Looking for nice overnight cruises from Seattle / Everett

[redbaronace]

Trying to explore the Puget Sound area and wanting to take some baby steps to get started with this whole cruising lifestyle. We did make a run to San Juans (East Sound) where we stayed for a week but not overnight on the boat.

We also made the trip to LaConner C-Brat gathering where we slept 2 nights aboard. That was our first overnight experience onboard.

Our next stop will be this weekend to Langley where we will stay overnight. Local Boy said this was a nice close in location.

In a few weeks we hope to visit Alderbrook Lodge where we will sleep aboard for 2 nights at their dock. This is a place we have stayed before, but never overnight on the boat.

My question, is if people could provide recommendations on short 1 or 2 night cruises from the Seattle area. If you can include where you would dock and what we might expect to do once we arrive would be great. We have no dingy, so we are really wanting suggestions where we can dock safely overnight with shore power preferred.

Given that our trips will only be 1 or 2 nights, we would like to keep the commute under 2 hours (each way).

Looking forward to hearing your answers.

 

[DaveS]

My question, is if people could provide recommendations on short 1 or 2 night cruises from the Seattle area.
Given that our trips will only be 1 or 2 nights, we would like to keep the commute under 2 hours (each .

Port Orchard and Poulsbo offer good marina facilities plus the convenience of quaint communities to explore. (Be certain to wander into the bakery in Poulsbo). Blake Island offers a feel of remoteness very close to Seattle with fantastic views of the Seattle skyline and Mt. Rainier. (No shore power at Blake Island). All three of these locations are within your 2 hour commute timeframe if you depart from Seattle.....Port Orchard is a bit over 2 hours from Everett unless you have near flat water and throttle up. Add Kingston to your list and of course consider Edmonds.
Don't forget that Bell Harbor Marina at the Seattle waterfront can be a fun way to spend the night while exploring the bright city lights. (Easy strolls to Pikes Place Market and a stone's throw from the new Seattle Ferris Wheel).

 

[rogerbum]

I'll second Dave's recommendation of Bell Harbor. It's a great place to stay and you can wander around the Seattle water front. There's a large number of very good restaurants in the area and you can even catch a bus or cab (or take a long walk) to a Mariners game.

Kingston has a farmers market on Saturdays and they have carnival there once a year also (don't know the dates but it can be fun if you have kids).

Tacoma has nice moorage and you can visit the glass museum that is near there.

I've made a few trips over to Port Ludlow. They have a very nice marina with an adjacent hotel and restaurant. There's also a nearby golf course.

I've also made a run over to Brinnon. That's a very cozy little harbor and it's fairly near to good oyster gathering (when permitted - best is in spring IMHO). They have a pool and jacuzzi and you can get a pretty good pizza there. We also spent a wedding anniversary (pre-C-Dory) in the floating "House-Boats for Two" operation there.

 

[ddenver]

Good morning Brian. Hope you, Sun, and the kids are all well.

As Dave stated Poulsbo is a nice stopover. Kingston is also a nice location and an easy cruise from your side of the pond. Both Kingston and Poulsbo offer an easy walk to the real nearby down town areas. Bremerton Marina, a bit more urban, is a very nice marina and the city of Bremerton has done a lot to upgrade the nearby marina local.

Alderbrook is a pretty location but the dock sometimes gets busy and fills up on weekends. It's also a real long way down the Hood Canal if going by water from Seattle or Everett. Not necessarily a problem if you have the time though. Fuel is only available in certain locations over on the Hood Canal (Pleasant Harbor has fuel as does Union just west of Alderbrook).

Pleasant Harbor Marina on the way down the canal in Brinnon is a also a very pretty and scenic location along the way south towards Alderbrook.

Both Alderbrook and Pleasant Harbor are fairly quiet w/ limited stuff to do nearby (within walking distance), but both have a pool for the kids and small restaurants or gift shops. Pleasant Harbor has a small store w/ a grill and quite a few food items and usually a BBQ stand on weekends while Alderbrook Resort has a very limited hotel gift shop but the resort has a nice restaurant.

You will almost pass our place on the way down to Alderbrook (actually, you would go by the opposite side of the Toandos Peninsula as you pass Bangor Sub Base) so give us a heads-up if you are going to stop in Pleasant Harbor on your way. It's fairly close by.

Also, give us a yell if you plan to head to Kingston or Poulsbo as both are quite close also.


