If you are planning to visit the San Juan's by boat and need to know where to go, what to do, what to expect, and how to get there, this guide is written for you.
This is the updated for 2019 edition of San Juan Islands Cruise Guide. It is a large size (8x10) and bigger (28 more pages) There are sections on planning, packing, dinghies, anchoring etiquette, cruising essentials, County dock facilities and all the San Juan Trusts and land Preserves accessible by boat for your exploring, hiking and biking. Also new, are full page marina maps of Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor.
Boaters planning to visit the San Juan's and surrounding area will find all the parks, resorts, marinas, cities and launching ramps are included with honest personal reviews and suggestions to help fellow boaters explore, cruise and boat camp.
Look for the kindle version - or click on - "See all 3 formats and editions"
The area from Bellingham to Deception Pass, La Conner to Butchart Gardens and Victoria to Friday Harbor is included. Favorite hikes and strolls accessible only by boat are covered, bicycling and kayaking suggestions too.
Some parks and destinations are outstanding, while others are not, this guide will arm you with useful local knowledge earned by the author's decades of exploring, gunk holing, hiking and biking the area.
A quick word about reviews: Whether five star or not, please consider reviews and their source carefully. This guidebook is a resource tool written for boaters by a boater. As such, it is updated, (2019) accurate, comprehensive and detailed with verified phone numbers, addresses, GPS coordinates and a few harmless typos. I invite you to e-mail your questions via www.sailingthesanjuans.com contact form or use the e-mail address in the book. John
The book displays an honest assessment of destinations and tips for your benefit. It is clear throughout the guide that the author (me) wants to help you enjoy cruising the entire area and has compiled what every Skipper and Admiral needs and wants to know. Notably but not limited to, "Which parks have docks and bathrooms and where to buy food, fuel, and ice." Plus all the launching ramps and marinas to help get you on the water.
One last tidbit: You are invited to visit my web site www.sailingthesanjuans.com where you will find all the information contained in the cruise guide, scads of pictures and a much larger area covered.
FYI - I was lounging on the finger dock next to my boat at Friday Harbor when a fellow boater approached me. He said, "I recognize Kraken (Kraken's on the back cover) I bought your book, and use it as my primary resource." We had a long enjoyable talk. He said he drove from Redding CA. and taking my advice put in at Squalicum Harbor. Meeting a happy camper, made my day. Thanks!
News Flash! - (Dec 2016) We published our "Land and Sea" guide for all travelers. The new guide is titled, "San Juan Islands Travel Guide." It includes shore attractions, e.g. resorts, campgrounds, villages, parks, and lots of local community knowledge to assist your bicycling excursions, car travel, ferry travel, kayaking paddles, hiking and overall visit.
The "San Juan Islands Cruise Guide" (this book) is still your detailed boater's bible to the Marine Parks.
The new travel guide is a companion resource to our cruise guide - not a replacement. Boat travelers to the San Juan's that also bicycle should consider having both.
"San Juan Islands Cruise Guide" and "San Juan Islands Travel Guide"
We are planning to anchor at Fisherman Bay for the fourth of July, 2019, stop by and say hi.
My best - John
About the Author: From one Boater to Another:
We first came to the San Juan's and surrounding area armed with a few old car traveler type guidebooks, and a chart. After five sailboats and two powerboats, the same, now tattered, chart is folded in its second acrylic cover, we are still making the rounds, and enjoying every minute. Over the years we have zeroed in on boat camping, gunkholing, and exploring whatever we can reach by water.
Our intention with this guidebook is to share our knowledge with other boaters. We have concentrated on "where" to go and "what" to see. You will need to supply the "who, what and why." Some pictures displayed are of family outings, but were chosen to convey the proverbial "one picture is worth a thousand words."
The readable, large garish labels plastered across the map at the front of this guide are to help you stay oriented and locate all the parks and places to visit.
I invite you to visit my website www.sailingthesanjuans.com (an ongoing work) Hopefully you will enjoy more story's, more pictures, and more attitude, plus lots more. John
