Ah, the dawn of the high cruising season around the Salish Sea. It’s always an exciting time to make plans for where you’ll travel and what you might explore when you get there, and also a great chance to start getting out there! For us, finding and enjoying lovely boat-accessed hikes sits near the top on the list of priorities, and our experiences with that pursuit are what this column seeks to illuminate. Before pointing the bow farther afield when you’ve got maximum daylight and more consistently pleasant weather, many cruisers take advantage of springtime to embark on a few shorter trips i ..read more

We are devotees of Washington’s waters and shorelines and active users/appreciators of the State Parks, and thus are excited to share a cool opportunity for this weekend! As a proud member of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will co-host the annual Washington Coast Cleanup on April 20.  This year’s event will take place at 10 state parks: Cape Disappointment, Fort Flagler, Fort Townsend, Fort Worden, Grayland Beach, Mystery Bay, Ocean City, Pacific Beach, Shine Tidelands, and Twin Harbors ..read more

In our latest My Boat column, we’d like to introduce you to Casey Wilkinson and his sweet looking Didi 23, Koru. After searching for several years for a sailboat that he could use with his family, Casey decided to build the boat by himself from a set of plans, starting in May of 2020 and launching in October of 2022. He wanted something that had enough room to sleep four, had a separate enclosed head, decent headroom, and could be trailered and launched easily. With its raising keel, the Didi 23 design ticked those boxes beautifully, and can fit on a low trailer and be launched at almost any r ..read more

Well known around the Pacific Northwest, the 160-foot Schooner Zodiac will celebrate its 100th birthday at an Open House on Sunday, May 19th, at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in Fairhaven from 11 a.m – 4 p.m. The ship operates from March to October with varied trips from student groups to themed trips into the San Juan Islands to 3-hour sails on Bellingham Bay. Celebrating a 100th birthday is a remarkable feat for a wooden vessel, and some special events have been planned to commemorate the event. Displays highlighting Zodiac’s history and the ship itself will be open for deck tours ..read more

» Weems & Plath BRIGHTWind Knowing that real estate is limited on the top of the mast, Weems & Plath set out to create the world’s first ultrasonic wind sensor/LED triColor/LED anchor light combination—and they did it! Aptly named, BRIGHTWind, this unique, state-of-the-art pairing combines the ultra-low-powered, non-mechanical wind sensor (created by Spanish manufacturer, Calypso Instruments) with Weems & Plath’s powerful, yet energy efficient, LX TriColor/Anchor LED Navigation Light with Strobe and Photodiode. This combination was designed exclusively for sailors seeking unparalle ..read more

In our latest Throwback Thursday, we jump back to the March 2018 “Learn to Sail” issue of 48° North with some timeless tips on choosing a sailing school by Stu Gilfillen. The famed author John Rousmarine once wrote, “The idea of sailing a boat upon the sea can seduce even the happiest farmer or mountain climber.” While the folks at FarmersOnly.com don’t seem to have jumped on the sailing bandwagon yet, I would agree with John that sailing is a sport with broad appeal that is accessible to everyone. However, distinguishing between types of sailing or various educational opportunities can somet ..read more

A windy day on Johnstone Strait. After cruising the British Columbia and Alaska coasts for more than 40 years, we’ve reached the conclusion that some of the best cruising lies just north of Cape Caution. The problem is getting there, and then successfully rounding this notorious promontory. British Columbia’s Cape Caution is at the southwest corner of the British Columbia mainland across Queen Charlotte Strait from the northern tip of Vancouver Island, where the more protected waters east of the island meet the Pacific Ocean.   Cape Caution is intimidating to many boaters, due in no small ..read more

The Bellingham Yacht Club launches the 2024 boating season on May 4 with an afternoon “Here Comes the Sun” boat parade for all and special events for members and dignitaries throughout the day. Membership is not needed to join in the parade. “BYC is a year-round social as well as boating club,” explained Mike Unger, Fleet Captain. “We are mostly volunteer operated, so it’s easy to get involved and make new friends, just like in 1925 when the Club started with fifty members and ten boats.” Anniversaries are on tap this year as the Bellingham Yacht Club celebrates the 50th renown Pitch Rega ..read more

Shopping for a new sailboat or considering changing the current setup onboard your own boat to provide extra space behind the engine? Since the dawn of inboard engines aboard vessels, sailboats have been equipped with direct drive propulsion and it has proven to be a success in design and function over the years. But nowadays, almost a third of new boats are being built with a saildrive. So, what’s the big deal? Are they something to run away from? Are they better than the tried-and-true direct drive system most of us know well? What are the pros and cons of each, and which would you want to h ..read more

In our latest destinations installment courtesy of SalishSeaPilot.com‘s Lynne Picard and Jim Burgoyne, we discover some of the many anchorages in the Broughton Archipelago. When one studies nautical charts detailing the many islands and inlets in and around the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park, it can be daunting to decide on a cruising itinerary, especially if you are limited for time. If it’s your first visit, you may turn to a library of cruising guides — which might even include ours! — to read about all the anchorages and docks, and then head for those that sound best. It’s a bit ov ..read more