dhays
Guru
- Joined
- May 26, 2015
- Messages
- 9,532
- Location
- Gig Harbor, WA
- Vessel Name
- Kinship
- Vessel Make
- 2010 North Pacific 43
Depending on how that goes in the first week or so, (as well as what the weather patterns are), we'll either keep our cruise more local to Puget Sound and the San Juans/Gulf Islands, or take a leap up into BC. We will definitely want to get the boat out into some weather and sea conditions during this phase. Testing the boat's capabilities, pushing her a little to get out of comfort zones, learning how she handles different sea conditions (and how to handle her in said conditions), getting a sense of the pros and cons of different cruising speeds, developing shipboard patterns and customs will all be priorities, and how far afield we go sooner or later in the cruise will all grow out of the results of the emerging experience.
Lots of opportunity to try things out. If you went North up the Swinnomish you can then cross Rosario Strait to the San Juans. Not a big crossing at all, but depending on wind and current conditions it can be rough. If you choose to head South from the San Juans to Port Townsend, you can cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It can be glass smooth or it can dangerous as hell. Not the place I would look for rough weather experience.
South of Port Townsend, Admiralty Inlet can get rough depending on wind and current conditions as it is a big stretch of water, exposed to the prevailing Southerlies if the wind gets up. As I found out, even in the South Sound the seas can surprise you. I would rather explore the handling in waters that are close to help, provisioning, and repair as needed in a new boat.
I may sound unnecessarily cautious, and if there weren't a lot of great cruising opportunities close in it would be different. But for a shakedown, why not stay close?