Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

San Juan Island, an engaging destination

by Amanda Spottiswoode on 30 Oct 2014
The view across the gardens of the Hotel de Haro takes in the pier and boardwalk where there are cafes, stores and other amenities. Amanda Spottiswoode
Just across the border from Canada’s Gulf Islands – and there’s a story behind that – San Juan is an engaging destination rich in history, culture and opportunities to explore shoreside.

Our first cruise to the San Juan Islands was in 2005, our seventh year of cruising on our wooden sailboat, South Islander. We had heard about how lovely the San Juans were, and even though we have many beautiful anchorages in Canada, we felt it was time to do some exploring south of the border. After all, the San Juans are really just an extension of our own southern Gulf Islands; it’s the international boundary that runs right smack through the middle that makes the San Juans a separate destination.


However, it’s that boundary that caused us to hesitate for so many years.

Having crossed through mainland borders and been subjected to much scrutiny, we were reluctant to try crossing with our boat, which has a slightly 'hippy' look to it and no doubt ranks lower in terms of respect than the gleaming mega-yachts that can be seen plying the local waters during the busy summer boating season.


However, we decided to give it a go and embarked on our long-awaited San Juan Islands cruise. After a short crossing from Sidney and with some trepidation, we landed in Roche. The customs officer couldn’t have been nicer and greeted us with a potted history of why the San Juan Islands were American, not British. When he noticed my English accent, he even apologized for taking the islands away from us!


Roche Harbor is a very quaint village with many historic buildings. The remains of the old limekilns, which are the reason the settlement was established back in the 19th century, can be seen on the road at the top of the dock where a spectacular old hotel, the Hotel de Haro, sits. The informational signs dotted around the harbour give visitors detailed historical facts. The marina facilities are excellent with a good general store and various eateries. It has a very pleasant resort feel to it and makes an excellent entry point into the US, less busy than the main customs office at Friday Harbor.

Once your boat is secured and your canine companions have decided it’s their turn to be entertained and walked, follow the path to what is a strange mausoleum in the woods. On the way, you pass a sculpture park and the airfield (very interesting to my husband who is currently building an airplane in our garage); once you’ve found the trail, you’ll reach the monument where John S. McMillin, who founded the Roche Harbor Lime and Cement Company, is buried along with his family. Its very peculiar structure – apparently based on the Masonic principles – looks like some odd Greek temple dropped incongruously onto a Pacific Northwest island.


At the suggestion of our friendly customs officer, we headed over to the English Camp at Garrison Bay to anchor for the night. English Camp was established in 1859 when the so-called Pig War erupted. The Americans and the British (in the guise of the Hudson’s Bay Company, which represented Britain’s interests at the time) had both claimed the San Juans as part of their territory, but an uneasy peace prevailed until an American settler killed a pig belonging to a Hudson’s Bay settler. Then, to coin a phrase, all hell broke loose and the ensuing dispute lasted 12 years.

During that time, 461 Americans, hugely outnumbered by 2,140 British and five British warships, were stationed on the island. Each side established a camp, but the English side located their camp in a delightful spot on Garrison Bay whereas the American Camp was supposedly built in a bug-infested swamp. However, the Americans had the last laugh: Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was appointed to settle the dispute and he gave the islands to the Americans.


After a night spent in the excellent anchorage of Garrison Bay, we cruised over to Friday Harbor, the mecca of the San Juan Islands. Friday Harbor is actually a small town, with historic buildings lining the streets, a vibrant waterfront with green space, art galleries, bookstores, cafes and a well-run municipal marina. Even if you usually choose to visit remote and secluded anchorages, it would be hard not to enjoy Friday Harbor’s amenities, along with a chance to fuel up and provision. We explored the town, shopped at the well-stocked grocery store, rented a video and spent the evening snugged up to the dock with a good bottle of wine.

We ended our first San Juan cruise by crossing back into Canada and checking in at Bedwell Harbour on Pender Island. No one at Canada Customs seemed much interested in our arrival; it was all done quickly over the phone. Our trepidation at the prospect of crossing into and back from the US was unfounded, and the whole process was easy and hassle-free.

In 2009, we again bearded the lion in his den, as in the customs officer at the dock, and again were greeted courteously. We spent a couple of hours in Roche Harbor sweltering under a brilliant blue sky (with the temperature hovering in the 30s) before pushing off and heading for a close-by anchorage at Turn Island State Park. If you’ve had enough of those lovely pubs and quaint cafes, it offers a quieter spot to spend the night, and a good place to give the dogs some shore leave. Watch out, however, for the currents that swirl through the channel that separates Turn Island from San Juan Island.

The weather on that cruise was blisteringly hot and one of the ways we beat the heat was to anchor in some pleasant nook and take the dinghy to shore to explore. Travelling at 15 knots gave us a chance to cool off. The dogs would perch on the bow, ears flying in the wind. The dinghy was 'their' boat and it was a great relief after sweltering on the hot teak deck of South Islander.

