Since the Native American’s of the Salish Sea carved their first log out so that they could get out on the water, boating has 
been a huge part of living in the Northwest.
Puget Sound, both Vancouver’s, many Islands and towns carry the name of someone who first arrived in our beautiful “corner of the sky” by boat. The Maritime industry and community has a rich history here, one that helped shape our area and continues to provide a living for thousands of people all over the northwest.
At some point a community of “boaters” started to simply enjoy going out for a boat ride, not for part of their job or survival, just to get out on the water. People even started taking the vacations on their boat to go and explore the Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Canadian Gulf Islands, Inside Passage and all the way to Alaska. In 1955 Roche Harbor became what was originally referred to as a Boatel. While it had served pleasure boaters prior to that, it was really no more than a fuel dock. Over the next 57 years there is a world full of “Boatels” from the South Sound all the way up to Alaska.
Are you thinking, “Hey …you are preaching to the choir here?” , I am.
The largest group of boaters in our area are the people that either pioneered or were brought up “Cruising” in the northwest. My grandparents started boating in the 1950’s and my dad grew up with it. The next generation is ow carrying on the tradition but there aren’t as active”boating families” as there once was.
So what’s the point?
Get out on the Water! If you are one of the lucky ones that have a boat, go out and use it, enjoy it.
Those friends of yours, neighbors of yours, facebook and twitter folowers, take them out on the water too! I dare you. They will start bugging you to do it again, offering to pay for gas and beer, just take me out again. Some of them will get hooked like we all did and join us.
If you keep your boat in the safe confines of Lake Washington… and don’t spend a whole lot of time outside the locks, I strongly recommend that you come on out here and see some dolphins, sealions and whales. As I type this there are half dozen gray whales out in from of the Port of Everett just waiting for you to come say hello.
Leave Lake Union, go through the locks, run up to Kingston, stay the night, go home the next day. I promise you will feel like you’ve really gotten away from it all.
If you haven’t been to the San Juan’s in a long time, or ever, you owe it to yourself to go up and enjoy the colors ceremony at Roche Harbor. It’s a throwback type of experience and is one of the most patriotic things you can do with your friends and family.
Some of you are reading this and simply saying, amen brother. Others are thinking, who is this guy? I believe a good number of you just might be inspired by this. I could go on and on with examples of what to do or where to go (if you are looking for more, have a look at the rest of the site) but that isn’t what this post is all about.
The simple message? Get out on the Water.
All the best,
Troy Olason