Not sure what you have in mind. Many that go to the PNW tend to concentrate on the San Juan Islands. Nothing wrong with that. However, if you want to explore Puget Sound I’d head South and make your first stop Port Townsend. Good marina’s. Nice little town.
Across Port Townsend Bay is Marrowstone Island Ft. Flagler State Park. Just a small dock there and you need to watch the depth as you enter the channel, but Ft. Flagler makes for an interesting place to explore. Lots of hiking so bring your good walking shoes or bicycle.
Whether you do or don’t go to Fort Flagler I’d then head South through the Port Townsend Canal and head to Port Ludlow. It is a great little quiet place to anchor. If you want, you can sneak in to the head of the bay and anchor being the small islands at the head. The Marina is nice with a good restaurant at the resort there. Primarily it is a nice quiet anchorage. Watch out for the well charted and well marked rocks outside of Port Ludlow. The original owner of my boat got stuck on those rocks.
Leaving Port Ludlow you have the option of heading South into Hood’s Canal. Absolutely beautiful scenery through there. However, there are really only a couple of decent places to stop and not many good places to anchor. It is also a long down and back. I’d skip it.
Instead, head round Foul Weather Bluff and head South. A nice stop is Kingston. Small harbor with a very nicely run municipal marina. They will bring a hose and pump and empty your holding tank for you. They also have an electric golf cart you can use to go the grocery store. There is a little coffee shop at the start of th car ferry line that makes great, fresh tiny donuts. Absolutely perfect in the morning. Makes points with the spouse and walk up early in the morning and bring back a back of warm donuts and coffee. Westside Pizza is great! There is a fuel dock as well.
Heading South again, go through Agate Pass to the East between the peninsula and Bainbridge Island. Then head North into Liberty Bay and either anchor or stay at the Port of Poulsbo marina. Poulsbo is a wonderful place to stop. Great shopping. Fantastic food. 6 Breweries witching walking distance. It is a favorite of ours and we go there at least several times a year.
South out of Liberty Bay you can go between Bainbridge and the peninsula to Port Orchard or Bremerton, but I would skip those and head out Rich Passage to Blake Island. Blake is a state park with protected dock space, lots of hiking trails, some mooring balls around the island, and a nice concession that offers a salmon dinner and Native American dance exhibition. Yes the concession is touristy and a bit campy. However, I think it is worth it. Folks enjoy it. Blake is a very popular place. No reservations for dock space so best to try a weekday as opposed to a weekend.
South of Blake Island you can head down Colvos Pass leaving Vashon Island to the East. I’d suggest you stop in Gig Harbor. My home port as well as some others here on TF. It is a great place to anchor and dinghy into town. Very popular stop. There are a couple pump outs in the harbor but no fuel. The Tides Tavern has great food as well as dock for its patrons. Watch the harbor entrance. It is very skinny at low tide. Also keep a sharp eye out for all the kayaks and SUPs.
South from Gig Harbor is the Narrows. Unless you like burning fuel going slow, try to time it on a flood or slack. The Narrows Bridge is impressive.
Narrows Marina to the East has fuel but is a tight fit for bigger boats. Other than fuel not worth stopping there.
Lots of places to go in South Sound and never enough time to see them all. Primarily places to anchor or small marinas.
My suggestion would be to head South past Fox Island and go to Eagle Island, located between Anderson Island and McNeil Island. It is a state park with some mooring balls. Try for the West side. Can be a little rolly if there is lots of boats but you will see lots of young seals on the beach and it is a great spots.
From there head South East around Anderson Island and then West up Case Inlet. If you want to anchor, anchor behind McMicken Island. It is our favorite. With the right location you can get a great view of Mt Rainer between McMicken and Harstene Island. There is a drying connection between the two, don’t try to go between.
If you don’t want to anchor, if you continue around the West end of Harstene to Jerrel’s Cove. There is a state park with a dock and mooring buoys on one side and a small marina on the other. Nice quiet spot.
Going around Harstene Island is a nice trip. Consider staying at Hope Island State Park. Not great holding but there are state mooring balls if you are 45’ or less.
I think it is worth heading South to Olympia. I prefer to stay at the Olympia Yacht Club reciprocal dock but there is dock space for visitors through the Port of Olympia. Nice Saturday market there and downtown Oly is a quirky and fun place. Fishtail brewpub is a favorite local dive of mine. For more refined tastes there are some nice restaraunts. The Capitol is a nice uphill walk.
Since you are as far South as you can go, time to head back North. Boston Harbor is a small, friendly marina to the East as you leave Budd Inlet before going through Dana Pass. If you don’t feel like stopping so soon, I’d suggest going to the West side of Anderson Island and into inner Ora Bay to anchor. Quite spot with good protection. Watch your depths going in and pay attention to the chart and bouys. You will see plenty of heron and eagles.
North, you retrace your steps through the Narrows. I’d go East around Pt Defiance and head into Tacoma. You can find transient moorage in the Thea Foss waterway. Reasonably priced fuel at the City gas dock. You can get a taste of urban life and explore the museums and galleries which are an easy walk from the dock.
Leaving Tacoma, go North up the East Passage and head into Elliot Bay. I’ve enjoyed staying at Bell Harbor Marina. Right on the waterfront and reasonable walk up the hill to Pike Place Market.
After that, I don’t know. Others know the area better than I. I think going to the San Juans via either Deception Pass or the Swinomish Channel would be the best option with stops along the way.
All of the legs above are short. You could easily cover more ground with fewer stops or make even more stops along the way. I think going down the West side of the Sound then back up the East would be best, but it can be done any number of ways.
So, wall of text over with.
