The weather looked truly terrible for a sail through the San Juan Islands. The week's National Weather Service forecasts displayed that unwelcome 'cloud and rain shower' graphic, puffy gale symbols, and even a few icicle icons. But what did I expect in December at 48° north latitude, on Washington's west coast?
Yet I was determined to go sailing. Optimism, that essential sailor's friend, ruled the day. I counted some factors in my favour: tucked 70 miles inside the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juans lie in the rain shadow of both the Olympic mountain range and Vancouver Island. This would temper both rain and gales. I'd also have plenty of shelter: the San Juans abound in perfectly protected anchorages, with good depths and sticky mud that positively grabs an anchor. And I'd have this popular cruising ground almost entirely to myself, since few boats sail here in the winter.
This would also be a chance to visit friends who live in the islands. And in case conditions got really bad, I could even stop at some popular harbours like Friday and Roche, where I could hide in a marina and sip hot cocoa in town. Docks would be wide open, without the summer boats.
Sure it would be cold. Temperatures would hover around freezing for much of the sail. I'd be single-handing Kāholo, our 2012 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509. I'd sailed this boat across the Atlantic and Caribbean from Europe a few years back, and cruised here in this area. She was ready to go. Kāholo has roller furling all around, and all sail control lines lead aft, so she is quite easy to single-hand.
I hadn't had time to install heating, but thanks to Amazon, I did have a new portable diesel heater that I was just itching to try out.
DEPARTING DECEPTION PASS
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Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Yachting World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Nikki Henderson- Want to be a better skipper? think like an instructor
Recently I was fortunate enough to find myself on the bow during a race. Well, I thought it was fortunate but appreciate that sentiment could be up for debate... I don’t get so much opportunity to play on the pointy end these days. It was fun!I was readying the symmetric spinnaker for a bear away set. Having just fed the sheet and guy around to the starboard side and under the jib, I was bracing myself in some sort of yoga-starfish position. Right foot braced on a stanchion, left foot on the pulpit, my core muscles just about keeping me upright as I rolled the lines around to make sure they weren’t twisted before attaching them to the clew.
NIKKI HENDERSON
WHERE DO YOU FIND HANDY BILLY WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
IS OLYMPIC SAILING ACTUALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A SHOWCASE OF THE SPORT FOR BOTH COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS?
Building fleet for Baltic Sea Race
The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, a 635-mile race out of Helsinki, Norway, saw varied conditions and a new benchmark course time set.
New cruising charter 'Odyssey'
Charter company Dream Yacht has launched a new round the world supported cruising programme for yacht owners which draws on the company's extensive network of charter bases.
Mixed fortunes at Marseille
The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites - some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc.
The yacht Bayesian
Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi's 56m series, originally named Salute.
Seven dead in superyacht sinking
Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily.
5 EXPERT TIPS HELENA DARVELID ON MULTIHULL CONTROL
Performance multihull racing is growing hugely in popularity. Helena Darvelid shares some key learnings with Andy Rice
PALMA'S FUN FACTOR
FUN ON AND OFF THE WATER IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA, WRITES PHIL RILEY
