VASHON LOOP

On the first weekend of November, our club instructor Jeff Davis lead three members and their crews on a group cruise around Vashon Island! This was our first of many scheduled group cruises and we couldn’t have asked for a more stunning fall day. We left Shilshole Bay Marina around 9am cruised down to Tacoma in about an hour and a half to practice securing guest moorage and docking. After a quick coffee break, we hopped back on the boats for a quick run over to Gig Harbor. The harbor is usually packed with boats mooring overnight in the summer, but even with the sun shining we only saw a few sailboats and a variety of kayakers. Our member Gavin did spot some harbor seals though!

After a scenic loop around the harbor we tied up at the Tides Tavern for dockside burgers and pizza and chatted with our neighbors at the dock. The Reese family played the Seahawks game on their radio for everyone to enjoy and popped a bottle of rosé, perfect way to experience gameday! We considered stopping at Blake Island on our way back but after a delicious lunch we all agreed it was time to head back to the dock. The other side of Vashon Island was stunning with Mt. Ranier behind us and the sun kissing the tree line. We all staggered back into Shilshole to give our dock master, Ian, time to help guide in each boat, and watched the most glorious sunset. As always, our members didn’t have to clean or fuel their boats! After signing the boat back in, they were able to head straight home! Instructor Jeff jumped back on the Fishermen’s Ranger Tug to bring her back home through the locks. Another beautiful day on the water complete!

Check out the video documenting our trip and photo gallery below!