I’ve already instructed you about my massive, fancy jet flights on Alaska, however when you want a runway, you aren’t doing actual flying. As soon as we arrived in Seattle, we went to lunch at a brewery on Lake Union, after which we headed over to Kenmore Air’s terminal on the lake for a seaplane experience to Deer Harbor on Orcas Island within the San Juans.
The terminal constructing seemed pretty new, and it was straightforward to search out due to an enormous billboard in entrance.
The very first thing you see while you stroll in is swag. There’s a ton of merchandise obtainable on the market. The following factor you see is the tiny ticket counter.
We went to verify in, and all was nice till we acquired to the bags. We had a 25 lb restrict per individual, however with our carry-ons we had been each over. They acted like this was a grave downside, they usually made a number of calls to see if they might accommodate us. We had been cleared, however we needed to pay the payment for overage. It mentioned $3 per pound on the signal, however by some means we had been solely charged $10 whole for about 20 kilos of overage between the 2 of us. Go determine.
The ready room was packed, as a result of Kenmore has inexplicably scheduled all of its flights to go on the similar time. However there’s a balcony with chairs that had a pair seats obtainable so we went out and watched because the fleet got here in, together with our 70+ year-old Otter.
We had been the third flight to be referred to as for boarding. To maintain everybody separate, they handed out laminated boarding passes with letters on them. We had been on flight B “for lovely” as they mentioned. I’m undecided in the event that they stole that from Alaska or vice versa.
Once we went down the ramp to attend for our pilot to board us, we acquired our first shock. We had been lumped in with individuals going to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. Regardless of being offered as separate flights, that they had apparently mixed them and Roche was up first. Bummer.
Dock palms loaded up curler boards into the floats themselves, and the pilot — Captain Mike — took the opposite carry-ons and put them within the again. We had been instructed to take row 1. This sounded nice till I discovered you possibly can sit subsequent to the pilot in what I’ll name row 0. Another person acquired that privilege.
Kenmore Air 130July 2, 2025
Seattle/Lake Union
➤ Scheduled Departure: 2p➤ Precise Departure: 213p➤ From Gate: let’s name it 3➤ Floats Up: 210p➤ From Runway: Uh, it’s a lake
Roche Harbor
➤ Floats Down: 251p➤ On Runway: Uh, it’s the ocean➤ Scheduled Arrival: What’s time?➤ Precise Arrival: 259p➤ At Gate: Hahaha
Roche Harbor
➤ Scheduled Departure: ???p➤ Precise Departure: 307p➤ From Gate: nope➤ Floats Up: 313p➤ From Runway: one pointing northeastish
Deer Harbor
➤ Floats Down: 319p➤ On Runway: H2O➤ Scheduled Arrival: 258p➤ Precise Arrival: 325p➤ At Gate: the dock
Plane
➤ Kind: DHC-3 Turbo Otter➤ Delivered: January 1953 to Royal Canadian Air Drive➤ Registered: N765KA, msn 3671➤ Livery: Commonplace Kenmore Yellow
Flight
➤ Cabin: Coach in Seat 1A➤ Load: 9/10 Full to Roche, then 3/10 to Deer Harbor➤ Flight Time: 39m to Roche, then 6m to Deer Harbor
Captain Mike did a security briefing after which instructed us that it had been windy and bumpy and never enjoyable a lot of the day. He additionally mentioned the winds at Roche had shifted thrice, and there have been a ton of boats within the harbor so we must land distant and taxi for awhile. However wait, there’s extra: generally the wind pushes them off the dock they usually should strive a number of occasions. As one among our fellow passengers mentioned, “acquired any excellent news for us?”
We pushed off the dock late since that they had different airplanes get out first, however we didn’t should taxi lengthy earlier than lurching ahead towards the north and into the sky, making a fast flip left to move out to Puget Sound.
Captain Mike climbed as much as 6,500 ft, increased than they might usually go, but it surely was a easy experience up there. He mentioned others determined to remain low, however they had been actually combating it the entire manner. Glad he went excessive. There have been some clouds coming off the Olympic Peninsula as we made our manner north. We handed Port Townsend and into the open straits.
As soon as we had been practically abeam Victoria, we started to descend into Roche. It was a fairly thrilling strategy that noticed us contact down within the water in a slender level. Then, we did should taxi for fairly awhile previous some very massive boats filled with wealthy individuals earlier than easing into the dock.
