The Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center incorporated as a non-profit organization in the spring of 2006 and opened its doors to the public in July 2007 at 501 Harris Ave. in Fairhaven, next to the public boat ramp. Our mission is to provide education to the general community and to small boat enthusiasts about enjoying our beautiful Bay safely and without barriers. Safety will always be our primary message and will weave through all that we offer, whether it’s in a classroom or on-the water instruction. Our ideal client is…..You!.. whoever you are, regardless of your age, income, or abilities! You’ve come to the right place to learn to safely kayak, sail in small boats, or row in fixed-seat or sliding-seat boats.

Events

Family Boat Building Week

Whatcom Museum of History and Art

July 11-13 and July 18th

This is the first time national family boat building week has been offered in Bellingham.  Professional and amateur wooden boat builders will mentor family or family-like groups of up to 5 people as they build the Salt Bay Skiff over three days in July and have a group launch the following weekend.  Adults and children team up to build their own car-topper wooden skiff. 

Pollution Patrol

The North Sound Baykeeper and the Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center are sponsoring a kayak patrol Wednesday, July 16 on Bellingham Bay.    

The North Sound Baykeeper is a “Waterkeeper” and your advocate for marine and other waters in Whatcom and Skagit County. One of the things that Waterkeepers do to advocate for their waters, is to actively patrol them and investigate and report pollution or land use problems.

If you join the Baykeeper on  patrol you will,

• Become familiar with Bellingham Bay,

• Investigate pollution sources and citizen complaints;

• Share information with other boaters about protecting the bay;

• Help the Baykeeper clean up the bay and protect its water and shore habitat.

• Promote stewardship of our waters

To join us, meet at the Community Boating Center (501 Harris Avenue in Fairhaven), on the Fairhaven waterfront, at 3:00.  Patrols will last between 2 and 3 hours.   Volunteers with kayaks are encouraged to participate in the patrols, or one may be rented at the Community Boating Center.

Two additional patrols will be held; one in August and one in September.

Note: These events are not guided tours.  Participants must be experienced with self-rescue techniques, have appropriate safety equipment, and know how to use their equipment.

If you are interested in participating in one or more of these patrols, please register by 10 am on July 16 with Lee First, Field Investigator, North Sound Baykeeper Program, at (360) 733-8307 or email leef@re-sources.org. 

News

June 26, 2008 - National Family Boatbuilding Week July 16-23 2008

Family BoatBuilding was developed as a way to bring families and groups together into a fun, achievement-oriented project-and to get more families on the water! Family BoatBuilding provides an inexpensive introduction to boating, beginning with the basic construction of a dinghy or skiff, and ending with the family's first outing on the water in their very own boat. Last year, more than 70 Family BoatBuilding events took place around the world, resulting in hundreds of families being introduced to recreational boating. BCBC is hosting Bellingham's first Family Boat Building Week July 11, 12, 13.  Four family groups will build the Salt Bay Skiff with guidance from  volunteer wooden boat builders from What com County.  You can watch their progress as they work behind the Whatcom County Museum of History and Art.  While you are there, be sure to visit the excellent museum display "The World of the Shipwright".    This will be an annual event and we expect it to get larger year by year. 

May 1, 2008 - Your Community Boating Center is open for the season!

Come down and paddle a kayak, get out and row, or sail through the Bay Wednesday to Sunday, 9 am to 6 pm.