2022 Waggoner Cruising Guide Now Available

The latest edition of the Waggoner Cruising Guide is full of updates and new additions, and it features a new look.  “After a tough year of boating due to the Covid-19 restrictions and the Canadian border being closed, there…

A few days at Oro Bay

Oro Bay on the south end of Anderson Island in the Salish Sea is a beautiful anchorage with a nearby park, quiet privacy, and wonderful views. Having grown up in the South Salish Sea, I spent a lot of time at various…

Video: A Southeast Alaska Summer

Carl Davis and his wife Roz Montgomery moved to Orcas Island 5 years ago, where they purchased their first boat, a 2006 Tartan 3400.  Over the next three summers they made trips to the Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and the…

Destinations: Portland Island — Heaven, Most of the Time

Here’s our latest installment from Lynne Picard of SalishSeaPilot.com about a beloved anchorage in the Gulf Islands. Writing about destinations for a cruising guide means we drop the hook in a lot of anchorages, often…

Weekend Warriors: Alaska Amazes Again

The surprise of a borrowed power-cruiser gets the Cross family back out on the water to one of their favorite anchorages in Alaska. Sitting in the cockpit of our friend's sailboat, I listen to conversation and laughter,…

Close to the Water: Secret Society of the Lower Columbia

With miles of backwater sloughs, scads of wildlife, and no competition for anchorages, I’ve often wondered why the Lower Columbia River is so empty of small cruising boats like mine. Row Bird is frequently the only one…

Three Sheets Northwest: Spring Surprises in the San Juans

We pulled into Rosario Resort on a gloriously warm Thursday afternoon and saw something we hadn’t expected to see — an almost empty marina. I walked up the dock as a group of geese and goslings swam in the shallow water…

Destinations: Discovering Puget Sound, Part 2

Here's our latest destinations feature from Lynne Picard of SalishSeaPilot.com, — the second in a three-part series on cruising Puget Sound, this installment covers the waters around Seattle and Bainbridge Island.

Respectful Play, So We Can Stay in Andrews Bay

Lake Washington's only overnight anchorage, Andrews Bay, is a vibrant summertime scene with boats and revelers congregating, often in large numbers. The bay's neighbors have raised concerns about noise and wake, so it's…

Glorious Nothing: A Weekend Jaunt Down Hood Canal

This article originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of 48° North. If you’re reading this article hoping to discover the next great cruising destination, you should stop right here. Especially if you rate your itinerary…