Benetti Oasis 42M139' 5"
View Specs & Review1,900 tons of drydock, and a lock that never was the limit
Yachting in Seattle
A Minted Location · Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the one market on this coast that does all three jobs at once: it is where a large yacht lives, where it gets rebuilt, and where it leaves from.
The refit capacity is the headline. One Lake Union yard publishes "drydocks up to 1,900 Tons and 300 feet" with a 200-foot outfitting dock, a 130,000 square foot yard and 800 feet of waterfront. A Ballard yard publishes "professional ship and yacht repair to 300 feet" across a haul-out table that runs to three separate 600-ton ways.
Berthing matches it. Shilshole Bay takes guest vessels 20 to 350 feet, with a fixed pier to 400 feet on request, 277/480 volt power up to 200 amp, and over 1,400 monthly and liveaboard customers. Elliott Bay Marina publishes 300 feet across over 1,200 in-water slips and ten miles of dock space. Bell Harbor is "the only marina in downtown Seattle."
And then there is the myth. Everyone tells you the Ballard Locks cap the size of yacht you can keep in fresh water. They do not. The Army Corps publishes a large chamber of 80 by 825 feet — which constrains no yacht afloat. The gate that actually decides it is air draft at the movable bridges, where the Fremont Bridge at 30 feet is the lowest thing between you and Lake Union.
So a hundred-foot-plus yacht can and does lie in fresh water above the locks. Which is precisely why the heavy yards sit there.
Where to keep a yacht in Seattle
Shilshole Bay Marina, on the salt side outside the locks, is the Port of Seattle's large-vessel facility. Guest moorage runs 20 to 350 feet, with the fixed pier taking up to 400 feet on a call-for-availability basis, and superyachts published to 106 metres. Power runs 277/480 volt up to 200 amp. Over 1,400 monthly and liveaboard customers, full breakwater protection, a fuel dock and a boatyard on site. Guest moorage is year-round: over 100 feet is $3.58 per foot per day, and a short stay under six hours is $1.07 per foot. Guest moorage is published as 20 to 350 feet and monthly moorage as 20 to 120 — check which bracket applies before you plan a monthly berth around the larger figure.
Elliott Bay Marina in Magnolia publishes 300 feet across "over 1,200 in-water slips" and ten miles of dock space, with shore power, water, 24/7 security, a ship's store, a pump-out and a fuel dock on site. Transient moorage is available directly or through a booking platform.
Bell Harbor Marina is the downtown option — and it says so: "the only marina in downtown Seattle." Guest moorage runs year-round to 120 feet, with monthly moorage to 100 feet from 1 September to 31 May, and metered 30, 50 and 100 amp power at the slip. Charter vessels pay $3.95 per foot per day. The Port is a founding member of Superyacht Northwest.
Fishermen's Terminal is the freshwater berth, and its seasonal rhythm is genuinely useful. It sits in Salmon Bay, "just one mile from the Hiram Chittenden Locks", on the fresh side. Monthly tiers run to "Over 125'" and guest tiers to "80'–125'", with "flexible beam allowances." Recreational moorage is available year-round, first come first served — and capacity increases from July to late August while the fishing fleet is in Alaska. That is a real window most people never think to use.
Across the water, Port of Poulsbo Marina in Liberty Bay is the practical Kitsap-side stop: guest, transient and permanent moorage with online reservations, a fuel dock open 08:00–16:00 seven days with diesel at $5.95 a gallon including tax, and a volunteer guest host programme. Its slips are listed individually as length by beam by depth at zero tide, and it notes that they "can accommodate vessels up to 2' longer than the length of the slip."
The yards are the reason to keep a serious boat here.
Northlake Shipyard on Lake Union publishes "drydocks up to 1,900 Tons and 300 feet", a 200-foot outfitting dock, a 130,000 square foot yard with 800 feet of waterfront, a 50-ton whirley crane on rails and a 40-ton American crane.
Pacific Fishermen Shipyard & Electric in Ballard, on the freshwater side of the locks, offers "professional ship and yacht repair to 300 feet" across a published haul-out table: #1 Ways 70 × 24 ft at 12.5 ft draft, 150 tons; #2 Ways 146 × 38 ft at 13 ft, 600 tons; #3 Screwlift 160 × 36 ft at 12.5 ft, 600 tons; #4 Sidetrack 160 × 36 ft, 600 tons. Its prose elsewhere describes a 100-foot, 200-ton railway and a 145-foot screw lift; the 600-ton figures are consistent throughout. Plan against the table and settle length with the yard.
