Cruising

This section contains information of general interest to all cruising boaters, be them power, sail, row, or kayak, and which can be reviewed by the public boating community as well as SYC members.

WSDOT Announcement About Crossing Under SR-520

SR 520 east navigation channel will be open May 2-5 for Opening Day weekend.

Opening Day of boating season is right around the corner on May 4. Boaters are encouraged to be aware of the latest conditions on Lake Washington related to SR 520 floating bridge construction. Crews are constructing the new bridge, and 11 pontoons are currently on the lake along with cofferdams, barges and other equipment.

Since spring 2012, the east navigation channel near Medina has remained closed to traffic for construction, meaning vessels over 45 feet in height must use the center drawspan to navigate through the bridge.

However, there are several 2013 boating season special dates when the east navigation channel will be open to boaters:

• May 2 to May 5 (Opening Day of Boating Season weekend)
• May 24 to May 26 (Memorial Day weekend)
• July 4 (Independence Day)
• Aug. 1 to Aug. 4 (Seafair weekend)
• Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 (Labor Day weekend)

On all other dates, in order to keep traffic moving on SR 520 during the busiest commute times, we've worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to limit times boaters can request an opening of the bridge. The schedule of allowable opening times is posted online. Drivers can stay in-the-know on upcoming drawpan openings by subscribing to our email or text message alert system. These openings can last up to 30 minutes.

The west navigation channel remains open to boats less than 45 feet tall. Boaters - download our quick reference guide to keep posted in your vessel with all the details on opening times and key contact information.

Menu Item	Sub Menu	Contents
Boating Information
Boat Locator		Several tools for searching vessels using their names (documented vessels), radio call signs, and AIS reported locations
Cruising Blogs		Follow the travels of SYC members as they cruise the world
Cruising Calendar		Calendar of SYC cruising events. SYC members who are logged on can view the event flyer and see who is attending, as well as register for the cruise.
Cruising Events		Describes the various annual cruising events provided by SYC to its members. While these events are generally closed to the public, summaries of the events are published to entice potential new members.
Public Events		SYC has several boating-related events open to the public and they are described in this section.
Safety and Environment		Deals with safety and environmental issues and is managed by the Seamanship, Education, and Environment Committee
	Boating Links	Web links to boating web sites and web sites of interest to boaters
	Reference Information	Information on such items as VHF channels, Flag Etiquette, Seattle Bridge and Harbor Information, and some medical guidelines

Page last udated on Tuesday, April 23, 2013

 Recent Activities

The video below shows some of the fun we had on one of the club cruises.