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Almost any boat can handle the sound with an experienced skipper and decent weather. I have owned an 18' Almar Jet Stream and used it 2 or 3 times a year out of Whittier to access places like South Culross Passage down  and across Nellie Juan Straits and points south of there. This boat has an inboard 351 with a Hamilton 3 stage jet drive. When the weather is good with fairly smooth seas, it runs like a dream. On the other hand, if there swells in excess of 2 to 3 feet, its a slow rough ride. It can handle alot bigger swells, but experience has taught me to hold up when its bad other wise you might not get where you are going at all. What youl have to remember is that the wind can come up very fast at any time, so if you have to travel across any big water do it without haste. I try not to ever be too far from the coast line where there are always places to hunker down for a while in safety

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