In lower than 10 minutes, everybody had gotten off, however there was no one getting again on. So, Captain Mike and three of us passengers continued on. This time, we taxied out to the north and hung a proper earlier than stepping into the air for the fast six minute flight.
This journey was low and sluggish and completely lovely. We acquired over to Orcas Island very quickly and did a spiraling descent earlier than touchdown fairly distant from the dock as soon as once more.
By the point we had reached the dock, we had spent twice as a lot time taxiing than flying on that second run.
Captain Mike grabbed our baggage out of the float, and we had been off for just a few days with associates.
Solely three days later we had been making ready to fly again to Seattle.
Verify-in was like no different. There isn’t any on-line choice. There’s no flight standing. We simply left our associates’ place half an hour earlier than scheduled departure and walked right down to the dock. My spouse grabbed some espresso, and we sat within the morning solar ready for our airplane to point out up.
Quickly sufficient, two airplanes got here in speedy succession. The primary was a Beaver that taxied as much as the dock. The second was an Otter that did donuts ready for the Beaver to get out of his manner. I suppose that is rush hour at Deer Harbor.
I hoped for a experience on the Beaver, but it surely was to not be. That pilot referred to as one individual’s title, boarded her, after which mentioned one thing about heading off to Friday Harbor subsequent. As soon as she was onboard, he pushed off the dock and our Otter got here in.
This pilot walked off to name names, and there was not one of the drama about baggage weights we had at Lake Union. He additionally didn’t load something into the float. He simply took the luggage from every individual, threw them within the again, and instructed us to take any seat.
Kenmore Air 111July 5, 2025
Deer Harbor
➤ Scheduled Departure: 1028a➤ Precise Departure: 1039a➤ From Gate: Water➤ Floats Up: 1042a➤ From Runway: Uh, it’s the ocean
Seattle/Lake Union
➤ Floats Down: 1117a➤ On Runway: Uh, it’s a lake➤ Scheduled Arrival: 1130a➤ Precise Arrival: 1124a➤ At Gate: I say that is gate 5
Plane
➤ Kind: DHC-3 Turbo Otter➤ Delivered: January 27, 1953➤ Registered: N87KA, msn 3665➤ Livery: Commonplace Kenmore Yellow
Flight
➤ Cabin: Coach in Seat 0B➤ Load: 10/10 Full➤ Flight Time: 35m
I used to be the final one onboard, and my spouse took the final seat within the cabin. I acquired an enormous grin on my face, as a result of I knew that meant I used to be using shotgun.
I took my seat on this historical chicken, and scarcely had time to orient myself earlier than we had been off the dock and into the air. This cockpit was a mixture of previous and new, and I spent the primary couple of minutes staring on the previous steam gauges alongside the GPS.
It was a gorgeous morning, and I don’t assume the GPS was wanted. The plan seemed to be “Take off, discover Mt Rainier, fly that manner.” And so, we did.
We handed over the identical islands that we noticed on the way in which up, only a thousand ft decrease. I didn’t have a headset, and the pilot wasn’t talkative in any respect, so I simply alternated staring between the window and the gauges.
We acquired over the mainland and made our strategy by circling round from the northeast. Lake Union seems remarkably small from altitude, even moreso with the large Lake Washington not far to the east.
We got here in excessive, after which as we approached the sting of the lake, the airplane become a dive bomber. This appears to be the common strategy, but it surely’s undoubtedly a distinct feeling than on a landplane. After clearing boats beneath us, we plunked down and had an extended rollout till we had been principally on the dock. However then we needed to wait for somebody forward of us to get on the dock first. Lastly, we acquired there, a couple of minutes forward of schedule.
With the airplane docked and the engines off, I requested the pilot if he was constructing hours or if this was a profession. He mentioned he had greater than sufficient hours. I can think about that is just a few actually enjoyable flying to do.
As soon as we hopped off, we had a Lyft come and get us and about 10 minutes later we had been at our Seattle lodge for a few days.
I’ve flown on seaplanes earlier than, however that’s been for enjoyable. This was an precise mode of transportation, and it’s simply a lot enjoyable. Kenmore was quirky, but it surely was an incredible expertise.
In case you’d wish to see video highlights, please take pleasure in about 8 minutes of airplane motion.
