Pacific Yachting

1 month ago | pacificyachting.com | Annie Means

When people think of San Juan Island boating, the phrases “exotic game hunt,” “Safari,” and “John Wayne” aren’t typical word associations. At first glance, such unlikely imagery would seem to be an odd fit in Washington State’s most beloved cruising grounds. Yet, one of the great beauties of voyaging in the Pacific Northwest is that nearly every island and every gunkhole is laden with some tidbit of strange and engaging history.

2 months ago | pacificyachting.com | Diane Selkirk

“Have you ever been in a storm? Fallen overboard? Gone aground? Wrecked your boat?” It’s inevitable—every time a group of boaters gathers with non-boaters the conversation eventually turns to drama and near-death experiences and this gathering was no exception. “Have you ever had to call the Coast Guard?” The boaters in the crowd all kind of looked at each other and shuffled their feet with this question, “Well, yes.” Came one response, “but it wasn’t for me.

Mar 12, 2025 | pacificyachting.com | Sam Burkhart

Flares manufactured in 2021 or earlier expire this year, as Transport Canada approves them for four years. They should be replaced every third or fourth boating season. To dispose of expired flares, do not light them, throw them overboard, or add them to household garbage. CanBoat / NautiSavoir volunteers and select CIL Dealers are hosting Safety Equipment Education and Flare Disposal Days (see below) to collect expired marine flares for neutralization and safe disposal.

Jan 13, 2025 | pacificyachting.com | Rick Hudson

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that about 72 percent of men and 64 percent of women are classified as overweight or obese.”It has been said that boating, like piloting a large plane, is 99 percent boredom and one percent sheer panic. While there are some sailors who leap from port to starboard, hauling halyards and winching sheets, for the most part we are a sedentary lot afloat. Even on a sailboat there’s usually not a lot of action, and even less on a powerboat.

Jan 13, 2025 | pacificyachting.com | Anne Vipond

If anchorages could talk, what stories would they tell? Tales perhaps of those who have come and gone—some putting down roots, others merely setting foot on shore for a few hours. The past isn’t always apparent, for nature quickly reclaims signs of human presence. But there will be traces. Some are prehistoric, such as a shell midden bordering the anchorage. Others are more recent.