seattle yacht club bainbridge island

A boater's paradise, Bainbridge Island Marina & Yacht Club is tucked away quietely in the beautiful Puget Sound. The 50-slip, full service marina offers great facilities as well as quality customer service.

Whether you are vacationing or live here year round, the Bainbridge Island Marina & Yacht Club is perfect for a safe and secure harborage while providing easy accessibility to great fishing, sailing, and cruising. Bainbridge Island Marina & Yacht Club is a full service facility run by a courteous and professional staff. Make it your stop on the Puget Sound!

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Sports & Recreation · Country Club / Clubhouse

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• (206) 842-9105
• 8750 NE Spargur Loop Rd

8750 NE Spargur Loop Rd, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

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Seattle Yacht Club

Stories from the Seattle Yacht Club

Seattle Yacht Club 1807 E Hamlin St. Seattle, WA 98112 (206) 325-1000

Website: http://www.seattleyachtclub.org/

Founded in 1892, Seattle Yacht Club is one of our country’s most active and long-established yacht clubs. With facilities ranging from the historic main station on Portage Bay, to ten outstations located along the shores of Washington and British Columbia, the club offers an outstanding group of properties for use by its more than 2,500 members.

SEATTLE YACHT CLUB BECOMES NSHOF FOUNDING MEMBER

From the Commodore:

It gives me great pleasure to confirm the commitment of the Seattle Yacht Club Board of Trustees and its members to the goals and mission of the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Our Fleet Captain Sail, Dave Ferguson and his committee, and Past Commodore, Chris Otorowski, will be working together on the member matching fund program that I expect will exceed the Founding Club level.

We look forward to watching the progress of the NSHOF and its home in Annapolis.

The Pacific Northwest waters, aristocratic pines and views of Mt. Rainier, Baker and the Olympics provided inspiration for Chief Sealth’s (Seattle) native peoples and SYC respects this heritage while developing its own traditions and stewardship. In the 1880s Puget Sound’s Budlong’s Boat House was the locale of the first gathering place of SYC yachtsmen followed in 1882 by the moorage on Battery Street at Brighton’s Boat House. The first Clubhouses built for a formally organized Seattle Yacht Club were in 1892 and 1909 in West Seattle.  Presently the Portage Bay clubhouse (1919) between Lakes Union and Washington offers a colonial style with classical elegance and uncovered and covered moorages. It has been on the National Register of Historical Places since 2006. In addition, there are ten beautiful outstations extending from south Puget Sound through Canadian waters. They are Gig Harbor, Elliott Bay, Port Madison and Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island, Henry Island and Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands,and Ganges, Ovens Island, Garden Bay and Cortes Bay in Canada. The marine environment is protected by SYC’s Code of Ethics and negotiations with the City of Seattle. Reciprocity with U.S. and international yacht clubs exists.

Since 1928 SYC has participated in powerboat predicted log racing’s annual International Cruiser Race, the Capital to Capitol Race. Hosted by SYC in 1936, the attendance was the highest of any U.S. cruising event to that date. In the 1940s the IPBA made it a family event. Today SYC hosts the IPBA Stimson Cup and participates in other IPBA and local races.

The belief that “everyone who wants to be on the water should be" underlies programs for the community such as the 1935 Shut In Cruise when 50 SYC boats took patients in wheelchairs and on stretchers for a Lake Washington cruise.World War II veterans were taken on similar cruises. Today’s Annual Special People’s Cruise was inspired by SYC women who arranged Christmas cruises for the Fircrest clients. SYC’s Opening Day, modeled in part by the city’s 1911 Potlatch celebration has the largest boating parade and international crew races in the world. SYC sponsors the largest fund raising event in boating, the Leukemia Cup Regatta and the SYC Foundation provides funding for Youth Sailing classes and community boating projects.

Protection of maritime waters and racing abound. SYC formed the first Pacific coastal squadron to teach motorboat navigation and to cooperate with the U.S. government in 1916. During World War II SYC’s Flotilla 24, the largest civilian squadron in the U.S., patrolled Pacific inland waters with private small and large luxury yachts. Pleasure boating was dormant but racing continued. The hydroplane races with SYC’s Slo-Mo IV and V won the Gold Cup 1950-1954 and put Seattle and Seafair on the map. The hydroplane era continues with the SYC burgee on winning boats and thousands of spectators watching the races on Lake Washington and on television.

