Small Motorboats | Friday Harbor Laboratories

FHL Small Motorboats:

Our small motorboats conduct research in the San Juan Islands, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Salish Sea. They can be used for SCUBA diving, water sampling, deploying lightweight moorings and scientific equipment, and accessing beaches and shorelines throughout the region.

Boating Policies:

All use of FHL’s small boats is subject to the UW Boating Safety Manual and the FHL Boating Manual.

Anyone operating FHL’s motorboats is required to carry a WA State Boater Education Card and have completed a Level II check-out. Some boats have additional operator training requirements. You must provide us with a copy of your Boater Ed card to keep on file. Go to the Mandatory Boater Education webpage for details on how to get a card.

To schedule an individual checkout for those who have WA Boater Ed cards and need to operate FHL motorboats for research purposes, contact the BSO. If it’s been more than 6 months since you last used an FHL motorboat, check with the BSO before your trip to see if there are any equipment updates or policy changes you need to know about.

The University of Washington now offers the Motorboat Operator Training Course (MOTC), and in the future will be requiring all small powerboat operators to have completed the course. Please contact the BSO to discuss completing this training to future-proof your small boat operations.

The procedure for reserving motorboats remains the same as it has been: the reservation calendar in the sign-out shed on the dock will be used on a first-come/first-served basis. Wherever scheduling conflicts arise, priority will be given to FHL faculty, students, and staff. Any research that requires reservation of more than 5 days of boat use within a given month must be discussed with and cleared by the BSO or DSO.

Motorboat age limits: the minimum age to get motorboat certified is 18. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis by the BSO for younger users who have prior boating skills or experience. Passengers must be at least 12 years old, actively participating in research, and from ages 12-17 be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Please review the Boating Manual and contact the BSO for any questions.

Our Fleet

Skua

Length: 24 ft Almar, weight limit: 1200 pounds
People: 7 (4 divers + tender)
Engine: 4-stroke Suzuki 200; Fuel: unmixed, onboard tank
Cruising speed*: 20-25 kts
Usage: good for long distance and rougher water, has onboard anchor, stern ladder/door for divers. Electric davit useful for sediment grabs & CTD casts.
Additional Operator Requirements: See ^ Below

Auklet

Length: 21 ft Munson, weight limit: 1130 pounds
People: 7 (4 divers + tender)
Engine: 4-stroke Honda 150; Fuel: unmixed
Cruising speed*: 18-22 kts
Usage: front-loading, good for diving.

Coot

Length: 18 ft Munson, weight limit: 1000 pounds
People: 6 (3 divers + tender)
Engine: 4-stroke Honda 90; Fuel: unmixed
Cruising speed*: 18-24 kts
Usage: front-loading, good for diving and maneuverable for beach seines. Removable electric pot puller midship can be used for autonomous CTD casts & light bottom sampling

Duroboat

Length: 14 ft Duroboat, weight limit: 700 pounds
People: 4 (2 divers + tender)
Engine: 2-stroke Mercury 15, tiller-steer; Fuel: pre-mixed
Cruising speed*: 8-10 kts
Usage: fully beach-able, w/ oars & oarlocks for rowing ashore. When launched from FHL, Duroboat is limited to operations within the yellow boundary lines on the chart on the wall of the lifejacket shed. Duroboat is billed at a lower hourly rate than the rest of the fleet -please contact the BSO for more details. Please contact the BSO 1 week in advance of your planned use of Duroboat to ensure that it is ready to operate for your trip.

^MOTC + 4 hours supervised operation required for solo operation of Skua
*varies depending on weather conditions and hull fouling

Small Boat Rates

Courses, Researchers, Conferences & Field Trips at FHL

Rates listed are for expenses paid by card, check, or cash; they include 14.4% University of Washington overhead, and are subject to an additional 8.5% sales tax. If paying on a UW budget, neither overhead nor sales tax are incurred.

Hourly Charges¹

Small motorboat usage per hour	$96.10 / hr
Boat Operator / Marine Tech per hour	$34.32 / hr

Vessel Rates are calculated from Float Plan/sign out sheets, and include the cost of fuel.

For more information, please contact the Boating Safety Officer.

Visiting Boat Moorage

BOAT MOORAGE
Moorage of boats at FHL’s docks is restricted to those used for research ONLY, as dock space allows. Boat owners sign a Moorage Agreement with FHL. Moorage rates listed include tax, though utilities and parking will be taxed. For details, questions about space availability, or a copy of the Moorage Agreement, contact Kristy Kull: kjkull@uw.edu

< 14 ft: $50/wk, $100/mo
15-30 ft: $100/wk, $300/mo
> 30 ft: $150/wk, $425/mo
Water & electrical (one 110-volt 20-amp): $50/mo
Vehicle parking < 22 ft: $20/wk, $60/mo

Useful Information:

UW BOATING SAFETY
FHL BOATING MANUAL and the August 2024 PDF VERSION
2025 FLOAT PLAN (.DOC)
2025 FLOAT PLAN (.PDF)
COMMON SMALL BOAT PROBLEMS & SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

TIDES & WEATHER:

SAN JUAN ISLANDS MARINE FORECAST
FRIDAY HARBOR LAND WEATHER REPORT
FHL WEATHER STATION
FRIDAY HARBOR TIDE PREDICTIONS
CURRENT PREDICTIONS

CONTACT:

Kristy Kull, BSO: kjkull@uw.edu
The DSO/BSO office is in the dive house at the end of the dock
Phone: 206-543-0876 or 360-378-2165 x18