Shilshole Blog

Effective May 10th , 2018, Puget Sound has now been declared a No-Discharge Zone.

It has been illegal since the 1972 Clean Water Act to discharge untreated sewage (black water) into coastal waters.  Over the years, there have been a couple ways for boaters to legally treat raw sewage before discharging, but most boaters contain all their sewage in a holding tank (Type III) and utilize a pumpout station.

Now, all sewage must be contained and be pumped at a pumpout station.  If your boat has a toilet on board, you are required to have a marine sanitation device (MSD).  For further details, please see the Dept of Ecology’s site.

Gray water (sinks/showers) discharge is still allowed.

Elsie Hulsizer took a series of photos during the eclipse that showed the true effect of the darkness.  Check out her Flickr photos

August is the month our docks are empty and everyone seems to be up north!  Did you go?  Do you want to and have questions?  Post your stories here…

The San Juans, the Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, Barkley Sound, the Broughtons, and beyond are all common destinations of local boaters for the month of August.  The weather is great, the days are still long and you have time to get back home before school starts or the fog sets in.

This isn’t something you do in a weekend…it can take a week or longer  to get there (depending on how far you go) and the same back, so time allotted is important.  Don’t try to do too much at once.  It can be crowded at times (it’s popular), but the views/scenery/experience is absolutely unbelievable.  World cruisers say that the best cruising grounds are right here in our own backyard!

Puget Sound cruising is commonly divided into South-Sound (south of the Tacoma Narrows), Mid-Sound (Gig Harbor/Tacoma to Kingston/Edmonds) and North Sound (up to Port Townsend or Oak Harbor). There are great cruising, anchoring, crabbing and fishing areas in all three.

If you have some thoughts, experiences or suggestions for those looking to venture out, especially those new to boating, please share with us on this blog. For example…

SouthSound

Are you new to boating and Shilshole and have questions about where to go, what to see, and what to watch out for?

or…Have you been there many times before and have suggestions that can help the rest of us?

…feel free to share your thoughts here on the Blog.