Swinomish Yacht Club

05/28/2026

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05/24/2026

The Battle of Garrison Bay: Pirates Repelled for the Third Straight Year!
For the third year in a row, the notorious pirates of the Anacortes Yacht Club launched a daring raid on the peaceful flotilla of the Swinomish Yacht Club during the annual “Swinomish Smile” raft-up in beautiful Garrison Bay.
What began as a calm afternoon filled with sunshine, laughter, and suspiciously well-stocked snack trays quickly turned into maritime chaos when enemy vessels were spotted approaching from the west. Witnesses reported several pirate dinghies advancing at flank speed — estimated somewhere between “idle” and “slightly more than idle.”
Armed with foam swords, questionable sea shanties, and industrial quantities of bubbles, the invaders attempted to overwhelm the unsuspecting SYC fleet with what can only be described as “extreme silliness.”
“They came out of nowhere,” one startled SYC member reported. “One minute we were relaxing with appetizers, and the next we were under heavy bubble bombardment.”
As panic briefly swept across the raft-up, one man rose to the occasion.
Enter: Mitch Ruth aboard the mighty Paradiso.
Standing bravely on the decks of Paradiso, Captain Mitch manned the legendary SYC Water Cannon with the courage of a seasoned naval commander and the enthusiasm of a man who had clearly been training for this moment all year long. With pinpoint accuracy and absolutely no regard for dry clothing, he unleashed a watery counterattack that sent the pirate forces into immediate retreat.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of total confusion among the invaders.
“Bubbles were everywhere.”
“Pirates were slipping.”
“One guy lost his hat.”
“It was absolute mayhem.”
After several direct hits from the Paradiso defensive system, the pirate fleet turned tail and retreated back toward Anacortes waters, defeated once again by the unbreakable spirit of the Swinomish Smile.
Miraculously, no serious injuries were reported, although several beverages were temporarily abandoned during the conflict.
In the aftermath of the battle, both yacht clubs gathered in laughter and celebration, proving once again that the true treasure of Garrison Bay is good friends, good humor, and unforgettable memories on the water.
Rumors are already circulating that the pirates may attempt another invasion next year. SYC officials have confirmed that defensive preparations — including water cannons, bubble shields, and advanced snack fortifications — are already underway.
Until then… the Swinomish Smile remains victorious.

05/13/2026

What a great write up about our Opening Day Parade!! Thanks Kari. We'd also like to thank Shelter Bay Yacht Club for joining us.

Members of Swinomish Yacht Club embraced this year’s Opening Day parade theme “It’s a Small World” by decorating their dinghies to represent different countries around the world, including this Dut…

05/04/2026

Thanks to everyone who came and joined our dinghy parade and potluck. We had over 20+ dinghys join in our first ever (from what I've been told) Opening Day Dinghy parade. Most participants knocked it out of the park with their decorations. We definitely embraced the "It's a Small World" theme. It was great to have Shelter Bay Yacht Club join us in the parade too. It was a wonderful day filled with laughter, beautiful weather, friendship, yummy food, and a shared love of boating. Hopefully this becomes a new tradition!

05/02/2026

Come check out the SYC Clubhouse and dinghy parade in the Swinomish Channel today! Starts at 12 pm

04/19/2026

Last night we had another fun yet educational event - Dragging Anchor with Dale (and crew). Our Port Captain Dale led an informative discussion on anchoring dos and don'ts, along with real-life stories. At SYC, sharing boating knowledge goes hand in hand with being a great member. I can't wait till our next one.

04/16/2026

Last weekend we had a great time spreading word about our club and our opening day event at the Tulip Parade through downtown La Conner. Let's just hope our Dinghy parade is a little drier!

04/05/2026

12/22/2025

Thank you to everyone who came and cheered on our Boat Parade. It is always great to see the waterfront lined with people in the Christmas spirit as we motor by. A huge shout out to La Conner Firefighters and Skagit Search and Rescue for leading the parade this year.

12/20/2025

One more sleep until our parade!!