Pleasure boating resumed after World War II. In 1964 SYC was invited to join the Cruising Club of America and continues to host several of their events. The latter’s goal of promoting cruising by amateurs and its interest in seamanship, navigation and handling of small vessel is in keeping with SYC’s philosophy and support of what the juniors call “people who like to mess around in boats”. Boating education at SYC has always been a priority for youth and adult members and non-members. Currently it is provided in Lasers, Vanguard 15’s, and Optimistist dinghies. Pleasure boating for adults, families and the public is provided in Club and private member boats.

Competing in international races in the 1980s again demonstrated SYC’s racing skills.Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals were brought home. The SYC burgee flew on One World in the 2003 America’s Cup Race. SYC women have won world championships in rowing and the Adams Cup for sailing.  World involvement is further demonstrated by hosting of the International Council of Yacht Clubs Forum in 2011. This is the first time it was held in the United States and 14 countries were represented by numerous delegates.

To insure “the most fun for the most of us” the SYC committee system allows for diversified interest groups and activities for all members. The Men’s and Women’s groups have luncheons with speakers and programs to educate and entertain. Parties, balls, dinner dances and children’s events occur regularly. The annual Commodore’s Ball with the Grand Fourteen Yacht Clubs in the area is a gala event. Potlatch, a weekend of water games, races and feasting at Port Madison, is an example of the family centered events for juniors, intermediates and regular members.

Seattle Yacht Club has a tradition of pride in its members who come from every socioeconomic level. Many have made significant contributions to navigational science and member volunteerism is basic to the Club. The 1937 Board of Trustees stated: the club should cater to the average class of gentlemen yachtsman” attempting to please the aristocrats and also the members with small boats regardless of financial position. SYC also has pride in its clubhouse and the city it is named after. The beacon light on top of the Portage Bay clubhouse was installed by SYC members and the Coast Guard and its spire is shown on nautical charts as a private stationary aid to navigation. It beckons you to join the fun of a cultural icon and continue to make history.

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Reciprocity - Visiting PMYC

Reciprocity is first-come-first-serve - do not call for reservations or checking in - sign in at the club house

Port Madison Yacht Club is located in beautiful Hidden Cove at the north end of Bainbridge Island, Washington.  We're easily located: go west of the Seattle Yacht Club outstation and look for the large docks with only sailboats!  This is a very quiet bay for most of the year.  There are no stores near by. There's a phone in the clubhouse to call for a taxi if needed.  Dogs and children are welcome.  Garbage is located at the top of the path to the parking lot.

We have approximately 70′ of reciprocal dock space on the South side of the main dock.  It's available on a first-come-first-serve basis (there's no one to call for reservations and no one to contact for checking in).  Please fly your club's burgee while at the docks so we'll know where you're from.  Access to the dock is from the west end.  Shore-tie will be to port if your bow is pointing east.  Please watch your depth here at low tides:  it is a muddy bottom, but you don’t want to get stuck.   Depth at the dock is approximately 8′ at a 0 tide.  There's a "hump" in the bottom about 25' south of the west corner of the dock, so don’t swing too wide around that corner at a low tide.  Rafting is fine, depth permitting, but please do not block the permanently moored boats to your east.

Power and water are available at the dock, but power is limited to 15 amps.  There is no charge for either.  The clubhouse is located shore-side and includes deck and picnic benches, a full galley and fridge, two bathrooms (no showers), and a wood-burning stove for heat.  It's is truly a cabin at the beach.  If you wish to use our clubhouse, please check our calendar of events to avoid conflicts with PMYC functions and contact our Reciprocal Chair at [email protected] . 

Reciprocity - Visiting Other Clubs

To view the current list of yacht clubs that have reciprocal agreements with PMYC, click on the following link:  PMYC Reciprocal Moorage . This list is provided by Yacht Destinations ( https://yachtdestinations.org .) If you encounter issues viewing the PMYC Reciprocal Moorage list using the link above, go to https://yachtdestinations.org  and create a free account.  

When you're out and about, please remember that you are representing PMYC (remember to fly your burgee!).  Please pay for your electricity if there's a charge, and pay any applicable moorage fees. Local clubs have lost their reciprocal privileges over something as simple as not paying a $5 electric fee. Thank-you cards are always encouraged for an exceptional visit.  If you have information to provide on any of these clubs please email it to [email protected].

