Welcome to Winter Weekend Sailing!
We are offering overnight club sails through the winter for members who want to explore the Salish Sea with a captain and who also are looking for moderate adventure.
Called Winter Weekend Sailing, these two-day weekend trips are designed to explore our local waters, practice navigational, boating and heavy-weather skills, and recognize that time and cost can be an issue.
These weekend sailing trips are open to anyone with a Basic keelboat certification. Up to six passengers can rent space on one of our luxury cruisers ranging from 38 ft to 47 ft.
One of the other goals of these trips is to help members become more comfortable sailing on our bigger boats and taking them to exciting local destinations.
Focus: Coastal navigation, possible heavy-weather sailing and reefing, anchoring, tidal stream tactics in narrow passages, and winter boat handling in Central Puget Sound.
Cost: $350 per member; $475 per non-member.
Fall & Winter Line Up
January Schedule
- Trip 1: Blake Island Passage (Weekend 1)
- Schedule: Saturday Morning Departure – Sunday Late Afternoon Return
- Dates: Jan 16-17
- Route: Shilshole / Elliott Bay to Blake Island State Park (Overnight at mooring buoy/dock) to Seattle
- Highlights: Short winter passage, close-quarters maneuver training, anchoring/mooring protocols, and night tide planning.
- Trip 2: Bremerton & Rich Passage Circuit (Weekend 2)
- Schedule: Saturday Morning Departure – Sunday Late Afternoon Return
- Dates: Jan 30-31
- Route: Shilshole to Bremerton via Rich Passage (Overnight at Bremerton Marina) to Seattle
- Highlights: Navigating fast-flowing currents in Rich Passage, ferry traffic awareness, and naval harbor navigation.
February Schedule
- Trip 3: Poulsbo & Liberty Bay Transit (Weekend 3)
- Schedule: Saturday Morning Departure – Sunday Late Afternoon Return
- Dates: Feb 13-14
- Route: Shilshole to Poulsbo via Agate Pass (Overnight at Liberty Bay) to Seattle
- Highlights: Agate Pass tidal gate calculation, narrow channel navigation, and night watch standing in sheltered waters.
- Trip 4: Langley & Possession Sound Passage (Weekend 4)
- Schedule: Saturday Morning Departure – Sunday Late Afternoon Return
- Dates: 27-28
- Route: Shilshole to Langley, Whidbey Island (Overnight at Port of South Whidbey Harbor) to Seattle
- Highlights: Crossing Possession Sound, handling exposed winter northwesterlies/southeasterlies, and long-distance day sails.
March Schedule
- Trip 5: Gig Harbor & Colvos Passage Challenge (Weekend 5)
- Schedule: Saturday Morning Departure – Sunday Late Afternoon Return
- Dates: Mar 13-14
- Route: Shilshole to Gig Harbor via Colvos Passage (Overnight at Gig Harbor) to Seattle
- Highlights: Leveraging the continuous northbound current of Colvos Passage, tidal maneuvering through Gig Harbor entrance channel, and South Sound navigation.
- Trip 6: Vashon Island & Quartermaster Harbor Circuit (Weekend 6)
- Schedule: Saturday Morning Departure – Sunday Late Afternoon Return
- Dates: Mar 27-28
- Route: Shilshole to Quartermaster Harbor / Vashon Island (Overnight at Dockton / Quartermaster Harbor, or drop an anchor) to Seattle.
- Highlights: Circumnavigation legs around Vashon & Maury Islands, tidal gate management, and sheltered fjord anchoring/docking.
Why You Need to be on Board
- Expert Mentorship: Cover real-world sailing and piloting topics with captains who know these waters inside and out.
- Built-In Crew: No boat? No crew? No problem. Share the experience, talk shop, and connect with club members.
- Destination-Driven Learning: From navigating Agate Pass to conquering the ferry lanes, every trip is a live masterclass.
What You Need to be on Board
- A willingness to learn and get better and a thirst for exploration and information about the local destinations
- Minimum Qualifications: Basic Keelboat certification or equivalent experience
- Time on Water: 9am to 5pm