Strong winds drive boat onto Mukilteo Beach
A boat is driven ashore at Edgewater Beach, a popular Mukilteo, WA, waterfront park near where Best4Boats is headquartered. Gale-force winds and high seas in the Straits of Juan de Fuca in the late afternoon of June 16, 2026, translated into rough conditions in other parts of the Pacific Northwest. Both Admiralty Inlet and Possession Sound which are on either side of Whidbey Island had 15-20knot winds with higher gusts. Widespread white caps lined the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry route as the day wore on. A bright red catamaran, 38’ long, apparently dragged anchor or was blown off its mooring on the other side of the bay. By 6:30pm PDT, the boat was being pounded by wind and waves onto the rocky shore of Edgewater Beach a mile and a half east of the Mukilteo ferry terminal.
Best4Boats roving reporter and environmental steward, Kristin Kohorst, notified authorities of this mishap and recorded the incident seen in our exclusive video. The boat, which washed ashore in a rocky area along the beach with 2-3’ waves driving it onto the rocks, did not appear to be occupied. A large tarp could be seen covering the upper part of the vessel, causing speculation as to whether the boat was able to run on its own.
The Washington State Department of Ecology is asking everyone to stay away from the area where the vessel washed ashore. They sent a spill response team and put out a statement that says they are aware of the vessel grounding, are working to mitigate any potential pollution risks, and trying to develop a recovery plan with the vessel owner.
We at Best4Boats hope that this vessel can be safely removed from the beach, which is just down the hill from where this is being written, with as minimal impact as possible to both the vessel and the environment. We also encourage vessel owners to double-check their ground tackle, especially on boats that are going to be left unattended. You just never know when the winds might pick up and take your boat for an unintended passage.
Mukilteo Boat Beaching Follow Up
