Ranger Tugs, The Tale of our Two Tugs, Solitude and Karma........
  • Welcome!
  • From the Beginning
  • David and Maureen
  • Stats
  • Our "Solitude"
  • Solitude's Enhancements
  • Our "Karma"
  • Guests on Board
  • Captains Log
  • Tugs Gather in the PNW!
  • Extended Cruising, 2010
  • Extended Cruising, 2011
  • Weekend Cruising on Puget Sound, 2010
  • Weekend Cruising on Puget Sound, 2011
  • Weekend Cruising on Puget Sound, 2012
  • Leavenworth
  • Karma's 1st Birthday
  • Karma's Second Birthday
  • Karma on the San Francisco Bay
  • Karma Comes Home to the PNW
  • Visions of Puget Sound; A photo essay from around Puget Sound
  • Visions of Canada; A photo essay of the Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound
  • Follow Karma on Her Adventure's!
  • Launch Ramps
  • Marina's
  • Video's
  • How Cold Is It?
  • Slide Show
  • Jigsaw Puzzles
  • Towing Your R-29
  • Contact
  • Friends and Their Tug's
  • Memories of "Mac"
  • R-31, Seattle Boat Show

About This Page

We have personally stayed at all of the marinas listed below. I will indicate cost of an overnight stay with the following:
$: Very reasonable
$$: Semi very reasonable
$$$: Reasonable
$$$$: Getting up there!
$$$$$: Spendy but worth it!
$$$$$$: Spendy and in our opinion, not worth it......

Washington Marina's

Kirkland Marine Park, Kirkland $$$

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This is a great marina right at the foot of Kirkland. Restaurants, shops, and groceries are all within an easy walk. Power is available only on the south side of the main walkway. This marina should be avoided in any wind out of the west or north. Restrooms are available but no showers. There is no marina office just an electronic kiosk which will accept your credit cards. The city does send out a person to verify that all visiting yachts have paid moorage. No pump out available. 

Winslow Wharf Marina, Eagle Harbor-Bainbridge Island, $$$

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Winslow is currently our home port marina. We have enjoyed being there with Ferry service to Seattle being less than a mile walk away.

Downtown offers numerous great restaurants as well as shops and a grocery store all within walking distance. There is also a Post Office as well as banks. Doc's at the top of the ramp would be our recommedation for lunch or dinner.

Guest moorage is in vacant slips so reservations are required. They fill up most weekends so plan ahead.

Restrooms with showers and laundry facilities are available. Water and electric are available. There is no fuel available in Eagle Harbor. The only public pumpout is located on the city dock.

Slips are tight as well as the fairways.

This is a must see location as far as we are concerned.

Port Orchard City Marina, $$$

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Port Orchard was our home port prior to moving to Winslow Wharf on Bainbridge. The marina is clean and well run. Guest moorage is on the guest dock at the far end of the main fairway. Most weekends reservations are not required.

Downtown Port Orchard is right at the top of the stairs. The Farmers Market is held in the parking lot above the guest moorage every Saturday morning throughout the summer. We would recommend Amy's on the Waterfront for a nice casual dinner.

Restrooms, showers, Fuel, water, electric, Pumpout, and Laundry facilities are all available.

Bremerton City Marina, $$$

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Bremerton City Marina is located just east of the Bremerton Naval Ship Yard. This is a very large facility with abundant guest moorage. The city of Bremerton has had a hard time filling the marina due to the lack of services and the fact they offered no parking for tenants the first two years they were open.

Anthony's Seafood Restaurant is located above the marina as well as a Hampton Inn. Shops and Restaurants in downtown Bremerton is just a short walk away.

There is no fuel available at Bremerton City Marina. The closest fuel is located across the way at Port Orchard. Water, electric (30 and 50 amp), pumpout, restrooms with showers, and laundry facilities are available.

Be careful of the strong currents that flow through this marina. Currents pick up considerably the closer you get to the main walkway. I would suggest the first five or six slips on "P" dock or the breakwater to limit the amount of current.


Bell Harbor, Downtown Seattle, $$$$$

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The only marina we have ever overnighted in where you wake up to watch the sun rise over a major metropolitan city! And then, the lights at night! This is the premier marina in Puget Sound as far as we are concerned.

Pikes Market is just up the Hill. There is an Anthony's Home Port Restaurant right at the marina. Downtown is just four blocks away with all of the shopping you can imagine! Restaurants abound within an easy walk. There are a number of small grocery stores within walking distance.

