Sailgate on the water on the Dawg Boat. | Photo courtesy of Dawg Boat
Before the first note of “Bow Down to Washington” echoes through Husky Stadium, the party is already underway on the water.
On Union Bay on Lake Washington, thousands of Husky fans fire up grills and crack open drinks for floating Husky tailgates (sailgates) that deliver fans directly to the stadium.
The Gold Standard is the perhaps Chinook’s Dawg Boat, departing from Chinook’s at Fishermen’s Terminal 90 minutes before kickoff, cruising through the Ship Canal and Montlake Cut, and returning about 30 minutes after the game ends.
This fall, there’s even more reason to get on board.
Washington’s 2026 home schedule brings a parade of rare visitors to Seattle. The Minnesota Golden Gophers haven’t played here in 50 years. It’s been more than a century since Penn State visited, while Iowa returns for just the third time ever and first since 1963. Defending national champion Indiana arrives on Nov. 21.
Sailgaters get free parking at Fisherman’s Terminal, a complimentary drink tickets valid at Chinook’s and a roughly 45-minute cruise with trivia and raffles. The Daw Boat is the only public sailgate that docks at Husky Harbor and stays there for the entire game.
Demand is already soaring. The Minnesota and Iowa sailing are sold one. The opener against Washington State, Utah State and Eastern Washington are the last remaining opportunities to book.
Don’t forget that you’ll still need a ticket to the game in addition to the Dawg Boat.
More Ways to Sail In
For Eastside fans, Argosy Cruises continues to offer pickups from Carillon Point in Kirkland. Seattle Charters runs smaller private trips from Lake Union for groups as small as five, along with larger vessels and its 85-foot luxury yacht, "Chillin’." There’s also “Christine W,” the paddle-wheeler from Sternwheeler Charters that departs from Fishermen's Terminal with an upper deck, sit-down dining and a sound system built for blasting that fight song.
Anchoring your own boat in Union Bay? The University's complimentary shuttle still runs from two hours before kickoff to an hour after the final whistle, ferrying fans to and from the docks for $10 round trip.