Community Boating Center - Bellingham

After careful reflection, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel the final Beats on the Bay on September 1.

This event began with a simple dream: to build a sense of belonging on Bellingham Bay across the spectrum of people and watercraft that use it, while raising funds to make these waters more accessible to all.

And wow, did you show up! We watched hundreds of neighbors paddle, dance, share boats, retrieve lost paddles, tow each other home, and create something truly special.

As the event has grown, we’ve also seen folks putting themselves in risky situations—missing life jackets, swimming through boat traffic, impaired decision-making, and captaining watercraft unsuited for the Bay’s cold water in spicier conditions.

The scale of this event now calls for more safety support. We’ll work with the City, maritime partners and first responders to explore how Beats on the Bay can return next year with additional support and safeguards.

But the music—and the mission—continue! We’re moving the party safely shoreside.

Join us Tuesday, September 1, at Kulshan Trackside for Beats Near the Bay with Henry Mansfield. Kulshan will donate 10% of sales during the event to help us !

This year, CBC provided more than $160,000 in low- and no-cost programming amid disappearing grants and a rapidly changing funding landscape. If you believe we all belong on the Bay, we need your support.

Come raise a glass, show off your shoreside dance moves, help keep us all afloat for years to come & consider donating at boatingcenter.org/donate

Thank you to everyone who paddled, sailed, played, danced, and helped create something so uniquely Bellingham! We’ll see you at Trackside.

With love,
Your Community Boating Center

SALTY *GEAR* SOCIAL 🧂🧵🍻

We’re giving our usual Salty Social a gear repair twist! Join us for an end of summer evening of gear fixes, boat sale deals, raffle prizes, music, and cold beer from ASLAN BREWING CO. .

Meet the vendors:

GEAR AID — Build your own free repair kit with patches, adhesives, tools, and everything you need to start fixing your gear at home.

Ruby Spring — Learn how to choose, maintain, and extend the life of your clothing and gear. Bring an item for an eligible small repair that can be completed in 20 minutes or less. Repairs will be available as time allows!

Larabee Gearworks— Explore design for longevity, repair and warranty practices, and how the marine environment affects the soft goods we use on the water.

CBC Warehouse Sale — Shop great deals on donated boats, outdoor gear, and equipment while supporting accessible boating programs.

Every beer purchased and every warehouse sale find directly supports the Community Boating Center—helping make boating more accessible to our community. (And keeps those rad Beats on the Bay concerts coming for years to come!)

Come fix what you have, find something new-to-you, and raise a glass to keeping good gear in use! 🌊

📅 September 3
⏰ 5–8 p.m.
📍 Community Boating Center
🔞 Ages 21+

⚠️ 🚨RELOCATED TO FAIRHAVEN COVE

Weather update for tonight’s Beats on the Bay:

Strong winds are forecast to arrive during or shortly after the show, and the evening will feel much colder than today’s hot afternoon suggests. Please dress warmly, secure loose belongings, and use extra caution if you’re joining us from the water.

Sunset is at 8:07 p.m., and the music will end by 7:30 p.m. We strongly encourage everyone—especially paddlers and boaters—to head home promptly after the show to avoid being caught out in high winds and darkness.

At this time, the concert will take place in its usual location.

Please plan ahead, know your limits, and stay safe!

Follow the salmon’s journey—from the seat of a kayak! 🐟🛶

CBC and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association are teaming up for a guided paddle on Bellingham Bay! Together, we’ll explore estuaries, stormwater, and the river and marine habitats salmon rely on—all while learning about NSEA’s work to restore healthy watersheds across Whatcom County.

Bring your lunch and come ready for a day of paddling, learning, and seeing our local shoreline through a salmon’s eyes.

📍 Community Boating Center
⏰ 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
🔗 Space is limited! Register at boatingcenter.org/event/salmon

Another amazing JAM Regatta in the books! ⛵️

Coach Cooper and the CBC race team headed down to Port Madison Yacht Club for a day of light, shifty conditions and some great racing. Huge shoutout to Bella, who took 2nd out of 28 boats in the ILCA 4 fleet! 🎉

Thank you to everyone at Port Madison Yacht Club and the RC team for putting on such a great event. We’ll be back next summer!

Feeling inspired? Our Middle School Race Team + Development Race Team are now open for registration! They’re a great next step for younger sailors who want to build their skills, learn the basics of sailboat racing, and spend more time on the water with a team.

⛵️ Learn more + register at boatingcenter.org/youth-programs

🌊 Building comfort around the water starts small. ⚓️

Mini Mariners gives our youngest community members — ages 0–6 — a playful, welcoming way to start feeling at home around boats, beaches, and the Salish Sea.

Before kids are ready to paddle or sail, they can build familiarity through simple experiences: trying on a life jacket, learning what boating gear feels like, practicing knots through play, exploring the shoreline, and reading stories about boats, marine life, and the waters around them. 📚🛟🐚

Alongside their caregivers, Mini Mariners can explore at their own pace, ask questions, and discover that being around the water can be fun, familiar, and exciting.

Those little moments — putting on a life jacket for the first time, finding a crab under a rock, or curling up for a story by the shore — can be the beginning of a lifelong connection to the water. 💙

⚓️ Join us next Thursday!
👶 Ages 0–6 + caregivers
📍 Community Boating Center
🔗 Register at the link in bio!

Bellingham Breeze is coming up! ⛵️💨

Come spend the day racing on Bellingham Bay with us. Whether you’re in it to win it or just want a fun day on the water, we’d love to have you on the starting line.

New to racing? Come try it out. Been racing for years? Come show us what you’ve got.

Grab your crew, sign up, and we’ll see you out there 🌊

⛵️ Bellingham Breeze Regatta
📅 August 22
🔗 Registration at the link in bio

Bellingham Breeze is coming up! ⛵️💨

Come spend the day racing on Bellingham Bay with us. Whether you’re in it to win it or just want a fun day on the water, we’d love to have you on the starting line for our annual regatta!

New to racing? Come try it out. Been racing for years? Come show us what you’ve got.

Grab your crew, sign up, and we’ll see you out there 🌊

📅 August 22
🔗 Registration at the link in bio

Photos courtesy of Istari Creative

We love floating concerts, and we love healthy oceans. 🌊💙

Join us this Saturday for our Beach Sweep Paddle & Cleanup! We’ll paddle from the CBC to a nearby beach, then get to work removing trash and debris from the shoreline. 🛶🗑️

Come paddle, pitch in, and help keep Bellingham Bay and the Salish Sea clean and thriving. 💙

Register at the link in bio!