Join fellow small boat enthusiasts on a week-long cruise in company from Olympia to Port Townsend, Washington, July 20-27 — the Salish 100!

The Salish 100 is 100+ small boats cruising 100 nautical miles, the full length of Puget Sound. Originally founded by Marty Loken, our Northwest Maritime Center colleagues now facilitate this event. Applications to join the cruise open on January 6 at 12 p.m.

Open to all small boat vessels 22-feet and under, this year’s event will once again be a self-supporting, sleep-aboard event, with shore camping options at most, but not all, overnight stops.

Read 48° North columnist Bruce Bateau’s account of the sailing in the 2021 Salish 100 HERE.

The fleet of small boats range from SCAMPs to Whitehalls, wherries, sharpies, melonseeds and flatiron skiffs; this includes a variety of smaller production sailboats and dozens of home-built sailing and rowing boats — a solar-electric has even joined the fun!

Along the route, small-boat skippers from across the states and other countries will experience everything the Salish Sea has to offer: currents racing through narrow channels, tide rips, sandbars, rocky shores, wonderfully protected anchorages, wind conditions ranging from flat calm to small-craft warnings, encounters with wildlife , and some new friendships that’ll last a lifetime. Many of the participants come from inland states to experience saltwater boating—tidal ranges of up to 14 feet—for the first time. Others drive thousands of miles to attend.

The route is 100 miles, but each leg is no longer than 16 nautical miles, making it a perfect choice for day sailors looking to enter the cruising world. Cruisers will be exploring Puget Sound in this order: start at Swantown Marina in Olympia, then Henderson Inlet, Penrose Point State Park, Gig Harbor, Blake Island State Park, Kingston, and Port Ludlow, before reaching Port Townsend.

Remember, the Salish 100 fills up fast, but the organizers at the Northwest Maritime Center welcome all folks with interest and will be happy to add you to the waiting list if they are at capacity. All participants must apply and go through a vetting process based on the vessel’s ability to meet basic safety requirements. Read the USCG Minimum Equipment Requirements — it’s a great resource laying out Coast Guard requirements for small recreational vessels.

For more information, download the Salish 100 Information Packet.

Note: Images courtesy of Bruce Bateau.