The official marine mammal of Washington state - the orca whale - received protection from Governor Christine Gregoire last Friday when she signed House Bill 2514 to create a 300-foot “vessel-free” buffer zone around orcas.  The law provides the Department of Fish and Wildlife with enforcement tools to better protect the endangered Southern resident whales.
After [...]

photo by:
David J. Fred

The bowline is a simple knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope, and is one of the more essential knots you need to learn. Since the loop does not move once completed, you can use it to pass over a post, cleat or other object. [...]

You’ve always wanted to learn to sail. You are almost ready to sign up for that sailing school but your fears keep holding you back. Well, no more excuses.
Maybe you don’t know how to swim. Lots of sailors can’t swim. The chances of you going in the water are small because only the small dinghies [...]

Racing sailors know how frustrating it can be when, during a race, they have to change course not because of shifting winds but because other non-racing recreational boats, ferries or freighters, oblivious of the race, insist on crossing ahead of them. Similar situations arise during so-called “log races” which are, in spite of all the [...]

The $40 billion/year boating industry is struggling to stay afloat during what appears more and more to be the beginning (or middle?!) of an economic recession.  Between rising fuel prices and lacksidasical sales that have been dropping almost every month since 2004, the boating industry has been hit early with manufacturing layoffs, plant closures, and abruptly [...]

It is truly amazing how many racing opportunities sailors have on Puget Sound, and many of these opportunities have little to do with Seattle. Last time, we discovered racing in West Sound. Now let the incoming tide take us down past Gig Harbor and through the Tacoma Narrows. Believe or not, we found the SSSS, [...]

Taking your first cruise in the San Juans? Or is it just time to update the contents of your chart table? Here’s a listing of NOAA charts for the Northwest that you can review online. These online charts allow you to zoom in and see great detail of your favorite anchorages or that tricky passage [...]

WWW.BOATBLUE.ORG is the Web site of The National Marine Manufactures Association (NMMA) which claims to be the “nation’s largest recreational marine industry trade association, representing over 1,600 boat builders, engine manufacturers, and marine accessory manufacturers”. Recently the Web site alerted the boating public to a recent court ruling that would require all recreational boats to [...]

The WA DOT Ferries Division series of Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) public meetings begin tonight from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Bainbridge Commons on Bainbridge Island.  New Assistant Secretary David Moseley will be introduced to the public and the meetings will discuss current operational issues and talk about the work leading up to a revised long-range plan for [...]

UK-Halsey sailmakers have a great animated series of quizes for you to test out your sail boat racing knowledge. This series of animated online quizzes is an easy way to learn the rules of racing.
The quizzes are based on common situations when sailboats come together on the race course. The questions are not about obscure, hard [...]