Top 10 Marinas in the Pacific Northwest
The fog burns off Puget Sound by mid-morning, revealing a seascape of snow-capped peaks, conifer-draped islands, and the silvery wakes of ferries cutting between Seattle's waterfront and the San Juan Islands. This is sailing on a geological scale — 2,330 square kilometres of protected inland sea, laced with tidal currents, whale migration routes, and some 1,500 kilometres of shoreline. Add southern British Columbia's Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound to the north, and the Pacific Northwest becomes one of the most compelling cruising grounds on the planet, served by a network of marinas that ranges from urban high-rises to tucked-away coves with finger docks and a single power pedestal.
Shilshole Bay Marina, Seattle, Washington
Shilshole Bay is Seattle's flagship public marina, operated by the Port of Seattle and home to roughly 1,400 berths. The marina's long outer breakwater shelters vessels from the Juan de Fuca swell that occasionally rolls through the Sound, and from its docks the Olympic Mountains fill the western horizon at a distance of roughly 80 kilometres. Facilities are thorough: 30- and 50-amp shore power, a pump-out station, dry storage for masts and cradles, and the Anthony's restaurant perched above the fuel dock. Shilshole is also the start/finish for the Swiftsure International Yacht Race, one of the Pacific Northwest's oldest ocean events.
Elliott Bay Marina, Seattle, Washington
Elliott Bay Marina sits just south of Shilshole, offering 1,200 slips against the backdrop of the Seattle skyline and the Cascade Range. It attracts a different clientele — more superyachts, more transient blue-water sailors who have crept down the Inside Passage or crossed from Hawaii — and the facilities reflect that: a ships' store of exceptional depth, riggers on site, and a diesel fuel dock accessible to vessels drawing 3 metres or more. The walking distance to downtown Seattle is under 20 minutes.
Anacortes Marina, Anacortes, Washington
Positioned on Fidalgo Island at the northern end of Puget Sound, Anacortes is the gateway marina to the San Juan Islands. Cap Sante Boat Haven, managed by the Port of Anacortes, has over 1,000 slips and a full-service boatyard with a 150-tonne travel lift. Sailors heading for the Gulf Islands often stage here to catch the ebb through Deception Pass — a short, dramatic 6-knot current slot that is best negotiated at slack water.
Friday Harbor Marina, San Juan Island, Washington
Friday Harbor on San Juan Island is the natural hub of the San Juan archipelago. The Port of Friday Harbor marina handles up to 140 boats on its transient dock, and the town itself — with its chandleries, fresh-crab restaurants, and ferry connections — makes it the most complete stop between Anacortes and Victoria. The island's whale-watching is as good as anywhere in the continental US; southern resident orca pods pass the western shore regularly between May and October.
Roche Harbor Resort, San Juan Island, Washington
A few kilometres north of Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor occupies the site of a nineteenth-century limestone quarry and preserves a sense of history absent from most Pacific Northwest marinas. The white Hotel de Haro, built in 1886, overlooks 377 slips set in a calm bay protected by Henry Island to the west. Customs clearance for Canadian-bound yachts is available here, making Roche Harbor the most popular US departure point for the Gulf Islands.
Sidney North Saanich Marina, British Columbia
Crossing into Canadian waters, Sidney on the Saanich Peninsula is typically the first BC port for boats departing the San Juans. The marina offers 500 berths with full hookups, and a customs dock right at the entrance simplifies entry formalities. The town is a marine chandlery hub, with Philbrooks Boatyard and Van Isle Marina nearby for haulouts. Sidney is also the southern trailhead for the Gulf Islands — Saltspring, Galiano, Mayne, and Pender islands are all within a day's sail.
Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
Ganges is the commercial centre of Salt Spring Island and one of the most sought-after overnight anchorages in the southern Gulf Islands. The government wharf provides limited transient space, but anchor fore-and-aft in the inner harbour and you will find a village of artisan studios, a Saturday farmers' market rated among Canada's best, and pub dinners that justify the anchor watch entirely. The approach from Swanson Channel is straightforward even at night.
Nanaimo Boat Basin, Nanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo, 100 nautical miles north of Seattle and positioned on the east coast of Vancouver Island, is the Pacific Northwest's largest floating marina complex: the Nanaimo Boat Basin holds some 1,500 slips and handles the annual Nanaimo to Vancouver bathtub race, now a powerboat event but historically a sailing fixture. The Dinghy Dock Pub, reached only by water taxi, is an institution. Provisioning for Desolation Sound passages is excellent, and fuel, propane, and water are all available dockside.
Comox Valley Harbour Authority, Comox, British Columbia
Comox is approximately 50 nautical miles north of Nanaimo and the last significant provisioning stop before the tidal rapids of Discovery Passage and the Johnstone Strait. The harbour authority operates 500 slips, and the local marine services include chart agents, riggers, and a Laundromat. The Comox Bar must be timed correctly — a large drying sandbar restricts access for keelboats to within two hours of high water — but once inside, the basin is well sheltered from the prevailing northwesterlies.
Lund Harbour, Lund, British Columbia
Lund is the northern terminus of Highway 101 — the Pacific Coast Highway — and the southern gateway to Desolation Sound Marine Park, universally regarded as the crown jewel of Pacific Northwest cruising. The small harbour authority dock at Lund is modest by the standards of larger facilities, with around 80 berths plus a fuel dock, but its position 150 nautical miles north of Seattle makes it the staging point for those magical summer weeks in the Sound. Water temperatures in Desolation Sound reach 24°C in July — extraordinary for this latitude — and holding in Princess Louisa Inlet is legendary.
Explore on the map
The Pacific Northwest's marina network stretches from urban Seattle to the wilderness reaches of Desolation Sound, covering over 400 nautical miles of cruising ground. Use the interactive map to explore each marina's position, plan your passage, and discover anchorages that lie between the major stops. Zoom into the Pacific Northwest on the map to see how Puget Sound connects to the Gulf Islands and the broader Inside Passage circuit.