Puget Sound Loop Choices

[Dene]

I love planning next summer's adventures. One of them involves a 250 mile, 7 day loop around the central and southern parts of Puget Sound. The trip starts at Belfair on the Hood Canal and ends at Allyn on the north end of Case Inlet, just a 15 mile bicycle ride away. We're planning this the last week of June, coinciding with my 50th birthday.

But.....there are choices to be made and I would appreciate advice about places to stop and moor. Just realize, our priorities are marina amenities (clean showers, shorepower) and a nice waterfront...places for my wife to shop while I tinker on our 22 footer.

1st night....... Pleasant Harbor, Seabeck, or Quilcene

2nd night...... Port Ludlow, Port Hadlock, or Port Townsend

3rd night....... Langley, Everett, or Edmonds

4th night....... Shilshole Bay or Kirkland

5th night....... Des Moines, Tacoma, or Gig Harbor

6th night....... Penrose, Steilacoom, or Jarrell Cove

Merry Christmas to all in this fabulous forum.

-Greg

[DaveS]

Gary,
We really enjoy Poulsbo (the marina is downtown so only about a block from a great bakery!). Additionally, don't forget Bell Harbor Marina, (located in the Seattle waterfront next to the Seattle Aquarium, near Pikes Place Market, etc. etc. etc.!) Both have your requested shorepower and clean facilities with nearby activities/browsing to entertain you.

[Dene]

[Larry H]

I moor my boat in Everett and in my opinion I would skip Everett. The marina is ok, but the waterfront and shopping is not so good.

[Robbi]

Greg, You are not the first C-Brat to think of this great loop trip, but I am not sure where the first thread is located, and I am not sure if anyone has actually made the trip.

If it were me, I would do Pleasant Harbor, Pt Townsend, then Langley for the first three nights. Then I would do either Poulsbo, Bell Harbor, or Blake Island for the forth night. (Sorry that I diverted from your choices here)The fifth night, Tacoma or Gig Harbor. And the last night I would eliminate Steilacoom as there is no marina or a good anchorage in the area. Many of your choices are going to depend on what you enjoy doing while cruising.

This is a trip that could be made a dozen times without staying at the same place twice!

This will be a great trip. Robbi

[Auklet]

Greg -- Just a few observatons. I agree with everybody so far. Love Poulsbo (I used to live there), but you've been there. Ludlow only if you like a quiet anchorage in the back bay. For that I prefer Mats Mats, a real adventure, don't think thats what you are looking for. Nothing at Hadlock. Definately go to Pt Townsend. Two good overnight marinas . I have always prefered Point Hudson, puts you right in the middle of good shopping and great restaurants. Great town also for walking, downtown and uptown. Langley is a good stop. Tight little marina but the town is worth it. A fun adventure would be going through the Chittendon Locks to Kirkland. There is a public dock there but not my favorite. If the weather is good it can be noisy, if the weather is bad it can be very uncomfortable. Your judgement here. I also agree about Blake Island, might be worth considering on your way back. All in all, sounds like a great trip. --- Cary

[rogerbum]

Ludlow has a great marina, a new hotel, two decent restaurants, a small gift shop and a good golf course. I love it as a fairly quiet place to stay and often stop in when fishing Pt. No Point in the winter (fish in the AM, good lunch with a brew or drink at Port Ludlow to warm up).

I'd second the Blake Island recommendation. Kirkland has a lot of shopping and many good restaurants nearby. The Foghorn is particularly good and you can arrive by dock. I don't know if any of the marina's in Lake Union have guest moorage but Lake Union would be another fun place to visit - the Center for Wooden boats, many restaurants and easy access to the downtown malls (Westlake Center and Pacific Place) via the newly opened South Lake Union Street Car. Pleasant Harbor is one of my favorites. We first stayed there on our 15th anniversary (WAY before we had the dory - going on 27 this year). We did two nights at a houseboat from houseboats4two. We've since been back a few times on the C-Dory.

I haven't been to the Tacoma waterfront yet but that's on my list. You can walk to the glass museum from the marina and that sounds like fun.

[Pat Anderson]

OK, I can't really help, given your priorities. When you are ready to foresake the amenities and anchor up, here is the drill, reflecting our priorities - peace and quiet and good protection from the prevailing winds!

[dotnmarty]

Don't forget Coupeville.

[JamesTXSD]

We had a delightful time right in downtown Seattle at Bell Harbor...

http://www.portseattle.org/seaport/marinas/bellharbor/

It was a treat to be an "urban" boater for a few days, walking to Pike's Market and all around downtown Seattle; a completely different experience from exploring the area by car. Sometimes there are great treasures to be had right in your backyard when explored by water instead of land. And then for a night away from it all, I have to second Pat's suggestion of Blakely Harbor, across the Sound from Seattle - peaceful and scenic.

It sounds like a great time, however you decide to do it!

Best wishes,
Jim B.

[Dene]

Great suggestions so far....thanks.

Sounds like it's a toss up between Portl Ludlow and Port Townsend. We'll definitely stop at Port Ludlow. We've been to Townsend, catching the ferry out of there. Nice town.

Pat.... Andrews Bay. Is that a state park? Is there guest moorage available? Blakely Harbor. That's on Bainbridge...correct? We haven't visited it yet this winter but we intend to. We did poke into Blake Island in Oct. but it was sardine city in there. We'll give it another try this winter.

I'm sure open to other sites. My boat cruises comfortably at 25 mph so we don't intend to trawler speed anywhere, like we do in our Carver. We prefer to spend the day, stopping/exploring many places, so all points of interest between moorages are of interest to us.

-Greg

[Pat Anderson]

Andrews Bay is not a park itself, it is a little bit south of the I-90 floating bridge, one side of the bay is Seward Park. No facilities I know of, you have to anchor, but of course you can dinghy to shore in Seward Park. There might be a restroom ashore, I don't know (Peter or Caryn?). It is one of the very few places where you can legally anchor in Lake Washington. Blakely Harbor is just THE most scenic view of downtown Seattle, peaceful and well protected, a great spot to anchor up. There is a little park there, don't know if it is a City or County Park, you can go ashore but there are no facilities. If you can tolerate a night without a dock, shore amenities or shopping, these are both great spots!

[Auklet]

Greg -- Save the guesswork, get yourself a copy of "The Burgee" from Pierside Publishing Co. Has everything you need to travel the Salish Sea (Puget Sound, etc.). We have traveled these waters for many years and wouldn't be without it. There are other books but this one is the most practical and up to date. -- Cary

[Jazzmanic]

Yes Pat, there are public bathrooms that you can use in the park. Just dinghy ashore as you suggested.

[Hunkydory]

This does seem to be a cruising style enjoyed by many, but posting and discussing it on this forum is taking the idea of a Grand Adventure to a whole nother level.

I have a feeling my Bayliner and Renell boat owning friends who feel they have been insulted more than once by the C-Dory Community and who I know read and overall enjoy this site are getting quite a chuckle out of the planning priorities set in this adventure.

Oh, I do realize that all of us have different ideas of what constitute an adventure and I'm fine with it being described as such especially with the planned exploration and shore stops during the day along the way. But under Grand, when no anchoring and a night spot with shopping is a must.

This is not in anyway meant to be a criticism of the planned cruise only it being a wonderful example of a boat cruising oxymoron

Jay