Q. What's the weather like? Does it rain a lot?
A. The weather is generally mild all year long. The summers
are mostly sunny with temperatures ranging from the low 70's to the
low 80's (19û - 25û C). Much of the cruising areas of
the Pacific Northwest are in the "rain shadow" of high mountains
that block many of the weather systems that come in off the Pacific
Ocean. The result is rainfall can be as little as 20 inches annually
in some areas.
Q.
What are the qualifications to charter a boat?
A. Each charter company has their own qualification guidelines.
However a good rule of thumb is that a charterer needs verifiable
experience on a similar vessel and adequate knowledge of the cruising
area.
Q.
What if the qualifications are insufficient to charter the boat?
A. Each charter company can either arrange for training for
the charterer or help to provide a professional skipper to pilot
the boat. Some vessels come with a skipper.
Q.
What are the water and currents like?
A. The waters are mostly sheltered and there are no ocean
swells. The currents vary with location and tide cycle. The tidal
range can average between 6 - 10 feet and currents can exceed 4
knots in some areas. The waters are generally very safe to navigate
with proper piloting precautions.
Q.
What are the winds like?
A. From May to October the winds are mostly moderate (6 -
18 knots). This varies by locality and time of day with the fresher
breezes occurring in the afternoons in the more open areas and the
lighter and more variable winds occurring among the island archipelagoes.
Q.
Where should we go?
A. Each charter company has a wide variety of suggesting
cruising itineraries. The cruising options are nearly endless. You
can stay along the waterfronts of big metropolitan cities, the harbors
of beautiful resorts and villages. You can also anchor in secluded
coves and off uninhabited islands.
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