St. Patrick’s Day Shakedown Cruise in the Seattle Ship Canal

We all got a glorious Saint Patrick’s Day gift in the form of an unseasonably warm and sunny weekend. In fact, it was the warmest March 17th on record, which peaked around 70 degrees. Since I hadn’t had my boat in the water since September 28th, it was the perfect day for a shakedown cruise for 2024. I decided to take my sweetie through the Seattle ship canal for a relaxing, low-speed scenic tour.

When we got to the park in the late morning, there were only a handful of people there. I carefully went over my checklist and tried to remember how to launch a boat. My girlfriend Viktoria, for her part, is gaining skill at handling the lines. When the boat was finally in the water, the engine started right up. After a short warmup, we got on plane and headed for the big green day marker which marks entrance to the ship canal. From there all the way to the locks, the speed limit is only 7 mph.

For all my waxing and polishing last fall at the end of the season, I somehow neglected to open my cooler. On Sunday it was still full of melted ice and old bait from my last fishing trip with Todd last September. Fortunately the weather has been cold and the bait was heavily brined, so it didn’t stink up the cooler. Maybe I’ll add that to my checklist….

What struck us most about this journey was just how many boats live in Seattle. There were thousands upon thousands of various watercraft of all shapes and sizes, tucked away in scores of different marinas and boatyards. We saw everything from floating hot tubs in Lake Union to ocean-going tugboats and huge fish processing ships. Seattle has a whole boating civilization, which I’ve only scratched the surface of. As time goes on, I’m slowly learning about different boat ramps, fuel docks, and restaurants you can boat into.

After we passed under the Fremont Bridge the air suddenly got cold as we approached the Sound. I was surprised at the difference, and was glad we hadn’t doffed our jackets yet. We stopped for a delicious lunch at Chinooks’s at Fisherman’s Terminal. I discovered that there is a public use dock right in front of it that’s first come, first served, where you can dock free for a couple of hours. With our stomachs happy, we headed back through the channel the other way. This time we decided to circumnavigate Lake Union. At the south end near MOHAI, there was a steady stream of seaplanes coming and going, some making steep descents over downtown for landing. Each one had to thread the needle through the crowded field of boats. By this time the banks were lined with sun-starved Seattleites warming their pale skin. Anywhere there was grass, at Gasworks Park or along the Montlake Cut, there were towels and sunbathers. Others chose to enjoy the day on canoes and kayaks. Others were jogging, riding, or walking. Nearly everyone in Seattle was suddenly outside.

When we finally got past that green marker at the east end of Union Bay, I punched the throttle and we zipped back to Magnuson at full speed. I think it took us five whole minutes. When we docked, we could see that the previously empty park was swarming with people. Whoever designed the park wasn’t a boater – they put a major biking/walking trail right through the middle of the boat launch area. As I was backing my trailer in to recover my boat, intently watching my rear view mirror to line up on the dock, I had to deal with countless joggers, bikers, strollers, and dog walkers all zipping across my path.

The nice weather prompted me to skip an event I had planned to attend, but I’m an outdoorsman now. I live my life by the weather and the tides. Many of us in western Washington understand that sunlight around here is a legitimate emergency, and when it shines we’d best flee our homes while we can.