Seeking a home-port in the Pacific Northwest - Advice sought!

[w00dy]

After successfully selling my boat in Florida, my girlfriend and I are continuing with our plan to relocate to the Pacific Northwest for the summer and possibly longer.

We are taking the train from New York to Seattle on Friday and only bringing what we can carry in our backpacks. Our plan on arrival is to purchase a pair of used bikes and spend the summer touring the coast by bicycle. We'll start in Canada and head south toward Portland, or wherever else the wind takes us.

Our eventual goal is to find a new place to settle for a while, or a new boat to live on, or both. It's probably a far cry from what I'm used to on the Texas coast, but the rugged wilderness and thriving boat culture are quite a draw to Rachel and I both, so we're going to go at it with open minds and see what happens. Whether we'll stay out there longer than the summer is anyone's guess.

So, if anybody here has any information to share about  the area, please feel free to share it. Advice on communities to visit, or cheap liveaboard slips, boats for sale, boatyard jobs or crew positions available, anecdotes, or anything else you feel like mentioning would be much appreciated.

Many thanks
James Woodring

[CharlieJ]

Hope you two have a great time Jim. Sorry missed you each time in Port L.

[Jim_ME]

Congrats on selling the boat.

I've enjoyed your wonderful sailing/etc blog very much, and look forward to your future further adventures...

The daughter of a boat designer (who lived aboard and cruised for many years) that I know of in Eastport, ME went out there years ago, and lived aboard her wooden sailboat--and I'm sure became part of the boating community there. Both of them should be interesting to get in touch with.

I'll pm you more information about him.

Best wishes in your new endeavors and location,
Jim

[rorik]

If you want a small town with lots of wooden boats, Victorian houses, a wooden boat school and the almost 4 decade old Wooden Boat Festival, try Port Townsend. The only real drawbacks are that available work in the area is in short supply, and the town can be very cliquish. But, it is the center of wooden boats in WA.
Tacoma's not bad for a small city, if you don't mind living downtown, hearing trains, sirens, etc. The upside to that is that stores, entertainment, etc are close. In Port Townsend, if you need a department store or "big box" store for some reason, it'll be a 30 - 60 minute drive each way.
Finding a slip as a liveaboard in the area can be a bit of a trick. It seems to depend on your timing. Most of the marinas limit their liveaboard slips to about 10% of the marinas total slips.
It rains more in Tacoma than in Seattle. Rains a little less in Port Townsend.
Guess it all depends on what surroundings you want to live in, how you're going to support yourself, and where you can find a liveaboard slip.
Good Luck!

[w00dy]

Thanks for the info ya'll. I'll be sure to let you guys know how things turn out and hope to see you on the east coast again sometime soon :)

[bladedancer]

I lived in Port Townsend for 23 years...and wish I'd never left. Bellingham is OK, used to live there. It's bigger, has a city feel while PT is a small town. Port Angeles is more conservative but has a great location on Straits at foot of Hurricane ridge if you like to ski. Gulf Islands especially Lopez are a lovely place to live if you like remote. Will be in PT in july, august and september. Be happy to show you around.