May 23-25
SAVE THE DATE for our ANNUAL
Memorial Day Mystery Bay Raft-Up.
May 23-25, 2026
Please join us for this jam-packed 3-day weekend cruise to Mystery Bay. Raft up with fellow STYC sailors for some interesting on-shore activities, and perhaps polish up your Bocce Ball skills. On the cruise docket: an outdoor BBQ potluck dinner; a goat farm tour, a picnic at the winery, a charming local Tractor Parade... Tiny Nordland General Store is now back open for business. That said, Please provision your boat accordingly for the entire holiday weekend.
Navigation: The entry to Mystery Bay can be very Tricky. Please source out & refer to all your own tide, current, & chart information you will need in order to navigate the winding narrow Kilisut Passage entrance safely. This year the high tide on Sat 5/23 will require an early start from Seattle, but Monday 5/25 looks god to departure homeward loosely around noon. If you are unsure of your ability to enter & navigate Kilisut confidently perhaps consider spending the previous evening at anchor in nearby Glen Cove Kala Point, or in Port Townsend. Option: refer to your land charts & drive in.
New for 2026!!! Rumor has it the dock has been newly fixed with new pilings. Vessels should still have a dingy to skiff into our staging ground at the small Mystery Bay State Park. Likewise, you will also need an Anchor! There are only 2 State Park mooring balls that are still usable. This was very well managed last Memorial Day by all our boats
Cruise Reservation Sign-up: Please sign-up on our STYC website for the cruise so that we can manage head counts for each activity. This is IMPORTANT.
Registration: https://www.styc.org/event-6657858
Please fly your STYC club burgee's for this cruise.
We are looking for Volunteers to drive-in for the day on Sunday May 24 & help shuttle sailors up to the Vineyard. Volunteers will be gifted free entrance to the goat farm tour/activities. Please reach out to cruise chair Kristina Southard at cruise@styc.org or Sara Schroderer at Volunteer@styc.org to arrange. This is a Great way to become involved with our cruising program, especially if you don't have access to a vessel of your own. We are a volunteer organization and we Thank you in advance for your he[p on this particular cruise.
About Mystery Bay: All but hidden on the inside of Marrowstone Island, Mystery Bay State Park offers a great escape for visitors arriving by water. This is one of our most popular STYC cruises. Boaters can raft up or lay anchor and stroll along the grassy and gravelly shoreline or enjoy the inlet’s pristine waters. Bring along a kayak or paddle board for daytime recreation on the water. Reserve a campsite at Fort Flagler. There is an organic goat farm that offers tours on making goat cheese, a renowned island vineyard for an organized wine tasting. Take in the Olympic mountain views from the shoreline picnic area about 80-100 yards from the raft-up. Cook up your own burgers, oysters or clams in one of three fire rings on shore and enjoy an island sunset before heading back to your boat. Fort Flagler is approximately 2 miles from Mystery Bay (about a 15 minute dinghy ride). Tour and explore a significant coastal defense fort established more than a century ago to guard the entrance to Puget Sound.
STYC will be standing by on ch #72.
Cruise line-up:
Saturday May 23 - Evening Happy Hour, details TBA
Sunday May 24 - 10 - 11am - Goat Farm option - Pay $20/pp at Farm
12 noon'ish - Tractor Parade
2- 5pm - Wine Picnic & games @ Marrowstone Vineyard
* The purchase 1 bottle of wine per person is required in order to partake in the winery Event.
7 pm - Potluck (BBQ?) Dinner on the beach
Monday May 25 - 10 am - A visit to Force 10 tall ships sail loft
This 3-day distance cruise has become a hallmark event for STYC. All activities planned are optional. Each boat & Drive-in member will be required to sign-up for each event separately within the registration screen so we may have a proper head-count.
Looking forward to yet another stellar Memorial Day cruise. Cheers!
Kristina, STYC Cruise Chair
