A while back, I found myself in a casual conversation with other cruisers when someone commented, “We always anchor, we never go to marinas.”
“Ok, that’s fine,” I remember thinking at the time.
Conversations like these always cover a wide scope of topics and I’ll generally give my input when it’s appropriate. But the declaration seemed to come with an air of superiority, with the belief that by anchoring exclusively, they were somehow better cruisers than those who choose to use marinas when they want or need to. The comment was only given a passing nod by the folks who were chatting, and I later thought of it as kind of perplexing.
First off, who really cares how often you stay at anchor versus in a marina? And secondly—to me—marina stays seem to be just as much of a key component to the cruising lifestyle as anchoring. They go hand in hand to round out the experience.
Throughout my years of cruising in various regions and countries, especially in the Pacific Northwest, our family has always enjoyed a mix of anchoring in far-flung places and also visiting marinas in quaint towns or larger cities. It’s the contrast of delving into both worlds that provides us with a unique perspective on the natural and urban surroundings, and the people who live and work there. Marinas are also a great place to meet fellow boaters that you might not while at anchor, which I love.
While taking three months to circumnavigate Vancouver Island, our family anchored the vast majority of the time. But when marinas popped up along our cruising route, we were more than happy to stop at some out-of-the-way places like Echo Bay, Sullivan Bay Marina, Coal Harbour, Westview Marina, Tofino Harbour, and others. When I look back on it, these stops peppered among the many secluded and magical anchorages we visited were just as memorable—sometimes more so. Larger cities like Vancouver, Nanaimo, and Victoria were also significantly special parts of our voyage that summer because they were so vastly different from the remote anchorages of British Columbia.
I was reminded of this while reading Deborah Bach’s column “Destination Tacoma” on page 22. Deborah and her husband, Marty, along with their boat kitty, have sailed many miles up and down the Inside Passage aboard their Passport 40, including a summer foray into Southeast Alaska. And being close friends, I know their cruising style meshes with my own.
In her column, Deborah paints a wonderful picture of how cruising local and stopping at marinas can be part of the cruising lifestyle. They hadn’t been to Tacoma on their boat in many years (nor have I) and it was fascinating to follow along as she and Marty explored the vibrant waterfront, charming neighborhoods, and distinctive pubs and restaurants of a city that has changed significantly since their last visit. It made me wish I was sharing the marina space and city alongside them.
There are no designated anchorages in Tacoma, and that fact alone made me realize that you’d miss out on the experience by skipping it if you “never go to marinas.” One of the immensely special parts of cruising the Salish Sea, though, is that there are plenty of beautiful anchorages to drop your hook (see my feature on page 32) and equally as many marinas where you can stretch your legs in a new-to-you town or city.
However you choose to enjoy your time on the water, it’s great that there’s something for all of us.
Andy Cross
Andy Cross is the editor of 48° North. After years cruising the Pacific Northwest and Alaska with his family aboard their Grand Soleil 39, Yahtzee, they sailed south and are currently in the Caribbean Sea. You can follow their adventures at SailingYahtzee.com.