Rent our Waterfront Event Venue!

A spectacular view of Lake Union can be enjoyed from the lovely banquet room and spacious outdoor patio making The Extra Ingredient @ Tyee an ideal venue for your lakeside event. 

Learn more about The Extra Ingredient @ Tyee, our waterfront event venue by visiting theextraingredient.com

See our  Tyee Information and Benefits  page for more info. For membership or other information , please email us at:  [email protected]

Tyee Yacht Club is a proud to have been named the 2022 Yacht Club of the Year by the Recreational Boating Association of Washington (RBAW). Tyee is a Sustaining Member of RBAW, meaning that all Tyee members are also automatically RBAW members.   RBAW is a volunteer organization dedicated to the state-wide advocacy of recreational boating issues. RBAW is the "Voice of Boaters" in Olympia. Today there are over 50 clubs and 10,000 boaters that support RBAW.   Read About RBAW Today!

Seattle Yacht Club

Many Seattle Yacht Club members cruise the waters of the Pacific Northwest in powerboats.  Whether touring the Club’s 10 Outstations, located from Gig Harbor in the south to Cortes Bay in the north, or exploring the fresh water lakes, our members tend to enjoy their time on the water. SYC has a number of interesting and exciting events for members with powerboats. These include formal events with fun interactive themes, local and long-range cruises from Puget Sound to the Canadian Gulf Islands, and monthly dinners with exciting and informative speakers. Our monthly club dinners include topics about boating in the Northwest and adventures from around the world. These dinner are also a fun way to meet with fellow Club members and share boating experiences.

Seattle Yacht Club also hosts Navigational Rallies (aka Predicted Log Racing) around Puget Sound. These navigational contests are a great opportunity for members to improve their knowledge of their boat and skills of predicting the boat’s performance around a designated course.

Seattle Yacht Club Sailing

2019 syc race book, youth summer sailing school, adult sailing lessons, junior race team, high school sailing, opti green fleet program, junior race team, race team vision.

SYC is recognized among the leading yacht clubs of the world with a renowned comprehensive junior sailing program, in which the Junior Race Team is an integral part.  Our Junior Race Team draws upon a broad base of young sailors (open to the public) primarily from the SYC Summer Sailing School, SYC’s Northwest Interscholastic High School Sailing Team (HS Sailing), and community outreach programs.  The SYC Junior Race Team and HS Sailing provide youths, from ages 8 to 18, the opportunity to reach for competitive success at all levels while developing athletic skills, leadership, sportsmanship and a lifelong love for boating.  SYC has given rise to numerous generations of successful Pacific Northwest sailors, including multiple Olympic champions.  The SYC Race Team continues the Club’s legacy of achievement, representing SYC in local, regional, national and international competitions.

Race Team Mission

Progress juniors from participation to development to the highest levels of youth racing achievement.

• Provide a fun and supportive environment for junior racers of all abilities
• Provide coaches exceptional in their sailing accomplishments and their abilities to train and inspire our racers
• Maintain facilities and equipment equal or superior to leading yacht clubs around the world
• Promote interest and participation in sailing and racing with an active, adaptive outreach program
• Prepare racers for Collegiate Sailing providing an opportunity to leverage individual racers’ sailing skills and racing achievements in the college application process
• Develop  a lifelong interest and appreciation of sailing and racing in all Race Team members while promoting SYC junior membership in a family oriented, supportive environment

JOIN THE TEAM 

Race team schedule, race team coach: cameron hoard.

Cameron has been the SYC Jr Race Team coach since 2011. Originally from Upstate NY, Cam has lived on both coasts, but has come to call the NW home.

Cam has been a sailing coach for the better part of 20 years. He has worked for various yacht clubs and sailing programs in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle. 

The SYC Jr Race Team does most of its year-round training on Shilshole Bay (Puget Sound), however Cam and the team travel all over the country competing in over 25 regattas every year. A busy training and regatta schedule is what makes the SYC Jr sailors the best in the North West!

The team has found lots of success under Coach Cam with SYC sailors winning national championships, qualifying for international regattas, and dominating the NW Youth Racing Circuit. It’s exciting and fun to work with such committed, talented, and hard working Jr sailors representing the club. 

