Princess Y8083'8"
View Specs & ReviewWhere the boat gets ready for the run north — 165 tons, and no customs dock
Yachting in Bellingham
A Minted Location · Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is a preparation port. That is the honest description and it is also the compliment.
The strongest single asset here is a 165-ton Travelift with a 26-foot beam, at a yard on the north end of Squalicum Harbour, and it publishes no length limit. Behind it sits the Port's marine trades programme, which does something unusually practical: up to three days of complimentary moorage while a qualified marine trade works on your boat. Haul-out, gas and diesel engine repair, electronics, metal fabrication, painting, wood and fibreglass and canvas are all on site.
And the northbound identity is real, not marketing. The Alaska Marine Highway System describes itself as "providing service to over 30 communities that stretch from Bellingham, WA to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Chain." Bellingham is where that run begins.
Two things a buyer needs to know before choosing it, and both are published.
First, the Port does not allow overhang. In its own words: "Squalicum Harbor does not allow for any overhang from slips and… the LOA to be moored must fit entirely within the slip" — and a boat that does not fit forfeits its waitlist spot. In a harbour whose published rate brackets top out at ">70 feet", that rule does more to define your options than any length figure. Measure before you buy.
Second, there is no customs dock. The Port's own harbour map states it outright. Bellingham sits a mile from the Canadian border, and clearing back in is a CBP ROAM transaction rather than a berth — set it up before you leave, not on the way home.
Where to keep a yacht in Bellingham
Squalicum Harbor is the main event. The Port publishes 1,300 slips on its moorage page and "more than 1,400 commercial and pleasure boats" home-ported. No maximum LOA is stated; the top rate bracket is simply ">70", and the harbour map labels two berths at 96 feet. Monthly moorage runs $10.16 to $15.77 per foot.
Visitor moorage is side-tie at Gates 3, 9 and 12 — first come, three-night maximum, $1.25 per foot per night rising to $2.50 beyond three days, and you register within an hour of arriving.
The rule that matters more than any of those numbers is the no-overhang rule, and it is worth reading twice: "Squalicum Harbor does not allow for any overhang from slips and… the LOA to be moored must fit entirely within the slip." A boat that does not fit forfeits its waitlist spot. If you are buying to homeport here, measure first.
Blaine Harbor, about a mile from the border, runs the same Port system and the same no-overhang rule: 629 to 630 slips, over 750 feet of visitor moorage at Gate 2 — given as 800 feet on the Port's other page — at $1.25 per foot per night, with monthly moorage of $9.76 to $15.16 per foot. The waitlist is advertised for 30 to 60 feet. It holds a 5-star EnviroStars rating and Certified Clean Marina status.
Semiahmoo Marina on the spit at Blaine takes reservations only: "We require advanced reservations for any boat arriving at Semiahmoo Marina and do not offer a guest dock." Transient moorage is $2.00 per foot plus $3 for 30 amp or $5 for 50, and its fuel dock runs 08:00–16:30 daily on VHF 68. Slips run to 60 feet, and the current rate table dated 04/01/26 runs $459.80 at 34 feet to $1,151.70 at 60 feet; an earlier FAQ lists 34 to 50 feet at $380 to $724. Plan against the dated table.
Hotel Bellwether Moorage inside Squalicum offers 220 feet of dock with guest moorage from $3.00 per foot including water, power and WiFi — bookable only through the hotel front desk. It describes itself as "the only 'public' seaplane-accessible dock in Bellingham Bay."
Fairhaven Moorage at the south end is the cheap seasonal option: mooring buoys at $0.50 per foot per day, maximum 35 feet, and available May to October only.
The yards are why you would keep a boat here.
Seaview Boatyard North, at the north end of Squalicum near the fuel dock, publishes a 165-ton Travelift with a 26-foot beam and no length limit. Seaview Fairhaven, in the cove by the Alaska ferry terminal, runs a 35-ton lift with a 17-foot beam for the smaller end.
Hilton Harbor Marina has haul-out facilities and land storage plus "a gas fuel dock" — tonnage, hours and grades are settled on the call.
