Snooze & Cruise (S&C) is the Washington Yacht Club’s quarterly camping trip out to Blake Island, a marine state park located about 3 miles west of Alki Point. We reserve the group campsite for the event, which is a short walk up the hill from the marina and the Native American cultural center. All club members are welcome, with or without ratings, and may bring a guest!

Many boats go on S&C, including most or all of the club keelboats. We will assign you and your guest to a keelboat, but you are welcome to request your favorite keelboat and/or specific club members that you would prefer to sail with.

Another option for members with a dinghy or catamaran skipper rating is sailing a dinghy to Blake Island. A keelboat will tow you through the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the locks, then release you to enjoy the sail out to the island. A Whaler with a designated Chief will accompany the dinghies as a rescue boat. Once you arrive at the island, just pull your dinghy up onto the beach. You must have a skipper rating to take a dinghy on Snooze & Cruise. Those without a skipper rating can request to crew on a dinghy.

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Event Information

Schedule

Departing (Saturday)

8:00am – Meet at the Washington Activities Center (WAC) to load the boats.

9:00am – Leave the docks!

At Blake Island: (Saturday/Sunday)

All participants are assigned to a chore on the island (such as assisting with meal prep, hauling bins around, or raccoon-proofing our group campsite). A hearty Saturday dinner, a similarly hearty Sunday breakfast, and a Sunday sack lunch are provided (included with the trip fees)!

Returning (Sunday)

~6:00pm – Return to the Washington Activities Center (WAC) docks. This might vary greatly depending on the wind!

Packing List

What to Bring

What to Wear

A minimum of stuff (apace on the boats is tight):

Food for the Saturday sail. (Other meals provided.)
Water bottle
Mess kit (plate, bowl, cup, utensils, dish cloth, cloth napkin)
Sleeping bag
Tent
Flashlight
Games or musical instruments (optional)
Anti-seasickness medication or wrist bands (if needed)

Never been sailing on a keelboat, and don’t know what to wear? We recommend the “3 Layer system”:

1st Layer: Thermals
2nd Layer: Fleece
3rd Layer: Rain jacket & rain pants
The 3 Layer System works well in both wet and warmer conditions, because you can mix and match layers.

Additional Items:

Rain gear & dry change of clothes
Ski or cold weather gloves
Sun glasses and hat
For Spring and Fall, make sure to bring extra warm clothes and bedding! It might be a cold sail and an even colder night.

Cost

Price includes campsite, moorage and meals (Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, Sunday sack lunch):

UW-Student Members – $30
Non-UW-Student Members – $50
UW-Student Guest – $50
Non-UW-Student Guest – $60
Affiliate Boat Skippers (1 Guest included) – $20

Requirements

Responsibility on the Island

Each person attending will be assigned a food prep or clean up job to do while on the island or after returning to the WAC.

Pets

No pets allowed unless you are sailing on your own boat.

Non-Mandatory Work Party

The work party is no longer mandatory. For members looking to help load boats and organize gear, we will release a work party date and time.

Snooze & Cruise