2017 was a big year for the team and the sailing department! They were honored to receive the Captain Joe Prosser Award, from US Sailing, for excellence in sailing instruction. The Jr sailors list of accomplishments is far too long to list here, so please stop Cam in the hallway or on the dock to hear about it all! Or join them at the SYC Jr sailing awards held every January, to meet the team, celebrate an amazing year, and help them kick off the successful season ahead. Go SYC!

Contact Coach Cameron Hoard.

Joining SYC

Seattle Yacht Club welcomes applications for membership from Northwest boaters ages 10+ who would like to join our active community.

Members of the Club are entitled to use our Portage Bay Clubhouse with casual and fine dining restaurants, banquet and meeting facilities, guest moorage, and permanent moorage (subject to availability).  Members are also encouraged to participate in a wide range of regattas and cruises, and enjoy activities and dining events at the Club.  Membership with SYC offers use of our Elliott Bay clubhouse facilities and discounted Elliott Bay moorage (subject to availability), use of nine Outstations (listed below), and reciprocal privileges to more than 225 other yacht clubs around the world.  

SYC OUTSTATIONS

• Cortes Bay – Desolation Sound, B.C. 
• Eagle Harbor – Bainbridge Island 
• Elliott Bay – Seattle 
• Friday Harbor – San Juan Islands 
• Ganges – Saltspring Island, Gulf Islands, B.C. 
• Garden Bay – Pender Harbor, B.C. 
• Gig Harbor – South Puget Sound 
• Henry Island – Roche Harbor, San Juan Islands 
• Ovens Island – Dunsmuir Islands, Gulf Islands, B.C. 
• Port Madison – Bainbridge Island 

Several levels of membership are available based on the age and marital status of the candidate.  For an individual membership, the initiation fee is determined by the age of the new member on the date the application is completed.  Monthly dues adjust throughout the life of a membership as it advances from one class to another.  We encourage married couples to apply for joint membership.  There is one initiation fee, which is determined by the age of the older spouse on the date the application is completed.  The monthly dues are determined using the birthdate of the older spouse.  To request a chart of the current fees and dues, contact SYC's Membership Director.

Each membership application needs one primary sponsor and three other members to serve as recommenders (all must be voting or Surviving members of SYC).  The application process begins when a voting member of SYC checks out an application packet and becomes the applicant’s sponsor. 

Interested In Learning More?

If you are interested in exploring membership and receiving an invitation to SYC's next Open House (date TBD), please complete and submit a Prospective Member Interest Form . 

Membership Brochure & Benefits Of Membership Video

For an overview of the Club, download SYC's Membership Brochure . Enjoy the video below about the benefits of membership with SYC featuring the Club, our Outstations, activities, and some of the people who make the Club special.

Our App enables the sailors to have the boat´s performance tracked live and to be able to review the performance later on. The app can be complemented by a tracking device that you can have on your boat.

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Welcome to Queen City Yacht Club

Queen City Yacht Club is located on Portage Bay in Seattle, WA, and has been a part of the United States boating community since 1916. We are a charter member of the Grand Fourteen Yacht Clubs in Puget Sound, with 550 active memberships, representing over 1000 power and sail boaters. We offer our members a myriad of activities, including social functions, and participation in community events. Boat moorage slips, both covered and open, up to 60' are offered exclusively for members. To learn more about joining QCYC please visit our   Membership page .

Upcoming Events

Meeting reports, we are here.

Phone: (206) 709-2000

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• Bilge Pump: 2015
• Bilge Pump: 2016
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• Bilge Pump: 2019
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• Bilge Pump: 2021
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Reciprocals

EHYC is privileged to have reciprocal moorage agreements with the following clubs.  Click on the Yacht Club Name to link to its website information. For more reciprocal club info including maps, club details, and local facilities, click HERE .

The location of our reciprocal clubs is shown on this map .

WASHINGTON YACHT CLUBS

British columbia yacht clubs.

• Yacht Clubs

Seattle Yacht Club

seattleyachtclub.org

1807 E Hamlin Street

Seattle , WA 98112

(206) 325-1000

Founded in 1892, Seattle Yacht Club is one of our country’s most active and long-established yacht clubs. With facilities ranging from the historic main station on Portage Bay, to ten outstations located along the shores of Washington and British Columbia, the club offers an outstanding group of properties for use by its more than 2,500 members.

From the Commodore:

It gives me great pleasure to confirm the commitment of the Seattle Yacht Club Board of Trustees and its members to the goals and mission of the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Our Fleet Captain Sail, Dave Ferguson and his committee, and Past Commodore, Chris Otorowski, will be working together on the member matching fund program that I expect will exceed the Founding Club level.