And the Port's marine trades programme is the quietly valuable part: up to three days of complimentary moorage when work is done by a qualified marine trade, across haul-out, gas and diesel engine repair, electronics, metal fabrication, painting, wood and fibreglass and canvas — all on site at Squalicum and Blaine. LFS Inc. on Coho Way has been supplying the fleet since 1967, with "a complete inventory of commercial fishing gear for all the major fisheries" alongside recreational supplies.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squalicum Harbor (Port of Bellingham)The rule that decides your options: "Squalicum Harbor does not allow for any overhang from slips and… the LOA to be moored must fit entirely within the slip" — and a boat that does not fit forfeits its waitlist spot, so measure before you buy. No maximum LOA is published: the top rate bracket is ">70" and the harbour map labels two berths at 96 ft. Monthly $10.16–$15.77/ft. The Port publishes 1,300 slips and "more than 1,400" commercial and pleasure boats home-ported. There is no customs dock here — clearing back in is a CBP ROAM transaction. | North shore of Bellingham Bay | — | 1,300 | Fuel dock in the harbour; operator, hours and grades on arrival |
| Blaine Harbor (Port of Bellingham)The same Port system and the same no-overhang rule, a mile from the border. 629 to 630 slips, and over 750 feet of visitor moorage at Gate 2 — given as 800 feet on the Port's other page. Monthly $9.76–$15.16/ft; the waitlist is advertised for 30 to 60 feet. 5-star EnviroStars and Certified Clean Marina. | Drayton Harbor, about a mile from the Canadian border | — | 629 | — |
| Semiahmoo MarinaYou cannot simply arrive here — it is reservations only, and there is no guest dock. Slips run to 60 ft, and the current rate table dated 04/01/26 runs $459.80 at 34 ft up to $1,151.70 at 60 ft; an earlier FAQ lists 34 to 50 ft at $380–$724. Plan against the dated table. | Semiahmoo Spit, Blaine | 60 ft | — | Fuel dock 08:00–16:30 daily, VHF 68 |
| Hotel Bellwether Moorage220 feet of dock, and it describes itself as "the only 'public' seaplane-accessible dock in Bellingham Bay." It is hotel moorage rather than restaurant dockage — book it through the front desk, then walk to dinner. | Bellwether Way, inside Squalicum Harbor | — | — | None |
| Fairhaven Moorage (Port of Bellingham)The cheap seasonal option, and small: mooring buoys only, capped at 35 feet, and available May to October. Ask the Port how many buoys are in when you book. | Fairhaven, south Bellingham | 35 ft | — | None |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham Yacht ClubReciprocal moorage on the side-tie in front of the clubhouse. Length, availability and the courtesies that go with it are settled on the call, so contact the club before you plan around it. | 2625 South Harbor Loop Drive, Gate 3, Squalicum | — | — | — |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Bellingham
The story here is that the home water is benign and the gates are not.
NOAA 2026 maximum current predictions:
| Station | Max flood | Max ebb |
|---|---|---|
| Hale Passage, east of Lummi Point (PUG1710) | 2.99 kn | 1.79 kn |
| Rosario Strait (PUG1702) | 3.91 kn | 4.99 kn |
| Bellingham Channel South (PUG1739) | 5.52 kn | 5.26 kn |
Hale Passage — the water immediately outside the harbour — runs under 3 knots. But the two ways into the San Juans, Bellingham Channel and Rosario Strait, run 4 to 5.5 knots and are genuine tide-planning passages. That asymmetry is the single most useful navigational fact about basing a boat here: easy departures, planned crossings.
Tide. NOAA station 9449211, epoch 1983–2001: Great Diurnal Range 8.51 feet, mean range 5.44, MHW 7.79 and MLW 2.35 above MLLW. Modest by Puget Sound standards.
The border runs through this market in both directions, and both are published.
Northbound, CBSA requires you to report if you "come to port, anchor, moor or make contact with another vessel" or disembark people or goods. The Telephone Reporting Centre is 1-888-226-7277 for vessels carrying under 30 passengers, and the rule on the call is specific: "Only the operator may leave the boat to place the call." Currency or monetary instruments totalling CAN$10,000 or more must be declared. Groups of 30 or more need 72 hours' advance written notice. The exception applies only if you do not land, anchor, moor, contact another conveyance, or embark or disembark anyone or anything.
⚠️ "The minimum fine for failing to report to the CBSA upon entry to Canada is CAN$1,000", with vessel seizure and immigration consequences also stated. Make the call before anyone steps ashore.
Southbound, under 19 CFR 4.2 and 19 U.S.C. 1433, operators must report arrival immediately. CBP ROAM is free and "qualifies as an Alternative Inspection System that satisfies the boat operator's legal requirement to report for face-to-face inspection in accordance with 8 CFR 235.1 with some exceptions" — the exceptions being travellers needing an I-94, those owing duties, and other circumstances. A free login.gov account is required. Since 15 September 2021 ROAM also handles cruising licence applications and domestic port-of-call arrival reports.
And the local one that decides how you come home: the Port's own harbour map says "There is no Customs Dock." U.S. Customs is listed at 800-562-5943. Bellingham sits a mile from the border and is not a walk-up clearance port. Clearing back in here is a ROAM transaction rather than a berth — set the account up before you sail, or clear at a designated port and come home afterwards.
Sucia Island Marine State Park is the nearest great anchorage, about 14 nautical miles west: 48 mooring buoys across six bays, two linear systems and two docks, with 60 primitive campsites. Buoys are $23 and dock moorage is $1 per vessel foot, charged year-round from 13:00 to 08:00. Dock 2 comes out October to April; the buoys stay in year-round.
- Sucia Island Marine State Park — About 14 nm west of BellinghamThe nearest great anchorage, and one of the best in the state: 48 mooring buoys across six bays, two linear systems, two docks and 60 primitive campsites. Dock 2 comes out October to April; the buoys stay in year-round.
