How to Sail in Seattle - Help!

Status
Not open for further replies.
JoelHoover

JoelHoover

.
Mar 2, 2009
123
Columbia Yachts C22 Long Beach
I just got a job offer in Seattle, and I think I might take it. I live in Los Angeles where the weather is always perfect for sailing. Im taking my boat with me (its a mac so I have a trailer), but I will be slipping it when i get there and I need to know what to expect. I have seen snow ONCE in my life and ice is something that goes in a soft drink :)

If anybody has experience going from Southern sailing to Northern sailing, please drop me all of your knowledge. Every 2 cents will be rounded to the nearest dollar :)

Also, where is a good, inexpensive, live-aboard friendly marina in Seattle? The job is only for about 6 months, so I think I might just crash on the boat, cuddling my little space heater for dear life.
 
timvg

timvg

.
May 10, 2004
276
Hunter 40.5 Long Beach, CA
We lived on our boat there for 3 years. The NW has the best cruising grounds in the USA. But it can be a bit cold from mid- october thru June. But the summers are boating paradise. Would move back if the right opportunity came along. Have to keep working to keep paying for the boating habit.

Stopped counting after visiting over 100 different anchorages. Yes, we actually used to anchor a lot. Can't think of a place that I'd rather be with my boat. The wife also agrees.
 
G

Guest

Seattle

My advice is do not accept the offer. It always rains, the sun never shines, the wind is always on the nose, it is impossible to get moorage in Seattle before your six month stint ends. Do you need more reasons?

Terry Cox
 
T

Tim C350 April IV

.
Dec 2, 2003
392
Catalina 350 Seattle
Terry's pulling your leg. Yes, it's chillier than southern California, but with the right clothes and passion, you could sail just about every day year-round here. It rarely freezes hard (below 29 degrees) or for long periods (the record might be 5 days or something).

Finding "cheap" livaboard moorage might be much more difficult. It's a big metropolitan area, and depending upon where the job is, and your tolerance level for commuting, there are some potential livaboard options that might be cheaper than others.

The large marinas in Seattle proper will most likely only have extended stay moorage available via a sublet from some other person for such a short stay. There are waiting lists for permanent moorage that can extend years long. There are a number of smaller marinas in Lake Union (connected to Puget Sound - salt water and connected to the rest of the world - via the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Ballard Locks) where you might come across a suitable arrangement for a 6 month stay. There are numerous private homes all around Lake Washington (further in on that ship canal mentioned above) where you might wrangle some dock space from a private owner.

Take a look through this magazine (available online) for some initial contact information and maybe some other ideas.
http://www.48north.com/

Port of Seattle operates three/four of the big marinas
http://www.portseattle.org/seaport/marinas/

Elliott Bay Marina is the other "big dog" in Seattle proper
http://www.elliottbaymarina.net/Home.htm

Further from Seattle proper, take a look at marina's in:
Eagle Harbor - Winslow, Bainbridge Island
Bremerton
Poulsbo - I know folks who winter over in Poulsbo and really enjoy it. It's a 15 minute drive to a 30 minute ferry crossing to Downtown Seattle, but a nice little town with good facilities.
Kingston
Edmonds
Everett
Des Moines
and even Tacoma

Good Luck!
Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68
Seattle
 
G

Guest

Seattle

TIM, you're supposed to help keep the interlopers out. :)

Terry Cox
 
D

Devian

.
Jan 6, 2008
32
-Columbia 28 mk something or other Pier 39, San Francisco
Step #1: Put boat in water.
Step #2: Take copious swig of alcoholic beverage.
Step #3: Try not to hit anything....
 
timvg

timvg

.
May 10, 2004
276
Hunter 40.5 Long Beach, CA
Re: Seattle

Terry: I've been trying to figure out how to get back in.
 
JoelHoover

JoelHoover

.
Mar 2, 2009
123
Columbia Yachts C22 Long Beach
Thanks for all the advice and knowledge, guys. This will definately be an adventure. I will miss my flip-flops though...

-Joel
 
Bob V

Bob V

.
Mar 13, 2008
235
Catalina 42mkII Lagoon Point
2 more reasons to bring your flip flops

1. you can wear then in the shower that you share with a few dozen of your neighbors at the marina.

2. they are the height of Seattle fashion when worn with wool socks.
 
J

JeffBurright

Seattle Pro Tips

Hey Joel,
Unfortunately you'd be coming at the tail end of the season for the fair weather sailors, but there's still plenty of fun to be had up here if you like yellow rubber foulies that make you look like the Gorton's fisherman. Just this weekend the Admiral and I went out to Lake Washington and got up to our hull speed using only the working jib! And Puget Sound is even better! There are Orcas!

In terms of finding liveaboard moorage, the other posters weren't wrong. It's tough to find in the city proper, but not impossible. I'd check the Shilshole Bay Marina sublet listings and post a query on Seattle's craigslist first. You may need to ask a kind soul to check the Shilshole listings for you though, since I think they're still just paper printouts at the main office. (Ask really nicely with some specs and timelines and I'll go check it out for you). I can also send you the phone calling list that we generated last year while trying to find a liveaboard slip, with the caveat that we had a lot of negatory responses before lucking out and finding a sublet on Lake Union.

It was also pretty cheap and available to find liveaboard at Parkshore Marina on S. Lake Washington in the Renton area ($285 if I remember right and seemed plentiful at the time we looked), but the neighborhood isn't near so pretty or filled with services. The Tacoma marinas might also give you luck this time of year, but you'd be looking at a ~45 minute commute by train or car if you work in the city. Coming from Los Angeles, feel free to start laughing now.

Beyond that, a little space heater can keep the boat comfortably in the 70's if you insulate your windows, and long johns are the bee's knees.

Good luck!
Jeff
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top Bottom