Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Destination: Manzanita Bay, Bainbridge Island

If you arrived here by searching for a chart, please see this page.
After coming thru Agate Pass, Manzanita Bay, on the Northwest corner of Bainbridge Island, is an easy destination. It is also a quiet and peaceful alternative to Poulsbo and Liberty Bay.

After exiting Agate Pass, you go nearly due South, directly into Manzanita. Because of the land contours, it is a little hard to pick out offshore, but as you get closer it becomes obvious.


Manzanita provides great holding in what we think is ideal anchoring depth (20-30 feet) for most of its length (depths on these chart segments are in feet, not fathoms). We prefer the larger Southern bay (the smaller Northern bay is much shallower, but we have anchored in it too). On entering the Southern bay, you will note, about 1/3 of the way in, two "No Wake" buoys. Unless you want to become a turn point for water skiers, it is wise to anchor below the line made by these buoys.

I know that I have used these same adjectives before, but "delightful" fits here too. And "peaceful", and "intimate". We have never had trouble finding a place to drop the hook here, even on last Sunday, the day before Memorial Day. I think that should tell you something. (Oh NO! I let the secret out!)

The West shore is low bank and has some lovely homes on it, while the East shore is a little higher - the homes are just as nice.

It is apparently a tradition on Memorial Day weekend for a beautiful collection of old wooden power boats to gather here, at a dock near the NW corner of the bay, and at anchor nearby. It is worth coming here just to see these beautiful boats. Given my recent experience with the mahogany bowsprit on Eolian, I have even greater respect and awe for these owners that have been able to restrain the wood's natural tendency to return to forest floor mulch, and do it so beautifully!








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