Ballard Locks

Take a trip through Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks.

Most small boat cruises put a big caveat on a trip through the locks: they can’t guarantee how long it will take, so they can’t put a limit on the cost of the trip. We at Ma ‘n’ Pa Cruises think a trip through the locks is one of the best ways to enjoy boating in Seattle and we don’t want people to miss out, so we’ve come up with a compromise. We can’t guarantee how long the trip will take, but we will put a limit on how much it will cost. A trip through the locks is usually just a matter of 30 minutes or so, but during peak season you can wait for your turn for a while. Regardless of how long the trip takes, we’ll only count 30 minutes each way against your trip time.

Poulsbo

Visit “Little Norway” and learn how a typo named a city. The trip there from Shilshole takes just about two hours each way, depending on the tide. It includes traversing Agate Passage, where the current can be quite strong. We’ll tie up at the public marina right in the middle of the village, where there are restaurants, thrift stores, coffee shops, and Sluy’s Bakery.

Blake Island

Blake Island is a great place for a wilderness hike.

Bremerton

The trip to Bremerton is about 90 minutes. The marina is in the middle of a very walkable part of town. If we go early on a Thursday-Sunday, you can get some pastries at Saboteur. We’d want to leave the dock no later than 9am; they really do sell out early.