South Sound cruising advice
- Thread starter Ellwebs
- Start date
Enjoyable area. Obtain tide and current table hence to know the Tacoma Narrows flood and ebb. Overall great area and plenty of space to roam without so many people. The Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor is pretty fun. The city dock is free tie ups and there is one city float as well - alas frequently all occupied on the weekends but anchoring is way easy and reliable so you can dinghy in. Also there is moorage available for a fee. The rest of the region is pretty much anchor or State Park buoys. Olympia is not as charming as Gig Harbor and Des Moines even less so in my view. If you fancy a bit of personal time with a slower pace the South Sound is hard to beat.
Waggoners is a good resource.
Charles
Waggoners is a good resource.
Charles
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,007
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,007
Might also get a free copy of the magazine 48°North at a marine store near you. (https://www.48north.com/) they cover the sound and have some interesting stories that can provide boating info on the Sound.
Poulsbo is the furtherest south for us. Very nice town, good anchorage a short dinghy distance from the public dock. On the other hand if you want to discuss northern provinces...
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,007
I would highly recommend a state park pass if you're going to have many overnights. It'll be worth the money as there are lots of park moorings in the South Sound. Tacoma is nice, but I do like the Olympia waterfront as well. From Vashon it's easy to do Port Orchard and Bremerton. I also recommend Blake Island (another state park with great walks.) Even though that's technically north. The south sound is more for quiet spots than towns, etc.
Thanks John for your kind words. I wonder sometimes whether what I post has any effect.
My current Waggoners is a 2013, I think. Most of its contents remain valid. I also have the computer version. Prefer the hardcopy. Often times I will find a more current version in one of the book exchanges where I will leave my older copy and replace it with the more current one.
Depending on your cruising venue I like the Ports and Passes that is published each year. Covers most of the areas we go from Puget Sound to points north and provides safe passage times for most of the narrows such as Dodd, Active, Deception, Seymour, etc. Current tide state I obtain from my chart plotter.
Depending on your cruising venue I like the Ports and Passes that is published each year. Covers most of the areas we go from Puget Sound to points north and provides safe passage times for most of the narrows such as Dodd, Active, Deception, Seymour, etc. Current tide state I obtain from my chart plotter.
Well I go by your house at least twice a year - sometimes more. Would stop in if I had not heard one cannot stay at Shelter. So it's the port or the city docks - but the city side is closer to the bakery.
Really like your north area narratives as does Jackson - so that make two of us at the least.
Charles
You are considering one of the greatest overlooked gems in the Northwest.
We are doing South Sound again this Summer. We have done it 3 times already (Everett to Olympia and back). It appears to us that most South Sounders go to the San Juans in the Summer leaving tons of room for us. There are plenty of stops of whatever type you like. We often end up on a dock somewhere for the night. Most towns seem to cater to boaters. Don't miss Gig Harbor. Tacoma has a great facility, but you will hear trains yelling at you all night. Once past he narrows it quiets down. Look at Active Captain (a free must have app if you don't already have it) for fresh reviews. Once you get down to Budd Inlet (Olympia), be careful to stay in the narrow channels. We aren't used to that skinny water around here.
Let me know if you have specific questions.
Ken
We are doing South Sound again this Summer. We have done it 3 times already (Everett to Olympia and back). It appears to us that most South Sounders go to the San Juans in the Summer leaving tons of room for us. There are plenty of stops of whatever type you like. We often end up on a dock somewhere for the night. Most towns seem to cater to boaters. Don't miss Gig Harbor. Tacoma has a great facility, but you will hear trains yelling at you all night. Once past he narrows it quiets down. Look at Active Captain (a free must have app if you don't already have it) for fresh reviews. Once you get down to Budd Inlet (Olympia), be careful to stay in the narrow channels. We aren't used to that skinny water around here.
Let me know if you have specific questions.
Ken
Thanks Charles. I appreciate your comments. Yes, the bakery makes the best pastries; cinnamon rolls to die for. Wonderful breakfast and lunch menu.
Shelter Bay is in the process of upgrading their old wooden docks. Very nice with plastic floats and aluminum decks, wider docks and fingers. They advertise for permanent moorage at reasonable rates. Whether they accept short term transient moorage I would call them at 360/466-3805. I would think so and I know they do accept guest moorage. Just about finished with their new pump out dock. A short dingy ride across the channel to downtown, otherwise about a two mile walk via the orange steel bridge.
We live in Mukilteo and keep our boat in Shelter Bay. If you come up past Possession Point and into Saratoga Pass, look east our home is there on the hillside about a mile before you reach the Mukilteo ferry dock. I've tried to spot our home from the water, but no luck there. Maybe at night with wifey shining a spot light at us on the water.