On the list of great destinations for a weekend cruise on Puget Sound, Tacoma might not immediately spring to mind.
But that didn’t deter us when we found ourselves without plans for the Labor Day weekend. The forecast was calling for sun and high temperatures, and we were itching to get out on the water. We were in the mood to go somewhere with dining options and interesting sights, where we could stretch our legs on a long urban walk. It had been more than a decade since we’d been down to T-Town, so Tacoma it was.
Under a dazzling blue sky early Friday afternoon, we pointed the bow of our Passport 40, Rounder, south from Bainbridge Island toward Mount Rainier. We sailed down scenic Colvos Passage, flanked by forested Vashon Island on one side and the Kitsap Peninsula on the other, across Commencement Bay, and into the Thea Foss Waterway on Tacoma’s eastern shore, the mountain providing an ever-closer majestic backdrop.
Once a thriving industrial area and the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad, the heavily polluted Thea Foss Waterway was largely abandoned by the 1980s and declared a Superfund site. An extensive cleanup effort completed in 2006 helped revive the waterway, which now has condos, marinas, and a waterfront trail among the commercial and industrial buildings.
We’d hoped to get a slip at Dock Street Marina, ideally situated next to the Museum of Glass, and a short walk to downtown shops and restaurants. We’d stayed there previously and had a great experience, but alas, the entire marina was booked for a yacht club meet-up.
After a few phone calls, we discovered that we could stay less than a mile north at the Foss Waterway Seaport dock, which offers four hours of free moorage ($1 per foot after that) and has power and water.
Pulling up, we were surprised to find the 1,200-foot linear dock empty aside from a couple of boats. An even bigger surprise was the seaport’s museum next to the dock. The once-decrepit, century-old warehouse building, which was undergoing an extensive renovation on our previous visit, had been transformed into a modern, airy structure fronted by a wall of windows that beckons visitors in.
The museum was closed when we arrived, but we poked our heads into the boat shop, where a handful of students were taking a class on dovetail joinery. We’d met the boat shed manager, Cori Shooter, earlier on the dock and she’d told us about the variety of classes at the shop, from beginner woodworking to fiberglass and epoxy repair, and to diesel engine maintenance. Impressed and excited to visit the museum in the morning, we headed off for some downtown exploring.
Tacoma has several historic districts with beautiful old buildings—among them, the 1916 Elks Temple downtown that is now a seven-story McMenamins adult playground with a hotel, brewery, restaurants, and several bars, including a faux speakeasy down a hall behind a door concealed in a wall panel. After cocktails at the not-so-secret speakeasy, we walked a couple of blocks uphill to Devil’s Reef, a nautical-themed tiki bar in Tacoma’s Opera Alley, a narrow street lined with charming old buildings. The wonderfully kitschy, dark bar was full (with, appropriately, a rum launch party) so we left with plans to return on a future visit.
After breakfast and coffee the next morning, we headed to the museum and spent an enjoyable hour or so wandering through its exhibits, which provide a fascinating snapshot of the area’s maritime history. Boats on display include several unique Pacific Northwest designs—the “Poulsbo boats” named for the town where they were built, the Ed Monk-designed flat-iron skiff, and a lapstrake skiff built in 1912 by Andrew Foss, who founded Foss Maritime with his wife, Thea.
There’s a collection of antique outboard motors, an informative exhibit on Puget Sound’s Mosquito Fleet, and a vintage SCUBA exhibit featuring early diving equipment and a 1970s wetsuit worn by Jacques Cousteau that caused Marty and I (who both got SCUBA-certified on Puget Sound, where Cousteau dove and filmed) to geek out in delight. The museum is a gem, and a must-see for anyone interested in Puget Sound’s maritime history.
Afterward, we hopped in an Uber and headed to the farmers market in the Proctor District, a neighborhood in the north end of town, for some produce and pastries from a Swedish bakery. We fueled up with coffee, then walked back toward the seaport through leafy neighborhoods with beautiful Victorian houses and through Wright Park, a lovely 27-acre expanse with walking paths and big trees.
Wanting to stretch out the glorious afternoon a little longer, we stopped at Rock the Dock Pub & Grill, located on the water just north of the seaport museum. We got a table on the deck, ordered bloody marys, and soaked in the views of Mount Rainier and the waterway. Despite the prime waterfront location, the place was pleasantly low-key and unpretentious, the type of joint that has meat bingo on Tuesdays and a clientele that looked to be largely locals.
Back at the boat, we sat in the cockpit and reflected on the great weekend we’d had. It wasn’t exactly a peaceful environment—the Tacoma Spur freeway was just a few hundred feet away and is evidently a favorite place to race extremely loud motorcycles and cars—but the noise was part of the experience. Tacoma still feels working class and a little gritty, reminiscent of Seattle in the pre-Amazon days. Authenticity is part of its charm.
As we talked and our boat kitty, Lily Winston Churchill, surveyed the scene from atop the dodger, the steamship Virginia V pulled up to the dock behind us. Launched in 1922, it is one of only two ships in Puget Sound’s Mosquito Fleet still in existence. Its appearance seemed fitting, a reminder of the city and region’s rich maritime heritage.
With its wonderful maritime museum, beautiful old buildings, interesting neighborhoods, and ample dining and entertainment options, Tacoma arguably deserves a spot on the list of great Puget Sound boating destinations. I hope it won’t be years again until we return.
Deborah Bach is the co-founder of Three Sheets Northwest and a former newspaper reporter. She and her husband can often be found sailing with their boat kitty on their Passport 40, Rounder.