We look forward to watching the progress of the NSHOF and its home in Annapolis.

The Pacific Northwest waters, aristocratic pines and views of Mt. Rainier, Baker and the Olympics provided inspiration for Chief Sealth’s (Seattle) native peoples and SYC respects this heritage while developing its own traditions and stewardship. In the 1880s Puget Sound’s Budlong’s Boat House was the locale of the first gathering place of SYC yachtsmen followed in 1882 by the moorage on Battery Street at Brighton’s Boat House. The first Clubhouses built for a formally organized Seattle Yacht Club were in 1892 and 1909 in West Seattle.  Presently the Portage Bay clubhouse (1919) between Lakes Union and Washington offers a colonial style with classical elegance and uncovered and covered moorages. It has been on the National Register of Historical Places since 2006. In addition, there are ten beautiful outstations extending from south Puget Sound through Canadian waters. They are Gig Harbor, Elliott Bay, Port Madison and Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island, Henry Island and Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands, and Ganges, Ovens Island, Garden Bay and Cortes Bay in Canada. The marine environment is protected by SYC’s Code of Ethics and negotiations with the City of Seattle. Reciprocity with U.S. and international yacht clubs exists.

Since 1928 SYC has participated in powerboat predicted log racing’s annual International Cruiser Race, the Capital to Capitol Race. Hosted by SYC in 1936, the attendance was the highest of any U.S. cruising event to that date. In the 1940s the IPBA made it a family event. Today SYC hosts the IPBA Stimson Cup and participates in other IPBA and local races.

The belief that “everyone who wants to be on the water should be” underlies programs for the community such as the 1935 Shut In Cruise when 50 SYC boats took patients in wheelchairs and on stretchers for a Lake Washington cruise. World War II veterans were taken on similar cruises. Today’s Annual Special People’s Cruise was inspired by SYC women who arranged Christmas cruises for the Fircrest clients. SYC’s Opening Day, modeled in part by the city’s 1911 Potlatch celebration has the largest boating parade and international crew races in the world. SYC sponsors the largest fund raising event in boating, the Leukemia Cup Regatta and the SYC Foundation provides funding for Youth Sailing classes and community boating projects.

Protection of maritime waters and racing abound. SYC formed the first Pacific coastal squadron to teach motorboat navigation and to cooperate with the U.S. government in 1916. During World War II SYC’s Flotilla 24, the largest civilian squadron in the U.S., patrolled Pacific inland waters with private small and large luxury yachts. Pleasure boating was dormant but racing continued. The hydroplane races with SYC’s Slo-Mo IV and V won the Gold Cup 1950-1954 and put Seattle and Seafair on the map. The hydroplane era continues with the SYC burgee on winning boats and thousands of spectators watching the races on Lake Washington and on television.

Pleasure boating resumed after World War II. In 1964 SYC was invited to join the Cruising Club of America and continues to host several of their events. The latter’s goal of promoting cruising by amateurs and its interest in seamanship, navigation and handling of small vessel is in keeping with SYC’s philosophy and support of what the juniors call “people who like to mess around in boats”. Boating education at SYC has always been a priority for youth and adult members and non-members. Currently it is provided in Lasers, Vanguard 15’s, and Optimistist dinghies. Pleasure boating for adults, families and the public is provided in Club and private member boats.

Competing in international races in the 1980s again demonstrated SYC’s racing skills. Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals were brought home. The SYC burgee flew on One World in the 2003 America’s Cup Race. SYC women have won world championships in rowing and the Adams Cup for sailing.  World involvement is further demonstrated by hosting of the International Council of Yacht Clubs Forum in 2011. This is the first time it was held in the United States and 14 countries were represented by numerous delegates.

To insure “the most fun for the most of us” the SYC committee system allows for diversified interest groups and activities for all members. The Men’s and Women’s groups have luncheons with speakers and programs to educate and entertain. Parties, balls, dinner dances and children’s events occur regularly. The annual Commodore’s Ball with the Grand Fourteen Yacht Clubs in the area is a gala event. Potlatch, a weekend of water games, races and feasting at Port Madison, is an example of the family centered events for juniors, intermediates and regular members.

