Everett

Though no longer “the city of smokestacks,” when viewed from Possession Sound, Everett still shows an industrial face. The city spreads over the west bank of the Snohomish River, which encircles it from the south.

The port has made many improvements over the past five years, opening the 12th Street Yacht Basin, adding a boatlift and boatyard on the site, and revamping the Port of Everett Marina, the largest public marina on the west coast. Nearby amenities and ample guest moorage make Everett attractive and convenient for visiting boaters.

The $400-million development in Port Gardner’s former industrial area (to include condos, shops, restaurants, and a marine-related “Craftsmen District”) was recently shelved after its developer filed for bankruptcy in 2009.

Moorings and Anchorage
Guest docks lie on either side of the two outside floats that form the entrance to the main marina. The south float is closer to the harbor facilities, restaurants and shops of Marina Village, while the north float is closer to the fuel dock, marine supply stores and repair facilities. A third guest moorage float has a wheelchair ramp. The 12th Street Yacht Basin also has guest moorage and was designed to accommodate larger boats. At any of the floats, note the current when docking and pulling away.

Pay for moorage at the fee box located at the head of either ramp. The harbor office is east of the shop-and-restaurant complex on the south shore of the marina basin. Slip reservations can be made from Memorial Day through Labor Day (call 800.729.7678 during weekday business hours). The marina monitors VHF channel 16 every day round the clock.

If you’re moored on the outside guest floats, expect to hear the rush of the current against your hull in addition to the crash of trains shunting in the nearby railroad yard and the sound of birds and sea lions on Jetty Island. Every boat going in and out of the main marina passes by the south guest float, including commercial crabbers, shrimpers and sportfishing boats. The traffic often begins quite early in the morning.

An alternate moorage (one night only) is at the Jetty Island floats, upriver about a quarter mile and across the channel from the launching area. Depth at the floats is a few feet less than at the marina guest floats. There is no suitable anchorage for pleasurecraft in Everett.

For the Boat and Crew
The fuel dock is just inside the marina entrance, to the north, in water about three feet shallower than at the guest floats. The port operates a haul out facility and self-service repair yard on site, and a number of marine repair and supply shops are also located on this side of the harbor. The brick-enclosed garbage collection areas on the south shore have waste oil receptacles. Pumpout facilities are located on both sides of the marina.

Marina Village, on the south shore, has several restaurants, including Anthony’s Homeport, Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant, and the Scuttlebutt Brewery brewpub. Nearby is the Inn at Port Gardner, a West Marine store, several retail shops and anchor tenant Bayside Marine, which does boat repairs and maintenance.

There are showers and laundry facilities on both sides of the marina. The closest groceries are at either of two small delis, one on each side of the marina; a supermarket is more than a mile away on Everett Avenue and Broadway. A bus leaves for town from near the harbor office.

An unusual marina amenity is the port’s “activity barge,” a 20-foot by 40-foot structure with picnic tables and umbrellas, buffet tables, a propane barbecue and dockside power. The barge can be rented for $100 a day or if you bring a group of 10 or more boats, for free. (For reservations, call 425.388.0664).

Things to Do
You’re a long way from town, but there are many attractions nearby. Beyond the shops and restaurants of Marina Village, toward the highway, is the ornate, historic Weyerhaeuser Building, originally built to illustrate the versatility of local timber; the building is slated to be moved soon.

A quick escape from the industry of Everett is provided by the Jetty Island ferry, which leaves Marina Village every half hour from July through September at the 10th Street Boat Launch. The free ferry takes you across the river to the manmade island’s park and wildlife preserve. A short trail leads to a sandy, two-mile beach with long, wide tideflats. There are guided walks and special events, but most visitors prefer to simply sit on the driftwood among the bold gulls and gaze across Possession Sound to the Olympic Mountains, or to wade the tideflats. If you take your own boat or skiff to the Jetty Island dock, be prepared for strong river currents.

Throughout the summer, free concerts are held on The Landing adjacent to the south marina and Port Gardner Inn. A farmers market runs on Sundays during summer next to Scuttlebutt Brewery.

Sailor, writer and teacher Migael Scherer, who divides her time between Seattle and Lopez Island, is the author of “A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands,” published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill. The guide can be purchased online through Armchair Sailor Books & Charts, Captain’s Nautical Supplies, Amazon and other retailers.

About Migael Scherer

Sailor, writer and teacher Migael Scherer, who divides her time between Seattle and Lopez Island, is the author of “A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands,” published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill. The guide can be purchased online through Armchair Sailor Books & Charts, Captain’s Nautical Supplies, Amazon and other retailers.

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