A piece of living Whatcom County history is back on the water this summer. The Plover Ferry, a 17-passenger vessel built in 1944 and beautifully restored, is offering scenic tours of Drayton Harbor in Blaine every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through September 6, 2026. Tickets are available online, and each voyage lasts 30 to 40 minutes.
From Cannery Workhorse to Tourist Treasure
The Plover has had an extraordinary life on Whatcom County's waterways. Decades ago it served a purely utilitarian purpose, ferrying workers back and forth to the Alaska Packers Association cannery, one of the major fish-processing operations that once anchored the local economy. The cannery era is long gone, but the Plover survived, and after a careful restoration it has been reborn as a way for the public to experience Drayton Harbor from the water.
Drayton Harbor is a shallow tidal estuary just north of downtown Blaine, tucked inside the northern end of Semiahmoo Bay. It is one of the few estuaries in Washington state that is still actively managed for oyster harvest, and the shoreline around it includes protected tidelands and a well-used waterfront trail. Seeing it from a small wooden ferry gives a perspective that no shoreside walk can match.
The restoration of the Plover was carried out with attention to its original character. At just 17 passenger slots per trip, rides are intimate, and the pace is deliberately unhurried. The 30-to-40-minute tours give passengers time to take in the surrounding views, including the marina, the distant San Juan Islands on clear days, and the low hills of the Canadian border region to the north.
Blaine By the Sea and Local History
The tours are organized through Blaine By the Sea, the nonprofit waterfront organization that manages public access to Blaine Harbor's historic areas. The group has worked to connect residents and visitors with the maritime and industrial history of the waterfront, which stretches back to the late 1800s when Blaine was a significant port for trade with Canada and a hub for the regional fishing industry.
For more background on how the broader Whatcom County coast and its communities developed, the Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism history page offers context on the region's cannery era, indigenous heritage, and maritime industries that shaped the area.
Blaine itself is one of the less-visited corners of Whatcom County for day-trippers based in Bellingham, but it rewards exploration. The waterfront park adjacent to the marina offers walking trails, views across Drayton Harbor, and direct access to the Semiahmoo Spit, a narrow strip of land that forms the harbor's western edge. Adding a Plover ferry tour makes for a full afternoon outing.
How to Book a Ride
Tours run Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through September 6. Tickets must be purchased in advance online at blainebythesea.com. Because the vessel carries only 17 passengers per departure, slots tend to fill quickly on summer weekends. Organizers recommend booking as early as possible for August weekend dates.
There is no walk-up ticketing available. Visitors planning a trip to Blaine should check the current schedule on the booking page, as departure times may vary by day. The Plover departs from the Blaine Harbor area; exact boarding location and parking details are provided at the time of booking.
