world of chartering

This month we'll take our annual look at the unbeatable Cruising Grounds of the Pacifi c Northwest's Salish Sea.

Pacifi c Northwest Chartering:

Gloriously Clean and Green There are a great number of reasons that we love chartering in the Pacifi c Northwest, not the least of which are that it's close to home, affordable and intensely beautiful. But the region's most appealing attribute may be that it's so wonderfully lush and green, as if laid out by Mother Nature as the ideal antidote to the modern urban/suburban lifestyles that most of us endure, surrounded by asphalt, concrete and steel. Every time we head north to charter, even before our arrival fl ight lands at Seattle or Vancouver, the vast carpet of greenery beneath us begins to melt away our stress and put smiles on our faces. Ancient healers theorized that different colors contribute to our moods and emotions, and modern studies seem to confi rm such centuries-old contentions. "Green is the color of Nature and the earth," say believers in chromotherapy (color therapy). "It is balance and harmony in essence, and possesses a soothing infl uence upon both mind and body." You may dismiss such declarations as pseudoscientifi c mumbo jumbo, but even the most cynical among us would probably concede that a walk in the woods will leave you more calm and refreshed than you were beforehand. This is a long way of saying: Trust us, a week or two of chartering in the waterways of the Pacific Northwest will make you much happier and more refreshed than you were before you

Hikers never tire of exploring the pristine islands of the Salish Sea. Inland, you might fi nd majestic waterfalls and swimmable lakes.

stepped aboard. But why are we pitching a summeronly sailing destination in the middle of winter? Because in order to have a good range of boats to choose from, you need to make plans right now, and seal the deal with a deposit. Fleet sizes are not huge, as they are in the Caribbean and Med, and Northwest waters attract many repeat customers. As you begin to do your homework on this region, you'll undoubtedly come across the term Salish Sea. Although this moniker came into popular usage only a few years ago, it's a clever way of referring to the 200-mile cruising ground that extends from Seattle north to the narrows beyond Canada's Desolation Sound, and from Vancouver Island east to the mainland of Washington state and British Columbia (see illustration, right). There are three principal chartering venues here: The American San Juan Islands, the Canadian Gulf Islands and the Desolation Sound region, a lesstraveled venue with almost no shoreside development that lies toward the north end of the Salish Sea, along the BC mainland. It's not only possible, but easy, to charter within both the US and Canada during a one-week cruise, although a longer stint would be better. That said, though, as you sit down to make plans, your fi rst consideration should be where to start and end your cruise. There are bareboat charter bases throughout the region: at American harbors including Seattle, Bellingham and Friday Harbor, and at the Canadian harbors of Sidney, Vancouver and Comax. Although fl eets are relatively small by international standards, the short May-to-September season inspires companies on both sides of the border to maintain their fl eets at a high level. Most boats offered are monohulls, although there are a some multihulls. (And yes, there are lots of powerboats for hire also, if you must go over to the 'dark side'). The reason we feel compelled to mention

ALL PHOTOS LATITUDE / ANDY

this — while seemingly a sacrilege for a sail-only magazine — is that winds tend to be light and variable throughout the Salish Sea, especially in mid-summer. But you won't fi nd us poking around the Northwest in a stinkpot. Even if we have to motor once in a while, the sailing can be glorious in the tree-lined straits and fi ords of the Salish Sea, especially under occasional cloud cover, where you often fi nd a bit more breeze. Navigating these waters is simple enough, especially because most rental boats are now equipped with chartplotters at the helm station, but every skipper does need to pay close attention to currents and tides when planning passages and choosing a spot to anchor for the night. Currents can run twice as strong as in the Bay Area, which can give you a wonderful boost if you factor them into your plans correctly, especially on days when your game plan dictates covering a lot of ground. Every boat is stocked with a highly detailed Tide Atlas that makes maximizing use of currents pretty simple. Likewise, if you pay close attention to the tide tables when you anchor, you won't have any trouble. But if you're

Spread: Midsummer sailing within sight of Mt. Baker's snowy peaks is always inspirational. Inset: Guest docks abound in the islands.

reckless, you could fi nd yourself bouncing on the bottom before breakfast. The only other thing that even comes close to being a negative here is that the water will be substantially colder than at other prime charter destinations where you may have sailed. So, while you'll probably have some chances to work on your tan while lounging on deck in the summer sun, you won't be snorkeling every time the anchor drops. There are plenty of other worthwhile things to do, though. One of our favorites is hiking on the many well-groomed trails found on the mainland and in the islands. Some take you to clean, clear and very swimmable lakes and waterholes (with water temps of 70° or higher). Others take you to hilltops with eye-popping panoramic views of the region. As you've probably already fi gured out, the whole place is a nature photographer's paradise. Throughout the region on both sides of the border there are many regional parks that offer overnight mooring balls for a reasonable fee. (Some charter boats have prepaid seasonal mooring stickers, so charterers incur no additional costs for using moorings.) It's a fantastic system that makes overnighting dead simple, even for fi rst-time charterers. In many harbors and bays there is additional space for anchoring also. Due to the region's northerly location, between latitudes 47° and 50°N, the sun doesn't set until 9 or 10 at night during the prime sailing season, so you'll have several more hours of 'playtime' than you would in a tropical sailing venue. That said, though, most boaters grab a spot for the night by late afternoon. Some regional parks have extensive facilities ashore, while others might only have walking trails and picnic tables. The abundance of wildlife here is a big draw for many boaters. Ashore, in addition to all sorts of forest-dwelling critters, you'll fi nd a great variety of birdlife — including bald eagles, which are commonly seen in the treetops. And while sailing you often see seals, dolphin and, with a little bit of luck, pods of spectacular orcas. (The most likely place to fi nd them is in the broad Haro Strait between San Juan Island and the southern end of Vancouver Island. The abundance of seafood is another big draw here, particularly salmon and crab. Some bareboats even come equipped with crab pots. But if you're unlucky — as we usually are — it's fun to buy dinner directly from fi shermen at marinas or out in the anchorages. You could easily spend your whole vacation in isolated anchorages surrounded by unspoiled nature. But if you choose to mix your itinerary, there are lots of waterside towns, villages and resorts that will welcome you. A few of our favorite city-stops are Friday Harbor, the friendly capital of the San Juans, on the east side of San Juan Island; the picturesque Gulf Islands' town of Ganges, on Salt Spring Island; and Victoria, which is BC's capital despite being located on the south end of Vancouver Island, along the famous Strait of Juan de Fuca. Not only is this port town squeaky clean and friendly, but it has wonderful pubs and restaurants, a fabulous museum, an IMAX theater, and a lively street scene with all sorts of artists and buskers, but you can get an affordable guest slip right in the heart of town, opposite the landmark Empress Hotel. Clearance into and out of Canada, and back into the US, is as streamlined and effi cient as you'll fi nd anywhere. Another argument for spending time on the Canadian side of the Gulf and San Juan archipelago is that the American greenback now goes farther in the land of the maple leaf than it has in years. Wherever your Salish Sea charter takes you, though, we can almost guarantee that you'll love it. In fact, we can hardly wait to get back there ourselves. — andy

Desolation

VANCOUVER GEORGIA STRAIT

STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA HARO SRT