Blakely Island Marina

DuckDogTitus · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:38 am Post subject: Blakely Island Marina

is this it? just in the pass?

I was thinking about making a stop there this weekend but couldn't find an official website for the marina so I wasn't sure.

Leadbelly · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:42 am Post subject:

That's it. Great little marina and store.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blakely-Island-Marina/144873548881096

DuckDogTitus · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:45 am Post subject:

perfect, thanks! spending a few days in the SJ's with a buddy and thought it would be a good place to stop. saving the north side of the islands for next month with the wife. Beer

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:00 pm Post subject:

Just there last weekend. Nice place to stop and spent the night. great showers, free wifi at the store. Large grass yard to hang out on and watch the boats go by. Also great sunsets.

Watch the water depth coming in on a low tide. There is enough water if you stay to middle but its not very wide at low tide, one boat at a time. Also the wind in the marina can be a pain. It blows right down the dock and it can be hard to get a c dory to turn into the wind and moving before the wind pushes the bow around and into a boat. Got my first scratch on the 22 there. Solution is easy, back all the way out into the wind. Works just fine.

If you are going to fish there are several places near by. Obstruction pass on the out going tide is good. Fish from the 50 ft line inside the pass close to Deer point east to the 120 ft depth or the tide line. Then turn around and go the other way. After the tide change to incoming you can fish north to Buoy bay In 50 to 140 ft. Some times these fish are suspended off the bottom. On the incoming most people will run east to tide point and fish it. We got our one fish last week there. Nice 13 lbs king. Nothing to much but the three guides that were fishing with us got nothing.

For crab go to the west side of the island where the airport is and fish the flats there in 25 to 100 feet. You will see the pots. Do not set pots to far from shore as the current comes around the point and sweeps them away.

Well I hope that helps , have fun.

DuckDogTitus · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:05 pm Post subject:

that's perfect, thanks Tom!
that was more or less my plan, Obstruction to Tide point. I wasn't sure where we were going to drop the pots yet though.

Question on crabbing. usually I just come home the same day and cook up my crab fresh. if i'm out for a few days, what do you recommend? a simple cook solution at the marina or will they stay fresh on ice for another day or two? I'm just thinking if I catch crab friday and saturday but dont go home till Sunday I want to make sure it doesn't go bad. I'd like to be able to cook some up friday night but I'm not sure i have the means to do so on the boat.

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:27 pm Post subject:

Good question about the crab. They will stay on ice ALIVE for a day or two if you keep them cold. I prefer to cook and eat on the boat and then land some the last day to take home. If you cook them and keep them cold ( in bag on ice) they should keep for a few days. Its just a matter of keeping them cold.

Some people have been known to have a keeper pot for the weekend. Its a pot with out doors that you put your keepers in after catching them in other pots. Set in shallow water. Not sure on the legality of it??? I know that you can not keep or hold crab in a cage under the dock?? Many people with slips do.

If you halve your crab before cooking you can cook a limit in a small pot on the boat. We do it all the time.

chromer · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:30 pm Post subject:

I like that place. The fuel dock is long, and I tie up furthest from pump. We ducked in there during the afternoon wind. Stayed tied up for 3-hours.... nobody cared.

DaveS · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:17 pm Post subject:

I started to tie up on the outside of that dock once when I had the 16' C-Dory Cruiser. Someone in a large power cruiser cruised past in the middle of Obstruction Pass. Had I not been beside my boat to fend mu boat off, it would have ended up on top of the dock when his waves came rolling in.
The marina is a fantastic place to spend the night. We had a C-Brat Gathering there in 2003. It was the very first gathering for our "traveling" C-Brat Banner. I secured the banner to the side of our 16' so it was prominently displayed as we cruised into the marina. (2nd photo, page 5 of Blakely Island 2003, found under page 7 of Cruises and Events of the photo album).

hardee · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:18 am Post subject:

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

DuckDogTitus · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:56 am Post subject:

I just wanted to recap my visit to Blakely Island Marina this weekend.

we found the staff to be super pleasant. the marina, while small, was adequate. Friday and Saturday night they host an evening BBQ and the whole community shows up for burgers.

they have a nice covered area for cooking and provide some charcoal grills or you can bring your own.

the bathrooms appear to be somewhat recently renovated and the quarter showers were adequate.

the store had simple supplies. the food was delicious, and the coffee had gourmet offerings. i know i'm preaching to the choir for many of you, but for anyone who hasn't visited, its a quaint little stop I dont regret. not as much 'to do' as say Friday Harbor, but still a decent little marina with amenities, tackle, food, and fuel.

Dreamer · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:24 pm Post subject:

Agreed, Blakely is a nice stop. But, it is an island of private property and you can't just head down the road for a walk. Signs make it clear that you're to stay on Marina property while you're there. Tyboo did breach the fence once for a photo op!

Dreamer · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:35 pm Post subject:

Guess it wasn't just Tyboo! Naughty Joe...

PaulNBriannaLynn · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:59 pm Post subject:

We really like stopping here on our first trip to the san juans in our C-dory. It was also where we put the first scratch on her.. awwww memories! Smile

The tide was pushing really strong and I think I hadnt gotten used to the twins yet, so when trying to pull up to the back side of the fuel dock I scraped the barnacle crusted pillar with the back of the boat. Whoops!!

It really is a beautiful spot and nice to watch the other boats go by. We also noticed those guest docks are not protected at all from boat wakes, so Ill remember next time!

DuckDogTitus · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:58 pm Post subject:

yeah I learned real quick if stopping at the guest / fuel dock to roll around and tie up on the inland side of the dock!

still, one more marina to log in my mind as a stopping point if I need supplies. Good people make it worth visiting for a meal too.

dotnmarty · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:10 pm Post subject:

http://www.c-brats.com/albums/2003-Blakely/Rebel_Tyboo.jpg