The Boat Geeks

07/11/2024

Was walking past this new-to-the-marina Beneteau when I thought I saw a seal under the boat. Ha! It’s their bulb keel! The sun was at just the right angle to see it so clearly. S/V Flyer belongs to our old friends Jill and Barrett, who used to liveaboard a Baba 30 here. Nice to have them back!

06/11/2024

Double congrats to the happy couple! (First Anniversary and winning the monthly Tugnuts photo contest.)

Congrats to Tristen T., this month’s Tugnuts photo contest winner! Tristen and his wife celebrated their 1-year anniversary with a unique photoshoot at Blackstone Glacier in Prince William Sound on board their Cutwater C288! 🛥️📸

02/11/2024

Saturday morning…

02/11/2024

Yup, just the one fishing boat that left its lights on (since yesterday) lights up the whole dock. Good for security I guess!

02/11/2024

Our latest episode is out! Featuring Bruce Bateau, writer/rower/sailor of the “Close to the Water” articles in 48 North magazine.

The Boat Geeks #25 - Bruce Bateau ("Close to the Water") Recorded 9.8.24 at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat FestivalBruce is a small boat cruiser, and his enth...

01/11/2024

Who knew?! Well, the historical society knew… 😃

It's Prime Meridian Day! 🧭
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Did you know the Prime Meridian played a key role in maritime navigation? 🌍
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Although it wasn't officially adopted until the 19th century, its use—along with the invention of the marine chronometer—allowed sailors to finally measure longitude accurately, revolutionizing ocean travel. ⚓
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This advancement made long-distance voyages during and after the Age of Exploration safer and more reliable!
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31/10/2024

Now THAT’S a rainbow!

Today.

31/10/2024

Anyone else have a nautical pumpkin out there? Share your photos!

30/10/2024

Well, will you look at that? (Image taken 8 hours after the previous post.) Our lovely Tuesday has continued with now a very pleasant autumnal evening. This has been a good day!

29/10/2024

Enjoying a perfectly lovely late October Tuesday morning in the marina. Hope yours is equally as nice!

29/10/2024

Well, there is certainly no shortage of opinions (in the original post’s comments) on what could/should be done with Rosario and why it can/won’t work. Nonetheless, we hope something works out!

Recent challenges have resurrected long-standing questions and highlighted the uninviting economics of one of the Pacific Northwest’s popular tourist spots.

24/10/2024

RBAW members! The in-person Annual Meeting was previously full. However, they’ve secured a larger room at the Tacoma Yacht Club and can now accommodate 30 more people! RBAW members register here: https://rbaw.org/event-5897735 (and you can still attend via Zoom.)

Ahoy boaters! RBAW members are invited to our 2024 Annual Meeting on Saturday, November 9th at Tacoma Yacht Club. We’ll be going over our accomplishments, challenges, and strategies on how we can sustain RBAW’s impact on recreational boating.

Not a member? Make your boating voice heard and join today!!

If joining us in-person, please rsvp by October 31.

24/10/2024

If you’re a Seattle/Lake Washington boater and not a Huskies fan, you still might want to put these home football games on your boating calendar!

LAKE WASHINGTON SHIP CANAL – BRIDGE NOTICE

The Coast Guard has approved a temporary deviation from the normal operating schedule that governs the Montlake Street Bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal, mile 5.2. The Montlake Street Bridge need not open the draw for marine vessels during heavy road traffic for the 2024 University of Washington football games on the following dates and times:

November 2, 2024 – from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
November 15, 2024 – from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from 9:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

This deviation will allow the Montlake Bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position before and after each game.

The Montlake Bridge in the closed-to-navigation position provides 30 feet of vertical clearance throughout the navigation channel, and 46 feet of vertical clearance throughout the center 60 feet of the bridge; vertical clearance references to the Mean Water Level of Lake Washington.

Vessels which do not require a bridge opening may continue to transit beneath this bridge during the closure. The bridge will be required to open, if needed, for vessels engaged in emergency response operations during this closure period.

The Coast Guard will publish any updates or changes to this operating schedule in future LNM (Local Notice to Mariners) publications once game times are announced.

For more information on these events contact Colleen Kelly at [email protected].

23/10/2024

So many words and phrases have nautical origins. Hadn’t heard this one before, but it sure makes sense!

Did you know the word "landmark" has a nautical origin? ⚓
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Historically, sailors used prominent natural or man-made features along coastlines—known as landmarks—to guide them through treacherous waters, long before modern navigation tools like GPS existed. These landmarks helped sailors determine their position, avoid hazards, and find safe passage into harbors.
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Over time, the term evolved from its maritime roots to refer to any notable feature on land that helps guide or orient people. 🗺️
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20/10/2024

Our anemometer yesterday around noon (gust over 60) and today (gust of 53). At least we got sleep last night when it was the calm between wind storms. And yes, this pales in comparison to the folks in the SE that had to endure back-to-back hurricanes!

20/10/2024

The boat that was on the rocks is now afloat. TowBoatUS vessel Ariel with two saves on the day! (They also re-anchored MV Badger). Salish Rescue Port Townsend has been quite busy, too. Along with several others in the northern Puget Sound region. Good work, one and all!

19/10/2024

Wow, dealing with everything on our dock we didn’t even notice this! Just a few hundred yards away (between the fuel dock and restaurant) this poor person ended up on the rocks at some point. Image by Jessie Short.