CSR Marine covers the mid-size end with "haulouts up to 80′" on two 70-ton Travelifts plus a 25-ton, and 30,000 square feet of indoor secured work area. Seaview Boatyard operates on site at Shilshole and publishes "haulouts to 165 tons with a 26′ beam" — a company-wide figure across three yards, so confirm the Ballard yard's own lift before you plan a Seattle haul-out around it.
Chandlery is deep. Covich Williams on the Ship Canal supplies fuel, lubricants and filters and "serves vessels ranging from Bering Sea factory trawlers to recreational yachts." Fisheries Supply covers anchoring, docking, fuel systems and mooring lines.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shilshole Bay Marina (Port of Seattle)The Port's large-vessel facility: guest moorage 20 to 350 feet, with the fixed pier taking up to 400 feet on a call-for-availability basis. Power 277/480 volt up to 200 amp, full breakwater protection, a boatyard on site, and over 1,400 monthly and liveaboard customers. Guest moorage is published as 20–350 ft and monthly moorage as 20–120 ft, so check which bracket applies before you plan a monthly berth around the larger figure. | Ballard, Puget Sound — salt water, outside the locks | 350 ft | — | Fuel dock on site — grades on the call |
| Elliott Bay MarinaOver 1,200 in-water slips across ten miles of dock space, published to 300 feet, with shore power, water, 24/7 security, a ship's store and a pump-out. | Magnolia, Elliott Bay | 300 ft | 1,200 | Fuel dock on site |
| Bell Harbor Marina (Port of Seattle)"The only marina in downtown Seattle", with metered 30, 50 and 100 amp power at the slip. The Port is a founding member of Superyacht Northwest. | Downtown waterfront, Elliott Bay | 120 ft | — | — |
| Fishermen's Terminal (Port of Seattle)Monthly tiers run to "Over 125'", guest tiers to "80'–125'", with flexible beam allowances. "Fresh water moorage just one mile from the Hiram Chittenden Locks." The July-to-August capacity window is a real opportunity most people never think to use. | Salmon Bay, Ballard — fresh water, inside the locks | — | — | — |
| Port of Poulsbo MarinaThe practical Kitsap-side stop across the Sound. Permanent slips are listed individually as length by beam by depth at zero tide, and the port notes that slips "can accommodate vessels up to 2' longer than the length of the slip." | Liberty Bay, Poulsbo | — | — | Fuel dock 08:00–16:00, seven days; diesel $5.95/gal including 9.3% state tax |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Yacht ClubOrganiser of Opening Day of Boating Season, with the dockmaster on VHF 68. Its Opening Day rules are specific: boats over 40 feet on Dock Zero must set a bow anchor, and all boats must be clear by 18:00 the following day. | Portage Bay main station; Elliott Bay outstation | — | — | — |
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 Seattle
Start with the locks, because almost everything said about them is wrong.
The Army Corps of Engineers publishes the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks as a small lock of 30 by 150 feet and a large lock of 80 by 825 feet, with a 235-foot spillway carrying six 32 by 12 foot gates, vessel traffic 24 hours a day, the lakes held 20 to 22 feet above sea level, and more than 75,000 vessels locked through each year.
An 80 by 825 foot chamber constrains no yacht afloat. The locks are not the size gate, and treating them as one has sent a lot of people to the wrong conclusion about where a big boat can live in this city.
⚠️ The real gate is air draft at the movable bridges, and USACE publishes the table. At mean regulated lake level:
| Bridge | Clearance |
|---|---|
| Fremont | 30 ft — the lowest |
| BNSF railroad | 43 ft at high tide |
| Ballard | 44 ft |
| University | 42 ft 6 in |
| Montlake | 46 ft |
| SR 520 | 54 ft east / 45 ft west |
All the movable bridges open on signal — so air draft dictates whether you must ask, not whether you fit.
What does constrain you is the clock. Ballard, Fremont and University are closed to openings on weekdays 07:00–09:00 and 16:00–18:00. Montlake closes 07:00–09:00 and 15:30–18:30 from May to August, and 07:00–10:00 and 15:30–19:00 from September to April. Plan a transit around rush hour or lose two hours to it.
