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It's time to start planning your participation in this year's Puget Sound, End to End run, scheduled for the weekend of August 28-29.
While some of us will make the run from the north end of Puget Sound (Port Townsend area) to Olympia and back, others are warmly invited to join the fleet along the way--or just for sections of the 200-mile round trip, as members have done in past years.
The basic idea is to convoy down the Sound on Saturday, making it to Olympia by that afternoon. During the previous End to End runs, we've overnighted one of the Marine State Parks in South Sound--either Jarrell's Cove, on Hartstene Island, or Penrose Point, near McNeil Island--after making Olympia in the late afternoon.
A likely participant in this year's Puget Sound, End to End run will be Tim Jones...making his on-the-water debut with the remarkable 31-foot Skagit Saratogan--which he's been restoring over the past 20 years. (More updates on Tim's schedule as we get closer to August 28-29.) Needless to say, if the Saratogan makes the trip, you won't want to miss an opportunity to photograph the biggest Skagit underway, get the grand tour and maybe even go for an evening cruise aboard the Saratogan on Saturday.
In past years, the general schedule has gone like this: Some boats leave the Port Townsend area by about 9 a.m. Saturday, rendezvousing with others who join in the Edmonds-to-Seattle area by 11 a.m. We then cruise past Blake Island, south through Colvos Passage, meeting members who might join the fleet in the Tacoma-Gig Harbor area, and then proceed south through the Tacoma Narrows. A standard pit stop is Day Island Marina, just south of the Narrows on the Tacoma side, where some of us refuel at about 1 p.m. before heading into South Puget Sound. The cruise through South Sound goes alongside scenic Eagle Island and meanders to Olympia, where we gather at the city's public docks--either for the night, or to decide where we want to overnight in South Sound. (The overnighting destination usually depends on when we reach Olympia: If we get there late in the day, we might overnight in Olympia, but if we hit the State Capitol by mid-afternoon, members usually want to press on to one of the Marine State Parks...since they're quieter and more scenic when it comes to overnighting.)
Weather and water conditions are usually ideal at this time of the year, of course, and the August 28-29 date was picked because we'll experience moderate tides and currents. If you've ever wanted to have a scenic mini-adventure, this is a great opportunity...and it's always nice to make longer runs like this using the buddy system. (We'll share cell numbers before leaving, try to provide more details, and everyone with a VHF will monitor Channel 69 so that we can stay in touch as we head south and make the return run northbound.)
Finally, for now, and speaking of the buddy system, we'll cruise at the comfort level of the slowest boat in our fleet, sticking together. If we know in advance that our average cruising speed is going to be slower, some of us who are starting farther north may leave earlier, so that we can make Olympia as a fleet before Saturday night. And some of us may choose to extend the cruise into Monday, but as always, it'll depend on who participates and what members want to do...or where they want to cruise.
If you think you might want to participate, please respond here. Or if you have questions, fire away!
Below are some random shots from past Puget Sound, End to End runs.
Hope to see a record number of members during this year's big Puget Sound adventure!
- Marty
While some of us will make the run from the north end of Puget Sound (Port Townsend area) to Olympia and back, others are warmly invited to join the fleet along the way--or just for sections of the 200-mile round trip, as members have done in past years.
The basic idea is to convoy down the Sound on Saturday, making it to Olympia by that afternoon. During the previous End to End runs, we've overnighted one of the Marine State Parks in South Sound--either Jarrell's Cove, on Hartstene Island, or Penrose Point, near McNeil Island--after making Olympia in the late afternoon.
A likely participant in this year's Puget Sound, End to End run will be Tim Jones...making his on-the-water debut with the remarkable 31-foot Skagit Saratogan--which he's been restoring over the past 20 years. (More updates on Tim's schedule as we get closer to August 28-29.) Needless to say, if the Saratogan makes the trip, you won't want to miss an opportunity to photograph the biggest Skagit underway, get the grand tour and maybe even go for an evening cruise aboard the Saratogan on Saturday.
In past years, the general schedule has gone like this: Some boats leave the Port Townsend area by about 9 a.m. Saturday, rendezvousing with others who join in the Edmonds-to-Seattle area by 11 a.m. We then cruise past Blake Island, south through Colvos Passage, meeting members who might join the fleet in the Tacoma-Gig Harbor area, and then proceed south through the Tacoma Narrows. A standard pit stop is Day Island Marina, just south of the Narrows on the Tacoma side, where some of us refuel at about 1 p.m. before heading into South Puget Sound. The cruise through South Sound goes alongside scenic Eagle Island and meanders to Olympia, where we gather at the city's public docks--either for the night, or to decide where we want to overnight in South Sound. (The overnighting destination usually depends on when we reach Olympia: If we get there late in the day, we might overnight in Olympia, but if we hit the State Capitol by mid-afternoon, members usually want to press on to one of the Marine State Parks...since they're quieter and more scenic when it comes to overnighting.)
Weather and water conditions are usually ideal at this time of the year, of course, and the August 28-29 date was picked because we'll experience moderate tides and currents. If you've ever wanted to have a scenic mini-adventure, this is a great opportunity...and it's always nice to make longer runs like this using the buddy system. (We'll share cell numbers before leaving, try to provide more details, and everyone with a VHF will monitor Channel 69 so that we can stay in touch as we head south and make the return run northbound.)
Finally, for now, and speaking of the buddy system, we'll cruise at the comfort level of the slowest boat in our fleet, sticking together. If we know in advance that our average cruising speed is going to be slower, some of us who are starting farther north may leave earlier, so that we can make Olympia as a fleet before Saturday night. And some of us may choose to extend the cruise into Monday, but as always, it'll depend on who participates and what members want to do...or where they want to cruise.
If you think you might want to participate, please respond here. Or if you have questions, fire away!
Below are some random shots from past Puget Sound, End to End runs.
Hope to see a record number of members during this year's big Puget Sound adventure!
- Marty
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