The Telltale · Oak Harbor - Coupeville - Anacortes

Dockside Chatter

What is a telltale? Look at a sail up close and you may spot short strands of red and green yarn fluttering near the front edge. Those are telltales. When both stream straight back, the sail is trimmed just right. When one droops or spins, the sailor knows to adjust the sail. A small thing that tells you a lot: we liked that, so we named this paper after them.

Storm season: In much of the country, boats come out of the water for the winter. Around here, many stay in, and that means the storms come to them. When a big blow comes through, it's dock lines, chafe gear, and bilge pumps that keep a boat safe. Before the next one, double up your lines, check them for wear where they cross a chock, take down loose canvas, and make sure the batteries can keep the pumps running. And after the storm, a walk down the dock to check on the neighbors' boats is always appreciated.

On the Horizon

Nov 8, 2026 Anacortes Veterans Day Parade: A free parade through downtown Anacortes honoring veterans. · 1 p.m. @ 3rd St. and Commercial Ave., Anacortes
Nov 11, 2026 Veterans Day Program: The Navy League's annual ceremony honoring veterans, with the high school's singers and band. · Oak Harbor High School, Oak Harbor
Nov 13, 2026 People for Puffins: A free talk on the Salish Sea's endangered seabirds, in the Friends of the Salish Sea Speaker Series. Reserve a seat ahead. · 7 p.m. @ Northwest Educational Service District, 1601 R Ave., Anacortes

Club & Harbor News

Marina dredging waits for 2027: Dredging at the Oak Harbor Marina has been pushed back again. Federal permits have been slow to come, and city staff now expect the work to begin in 2027. The city is also weighing higher moorage and dredge fees to help pay for the dredging and a new breakwater.

New laundry and restrooms at Cap Sante: Boaters at the Port of Anacortes's Cap Sante Marina have new laundry and restrooms in the North Basin this year, replacing facilities from 1982.

Send us your club news: Regatta results, a new commodore, an open house, or a member's big trip: send your club's news to The Telltale at thetelltale.ca/submit, and we'll share it with the whole waterfront.

Deer Lake's boating rules on hold: Island County commissioners have paused proposed changes to the boating rules on Deer Lake, on South Whidbey. The Youth Sailing Association, which runs summer sailing camps there with South Whidbey Parks and Recreation, warned that new hours for high-speed boating could end its camps. The commissioners want everyone to agree on the wording first.

Navigator's Quiz

Facing forward, which side of a boat is port?
Returning from open water, which side do you keep the red buoys?
A knot is a speed of one nautical mile per hour. About how many land miles is that?
What were the small steamers that once crowded Puget Sound called?
What is the U.S. Coast Guard's motto?

Flip the bottom edge for answers.

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Nov	Sunrise	Sunset
Sun 1	6:56	4:51
Sun 8	7:07	4:41
Sun 15	7:18	4:32
Sun 22	7:28	4:24
Sun 29	7:38	4:19

Nov

Sunrise

Sunset

Sun 1

6:56

4:51

Sun 8

7:07

4:41

Sun 15

7:18

4:32

Sun 22

7:28

4:24

Sun 29

7:38

4:19

Did You Know?

Steer board: Starboard comes from the Old English for "steer board": early ships were steered with an oar on the right-hand side.

Mayday: The distress call comes from the French m'aider, "help me".

Red sky at night: There's some truth to the old rhyme: weather here usually moves west to east, so a clear western sky at sunset often means fair weather on the way.

Safe Boating Tip

Heaters aboard: A boat that stays in the water all winter often has a heater running to keep the damp away, and BoatUS says electric heaters are a major source of shore-power fires aboard. Use a heater with automatic tip-over and overheat shutoff, keep it clear of bedding and curtains, and plug it straight into a proper outlet, not a household extension cord. Check your shore power cord and plugs for heat damage or corrosion. If anything aboard burns fuel, fit a carbon monoxide alarm.

Knot of the Month

The Bowline

The classic fixed loop: quick to tie, it won't slip or jam, and it unties easily after a load.

Make a small loop, with the part toward the end crossing on top of the standing part. Lead the end down and back up to make the eye, as big as you need. Bring the end up through the small loop from underneath. Take it around behind the standing part. Bring it back down through the small loop, beside its own rising part. Hold the end against the eye and pull the standing part to tighten.

Word Search

Dockside Chatter

On the Horizon

Club & Harbor News

Navigator's Quiz

Photo of the Month

Boater's Almanac

Did You Know?

Words to Sail By

Bilge Humor

Old Salt's Weather Lore

Safe Boating Tip

Sailing the 7 Languages

Knot of the Month

Quiz Answers

From the Galley

M	O	O	R	I	N	G	L	E	E	K	R
H	Y	N	L	I	O	M	S	O	E	R	I
A	Y	S	T	A	R	B	O	A	R	D	U
T	F	A	H	E	N	I	L	W	O	B	W
I	W	H	A	L	Y	A	R	D	W	R	Y
L	Y	U	R	G	J	O	Y	I	E	E	A
L	B	L	B	U	W	F	K	G	L	H	N
E	U	B	O	J	W	O	A	L	M	M	C
R	O	I	R	W	G	T	A	D	O	K	H
R	Y	K	G	C	T	G	S	U	G	S	O
I	S	Y	E	A	A	A	H	P	R	M	R
F	A	U	V	E	L	A	T	L	L	E	T

M	O	O	R	I	N	G	L	E	E	K	R
H	Y	N	L	I	O	M	S	O	E	R	I
A	Y	S	T	A	R	B	O	A	R	D	U
T	F	A	H	E	N	I	L	W	O	B	W
I	W	H	A	L	Y	A	R	D	W	R	Y
L	Y	U	R	G	J	O	Y	I	E	E	A
L	B	L	B	U	W	F	K	G	L	H	N
E	U	B	O	J	W	O	A	L	M	M	C
R	O	I	R	W	G	T	A	D	O	K	H
R	Y	K	G	C	T	G	S	U	G	S	O
I	S	Y	E	A	A	A	H	P	R	M	R
F	A	U	V	E	L	A	T	L	L	E	T

M	O	O	R	I	N	G	L	E	E	K	R
H	Y	N	L	I	O	M	S	O	E	R	I
A	Y	S	T	A	R	B	O	A	R	D	U
T	F	A	H	E	N	I	L	W	O	B	W
I	W	H	A	L	Y	A	R	D	W	R	Y
L	Y	U	R	G	J	O	Y	I	E	E	A
L	B	L	B	U	W	F	K	G	L	H	N
E	U	B	O	J	W	O	A	L	M	M	C
R	O	I	R	W	G	T	A	D	O	K	H
R	Y	K	G	C	T	G	S	U	G	S	O
I	S	Y	E	A	A	A	H	P	R	M	R
F	A	U	V	E	L	A	T	L	L	E	T