Icon on the Sound, West Point Lighthouse
The West Point Light has guided mariners in and out of Seattle since 1881. This small but stately beacon sits on a low sandy point at the northern entrance of Elliott Bay, overlooking the busiest vessel traffic in Washington…
Destinations: Pick Your Crossing to Haida Gwaii
Here's our latest destinations installment courtesy of SalishSeaPilot.com's Jim Burgoyne about choosing a window to transit Hecate Strait toward Haida Gwaii. A promising sign over Kumealon Inlet as we await a break in the…
WDFW Seeks Public Input on Rules for Vessels Operating Near Southern Resident Killer Whales
Washington Department of of Fish and Wildlife invites public participation in an online survey about rules for vessels operating near Southern Resident killer whales. The survey, available through Sept. 30, 2022, will…
Beacon Background: Point Wilson Lighthouse
The Point Wilson Lighthouse in 1960. Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives. It is hard to imagine a more scenic location for a lighthouse than Point Wilson. Marking the convergence of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and…
How We Prepped for the Pacific NW Offshore Race
The Pacific Northwest Offshore (formerly the Oregon Offshore) is a 193-mile race that starts at the mouth of the Columbia River and normally finishes in Victoria, BC. However, in 2021 and 2022, the race finished in Port…
Close to the Water: Becoming a Sailor
From the June 2022 issue of 48° North. At the helm on a beautiful day in the PNW. Recently, a reader reached out for advice on getting the necessary skills and knowledge for a small boat journey. His questions made me…
Beacon Background: Alki Point Lighthouse
Explore the history of the iconic lighthouse that has been guiding mariners through Puget Sound for more than 100 years. The following article originally appeared in the May 2022 issue of 48° North. Seattle is a city best…
Introduction to Polar Diagrams and Optimum VMC
A polar diagram is a graphic presentation of a sailboat's sailing performance in various wind conditions. But how do you interpret it? The same information is also often presented in the form of a table or spreadsheet, which…
A Closer Look at Diesel Fuel
This article was originally published in the April 2022 issue of 48° North. In my last column (February 2022), we talked about oil’s function and filtration in a marine diesel engine, and noted that it is one of several…
Beacon Background: The Heceta Head Lighthouse
If you see one lighthouse in Oregon, let it be the beacon at Heceta Head. For more than a century, mariners have relied on its light for safe passage along Oregon’s central coast. This is a seascape dotted with rocky islands…