Three more operational figures from USACE: draft over 14 feet means signalling the Lockmaster so the saltwater barrier can be lowered; speed is 2.5 knots entering and 7 knots in the Ship Canal; and currents in the locks run as much as six knots.
So a 100-foot-plus yacht can and does lie in fresh water above the locks, and the heavy refit yards sit there for exactly that reason.
Tide. NOAA CO-OPS station 9447130, epoch 1983–2001: MHHW 19.30 · MHW 18.43 · MSL 14.58 · MLW 10.77 · MLLW 7.94. Great Diurnal Range 11.36 feet, mean range 7.66. A yard confirms it operationally in its own FAQ: "Depending on the tide, we may have to aim for a specific time of the day."
Northbound, plan the departure around slack. For Deception Pass, on the way to the San Juans, NOAA station PUG1701 gives 6.56 knots flood and 7.30 knots ebb — a genuine slack-water transit, and the figure to time a northbound run around. Confirm Admiralty Inlet currents on the NOAA predictions for the day you sail.
Blake Island Marine State Park, out in Puget Sound, is the nearest anchoring destination, with a published rule worth knowing: boats over 45 feet may not use the buoys and must use the dock. The dock is $1 per vessel foot and buoys are $23, charged year-round from 13:00 to 08:00, first come first served, maximum three consecutive nights, with electrical service at the dock for a daily fee. The pump-out there is out of service, so empty the tank before you go.
- Blake Island Marine State Park — Island in Puget SoundThe nearest anchoring destination, with a hard published rule: boats over 45 feet may not use the buoys and must use the dock. The dock has electrical service for a daily fee. "The boat pumpout is out of service", so empty the tank before you go.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northlake Shipyard"Drydocks up to 1,900 Tons and 300 feet" — the biggest lifting capacity in the city, and the single strongest reason to keep a big boat in Seattle. A 200-foot outfitting dock, a 130,000 square foot yard with 800 feet of waterfront, a 50-ton whirley crane on rails and a 40-ton American crane. | Lake Union — fresh water, above the locks | 300 ft | — |
| Pacific Fishermen Shipyard & Electric"Professional Ship and Yacht Repair to 300 Feet", on a published haul-out table: #1 Ways 70 × 24 ft at 12.5 ft draft, 150 tons; #2 Ways 146 × 38 ft at 13 ft, 600 tons; #3 Screwlift 160 × 36 ft at 12.5 ft, 600 tons; #4 Sidetrack 160 × 36 ft, 600 tons. Its prose elsewhere describes a 100-foot 200-ton railway and a 145-foot screw lift; the 600-ton figures are consistent throughout. Plan against the table and settle length with the yard. | Ballard, Salmon Bay — freshwater side of the locks | 300 ft | — |
| CSR Marine"Haulouts up to 80′" on two 70-ton Travelifts and a 25-ton, with 30,000 square feet of indoor secured work area. The mid-size end of the market, and a genuinely useful complement to the two big yards. | Ballard, plus a south yard | 80 ft | — |
| Seaview BoatyardOn site at Shilshole, and publishes "haulouts to 165 tons with a 26′ beam" — a company-wide figure across three yards. Confirm the Ballard yard's own lift before you plan a Seattle haul-out around it. | 6701 Seaview Avenue NW, Ballard — on site at Shilshole | — | — |
Chandleries & specialty suppliers
- Covich Williams — 4800 20th Avenue NW, Ballard, on the Ship Canal"Serves vessels ranging from Bering Sea factory trawlers to recreational yachts" — a fair summary of what the Ship Canal trades handle. Fuel, lubricants and filters on the canal.
- Fisheries Supply — SeattleMarine chandlery covering anchoring and docking gear, fuel systems and mooring lines.
On the Seattle calendar
Seattle runs year-round, and nothing here shuts for a season. Bell Harbor is "open for guest year-round"; Fishermen's Terminal recreational moorage is "available year round"; Shilshole simply prices peak (June–September) against off-peak (October–May); Blake Island charges year-round. That is unusual this far north and it is a genuine part of the case for the city.