Take care,
Dan, Tanya, and Hannah on C-Renity

 

[colobear]

Dock Street marina in Tacoma (yes...Tacoma) is very nice, clean, good facilities, eager staff and really close to neat stuff for both adults and kids. It is immediately adjacent to the Glass Museum. That is a spectacular place to visit, on the other side of the same plaza is the state historical museum. That too is great fun, a lot more than stuffed heads. This is the place that has the Chihuly pedestrian "Bridge of Glass" over the freeway. You cross it to get to the the free light rail tram that runs up and down the street for a mile or two taking you to restaurants, a local brewery, etc. Just down the street is the newly opened Tacoma maritime museum. We have not been to it but it sound like it's worth a visit. We were very pleasantly surprised and plan to go back there again.

 

[dotnmarty]

Bell Harbor is top notch, if you can find space. Why not go thru the locks into Lakes Union and Washington? You could spend the night at Fisherman's terminal or at the marina next to it, Have a wonderful Sunday brunch buffet at Ivars Salmon House dock (call ahead for buffet reservations, the floating dock is long and open)Go thru the cut to Lake Washington and Kirkland's free docks.

 

[Pat Anderson]

If you are willing to anchor out and dinghy to shore instead of staying at a marina, you choices multiply immensely. One of our favorite in the Sound is Blakely Harbor, just across the Sound from Elliott Bay really, which affords peace and quiet, a wonderful night view of the Seattle skyline, and a lovely little park on shore. Highly recommended. Also try Blake Island, very close as well. Not sure where you are starting from, but if you can launch on Lake Washington, say at Magnusson Park, anchor out in Andrews Bay, and enjoy the walking path all the way around Seward Park. This is just about our favorite overnighter, because it is in fresh water. Launch on the Eastside at 40th Street boat launch in Bellevue. For marinas, we can second Barry's recommendation for the Dock Street Marina in Tacoma. Be sure to visit the Museum of Glass, and see the live glass blowing demonstration!

 

[redbaronace]

Good morning Brian. Hope you, Sun, and the kids are all well.

As Dave stated Poulsbo is a nice stopover. Kingston is also a nice location and an easy cruise from your side of the pond. Both Kingston and Poulsbo offer an easy walk to the real nearby down town areas. Bremerton Marina, a bit more urban, is a very nice marina and the city of Bremerton has done a lot to upgrade the nearby marina local.

Alderbrook is a pretty location but the dock sometimes gets busy and fills up on weekends. It's also a real long way down the Hood Canal if going by water from Seattle or Everett. Not necessarily a problem if you have the time though. Fuel is only available in certain locations over on the Hood Canal (Pleasant Harbor has fuel as does Union just west of Alderbrook).

Pleasant Harbor Marina on the way down the canal in Brinnon is a also a very pretty and scenic location along the way south towards Alderbrook.

Both Alderbrook and Pleasant Harbor are fairly quiet w/ limited stuff to do nearby (within walking distance), but both have a pool for the kids and small restaurants or gift shops. Pleasant Harbor has a small store w/ a grill and quite a few food items and usually a BBQ stand on weekends while Alderbrook Resort has a very limited hotel gift shop but the resort has a nice restaurant.

You will almost pass our place on the way down to Alderbrook (actually, you would go by the opposite side of the Toandos Peninsula as you pass Bangor Sub Base) so give us a heads-up if you are going to stop in Pleasant Harbor on your way. It's fairly close by.

Also, give us a yell if you plan to head to Kingston or Poulsbo as both are quite close also.


Take care,
Dan, Tanya, and Hannah on C-Renity

Hey Dan

We will try to coordinate a stop to see you if we are able to. We will be joined by Joe on his new c-dory 22 cruiser for this trip. We are headed to Alderbrook in order to Salmon fish the rivers (not from the boat) and hope to land some Kings on the trip. Oysters, crab, and kings will hopefully be Saturday's lunch menu.

Looking at the map, it appears that Alderbrook is quite a bit further than previously thought. Maybe it might make more sense to leave early on Friday if the journey will take more than 4 hours from port to pier. Will send you a PM as we get closer to finalizing our plans.

 

[C-Dawg]

... a local brewery...

Now you're talking! :beer

Also in the Tacoma area, just around Point Defiance is the Narrows Marina. A new brewery just opened up there and they have a most excellent tap room. Right next to it is a relatively new restaurant called Boathouse 19. They have a gorgeous bar made from relaimed lumber that was part of the Nalley's cannery in Tacoma.

