Waggoner
When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest back in “gulp” the early 1990s, I was introduced to the Waggoner Cruising Guide—so popular it’s simply called Waggoners on the docks. This comprehensive boatside companion provides insights and planning tools for cruising the Pacific Northwest, it covers Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, Princess Louisa Inlet, Desolation Sound, the west coast of Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast, the Inside Passage North, and all of Southeast Alaska including Glacier Bay National Park. A must have for boaters cruising the Salish sea and Inside Passage, Waggoners is updated every year and packed with useful information. Their press also publishes a companion resource called Ports and Passes which is a tide guide.
In addition to the guides, Waggoner hosts flotillas up the Inside Passage. Groups of boaters travel together on this epic cruise building camaraderie and knowledge as they follow an experienced lead vessel. This method provides information and guidance as well as safety in numbers for those that want to learn the route but might not want to do it alone. The Maritimo owners we featured in our article Capable Cruiser of The Great North from Down Under met on one of the Waggoner Flotillas and then the following year cruised to Alaska on their own (three boats cruise together).
If you are new to Pacific Northwest cruising or taking delivery of a new boat with one of our local builder’s factory delivery experiences, Waggoners is an essential planning tool and oft used guide once you are underway.
