon, Apr 22, 2019, 7:40 PM Peter Zimowsky via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:
Hi: We’ve finalized plans for our SJ cruise and instead of going from Port Angeles to Victoria; we are going from Anacortes to Friday Harbor to Sidney. What is the crossing from Friday Harbor to Sidney like? Anything will be helpful. Thanks,
Pete Winter Sky (Zimowsky)
outdoors writer and photographer www.getoutdoorsnorthwest.com <http://www.getoutdoorsnorthwest.com/> Twitter: @zimosoutdoors
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