Seattle Yacht Club has a tradition of pride in its members who come from every socioeconomic level. Many have made significant contributions to navigational science and member volunteerism is basic to the Club. The 1937 Board of Trustees stated: the club should cater to the average class of gentlemen yachtsman” attempting to please the aristocrats and also the members with small boats regardless of financial position. SYC also has pride in its clubhouse and the city it is named after. The beacon light on top of the Portage Bay clubhouse was installed by SYC members and the Coast Guard and its spire is shown on nautical charts as a private stationary aid to navigation. It beckons you to join the fun of a cultural icon and continue to make history.

Quick Links

Getting Here

The Sailing Museum & Hall of Fame

365 Thames Street

Newport, RI 02840

401.324.5761

[email protected]

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Fouled Up Life

Making the most out of life, even when it knocks you down.

Lessons from living on a sailboat for a year

How to stay warm when sailing in the cold

Great sailboat anchorages close to Seattle

Favorite sailing spots in south Puget Sound

• Anchorage , Bainbridge Island , Boat Life , Eagle Harbor , featured , Illahee , PNW sailing , Port Blakely , Port Madison , Poulsbo , Provisioning , Seattle

Life in a marina can be fun and certainly convenient. But if you ask me, there’s no better feeling than being on anchor. I love being surrounded on all sides by water. There we get the chance to see more marine life from the comfort of our cockpit, and the feeling of being gently rocked to sleep in a well-protected anchorage just can’t be beat.

Puget Sound and the greater Salish Sea is home to dozens of great anchorages. We have big harbors with plenty of swing room for boats and small, tucked-in little nooks that provide an amazing amount of solitude for being surrounded by 4.2 million people.

Since getting s/v Polaris , we’ve anchored all over the Sound in all kinds of weather . The cool thing about Puget Sound is a boater doesn’t have to travel very far to find a great anchorage. In this post, I’m going to list a few of our favorite anchorages that are less than a half-day away from Seattle if sailing at a cruising speed of 5 knots or less. This is by no means a comprehensive list and I will be adding to it as we check out more nearby places to drop the hook.

Anchorages featured here are:

• Port Blakely Harbor
• Eagle Harbor
• Port Madison
• Liberty Bay near Poulsbo

Illahee State Marine Park

Port blakely harbor, bainbridge island.

The details

• Distance from Elliot Bay in Seattle: About 5 nautical miles
• Anchoring conditions: Good holding, in mud, about 35-50 feet
• Good place for: Hiking, kayaking/canoeing/paddleboarding, swimming (in summer, if thick-skinned or in a wetsuit), tidepooling at nearby Blakely Rock

Port Blakely is an easy choice, but that doesn’t make it any less of a good one. It’s about an hour away from the Elliot Bay, relatively roomy and well-protected from southerly or northerly winds. Given its proximity to Seattle, it does fill up during the summer months, particularly around holidays. But it’s so close to Seattle, you can easily make the trip there after work if there’s daylight.

We have noticed that the cellular reception isn’t great, which could be a problem if you are trying to work or do anything else online. Port Blakely also is not within close walking distance to grocery stores or shops, so be sure to provision up before heading here.

In addition to its close proximity, we love hiking along the shoreline and into the woods on the Blakely Harbor Trail ashore on the western end of the harbor. We beach our dinghy on the north side of the shore near a rack of kayaks stored for residents and then find the trail.

Kayaking here is lovely, though there isn’t much to see in the shallows unless you head out toward the rocky entrance on the north side of the harbor. There we have seen crabs, plumose anemone and the occasional starfish.

During a minus tide, though, we took our dinghy from the anchorage over to Blakely Rock, which sits just outside the harbor and is the only visible part of a shoal that you most definitely want to avoid with your sailboat. The rock, however, is home to all kinds of marine invertebrates. Our kids had a field day searching for critters like blood stars, crabs, anemones and sea snails.

Eagle Harbor, Bainbridge Island

• Anchoring conditions: OK holding, in mud, about 30-45 feet
• Good place for: Sight-seeing, hiking, kayaking, shopping, museums, culture

Perhaps just as close as Port Blakely to Elliott Bay is Eagle Harbor. This long harbor is near the community of Winslow on Bainbridge Island.

Similar to Blakely Harbor, Eagle Harbor has an industrial history. It has been the site of shipbuilding and a wood mill. The result is the seabed in much of the harbor was contaminated with creosote. In the 1980s, it became an EPA Superfund site. The EPA has since “capped” much of the contaminated seafloor by burying it under clean sand. Anchoring here could pull up that clean sand and bring the dirty seafloor back up.