Dated events:
- Opening Day of Boating Season — Saturday 2 May 2026. The parade runs through the Montlake Cut; the route closes at 09:40 and reopens around 14:30. Log boom moorage is first come, first served. Two rules worth knowing before you go: boats over 40 feet on Dock Zero must set a bow anchor, and all boats must be off Dock Zero by 18:00 on Sunday 3 May. The 2026 theme is "Welcome the World / World Regatta."
- Seafair Kickoff — 1 June 2026.
- Boeing Seafair Air Show and Apollo Mechanical Cup — 31 July to 2 August 2026, on Lake Washington. Seafair sells Log Boom boat passes, which is direct boater access to the course.
- Seattle Boat Show — 5 to 13 February 2027, nine days at the Lumen Field Event Center and afloat at Bell Harbor Marina: 283 exhibitors and dealers, 800 boats on display, 150 free seminars. The organiser's own navigation still reads "The 2026 Show", so confirm the dates with them before you book travel.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Seattle
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 Seattle?
Northlake Shipyard on Lake Union publishes drydocks up to 1,900 tons and 300 feet, with a 200-foot outfitting dock and a 130,000 square foot yard. Pacific Fishermen in Ballard publishes ship and yacht repair to 300 feet across a haul-out table carrying three separate 600-ton ways. CSR Marine covers up to 80 feet on 70-ton Travelifts, and Seaview at Shilshole publishes haulouts to 165 tons with a 26-foot beam as a company-wide figure — confirm the Ballard yard's own lift before planning around it.
When do the Seattle bridges close to openings?
On weekdays during rush hour, and it dictates your schedule rather than your size. The Ballard, Fremont and University bridges are closed to openings from 07:00 to 09:00 and 16:00 to 18:00. Montlake closes 07:00 to 09:00 and 15:30 to 18:30 from May to August, and 07:00 to 10:00 and 15:30 to 19:00 from September to April. Two more operational notes from the Army Corps: a draft over 14 feet means signalling the Lockmaster so the saltwater barrier can be lowered, and currents in the locks run as much as six knots.
Is Seattle a year-round boating market?
Yes, and nothing here shuts for a season. Bell Harbor is open for guests year-round, Fishermen's Terminal offers recreational moorage year-round, Shilshole simply prices peak from June to September against off-peak from October to May, and Blake Island charges fees year-round. Fishermen's Terminal adds a seasonal opportunity worth knowing about: its capacity increases from July to late August while the fishing fleet is in Alaska.
What is the largest yacht that can berth in Seattle?
Shilshole Bay Marina takes guest vessels from 20 to 350 feet, with a fixed pier accommodating up to 400 feet on a call-for-availability basis, and power up to 200 amp at 277/480 volts. Elliott Bay Marina publishes 300 feet across over 1,200 in-water slips and ten miles of dock. Bell Harbor, the only marina in downtown Seattle, takes guests to 120 feet with metered 100-amp power. One thing to check on the call: Shilshole publishes guest moorage as 20 to 350 feet and monthly moorage as 20 to 120, so confirm which bracket applies to the berth you want.
Do the Ballard Locks limit the size of yacht you can keep in Seattle?
No, and this is the most persistent myth about the city. The Army Corps publishes a large lock chamber of 80 by 825 feet, which constrains no yacht afloat, alongside a small lock of 30 by 150 feet. The real gate is air draft at the movable bridges: the Fremont Bridge at 30 feet is the lowest, then the BNSF railroad bridge at 43 feet at high tide, and the Ballard Bridge at 44. All the movable bridges open on signal, so air draft dictates whether you must ask rather than whether you fit. A 100-foot-plus yacht can and does lie in fresh water above the locks, which is exactly why the heavy refit yards sit there.
Is there dock-and-dine in Seattle?
One venue publishes it, and it is takeout. Ivar's Salmon House on Lake Union offers a dock to tie up for a quick grab and go — pickup rather than dine-in. Everything else on the waterfront is a berth-and-walk: Palisade and Maggie Bluffs sit inside a 1,200-slip marina, so you take a slip there first; Duke's markets an event room called Dockside at Duke's; and Salty's refers to docks a short stroll from the restaurant rather than at it. Seattle is a dock-and-walk city, and Bell Harbor, Shilshole and Fishermen's Terminal all put a neighbourhood at the top of the ramp.