- Clearing back in — ROAM, not a berth — Bellingham BayBellingham sits about a mile from the Canadian border, and the Port's harbour map states "There is no Customs Dock." Clearing back into the United States here is a CBP ROAM transaction — free, and needing a login.gov account — rather than a berth, so set the account up before you sail. U.S. Customs is listed at 800-562-5943. The alternative is to clear at a designated port and come home afterwards.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaview Boatyard NorthThe strongest single asset in this market: a Travelift of 165 tons with a 26-foot beam, and no published length limit. More than any berth, this is the reason to keep a boat in Bellingham. | North end of Squalicum Harbor, near the fuel dock | — | — |
| Seaview FairhavenA 35-ton Travelift with a 17-foot beam — the small-boat end of the same operation, at the south end of the bay. | The cove by the Alaska ferry terminal | — | — |
| Port of Bellingham Marine Trades programmeThe quietly valuable part of this market, and unusual enough to be worth planning around. On-site trades cover haul-out, gas and diesel engine repair, electronics, metal fabrication, painting, wood and fibreglass, and canvas. | Squalicum and Blaine | — | Up to three days of complimentary moorage when work is done by a qualified marine trade |
| Hilton Harbor MarinaHaul-out facilities and land storage. Tonnage, length and beam are settled on the call, so telephone before you plan yard work around a date. | Bellingham | — | — |
Chandleries & specialty suppliers
- LFS Inc. — 851 Coho Way, SqualicumIn business since 1967, with "a complete inventory of commercial fishing gear for all the major fisheries" alongside recreational supplies. A working-fleet chandlery, which is exactly what a departure port needs.
On the Bellingham calendar
A full-service year-round harbour with a May-to-October recreational season. Squalicum, Blaine and the Semiahmoo fuel dock are open all year. Fairhaven's mooring buoys run May to October only, and Sucia's Dock 2 comes out October to April while its buoys stay in.
Dated events, from organiser sources:
- Bellingham SeaFeast — 26 to 27 September 2026, at Squalicum Harbor and Zuanich Point Park. The town's own maritime festival, and it lands right at the end of the cruising season.
- Ski to Sea — 30 May 2027.
- The MV Plover foot ferry runs "July 3rd through Labor Day weekend."
The Bellingham Yacht Club's lighted boat parade and the Blaine festivals set their dates through the organisers — confirm those directly.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Bellingham
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest yacht that can be hauled out in Bellingham?
Seaview Boatyard North, at the north end of Squalicum Harbor near the fuel dock, publishes a 165-ton Travelift with a 26-foot beam and no length limit — the strongest single asset in this market. Seaview Fairhaven, near the Alaska ferry terminal, runs a 35-ton lift with a 17-foot beam for smaller boats. Hilton Harbor also has haul-out facilities and land storage; confirm tonnage, length and beam with the yard on the call.
What size boat fits in Squalicum Harbor?
Whatever fits entirely inside the slip, because the Port allows no overhang whatsoever: "Squalicum Harbor does not allow for any overhang from slips and… the LOA to be moored must fit entirely within the slip" — and a boat that does not fit forfeits its waitlist spot. No maximum LOA is published; the top rate bracket is simply "over 70 feet" and the harbour map labels two berths at 96 feet. Monthly moorage runs $10.16 to $15.77 per foot, and visitor side-tie is $1.25 per foot per night at Gates 3, 9 and 12.
Is there dock-and-dine in Bellingham?
One venue publishes it. Nicki's Bella Marina states that it has short term parking for your pleasure craft right in front of its outdoor deck. Everything else here is a berth-and-walk: Anthony's sits inside Squalicum Harbour, the Hotel Bellwether's 220-foot dock is hotel moorage booked through the front desk rather than restaurant dockage, and Packers Kitchen is steps from the pier in Blaine, where the marina alongside takes advance reservations and keeps no guest dock. Visitor side-tie at Squalicum's Gates 3, 9 and 12 is $1.25 per foot per night with a three-night maximum, and the harbour's own restaurants are a short walk from it.
Can you clear customs by boat in Bellingham?
No, and it is the most useful thing to know about basing a boat here. The Port of Bellingham's own harbour map states plainly: "There is no Customs Dock." Bellingham sits about a mile from the Canadian border, but it is not a walk-up clearance port. U.S. Customs is listed at 800-562-5943, and clearing back into the United States here is a CBP ROAM transaction — free, requiring a login.gov account — rather than a berth, so set the account up before you sail. Going the other way, CBSA's Telephone Reporting Centre is 1-888-226-7277, and the minimum fine for failing to report on entry to Canada is CAN$1,000.
How strong are the currents around Bellingham?
The home water is benign and the gates are not, which is the useful asymmetry here. Hale Passage, immediately outside the harbour, runs a maximum of 2.99 knots flood and 1.79 ebb in NOAA's 2026 predictions. But the two routes into the San Juans are real tide-planning passages: Rosario Strait reaches 3.91 flood and 4.99 ebb, and Bellingham Channel South reaches 5.52 flood and 5.26 ebb. Easy departures, planned crossings.