Shilshole Marina - The livaboard Life

Shilshole Marina is a wonderful place to live - ask any boater at the marina in the livaboard community and they can tell you all about the wonderful environment, amenities, and friendly staff available to help you there.  Why, its practically like a resort in Mexico like El Cid or Marina Mazatlan. 

                                             

Trains only run by the marina once every 45 minutes, 24 hours a day - they provide a wonderful diversion for small children as they peek out from behind the trees.  Since the trains are never farther than 1/4 mile from the marina docks, childen have a great view.  Since there is so much dust in the air from the construction, the diesel exhaust from the trains is not a problem any more.

                              

Marina dock entrances were constructed of the finest materials 45 years ago, and have been well maintained by the Port Authority.

The Port of Seattle posts some helpful information about the marina on their website:

Shilshole Bay Marina

The premier sailing center of the Northwest, Shilshole Bay Marina provides

§         Monthly moorage for 1476 boats, sail and power

§         Guest moorage for more than 100 boats

§         Dry moorage for 92 vessels up to 40 feet (12.2 meters)

§         Kayak and canoe storage

Benefits

Shilshole Bay Marina's exceptional accommodations include protected berths, wide fairways and 24-hour staffing. Also available are complete marine services, including a boatyard and Shilshole Bay Fuel Dock with gas, bio-diesel, diesel #1 & #2, groceries and ice.

We have lived at the marina for almost 4 years while we finished our careers and got the boat ready to go cruising.  There were many individuals living there in some of the same circumstances.  On our old "E dock, there was one couple who returned from 7 years in the South Pacific, and are living on their boat for a couple of more years before retiring to a house they are currently renting.  Three different  couples were preparing boats for cruising - one planned a six month on-six month off cruise in Mexico, another had returned from a long cruise, had a baby, and was waiting to leave again in a few years.   Another had a baby, and was hoping to return to Mexico in a few years.  There were some folks not planning on going anywhere, and another that bought a bakery.  We became good friend will all of these folks, had several parties every year, shared jokes, and just had a nice little neighborhood on E Dock.  We also knew quite a few non livaboards - who were friendly and interesting people.  We all shared one thing in common - the knowledge that the Port of Seattle was concerned for  our best interests.  This is the Port of Seattle's goal - to provide support for the livaboard community, and to foster this type of spirit that makes the marina such a great place to live and moor a boat.

In Support of this goal of developing "community"  (which is so part of the "Seattle Tradition") the marina provides many amenities....

Public Art, such as this statue of Leif Erickson.

   

The statue sits in a fountain, which flows with water and is maintained in a sparkling conditions - it also functions as a wading pool for all of the children visiting on those hot Seattle days.

Carts of the highest quality are provided to each dock.

                   Laundry facilities second to none are maintained for the Marina community.  Imagine, these six washers provide services to 1400 boaters - it also functions conveniently as a "free" second hand store.  The chair on the shelf is provided for boaters to relax comfortably while doing laundry.

This book exchange is maintained for the pleasure of the cruisers.

An outdoor social area is provided by the Port for cruisers to meet and relax.

   

No expense is spared to create a healthful living environment in the Marina.

Plentiful parking is provided:

   Although there is a bit of construction going on, the Port has made every effort to minimize its impact.

Construction trailers take up less than 2/3's of the parking lot, leaving plenty of convenient on and off street parting for boaters.

         

   

   

 

Fortunately, local wildlife has not been affected by the construction - a close look will reveal that this great blue heron has adapted an oil spill  boom to its hunting of fingerling salmon.                        

By flushing huge streams of water into contaminated areas 24 hours a day, contaminates are washed out of the marina, where they can settle outside the environmental impact area, thus preventing harm to marina wildlife.

    

Joggers can have an exhilarating run on the public promenade fronting the marina docks.

All in all, I can't think a marina can get any better than Shilshoe.  We have not traveled far in the world, but certainly Shilshole must rank up their as one of the cleanest, best maintained marinas in the Northwest, just like the Port's  web page says.

Comments

[Terence Sims]

Wondered when I saw the strap line for your most recent posting whether you had misspelled the Marina's name; seems you certainly had!
But good, however, to read that the experience hasn't made you bitter and twisted!
Best wishes
Terry Sims

[Ross Howatson]

I hope its appropriate to ask the following question on this site....I'm interested in a catamaran moored at the marina. Its quite unique as it has a bipole paralell masts with chinese junk sails. perhaps someone may be able to put me in contact with the owner? thanks thought i would ask...Ross