Factory Delivery Experience Cruise Ideas

[OdinAllFather]

Hello All
My wife and I are purchasing a 2023 Ranger Tug 31S that is supposed to be delivered mid-September 2022. We are going to do the Factory Delivery Experience from the Des Moines, WA Marina. We have cruised to Victoria BC and the San Juans from Anacortes, but I'm concerned the San Juan Islands may be too far from Des Moines for the cruise.

Can anyone give me ideas for perhaps 1 week to 10 days of cruising from Des Moines Marina? Is cruising in the South Puget Sound area good cruising areas?

Thanks for any ideas/help fellow Tugnuts

Capt. Norm

 

[watson1987]

I think this is a personal question.

From Des Moines to Roche Harbor it is 86 nm. Even at a conservative 15 kn/h, that is still less than a 6-hour cruise, so very doable at fast cruise speeds in a single day. I picked Roche Harbor because it is one of the further marinas in the San Juan islands from your start location. Victoria is only 84nm from Des Moines, so again very doable in a day (per my Garmin Maps with auto-guidance). I'm a few miles north of Des Monies at Elliot Bay Marina, but I've left at 7am and been at Roche Harbor before lunch - it's not too far with our boats.

So you should be able to get up and down from the islands in a single day, if you want to break that up with a stop at Port Townsend, this still leaves you lots of days to explore the San Juans if you have 7-10 days, but it depends on how fast you like to cruise. If you want to go displacement speeds it is more like 2 days each way. Depending on how late into the season you need to consider shorter daylight and perhaps weather delays as well.

 

[SJI Sailor]

It all depends on the weather, which is usually good at that time of year but wind and fog are possibilities.

The entire region is great IMO and I would not worry about going as far as San Juans as long as you build in a couple of contingency days to get back. Don't try to return from there with 1 day to go!

As for other great places: Olympia, Tacoma Dock Street, Gig Harbor, Poulsbo, Kingston, Everett, Port Townsend, Seattle Bell Harbor (downtown) and Elliott Bay (near cruise ships), Blake Island, Langley, La Conner, and of course Anacortes and everywhere in the San Juans. Plus anchorages.

Can't really miss if you try a few of those, just depends on how much you like seclusion vs towns. Get Waggoner's Cruising Guide for full details.

 

[OdinAllFather]

Thanks for the great ideas and replies. I just found out from Kenny Marrs at Ranger Tug, that our Ranger 31S won't be available for Factory Delivery Experience until Nov 17-18. My wife and I have cruised in the San Juan's before, but given that late date might try South Puget Sound instead. We could enjoy a Thanksgiving Dinner on our new Tug. There's a Whole Foods Market that will deliver a Thanksgiving Meal and only 9 mins from Bell Harbor Marina. I like the suggestions given and will follow through on them. I don't imagine any of the marinas will be too crowded at that late in the season.
Besides we are from WI so used to some cold-weather sailing early in May or later in October. The Tug has a furnace and we're steering from inside so life should be good.
I read that one can enter all the way into Lake Washington from Shilsole Bay. Has anyone tried that and is it worthwhile destination?
Thanks,
Capt. Norm

 

[SJI Sailor]

November boating can be great although that is also when we get quite a bit of wind and rain. Everything will be deserted so you can go anywhere with no problem. Personally we prefer winter boating and the Webasto heater keeps it toasty (if you have that).

From Shilshole you go through the Ballard Locks to get to Lake Union and Lake Washington. That is a personal choice whether the locks and lakes interest you. There are some things to visit on the lakes but really not that compelling IMO unless one is already inside the locks for some other reason like moorage. Personally I think the destinations in the Sound are much more interesting. Have been through the locks once.

The Ballard Locks are not a big deal although they can have a lengthy wait for traffic (probably not in November) or maintenance. They may require you to have dual 50' dock lines in case you are alone or one of a few boats and are sent into the big locks and have to give long lines to the crew.

My 0.02 suggestion would be to visit the locks by bus/Uber/car instead of boat if they interest you. Or moor at Shilshole Marina and walk from there. At the locks can watch the boats, check out the salmon ladder, and walk into Ballard which is interesting on its own. It is also close enough to walk to Seattle Marine on the Magnolia neighborhood side, which is a good supply place for foul weather gear (and much more).