The Seattle chapter of the pocket yachters have started thinking about what our unofficial-official cruise list might look like for next season. Although we are all getting off into our boats whenever we can, we like to put a couple of stakes in the ground for a few larger trips where we can plan ahead and invite as many as are willing to go. These are great fun, in a communal setting, and a great way to get out on the water, especially to see some places that perhaps you haven’t been to before!
Below are some quick notes from some of our discussions on the topic so far. Want to join in the discussion, or even join on one of our trips? Let us know! Contact us through the website, and we’ll let you know where and when the next in-person meeting is being held. We’d love to hear from you!
Current thinking #
We came up with a kind of a “recipe” for a good year of cruising:
- include a three day/two nighter
- add a good overnighter
- season with about four (or so) day trips.
Next step? How about each of us coming up with our personal favorite cruise ideas for each of the “recipe” ingredients above. You’ve got lots to choose from the two lists already sent out. Send your picks to me. I’ll rank- order them by frequency of mention. That should get us to the point of being able to vote on the finalists at our next meeting or by email before then.
Of course we came up with more at yesterday’s Boat Talk, including: • Another season-opener ”shakedown” cruise to Andrews Bay • Check out the Cedar Slough east of Mercer Island • Explore the Nisqually Delta area • Shilshole to Faye Bainbridge (day or overnight) • Shilshole to Kingston (overnight) • Shilshole to Chittenden Locks and Fisherman’s Terminal • Another Magnuson to Kirkland and return • Gene Coulon boat launch and explore south Lake Washington
Background #
Count of launch sites per area:
- South Sound 26
- Lake Washington/Lake Union 12
- Whidbey Island 11
- Camano Island 3
- Everett to Blaine 8
- Anacortes 2
- San Juan Island 5
- Lopez Island 3
- Orcas Island 4
- Hood Canal 12
- Olympic Peninsula 17
- Columbia River 11
- Grays Harbor 5
- Willapa Bay 5
Where would YOU like to like to go for our future small boat adventures?
Point Defiance to Gig Harbor or Foss Waterway or Commencement Bay & environs
Launch at Gene Coulon Park in Renton, explore area, maybe into Cedar River, lunchnatIvars or Kidd Valley.
A lot of these look good to me. There are a few on there that I’ve been thinking about myself. A few I’ve been thinking about that may be worth consideration as well:
- Circumnavigation of Mercer Island sounds fun and I’ve thought about doing that myself before.
- Mukilteo is the closest saltwater ramp to me and I’ve thought about a few sandy
beaches within reach of a daysail from there:
- Head NE to Jetty Island (~4.5 NM each way)
- Head S to Picnic Point (about 4.25 NM each way)…though that beach is a bit rockier in places, there’s an old beached ship that could be fun to swing by and look at just north of the beach. The park there has outhouses, so a good addition as well.
- Further south to Meadowdale Beach (~5.5 NM each way) which is a sandy beach with outhouses and I think even some water fountains. This beach is a short hike from my house, so I’ve been there plenty of times and I think it’d make a good landing spot.
- Magnuson to Union Bay and exploring some of the shallows around there. About 3.5 NM each way. Likely want to avoid doing this on Husky game day in case of sailgating crowds.
I would also be interested to explore around the locks. Sounds fun!
The Fisherman’s terminal idea sounds like a nice close in day trip. Maybe traverse the locks.
Nisqually Delta - This would be an area that I haven’t been to before. However, it is six miles from Zittel’s Marina to the Nisqually Delta, which is bit far for a Pelican. How about using the Luhr Beach Boat Launch (also known as Nisqually Reach Boat Ramp)?
Budd Inlet - This sounds good. Never been to Budd Inlet.
Another idea would be Dyes Inlet starting at the Silverdale ramp. Could do a long day trip or camp at nearby state parks.
One trip I have done many times over the years is to shoot thru Hammersly Inlet with the current. The basic plan is to camp at Jerrils Cove and then launch at Hartstein Island Bridge ramp. You would then pullout at Jacobys Shorecrest Park. The trip requires stationing a shuttle car at the pullout ramp. The last couple of times I’ve done this, I had motor part way thru the trip due to too little wind or too much. I would really like to make the trip under sail alone sometime.
Or one could explore Oakland Bay at a high tide by launching at Shelton. Another place I have never been to.I’ve attached our list of Seattle area cruise options you’ve seen before. However, no sense being limited by only those possibilities. I’ve been scouring the charts and launch site book to came up with “a few" more….like 87 launch sites from which to start!