When we revisited San Juan Island in 2011, we were able to explore the American Camp. It was a little tricky finding the right access from shore, but we finally found temporary anchorage in Griffin Bay, paddled ashore and found an excellent walk around a lagoon and up a gravel road to the historic site. When we had visited the English Camp a few years earlier, we had been told that the English had established a far superior camp to the Americans. Granted, the location is not as pretty as the English Camp, but we could find no evidence of that 'bug-infested swamp'. The site is on the top of a hill with stunning views; I imagine it was pretty bleak in winter.

Today, it is another very well kept park, with many of the original buildings still in place along with an excellent visitor centre. The displays cover local flora and fauna, the history of the island before the arrival of white settlers, and lots about the Pig War.

San Juan Island is an excellent place to start a cruise around the San Juans. Even if you don’t make it to any other island, Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor have enough to entertain you for several days. Culture, great food and wine, history, good dog walks and friendly people make this a wonderful cruising destination.


Bio: The author was taught to sail by the Royal Navy on the River Thames and has been a keen sailor ever since. She is co-owner of South Islander, a 34’ wooden sloop, and has cruised the BC coast with her husband and dogs since 1998. In 2013 she published South Islander – Memoirs of a Cruising Dog, an illustrated book about their adventures. Visit southislander.ca to purchase a copy of the book.


Canadian Yachting magazine is Canada's premiere source for compelling boating lifestyle experiences, travel destinations, boat reviews, tips on gear, marine events and breaking news for sailors and power boaters. Enjoyed by readers in digital, online and print formats six times yearly.

Allen Dynamic 40 FooterSydney Boat Show 2025 - Apply to ExhibitMaritimo 2023 M600 FOOTER

Related Articles

New Maxi Edmond de Rothschild gears towards flight
The future 32-metre giant is gradually taking shape, a day at a time In December 2023, Ariane de Rothschild officially announced the start of construction for a new oceanic maxi-trimaran designed to venture ever further along the path towards offshore flight initiated by her predecessor, Gitana 17.
Posted on 5 May
iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games Preview
Over 200 athletes from 23 nations gather at Lake Garda following a high-level Coppa Italia opener The international iQFOiL Class is surging into the 2025 season with record participation and growing global engagement.
Posted on 5 May
An evening honouring the Vendée Globe heroes
On Saturday, May 10, Les Sables d'Olonne will once again come alive to celebrate On Saturday, May 10, Les Sables d'Olonne will once again come alive to celebrate the epic journey of the Vendée Globe and pay tribute to the skippers of the 2024 edition, during a spectacular evening filled with emotion and festivity.
Posted on 5 May
IMA challenges resume with Sandberg PalmaVela
The event has traditionally started the Mediterranean maxi yacht racing season There was huge anticipation from within the maxi community with Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' new Verdier 100 Magic Carpet E making her debut at Sandberg PalmaVela that concluded yesterday.
Posted on 5 May
Monnin Victorious in 60th Congressional Cup
Defeating defending champion Chris Poole 3-2 in a closely contested final Switzerland's Eric Monnin and his Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team of Ute Monnin Wagner, Mathieu Renault, Jean-Claude Monnin, Simon Brügger, Julien Falxa, and Maxime Mesnil clinched a long awaited win of the 60th Anniversary Congressional Cup on Sunday.
Posted on 5 May
For the love of slightly larger, even faster boats
Bring it on. No chicken chutes allowed. Celestial, the newest Cape 31 in Oz is up and racing Thank you. You have let For the love of small, fast boats run before the breeze like a superlight planning hull under way too big a kite, with immense sheep in the paddock, and the Sailing Master grasping the flare gun in his pocket... No chicken chutes.
Posted on 4 May
21st Sandberg PalmaVela overall
A breezy finale in the Bay of Palma A thrilling and intense final day at Sandberg PalmaVela was enjoyed with choppy seas and wind conditions ranging from gentle airs to gusts of up to 23 knots. Several broken masts are evidence how tough the day was for some.
Posted on 4 May
2025 ILCA 6 Women's & ILCA 7 Men's Worlds Preview
The eyes of the sailing world will turn to Qingdao, China The eyes of the sailing world will turn to Qingdao, China, from 10-17 May 2025, as the city prepares to host the 2025 ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's World Championships.
Posted on 4 May
52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup overall
World Champions Gladiator score 52 SUPER SERIES season opening win. Britain's Tony Langley and his world champion crew secured overall victory at the first regatta of the five event 2025 52 SUPER SERIES season, the 52 SUPER SERIES Saint Tropez Sailing Week.
Posted on 4 May
Transat Paprec Day 15
As the final sprint begins, reflecting on the unique journeys and experiences Among the 19 duos who set off from Concarneau, 8 are international teams, including 5 from the UK.
Posted on 4 May