Pacific Northwest

The San Juans on the American side and the Gulf Islands on the Canadian are one archipelago with a border through it: a maze of channels, forested islands and small harbours between Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Orcas, tide races and fog are all part of the cruising.

It is a summer ground for yachts based in Seattle and Vancouver and the first leg of the run north to Desolation Sound and Alaska. Distances are short, the water is cold, and the anchorages are among the most sheltered on any coast.