And then there's Gig Harbor. Nice little town with the Seven Seas brewery within walking distance. Or have a nice lunch at the Tides Tavern. They have dock attendants to help tie up your boat, and they'll take your food order from your boat on the dock.

 

[Pat Anderson]

The brewery in Tacoma is called The Harmon, and it is one I like a lot! Of course the best brewery is in Snoqualmie, but it is a little hard to get a C-Dory up the Snohomish to the Skykomish, then up the Sky to the Snoqualmie, let alone up Snoqualmie Falls!

 

[Pat Anderson]

Missed the part about no dinghy, but that is easy to fix - get one! If you only stay at docks, you are missing out on some of the best boating experiences you can ever have!

 

[C-Dawg]

The Harmon really is a great brewery. There's a plaque hanging in there somewhere that was presented to Shirley and I during customer appreciation night several years ago. When you go into the bar portion, take notice of all the barstools with their beer labels on the seat. Shirley did all of those about 10 years ago, and they're still holding up rather well.

 

[DuckDogTitus]

people have already mentioned two of my favorite overnights so far:

Dock Street Marina (I believe won an award too!) great downtown location, wonderful people, clean facility, showers, etc. close to restaurants, brewery, bars The Swiss being my favorite.

Narrows Marina, recently renovated, very nice facility, easy access very nice restaurant (although perhaps a bit slow on the service side).

on our first "long" cruise of about 50 some miles we trekked into Eagle Harbor and docked at the city dock for pennies. I recommend it at least as a stop. very nice little bar/restaurant a short walk from the dock.

Tides Tavern in gig harbor is great and I love cruising into that little harbor and just seeing the boat community, but man that Tides dock always seems packed. hard to find parking.


next weekend we are planning further north to Port Ludlow, possibly to hit their golf course


this weekend the wife is out of town so I am thinking of staying at Dock St so i'm ready for the south sound salmon early sat morning

 

[redbaronace]

Thanks for the replies. To those who recommended a dingy, we do have one, but is is more of an inflatable raft with oars than something that I would feel comfortable entering and exiting with 2 young children.

The other issue is the lack of space for storing it. Ours came with the boat and included was an air pump. It seems like a major hassle to inflate it, deflate it, and store it every time it gets used. For those who know the Tomcat24, the roof is smaller than a 22 Cruiser. We also have a radar dome, crab pots rack, and rocket launchers up there which further reduce amount of room.

Have folks had issues with getting young children, heavy, or less mobile folks into and out of the inflatable. My only experience with rafts was as a child or on professionally guided tours (snorkeling, white water rafting, etc).

 

[DuckDogTitus]

Thanks for the replies. To those who recommended a dingy, we do have one, but is is more of an inflatable raft with oars than something that I would feel comfortable entering and exiting with 2 young children.

The other issue is the lack of space for storing it. Ours came with the boat and included was an air pump. It seems like a major hassle to inflate it, deflate it, and store it every time it gets used. For those who know the Tomcat24, the roof is smaller than a 22 Cruiser. We also have a radar dome, crab pots rack, and rocket launchers up there which further reduce amount of room.

Have folks had issues with getting young children, heavy, or less mobile folks into and out of the inflatable. My only experience with rafts was as a child or on professionally guided tours (snorkeling, white water rafting, etc).

I can't speak to children and rafts, but I would be hesitant as well. If you do venture into south sound I can show you where to throw those crab pots in Tacoma, we get a good haul every time.

 

[redbaronace]

Thanks for the replies. To those who recommended a dingy, we do have one, but is is more of an inflatable raft with oars than something that I would feel comfortable entering and exiting with 2 young children.

The other issue is the lack of space for storing it. Ours came with the boat and included was an air pump. It seems like a major hassle to inflate it, deflate it, and store it every time it gets used. For those who know the Tomcat24, the roof is smaller than a 22 Cruiser. We also have a radar dome, crab pots rack, and rocket launchers up there which further reduce amount of room.

Have folks had issues with getting young children, heavy, or less mobile folks into and out of the inflatable. My only experience with rafts was as a child or on professionally guided tours (snorkeling, white water rafting, etc).

I can't speak to children and rafts, but I would be hesitant as well. If you do venture into south sound I can show you where to throw those crab pots in Tacoma, we get a good haul every time.

Was going to try visiting Seattle (Bell Harbor) this weekend, but it was unfortunately fully booked for the days we wanted.

Perhaps we can venture to Tacoma in pursuit of crab and would take you up on your offer for crabbing. Only downside is the ride from Marysville to Tacoma over the water would probably take all day.