Port Ludlow :: a Master Planned Resort Community for All Ages :: Birding, Boating, Golfing, Hiking, & More

Port Ludlow is the home port for the Port Ludlow Yacht Club, a fun, friendly, and welcoming group of people.

The Port Ludlow Yacht Club (PLYC) is active year-round; most of the organized cruises occur from May - December. Although the PLYC's schedule varies from year to year, some activities are so popular that they happen regularly.

Some of these cruises go from dock to dock and sometimes the group anchors out, so members can chose whichever overnight destination they feel the most comfortable with. On a couple cruises in 2006 and 2007, everyone anchored in a ring formation. It was a little interesting to get everyone in place, but it meant that the newbies had a chance to experience a night on the hook.

Depending on individual available time and interest, cruise participants always have the option of staying with the PLYC group for the entire cruise; doing just part of the cruise; or taking off and exploring on their own for a day or three, and then meeting back up with the group.

• There is normally at least one cruise to the San Juan Islands each year.
• There are normally cruises to the Gulf Islands at least once a year.
• Normally a south-sound cruise is also on the annual schedule; sometimes several.
• PLYC members have the option of signing up at the beginning of the season to be the cruise-director for particular events. These volunteer cruise-directors often select the destination for the cruise and normally also have the option of selecting a theme. In recent years, such specialty cruises have included trips to Vancouver Island for golf, to Seattle to see the Nutcracker, and to Poulsbo for "a night at the casino" .

PLYC members who don't have time to participate on any of these cruises in their boat, or who are between boats at the moment, don't have to miss out on the fun; they're encouraged to meet up with the group via land-based transportation.

Official "Boating Season" normally starts about Mother's Day. The day starts with opening ceremonies, including boat christenings for newly named (or renamed) boats, a parade around Port Ludlow Bay, and "open houses" hosted on their boats by many of the members.

During boating season, many of the sailboats in the group participate in an organized race every Saturday; from Port Ludlow Bay, out into Admiralty Inlet and back again. The sailing captains are often looking for crew, with or without sailing experience.

There are also several dinner social events held throughout the year, as well as periodic no-host happy hour get togethers at Niblick's (the restaurant at the Port Ludlow Golf Course).

The Port Ludlow Yacht Club also works with our local Coast Guard Auxiliary to improve PLYC members' boating skills and safety.

A PLYC Ladies group meets to socialize and enjoy boating-related activities. In 2006 and 2007, they took on a special project; a really nice spiral bound cruising cookbook. Copies were sold, resulting in several thousand dollars which were donated to the local Jefferson County breast and cervical health care program.