State Parks schedules buoy repairs for San Juan Islands, Hood Canal parks

Overnight mooring space may be limited during construction 

OLYMPIA – May 20, 2024 – Washington State Parks is set to begin contracted mooring buoy repair work in several state parks. Work in the San Juan Islands begins June 10 and work on the eastern Olympic Peninsula and Hood Canal will start July 8.  

Parks will also complete routine inspections and maintenance of 81 of its public mooring buoys. The maintenance project will service state-owned public mooring buoys to ensure they are in top condition for boaters this summer. 

Anticipated repair schedule:  

San Juan Islands: June 10-14, 2024 

• Blind Island 

• Clark Island 

• James Island 

• Jones Island 

• Obstruction Pass 

• Sucia Island- Ewing Cove 

• Sucia Island- Fossil Bay 

• Sucia Island- Fox Cove 

• Sucia Island- Shallow Bay 

• Sucia Island- Snoring Bay 

Hood Canal/Olympic Peninsula: July 8-12. 2024 

• Fort Flagler 

• Kitsap Memorial 

• Potlach 

• Sequim Bay 

• Twanoh 

The repair work schedule is weather-dependent and subject to change. Boaters should be cautious of repair divers in the area and allow extra space around the buoys under repair.  

Inspection of all Washington state park buoys on a biennial basis is planned under a five-year, on-call contract with Jen Jay, Inc., a commercial diving and environmental consulting company servicing the Puget Sound area. 

Additional information: 

Use of mooring buoys is critical to helping protect sensitive eelgrass habitats from anchor impact. Each buoy is designed for a single vessel up to 45 feet in length. Boaters cannot raft or tie multiple boats together when using mooring buoys. 

All Parks mooring buoys are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parks recently established a new call-in registration program at select buoys. Those buoys have a buoy number and call-in phone number, so boaters can call from their vessel, provide their Annual Moorage Permit number and pay by credit card. Paying by phone carries a $4.50 transaction fee, and boaters can still register on shore if they prefer. 

• All Parks buoys are located in No Discharge zones. Boaters can find nearby pumpout stations at: https://pumpoutwashington.org/ 

• To report a damaged buoy, please contact our information center via email at infocent@parks.wa.gov or by phone at (360)-902-8844.  

• State parks are a top destination for cruising, sail and power boaters. Buoy fees are $15 per night. Learn more about State Parks mooring buoys.