La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

The Port of Skagit hosted two massive events on the last weekend of September to benefit and promote the Genuine Skagit Valley program. The Tidewater Boil and Skagit Farm to Pint Fest were, as reported in this paper, both big successes. More than 150 people for dinner the first night and about 600 for the Farm to Pint Fest made for a busy and exciting weekend, especially for the La Conner Marina’s first time hosting. The Genuine Skagit Valley program does outstanding work showcasing local farms and enhancing the value of Skagit Valley agricultural products and services. The Port of Skagit is proud to be a part of this important work.

The weather is staying nice and we still have guests coming, especially into the RV park. There are a few boating guests on F dock enjoying the weather but there is plenty of room for more if anyone is thinking about taking the boat out.

Safety and Maintenance: ‘Tis the season for winterizing your boat. There are lots of resources out there about how to do it and procedures vary for each engine and piece of equipment. However, there are some things that apply to everyone. First, water will freeze and expand when it does. Drain everything that can be drained (as per owner’s manuals) and don’t forget your waste water system. Second, if you have a water-lift muffler you most likely have an anti-siphon valve on your raw water system. Clean this to make sure it’s not blocked up with salt or debris so air can freely move through it and prevent water siphoning into your exhaust manifold. Third, exercise the seacocks on your through hull fittings. They should turn easily and while you are winterizing is a good time to work them.

One thing that does not always get noticed is to turn off all of your pumps. A tenant had an on-demand washdown pump with a hose and nozzle on it. When he left the boat, the pump stayed on and somehow the nozzle blew off. Luckily the hose landed on the swimstep and the water flowed away. It could just as easily have been in the boat and it’s unlikely that the bilge pump could have matched the flow. Just something to think about.

Finally, we still have the rowboat we found in the slough. If anyone would like to claim it we would be happy for it to have a new home.

See you on the Channel!

— Chris Omdal, harbormaster