When cruising Puget Sound, getting away from civilization is easy, yet major cities — Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, and Bellingham — and their amenities are always close by. Views toward Mt. Rainier, the 14,410-foot snow-capped volcano, dominate many vistas. Islands and peninsulas tend to be tree-covered or pastoral. Calmer waters are found in the south — good for year-round cruising — and the meteorological convergent zone in the north can cause weather and sea conditions to change. Marine parks, museums, many marinas, and cozy anchorages mean you’ll always have something fun to see and do while boating in Puget Sound.
Top Destinations
South Puget Sound
Olympia • Case Inlet • Carr Inlet • Tacoma Narrows
Central Puget Sound
Gig Harbor • Tacoma • Vashon Island • Seattle • Bremerton • Poulsbo • Bainbridge Island
North Puget Sound
Kingston • Admiralty Inlet • Port Ludlow • Port Townsend • Edmonds • Everett • Langley •Saratoga Passage • Coupeville
Skagit Bay to Bellingham Bay
Oak Harbor • La Conner • Deception Pass • Anacortes • Bellingham
Lummi Bay to Point Roberts
Semiahmoo Bay • Blaine • Point Roberts
Plan Out Your Trip
Puget Sound is fully covered in the latest Waggoner Cruising Guide. It provides all you need about marinas, anchorages, passages, and attractions. Plan your day’s route with the guide’s detailed planning maps. Get your copy of the Waggoner Cruising Guide book!
Plus, there’s more to help you plan a great cruise through Puget Sound. Read on…
Historic Vessel from NWMC – Center Stage in Museum Exhibit
The following is a Notice from the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, located at 431 Water Street. The NWMC offers programs, educational seminars, and classes in traditional boat building. They support the Annual Wooden Boat Festival, races, regattas, and...
Historic English Sailing Vessel, Tally Ho, Being Refurbished at Port Townsend
Leo Sampson Goolden, a boatbuilder, sailor, and writer from Bristol, England is rebuilding the historic 112-year-old sailing yacht, the Tally Ho. The 48-foot yacht was designed by Albert Strange and built in West Sussex, England. Tally Ho History. The long, varied...
Foreign-Flagged Boats in Washington Waters – Did You Know?
Did you know that foreign-flagged vessels (except for Canadian vessels) must have a “pilot” onboard when cruising in Washington waters unless you have applied for and received an exemption from the WA Board of Pilotage Commissioners? A quote from the Pilotage...
New Breakwater Coming to Port Orchard
The Port of Bremerton’s Port Orchard Marina has embarked on the replacement of its North and East Breakwaters for the coming two-year period. The nearly 50-year-old breakwater has reached its service life, and it’s no longer cost effective to continue with temporary...
New Breakwater with Guest Moorage at Poulsbo
The new Poulsbo breakwater, including moorage slips, is expected to be available to visiting boaters by mid- to late-September, 2023. The newly installed breakwater is currently awaiting the arrival of finger piers for the creation of 47 moorage slips. The new...
Melanie’s Park – Thea Foss Waterway
There is a new park on the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma opening in the spring of 2024. It is named Melanie’s Park, honoring the late Melanie Dressel (1952-2017), a local banker and community leader. The park site, once home to a steam plant, is located between The...
Pies, Coffee Shops, and Breweries – Everett Marina’s Latest Eateries
Have you walked the plazas, eaten at the cafes, or sat around the fountain lately at the Port of Everett Marina campus? You may be surprised to discover the many new eateries, services, and new buildings that are popping up in the five different districts around the...
The Challenge – Zero Emissions Pump Out
Instructors and students at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Hadlock have come up with a unique solution for mobile pump-out services – a self-contained solar/electric pump-out unit that can be loaded onto an existing workboat for seasonal...
A Jewel in Puget Sound
For the Touch of Gray crew, Gig Harbor ticks most boxes. We enjoy the desolation of British Columbia Canada and the solitude of the San Juan Islands, but when sticking closer to home and still wanting to get away from it all, we motor to Gig Harbor and drop the...
Watch Captain Program – Special Yacht Club Welcome
If you are a yacht club member, you likely have reciprocal moorage privileges with many other yacht clubs in the PNW and beyond. While use of reciprocal moorage is usually similar to docking at a marina’s guest float, the Port Ludlow Yacht Club (PLYC) wants your stay...
#MindTheZone – Floatplanes in Seattle’s Lake Union Safety Campaign
Boaters are reminded that the floatplane zone on Lake Union in Seattle will once again be busy with planes arriving and departing along the designated operations area. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, a line of 5 lighted buoys extends north from the Museum of History...
1,000 Yards from Southern Resident Killer Whales – Washington State Passes Bill
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended a 1,000-yard buffer in November 2022 as part of a legislative report. In January of 2023, a Bill requiring recreational boaters to remain 1,000 yards from Southern Resident Killer Whales was introduced to the...
Molo Moorage Reservation System – Latest Trend in the NW
Reserving guest transient moorage space at your favorite marina is about to get better, thanks to the help of a company called Molo. Molo’s marina management software makes it easier for the marina to offer online moorage space reservations. A number of marinas in our...
Skagit Bay Search And Rescue
Ever wonder what happens when you call 911 from your boat with an emergency message? If you are in the waters of Skagit County, there is a good chance that the next vessel you see will be an agile aluminum blue and grey boat with flashing red/yellow lights and “SKAGIT...
DNR Ends Net Pen Fish Farms
In mid-November 2022, Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands, announced that commercial finfish net pens would be prohibited on state-owned aquatic lands managed by DNR (Department of Natural Resources). Environmental studies and reports have determined that...