Strait Books & Charts

Strait Books & Charts sits on Water Street in Port Townsend's beautifully preserved Victorian seaport district, where the smell of salt air and the sound of halyards mix with the quiet pleasure of browsing well-stocked shelves. The store was founded in 1987 by a retired merchant marine captain who wanted to create a haven for maritime literature, and that original vision still guides the collection. The wooden boat building section is unmatched on the West Coast, supporting Port Townsend's renowned community of boat builders and the annual Wooden Boat Festival. Nautical charts of Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and the Pacific coastline line the walls alongside vintage maritime prints and ship models. The rare books alcove holds first editions of Joshua Slocum, Richard Henry Dana, and other giants of sea writing. Every September, the store partners with the Northwest Maritime Center to host a literary component of the Wooden Boat Festival, drawing authors and readers from around the world.