Dinghy Parade Update!

This Sunday, Dec. 14th. Hope to see you out there!

The weather is looking much better for a Christmas Dinghy Parade this Sunday evening! Hope you’ll join us at 5pm on the guest dock!

Down to the minute details will be described on the Facebook Tenants page, this blog and communicated real time on VHF 71.

Deck the Hulls!

Dinghy Parade!

We’re getting festive on the water this year! Join the Shilshole Bay Marina Liveaboard Association on Saturday, December 7th for a holiday-themed Dinghy Parade.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we’ll roll with a backup date of December 14th.

Meeting spot: TBD
We’re still locking in the launch point, so keep an eye on this page for updates.

Bring your dinghy decked out in your best holiday decorations—lights, garlands, whatever makes it sparkle. Let’s make the bay glow!

Charting options…

We all have our favorite charting sources but it’s good to have other options, in case your batteries die, you drop your phone overboard, or GPS goes out!

Paper charts are the tried-and-true way and everyone should have a basic understanding of how to use them. Even the chart booklets still give you a usable view of your area. NOAA stopped producing paper (RASTER) charts in 2020 and will only update their ENC charts. It’s still a good idea to hang onto those old paper charts/booklets.

Chartplotters have been out for many years and boaters have their favorites (or are stuck with what came with their boat). Those have the ability to update charts from their respective proprietary sites. There are Apps, (such as Navionics) that boaters use on their phone or tablets. Cruising Guides, such was Waggoner, also offer local details.

For planning (and realtime charting with GPS), OpenCPN is a well-known and widely used free program that has an App or can be downloaded onto your pc/laptop. It is opensource, easily customized to your needs and the charts can be downloaded from NOAA for free. Example pasted below…

The dark wet days of winter are a perfect time to plan next season’s cruise!

Winter Storm Season Prep…

Don’t forget to…

  • Secure your halyards away from your mast to prevent slapping in the wind.
  • Remove flags
  • Put out extra dock lines and fenders.
  • Secure tarps, sail covers and roller furling.
  • Securely stow: gear on your boat, steps, items behind your dock box, and bail your dinghy!
  • Make sure your power cord has slack in it and that it is not hanging in the water!
  • Water lines may freeze or be shut off…take appropriate action (top off tanks, disconnect hoses, etc.)
  • Contact the Marina staff right away if you see anything of concern (ie: loose sails, frayed dock lines, continuous bilge pump running and any diesel/oil spills).

Thanks for being a good neighbor…