A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands by Migael M. Scherer

Author:Migael M. Scherer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
Published: 2005-12-05T05:00:00+00:00

The Point Hudson Marina has guest moorage and is close to Port Townsend’s historic district.

GETTING ASHORE. Many of the street ends in front of the town are public. A marine park with a sandy beach is east of the city float. If you need to secure your skiff, your best bet is at the city floats.

FOR THE BOAT. Fuel is sold at the Port Townsend Boat Haven only. Extensive haulout and repair facilities are near both marinas, as are hardware and supply stores. Since the 1970s, Port Townsend has been a mecca for wooden boats; shipwrights take pride in their craft, as do sailmakers, riggers, and others who have been attracted to the area by their shared love of boats. Their skills, and the fact that Port Townsend is only half as rainy as Seattle, draw boats in for repair from all over Puget Sound.

FOR THE CREW. Both marinas have restrooms, showers, and laundromats. In town are restaurants of almost every description, and a number of delis. A small, old-fashioned grocery is downtown. The closest supermarket is about a half-mile west of the Port Townsend Boat Haven, on Sims Way—a good mile-and-a-half from Point Hudson.

THINGS TO DO. Port Townsend seems laid out for visiting boaters. Everything is within the square mile between the two marinas: shops, restaurants, a waterfront park, a restored movie theater, and a museum in the old City Hall. Historic markers and information boards are everywhere. The commercial district is mostly at sea level, along Water and Washington streets; more than 40 of these buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. Proud Victorian-style homes overlook the harbor from the steep bluff. Most of these are private residences, though some have been converted to bed-and-breakfast establishments open to the public. A walking-tour map published by the Chamber of Commerce is available at the visitors’ information center across the street from the Port Townsend Boat Haven, at the museum, and almost everywhere else.

If the town seems too crowded for your taste, visit Chetzamoka Park, a 10-minute walk northwest of Point Hudson. This small park has an ingenious series of gardens and pathways, as well as picnic tables, shelters, and play equipment that includes a first-rate tire swing. A trail leads down to the beach. Chetzamoka Park, named after the Indian chief who was known as a “friend to pioneers,” is a good place to check on fog conditions at Point Wilson.

If you’re moored at the Port Townsend Boat Haven, Kah Tai Lagoon Park is just across Sims Way. Named for the Indian phrase “pass through,” this park has picnic shelters, a play area, open fields, and trails around the lagoon. Farther north is the municipal golf course.

Fort Worden State Park, north of the Port Townsend waterfront at Point Wilson, is itself a historic district, with floats and mooring buoys. This area and its attractions are described in the next entry.

The downtown ferry runs to Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island.

Among Port Townsend’s numerous special events are

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