Because of this, anchoring is limited to a small area not far from the the Washington State Ferries maintenance dock. This makes the area where you can anchor pretty cramped, but in the fall and winter time, we had no problem finding a spot. We have yet to anchor here in terrible weather. For the most part, its a calm anchorage.

We don’t necessarily come here for the solitude, but that’s fine. We love exploring Winslow’s shops and restaurants, where you can provision, pick up gifts and dine on fantastic food that rivals what you can find in Seattle. There is a trail that winds around part of the harbor and includes signs that explain the community’s history as a sawmill (and the environmental impact the past has had on the present).

Transient boaters may be pleased to know that the city of Bainbridge Island manages a small dock with power, water and pump-out. This makes it a great stop if you need to charge batteries, top off your water tank or pump-out before heading to another anchorage. First come, first served.

Here are the fees and other info:

• Power is $5 a day
• Docking, 3 hours or less: 10 cents per foot
• Docking, 24 hours, 50 cents per foot.
• For now, showers are closed.
• Boaters normally should prepare to raft up during the busy months, but for now, no rafting up is required.

Winslow also is home to the Bainbridge Museum of Art , which has free admission, a weekly farmer’s market from April through December, and a children’s museum that for the sake of families of young kids, I hope can survive the pandemic.

We just recently discovered the Bainbridge Island Japanese-American Exclusion Memorial, a park that is still under construction located near the south shore of Eagle Harbor. We accessed the memorial by taking our dinghy to a tie-up near the Bainbridge Island Marina. Once out of the marina, you’ll see an entrance to the memorial on your left.

The memorial honors the 200+ residents who were forced from their homes during World War II after the Empire of Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. Walk through the guided path to learn about the families who were forced from their homes and taken to internment camps. You’ll read about the many who lost the farms and businesses they had before the war, and how children were removed from school and missed graduations and ball games. And yet, many of the remaining Bainbridge Island residents worked together to preserve their neighbors’ properties while they were interned.

We enjoyed learning about this too-often ignored part of our country’s history and incorporated some of the lessons from the memorial’s message into our homeschool.

Port Madison, Bainbridge Island

• Distance from Elliot Bay in Seattle: About 9 nautical miles
• Anchoring conditions: Good holding, in mud, about 15-25 feet
• Good place for: Hiking, kayaking/canoeing/paddleboarding

Port Madison is on the northern tip of Bainbridge Island, and would be a great place to tuck into while on the way to Port Townsend or other points north. We only recently ventured into the deep, winding bay near the community. There are a few private docks, a Seattle Yacht Club outstation and several private moorings. Nevertheless, we found a spot to drop the hook about midway into the bay.

We took the dinghy to the public dock on the bay’s south side to get on land and stretch our legs a bit. There is a short lovely trail that takes you up a hill into the woods and to some painted rocks well-known by locals. After that, most of the walking we did was on residential streets. Thankfully, Port Madison doesn’t get a lot of traffic.

Like the other anchorages near Bainbridge Island, Port Madison was a mill town at one point, and like most of Bainbridge Island, was once home to the Suquamish Indian tribe. These days, its a picturesque bay with a mostly high-end residential community surrounding it. Port Madison definitely feels like a calm, secluded anchorage, even though there is housing and boats all around.

There’s not much to do here in terms of sight-seeing, but plenty of space for calm, protected kayaking. We enjoyed exploring the length of the bay and rounding a tiny islet called Treasure Island.

Liberty Bay, Poulsbo

• Distance from Elliot Bay in Seattle: About 16 nautical miles
• Anchoring conditions: Good holding, in mud, anywhere from 12-40 feet
• Good place for: Hiking, kayaking/canoeing/paddleboarding, shopping, sight-seeing

West of Bainbridge Island and tucked deep into the Kitsap Peninsula is the long, wide anchorage of Liberty Bay and the lovely town of Poulsbo. It takes us about a half-day to sail or motor to Poulsbo from our slip at the Elliott Bay Marina. It’s short enough to do without too much planning and long enough to feel like you are getting away from the city. Just check the tides and currents when going through Agate Pass. The currents can reach up to 6.5 kts so try to time your arrival around slack tide.

