Orcas Landing dock space.

R

Robbi

New member
Just got a copy of this article about Orcas Landing, a new public dock space near the Orcas Island Ferry Dock. This is good news for all who cruise in the San Juans. It is free to moore for up to 4 hours, not sure what businesses are close by, but it will provide a stopping point for walks, bike rides, dog walks and picking up or dropping off friends at the ferry dock.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isw/business/38252989.html

Robbi
 
Be watchful of the wakes at that dock. Especially the outside of the dock. The ferry dock is next door and that channel is a transit channel for large yachts, who don't want to slow down for the dock.
 
I am not sure if this is the dock located just West of the terminal. We have stopped in there a few times and the water is a little rough. The dock I am thinking of is parallel with the shore and cost $5.00. The primary issue we noticed was a steady on shore wind, which along with the chop made getting away more fun than needed.
If this new dock is on the other side of the terminal and if it runs out from the shore, it would be much more user friendly.

Also, FYI that grant money came from gas tax collected from folks like us who did not seek the tax back from the state at year end.
 
In the '90s when we had our CD22 we would stop at the run down store at the top of the ferry dock for Dove Bars. Last summer on our first trip to the San Juans in our new-to-us '89 NT26, we stopped there looking for bait and were pleased to find the store under new ownership and nicely renovated.

The new owner stocks local organic salad greens and veggies, giant portabellas, oyster mushrooms and other exotic produce as well as great breads, nice wines, even wasabi and sushi rice! The best surprise was the reasonable prices! I found all the makings for some memorable meals - all I needed was the crab.

When I asked about bait, the owner promised to set aside a box for me when the delivery truck came the following day. It was waiting for me the next morning - a 10# box of chicken backs for $9.99 - less than most marina stores.

The store owner has been paying the former owners of the landing a fee to allow boaters to tie up free for an hour while shopping. I hope this business does well with the new public dock. It is the kind of privately owned store I like to support my own neighborhood and a pleasant discovery when out traveling. Worth patronizing even just for a good ice cream bar!
 
Thanks, Robbi. I stopped at that dock last August to pick up a pal at 8 p.m. The signs weren't very friendly, and shouted that I need to pay a bunch of money or get lost. My feelings were hurt.

It's good to know that's all history. This year I'll look for the fireworks, the excitation, the band, the tears, the conviviality and the frenzied joy that rightfully should embrace every arriving C-Dory. :note

Short of that, a couple cleats would do.
 
Catman":3m8b0w8e said:
Thanks, Robbi. I stopped at that dock last August to pick up a pal at 8 p.m. The signs weren't very friendly, and shouted that I need to pay a bunch of money or get lost.
Click to expand...

We encountered a similar welcome???? summer of '07. There were no signs in place stating the need to pay any fee. We picked up a friend of ours who wanted to take a short cruise on "Sea Shift" while she waited for the ferry. When we returned to the dock some guy came down to the dock to "fleece us" of our money. I told him we were only letting our passenger off and were not planning to tie up. He was not helpful at all in fending us from the dock as the waves from a passing boat was slamming us into the dock. Then after we off loaded our passenger he "fleeced" her for a few bucks. Needless to say I was just a bit p------ off and had it not been such a hassle to return to the dock, I would have gone back and escalated the situation as there was absolutely no indication that he was even authorized to charge any amount of money. Additionally, he wasn't even gentleman enough to offer the young lady passenger of ours a hand as she stepped from our vessel to the dock.

At that moment I determined that I'd never set foot on that dock. However, given the information of a new realm of kindness present, I will reconsider and stop in for ice cream.... :) .
 
Not Orcas related but I noticed a report on Waggoner's website that the the Blakely Island store has been sold and closed and the marina is no longer accepting transients. Maybe that will change later in the year.
 
Do you have a link to the Waggoners article? I looked at their site quickly but didn't see anything. I always liked stopping by Blakely for pizza and ice cream since it is so close to our cabin on Decatur.
 
Dam, I just made a few call's to find out the details of whats going on out there. Blakely is one of our favorite overnight spots. It was the first over night in the Susan E when she was new. The store is closed for the winter but moorage is open right now. The store may or may not be open this summer. Maybe limited hour only with moorage open for guest. Look like the store was loosing money, 50k+ a year. The Home owners Ass. owns the store now and even thu the would like to keep it open it does not make money. last year it was being ran by collage kids and to many of them. They are maybe looking to hire part time help in exchange for room and board and maybe a little salary. Good opportunity for a retired couple that likes to boat. I may have to think on it my self. Susan has been after me to quit her job and hit the road for a few years. For the right person this could be great. For those of us that love to overnight there it sucks if it does not reopen.
 
20dauntless,

Sorry, it is in the 2009 Waggoner's on page 113, not on the web site. I just got off the phone with the person responsible for the marina and he was surprised about the Waggoner's report. He said he "didn't know who they talked to" and said yes the store is now closed, the operator defaulted on their contract but they hope to have the store open this season and will operate it themselves if they cannot find a lessee. The restaurant will likely be minimal, probably no liquor sales but ice cream should be available. Fuel will be available and transient moorage as well.

I'm glad you asked about this because it made me go back and double check. I am a little concerned that Waggoner's had bad data but with publication delays I suppose it is inevitable.

So, we can still go to Blakely, get ice cream and sit on the wall watching boats traverse the pass.
 
I hope the Orcas Landing docks work out. If they are the ones I am thinking of, across from the Shaw Island ferry landing, the two times I tried to land there it was a very unfriendly place. Couldn't even tie up. Always ended up tying up over at Shaw and buying supplies. Decrepit docks but the people were friendly. And always made it a rule to walk down the road to the little hut with the bench and make an entry in the journal.
 
Caryn and I stopped off at the docks at Orcas Landing last summer and they were quite friendly to us. We initially tied up on the outside but noticed that the Islander Express ferries used that side of the dock so we moved to the inside.

If the docks you are referring to are the docks to the west of the Ferry Dock and the store, we easily tied up and inquired at the office as to whether there was a fee or not. We were told it cost $5 to moor for a couple of hours, no problem. Now it sounds like it will be even easier, as in FREE. :D
 
Peter, that sounds about right. Perhaps it's just me, but I never like to pay for dock time when I am at the dock to spend money. The grocery store is one of the best close to the dock stores in Washington waters and the local government, business community just made things better 8) .
 
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