Back On The Water Again!

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Back On The Water Again!





I'm back on the water again
Out where a fish is a friend
And the Orcas jump and play
while the Humpbacks splash and spray
I'm back on the water again.

Ridin' the waves once more
Where the rocks do line the shore
And the winds will often roar
Back on the water again

Whoopi-ty-aye-oh
Rockin' to and fro
Back on the water again
Whoopi-ty-aye-yay
I go my way
Back on the water again


Port of Kingston


We launched the boat at Kingston Washington and spent a two days getting her sea ready.  This entailed laying in the required stores, setting up all the systems and verifying proper operation as well as stashing the truck and trailer in their storage spots for the duration of our Pacific Northwest cruise.  It all came together.  It sure felt good to cast off the lines and head out on Puget Sound.  


Sea Scouts Returning from Cruise

Almost immediately we spotted a friend on AIS. (AIS is a system which tracks and displays other vessels on your chart plotter screen - Very handy to avoid collisions when there is limited visibility.)  The friend was non other than my grandson returning from a 2 week cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet on the local Sea Scout Ship.  He is Bosun on that vessel and just having a wonderful time.  One of their gigs is to ferry Boy Scout Troops out to various camping spots on the islands which dot this area.  We pulled alongside, exchanged pleasantries and didn't delay their return to their home berth.


Everett Marina

Our first stop was at Everett Marina.  It has changed considerably since our last visit.  The Marina is in a big redevelopment zone that was formerly occupied by a lumber processing plant.  It is being tastefully civilized with mixed residential and commercial development. We were impressed with how well it flowed and worked together. One very attractive feature was the walking promenades which were filled with people stretching their legs and getting exercise.  Loved it!


Sailing Vessel Adventuress

From Everett we cruised for almost 5 hours to Hope Island, near Deception Pass.  Along the way the schooner Adventuress glided by headed south.  



The Shore of Hope Island

We found that most boater pass Hope Island in a rush to get through Deception pass as slack water.  While that is important, sometimes it is nice to stop and see what else might be intriguing. Even we didn't go ashore as we were there for just one night and had arrived late in the day.  As it is a Washington State Marine Park it had 3 or four mooring balls to which one could tie.  We choose to just chill and enjoy some downtime on the boat.  We could see a picnic table and fire rings on shore as well as a trail heading inland.  We will return to explore it more thoroughly.


This is the beach at which you would land to explore on shore.
Note the picnic table in the trees on the right side of the photo.

From Hope Island we headed to La Conner.  This is one of our favorite stops, so we stayed 2 nights.  My Daughter got me a gift certificate for the "Pie Dive Bar" in town.  Their specialty is PIE!  All kinds!  They have meat pies and fruit pies.  We had their Thanksgiving Pie which contained dressing, turkey, cranberries, and potatoes.  It was Thanksgiving dinner in a pie shell!  For dessert we had Humble Crumble pie.  This was filled with apples and a medley of berries.  We left full and it was delicious.  Do stop by for a unique culinary treat if near by.


Thanksgiving Pie!


Humble Crumble Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream




So this is the start of our summer of 2026 exploration of the Salish Sea.  You may wonder what that is.  Here is the definition:

"The Salish Sea is an intricate inland marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean located in the Pacific Northwest, spanning the border between Washington State in the U.S. and British Columbia in Canada.

Key Components

The Salish Sea combines three primary bodies of water:

  • Puget Sound (Washington) 
  • Strait of Georgia (British Columbia) 
  • Strait of Juan de Fuca (separating Washington's Olympic Peninsula from Vancouver Island)
It also encompasses major archipelagos like the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands."

So Yes!  We are off to explore the Salish Sea.  Hope you can join us! 

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Your Tour Guides for exploring the Salish Sea



Skipper Mike


Admiral/Navigator Beth

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