There are only 75 slips available at Bell. Reservations for most weekends are a must during the summer months. There is no fuel available. Restrooms with showers are available as well as a pumpout. Water and electric (30 and 50 amp) are available.

Poulsbo City Marina, Liberty Bay, $$

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Poulsbo is our favorite weekend get away with the quaint little Norwegian town at your doorstep.

Downtown Poulsbo offers you numerous restaurants, shops, book stores, Post Office, banks, as well as a very small chandlery (in the market). Don't forget to visit Longshore Marine for great bargains. This Chandlery specializes in new and used boating gear. Any item you have at home or on the boat that you want to get rid of, this is the place.

Fuel, pumpout, water, electric, restrooms with showers, and laundry facilities are all available.

Reservations are not needed most weekends however, the Third of July Celebration will see the marina at capacity. Plan ahead if you want to catch the fireworks on the 3rd of July (yes, they celebrate one day early!)

Elliott Bay Marina, $$$$

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Elliott Bay Marina is a very large marina at the north end of Elliott Bay. Guest moorage is in unoccupied slips. Reservations are recommended. While there is a restaurant and cafe at Elliott, there is very little else.

Fuel, pumpout, water, electric, restrooms with showers are all available at Elliott Bay.

This marina is a good back up if you cannot get into Bell Harbor albeit you will have to cab to downtown.

Shilshone Marina, $$$$

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This marina provides you with a great starting point into the locks and up into the lakes. If you arrive too late in the day to want to attempt the locks, you can pull in here for the night and get an early jump the following day on the locks.

There are a handful of Restaurants within walking distance of Shileshone. Ray's would be our recommendation.

The staff at this marina is very friendly and helpful.

Fuel (very expensive fuel), pumpout, water, electric, restrooms with showers, and laundry facilities are all available.

Fishermans Terminal, Lake Union, $$$

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Fishermans Terminal as its name applies is the home port to a large number of the commercial fishing fleet including the Alaskan Crab Fleet featured on the Deadliest Catch.

While it may be a working port, its facilities for the visiting boater are as good as any other. Water, electric, pumpout, restrooms with showers are all available. Fuel is not.

Visiting boaters side tie on the pier at the far west side of the marina. Anthonys as well as a couple of other smaller eating establishments are located at the marina. Ballard with all of its restaurants and shops are just a short cab ride away as well as a Whole Foods and Fred Meyers.

Reservations in the summer months are suggested.

Port of Everett, $$

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This marina is a very interesting place to spend a night. The guest moorage is a long floating breakwater. This vantage point gives you a great view of all of the comings and goings on the river. While moorage is available on the inside as well as the outside, I would strongly suggest the inside if it is available. Currents are very strong on edd tides so use caution when rounding the breakwaters.

There are a number of restaurants in easy walking distance as well as a West Marine.

Facilities include Fuel (reasonably priced), pumpout, electric, water, and restrooms with showers. Use caution when approaching the fuel docks as currents can be treacherous.

Call ahead for availability. While reservations are not required, you may encounter a yacht club cruise utilizing all guest moorage on occassion.

The picture here shows the small guest dock at the back end of the marina. This dock is located next to West Marine View Drive. It is a nice place to hang in the winter when the winds can howl out on the bay.

Langley Boat Harbor, Whidbey Island, $$$

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RESERVATIONS are a MUST! This is a unique little marina. When you approach you are going to ask yourself, you have got to be kidding. It takes on a circular shape thus making it interesting getting in. Once in though, it is a nice little marina. Downtown is a very short walk away (uphill.....). Mikes would be our recommendation for dinner.

Water and electric are available.

Roche Harbor, San Juan Islands, $$$$$$

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While this is a very nice marina with very LARGE slips, it is not a marina that we would plan a visit to again. The majority of the slips in this marina are privately owned and designed for very large vessels. Each slip has the name of the vessel that you would find tied up there in the summer months. There is a small grocery store, restaurant, and hotel at the marina. The nearest town is a bus ride away which just happens to be Friday Harbor.

People have told us that when folks come to Roche, they never leave the docks. They just hang out and party. The guest moorage for smaller vessels are located in a corner at the back of the marina. These are old wooden docks.

Facilities include fuel, pumpout, 30 amp service, water, restrooms with showers and laundry facilities. Moorage fees run $1.65 foot. At this rate overnight moorage for a Ranger 29 with overall length of 33 feet is $56.00 per night.

Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands, $$$$

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Our favorite marina in the San Juan Islands. The marine sits right at the end of town making all that you need close by. Restaurants, shops, a grocery store, chandlery, winery, ferry to Anacortes as well as Sidney BC are all at your doorstep!

Fuel (spendy fuel), pumpout, water, electric, laundry facilities, and restrooms with showers are all available.

They have live music in the park on Sundays and Fridays through out the summer as well as a farmers market on Saturdays.

Reservations are suggested in the summer months.

Kingston Marina, $$$

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Nice little getaway close to Seattle and Everett. Downtown is just a short stroll away with its many shops and restaurants. Many people go to Kingston just to enjoy the Crepe's from the little Crepe shop.

Water, electric, fuel, pumpout, and restrooms with showers are all available.

Port Ludlow, $$$$

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Port Ludlow is a great place to stop in and spend the night if you are headed north and have run out of time. There is a golf course, hotel, and restaurant at the marina. Along with this, you will find fuel, pumpout, a marina store, water and electric on the docks as well as restrooms with showers on shore.

Blake Island Marine Park Marina, $$

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The only marina that I know of where you can be in the country while look across the water (on high tide) and see downtown Seattle! Reservations are not taken so it is first come first served. We have arrived early in the morning and got a spot and then there are times where you might not get a spot until after 1:00pm when check out occurs. Any boat tied to the dock after 1:00pm must pay moorage for the night.

Electric, pumpout, and restroom with showers are available. There is a "restaurant" on sight as well as a small store. This is truly a "rural" setting.

In the event that all the slip are occupied, you can hang between the "poles". This is a simple technique, lasso a bow line around one pole, then a stern line around the pole behind you. Take up some of the slack allowing enough for the lines to slide up and down the poles with the tides. Hanging on the poles will give you the best view of the comings and goings in the marina as well as the best view of Seattle on high tide. The downfall is you must use you dinghy to get to shore.

When tied to the dock, do not leave any food or trash outside overnight. You will find your boat overrun by raccoons if you do!  


Arabella's, Gig Harbor, $$$

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Arabella's is a great little marina to spend an evening in when in Gig Harbor. Downtown is just a short walk away with its many shops and restaurants. Don't miss the Gig Harbor museum while visiting!

Water, electric, and Restrooms with Showers are all available. There is no fuel available anywhere in Gig Harbor.

Des Moines City Marina, $$

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This is an ideal location for meeting someone coming in to Seatac. It is just a short cab ride to the airport. Speaking of airport, noise can be a problem during the day from the airport if the planes are taking off to the south.

Reasonably priced fuel, pumpout, water, electric, and restrooms with showers are all available.

Anthony's Homeport is located at the south end of the marina but our suggestions is the short walk up to "Wallys" for the fish tacos.

There is a QFC located within an easy walk of the marina.

British Columbia

Causeway Floats, Victoria Harbor, Vancouver Island, $$$$$+

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While the Causeway Floats in downtown Victoria are spendy ($55.00 per night for Karma) it is well worth the money. As you  see in the picture, you are right in front of the Empress Hotel. All of downtown is just a very short walk including grocery stores, chandlery's, restaurants, pubs, you name it.

Water and electric are available on the docks. Restrooms with showers are a short stroll away.

This is a marina we would definitely recommend.

Reservations in the summer are a must. There is a fee for making your reservation that is not refundable nor applied to the cost of your stay.

Poets Cove, Bedwell Harbor, Gulf Islands, $$$$

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Fuel, pumpout, water, electric, restrooms with showers, a massage, facial, pedicure..... what ever you want you can get it here! Well almost. There is a cafe, liquor store, and a hotel but little else as far as commercial businesses go.

With your moorage, you have access to the heated pool, hot tub, and spa!

You can clear customs and then go get a massage to relax after the anxiety attack of clearing customs.

There are 110 slips plus a dozen or so mooring balls. If all is full, simply hang on your hook and dinghy in!

Ganges Marina, Salt Springs Island, Gulf Islands, $$$

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This marina is located with downtown Ganges at your doorstep! On Saturday mornings they have a great farmers market (one of the best we have been to). Everything you need is within a five minute walk. Grocery, chandlery, liquor store, hardware store, you name it.

Fuel, water, electric, restrooms with showers, laundry facilities, and a garbage drop (small fee) are all available.

Reservations are strongly recommended in the summer months as the farmers market is a big draw. If you are unable to get into the marina, you can simply drop your hook in the harbor.