Liberty Bay is a wonderful anchorage in great weather and can be a good refuge in poor weather. We’ve anchored here in the summer when there have been dozens of boats, and we rode out a storm here while cruising in the fall. (You can read more about where we anchored in Liberty Bay during a gale.)

During the late summer and early fall we spotted tons of harbor seals cruising the bay and lounging on the breakwater near one of the town’s marinas. We didn’t get to do much beach-combing here, but really enjoyed kayaking the long, wide anchorage and checking out other boats.

And then there’s Poulsbo. The historic downtown is immediately accessible from the dinghy tie-up. You’ll find some cute clothing and gift shops, a market with some pricey, but unique foods and drinks, a marine supply store and, of course, pastries!

Our favorite is Sluy’s, located downtown. We usually grab a sampling of their wares; a few cookies, a danish, some bread and a fritter or two. Then, we take a walk along the Bay on a path that winds through a waterfront park.

If you need to do a full provisioning run, you can walk a mile or so to the local Safeway.

• Distance from Elliot Bay in Seattle: About 11 nautical miles
• Anchoring conditions: OK holding, about 10-25 feet
• Good place for: Hiking, kayaking/canoeing/paddleboarding, swimming (in summer, if thick-skinned or in a wetsuit), tidepooling

Illahee sits along Port Orchard Bay just south of Bremerton on the Kitsap Peninsula. Like many marine state parks, it has a few mooring balls (five) and a small dock if you’d rather tie up. We have not anchored here, opting to use our annual moorage permit , but I have seen boats anchor near here. It can get quite shallow if you get as close as the mooring balls (we recently tied up here and at low tide our depth sounder read about 10-11 feet), and the seafloor drops off pretty quickly if a little farther out. So be careful where you anchor.

The fastest way to Illahee from Elliott Bay is via Rich Passage on the south side of Bainbridge Island. You’ll have to share the relatively narrow passage with the Bremerton Ferry and, if you are lucky, a Navy ship. But in general, it’s an easy voyage.

In the summer time, the pier and the dock is crowded with families fishing, clamming, crabbing and oyster harvesting. Just above the beach starts a lovely, short but steep, half-mile hiking trail up the hillside. A sign informed us that an Eagle Scout project is to thank for the hillside stairs that made the journey a little easier.

We are avid kayakers and enjoyed paddling near the beach during low tide to look for crabs, starfish and other critters.

While there are no grocery stores close to the park, there is a Fred Meyer about 2.5 miles away. We opted to go the long way by walking through residential streets and taking a side trip through the Illahee Preserve. Given the distance and the roundabout way to the store, I wouldn’t recommend Illahee as a spot if you need to provision. But for those looking to get their steps in, it is possible.

Other anchorages

We have yet to check out all the anchorages near Seattle, but plan to visit the following this winter and spring:

• Manzanita Bay

Let us know about your favorite nearby anchorages!

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The one thing nobody is talking about is this: “would it be possible to live on the hook in Puget Sound full time? It is a total “no discharge zone” throughout the sound so you would have to dump at least once a week.” Would this be possible if you were to move around a bit, never stay in one place over a week? Are any other homeless people doing this with boats?

Hi Michael. You are correct that Puget Sound is a no-discharge zone (and thank goodness for that). There are places to pump-out throughout the Sound, however. I know of a few liveaboards who live on the hook most of the year, taking a slip in a marina only during the winter. We recently met a man who lived on the hook through the winter. He went through a lot of diesel to keep his boat warm, but clearly it is doable if you have diesel heat, a holding tank and a good anchoring strategy (and ground tackle) to get through those nasty blows.

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Port Madison Yacht Club

Added by Seattle Boatnut

Listed in Yacht Clubs

• 8478 Hidden Cove Road, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
• 206-842-8826
• portmadisonyc.org/
• [email protected]

Port Madison Yacht Club has been promoting family sailing since 1956. Located in beautiful Hidden Cove, off of Port Madison at the north end of Bainbridge Island, our facilities include a modest clubhouse, extensive docks, deep-water buoys, lovely natural grounds, and storage for members’ dinghies and tenders. Our members are active sailors, participating in big boat racing, dinghy racing, and junior sailing regattas – many of these events sponsored and hosted by PMYC.

In addition, many of our members are cruisers, exploring both the spectacular cruising grounds close to home and traveling throughout around the globe. We invite you to explore what PMYC has to offer. Consider joining us – we’d love you meet you!

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