Port Ludlow

Port Ludlow is one of the best anchorages in Puget Sound. It’s only about 24 miles from the large marinas of Seattle and Everett and is even closer to Kingston. The harbor is deep, with a mud bottom and an easy entrance, big enough to accommodate many boats and small enough to offer protection from any weather that may roar off nearby Foulweather Bluff.

During the mid- to late 1800s Port Ludlow was a major fishing port, filled with timber schooners and log booms, the air thick with the smoke and smell of the Pope and Talbot sawmill. The mill was shut down and dismantled around World War II. In the 1960s, Pope and Talbot built a resort community on the old town site, with a marina, golf course, pool and tennis courts. Today, condominiums spread north and a hotel stands on the point at the harbor entrance. The once silent and wooded inner harbor behind The Twins islands is now surrounded by private homes.

Moorings and Anchorage
Port Ludlow Marina is a popular destination for boaters and reservations are advised (360.437.0513). The marina is often booked a year in advance for three-day weekends. If you arrive without a reservation, tie to the fuel dock and check in there or at the marina office for a slip assignment. After hours, pull into a slip on the “A” float. Anchorage anywhere inside Port Ludlow is good.

The guest floats at Port Ludlow Marina.

Getting Ashore
The only public shore access is at the marina.

For the Boat and Crew
The fuel dock is on the east side of the marina. The marina office has a small store with supplies, gift items and some groceries. There are no repair facilities, but the office will call in a mechanic for you. A larger store is about a mile west on the highway. The marina has laundry, showers and a restaurant across the pond in the main building, with a pub downstairs. The Resort at Port Ludlow, next to the marina, has The Fireside Restaurant. Boaters moored at the marina have access to the tennis courts and an 18-hole golf course; shuttle service is provided.

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.