Harbor Lights

MAR 2026



Spring has Sprung!

General Membership Meeting



MAR 10th @ 6:00 - 7:00

Zoom Meeting

Click here to Join

on Feb 10th at 6:00PM

Commodore's Message

Rick Nolte, "Scoutabout"

Ahoy HHYC!

Kim and I hope our HHYC family have had joyful opportunities to revel in the beautiful February seas… as occasions presented themselves. It was indeed a mixed bag of weather throughout the month, but the Salish Sea can be counted on for year-round boating amusement. We decided the slower part of the season would be a good time to re-carpet our 25-year-old Bayliner. This non-trivial undertaking has taken far more time and effort than was anticipated (as is the case in most “boating” endeavors), but great progress has been made. Nonetheless, if any among the Hidden Harbor faithful may aspire to undertake such a task, know that it has been an absolute raging pain in my posterior.

But enough about our adventures! There is important news to share, and escapades to plan for! The news first: I want to make our members aware that there are pending changes coming to Blake Island. Yes, Blake Island- our idyllic and wonderful island retreat just beyond Elliot Bay. Notwithstanding all of the budget constraints already facing the Washington State Park system, Blake Island is in urgent need of improvements and upgrades. The State has developed four alternatives for what might happen with the park. One of them involves removing the marina(!); and the others involve varying degrees of expense, complexity, and dependencies.

Unquestionably, Blake Island is a treasure for the Salish Sea boating community, and it is vital that the voice of our community is considered in deciding its future. Comprehensive information, as well as links for voting on preferences can be found here: https://waggonerguide.com/ proposals-for-blake-island-marine-state-park. Blake Island is a special place for Kim and I, as it is the first place that we cruised to and stayed overnight; and where she subsequently seduced me. Please go to the web link, read the information, and let your opinion be heard.

We have a rich cruising season ahead of us, and next up is the Fleet Captain’s cruise to Bainbridge Island March 27^th-29^th. We will be mooring and/or anchoring in close proximity of the Queen City Yacht Club outstation; and all indications are that this will be a blast. All related info is on the HHYC website. Next up will be the Tacoma Yacht Club Daffodil Festival. This year’s theme is. “Bloom Where the World Takes You,” whatever that means. Anyway, notwithstanding a vaguely hopeful sounding theme, Daffodil is always wonderful, welcoming and worth the effort. Whatever the theme; a roaring good time is always assured. Whether coming by boat, RV or car, details of the festivities can be found here: https://www.tacomayachtclub.org/Daffodil/Daffodil_2026.

We look forward to the coming cruising season, and to indulging in life’s rich pageant with our HHYC family in and around the Salish Sea; and hope to see many of you at the next club meeting via Zoom on March 10^th. 

Cheers,

Commodore Rick

Vice Commodore's Message

Steve Rittereiser, "Dock Holiday"

Each HHYC trip into the Salish Sea I often hope to spot a humpback, gray or minke whale or a pod of dolphins. We have been lucky in past years to spot some of these large mammals. Part of cruising includes sighting seals on docks, sea lions on channel markers and frolicking sea otters. I have never spotted orcas from the boat, which is probably a good thing given the stricter rules that went into effect last year. The regulations include staying 1000 yards away from Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW). I have a low-profile boat so I’m not sure I could spot an orca before it crossed into the 1000-yard range. I think I am more likely to spot it at 300 yards and that would be with my eyes peeled! A portion of the law says that you must attempt to navigate out of the path and away from SRKWs that are within 1,000 yards of your boat while adhering to a 7-knot speed limit. I guess this is the forgiving part of the law because it already assumes my eyes didn’t see an orca at 1000 yards. Finally, if the whale approaches within 400 yards you must disengage the transmission (if safe to do so) and wait for the whale to move away. These regulations also apply to sailboats, dinghies, kayaks, and paddleboards. The law became stricter due to key findings in a NOAA Fisheries three-year research project showing that boat traffic within 400 yards of a SRKW significantly interrupts  their feeding on the surface as well as their underwater foraging. In fact, female whales seem to be more severely impacted as they stop feeding completely. Noisy conditions severely impact pregnant whales as well as those nursing mothers that need more food to support calves. Additional research on vessel noise contributed to the tougher standards passed last year. So I’m happy with my track record of not encountering an orca in our adventures so far. And if I do spot a SRKW, I will hopefully have time to set a slow course in the opposite direction.

What does an American Wigeon, Bufflehead and a Belted Kingfisher have in common? They are all part of the common birds you can see in marinas, on shorelines and in the waters of the Puget Sound. Several other species including the Green Heron, Cormorants, Surf Scoter, and the Loon are plentiful in and around our waters. Each of these birds have unique features that are adaptive to our local environment. For example, the Kingfisher can be seen on docks and marinas with a sharp gaze ready to attack fish prey. They are fun to watch. I’ve become more of a “birder” since we started boating. Additional information and pictures of birds common to the shores of the Puget Sound can be found at https://pugetsoundestuarium.org/bird-species-list and at many other online locations.

Wendy and I look forward to boating with you.