Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Opening Day of Boating Season Saturday

WSDOT warns of traffic delays on Saturday.

"Around here, the start of boating season is considered an unofficial start of summer. And this year, the season kicks off this Saturday, May 5! Combine that with sunshine in the forecast, big home stands for the Mariners and Sounders, and some necessary roadwork, folks heading into Seattle will need to budget extra time into their travels.

"The Montlake Bridge by Husky Stadium will be closed for the Seattle Yacht Club’s Opening Day of Boating Season Parade.

"The following will be closed from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, May 5:

• Both directions across the Montlake Bridge.
• The westbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Blvd.
• The left turn lane on the eastbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Blvd.
• The bridge will close to bike and pedestrian traffic at noon to allow approximately 900 boats to sail through the cut."

But it's a fun day, especially with sunshine in the forecast. People line the bridge and have picnics on the grass along the Montlake Cut to watch the crew races - and the parade of boats.