In early June we visited the Silverdale Marina. We had departed our home port of Tacoma on June 1st for an extended cruise – we had no set itinerary but planned to stay in the central Puget Sound area before heading north later.
We were thinking about locations in the area we’d visited before: Blake Island State Park, Poulsbo, Bremerton, Eagle Harbor, etc. At some point we realized that we had never taken that turn up into Dyes Inlet to visit Silverdale. Not sure why but we certainly hadn’t heard anyone talking about it as a cruise destination.
We got out our Waggoner Cruising Guide to scope out the location and read about Dyes Inlet and the Silverdale Marina. The write-up gave us the information we needed and we headed toward Rich Passage, and then to Washington Narrows.
We were pleasantly surprised! We were the only boat at the marina, and both the power and the water were shut off. We weren’t bothered by that, as we were there for just one night and didn’t require either. The small Old Town Silverdale area is quite nice, and we found a great place with outdoor seating for lunch. (Kettlefish is on our list for very good fish and chips!) We walked to Waterfront Park well as the Clear Creek Trail and Interpretive Center.
Sometimes it’s difficult to get out of our comfort zone and experience a new place. We’re glad we did, and we know we can count on Waggoner to help us get there. We’ll be back!
P.S. As we began to turn right into Washington Narrows, approaching Bremerton’s Manette Bridge, I noticed some activity in Sinclair Inlet. I used the binoculars and realized these were Navy boats escorting a submarine out of the shipyard. A submarine! (I’ve always wanted to see one while boating.) Even though we were heading away from the action, we were approached by a Navy vessel (with manned machine gun), hailed, and notified to stand off. We feel this was strictly a “courtesy call,” as we were a safe distance off and, as I mentioned, heading away from the convoy. Fun!
Janine and Nick Mott (on Europa, a Ranger Tugs 29)
Europa at Silverdale Marina
Dyes Inlet