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Whidbey Sail 2003, June 27-29
Deception Pass Trip from Michele’s Point of View
Friday I arrived last, everyone else was launched and gathered on the state park float. Folks had decided that we’d stay in Coronet Bay instead of Hope Island. Jim Devaney of Friday Harbor had spent part of the night at Hope Island already and didn’t like the chop he got. Larry also. So we’d stay in Coronet Bay and enjoy the local sailing in the wind from the pass. When I shoved off from the dock it turned out my shear pin had broken, so I sailed over to the float. The wind coming through the Pass is almost always steady and good, so we all went sailing in the bay area inside Deception Pass. I didn’t want to waste the good sailing time by working on my motor, so I just sailed off anyway. Mistake number one, as previous Public Boating Safety Class chairman for the Deception Pass Power Squadron. Always make sure your equipment is in working order.
I and Larry Yake with his pretty yellow Montgomery 17 sailed closer to the pass than anyone else. He turned back and was sailing downwind, and I was on the phone, not paying complete attention to how close I was… though noticing that there didn’t seem to be much current pulling me. Waited just a moment too long on the phone, for when I hung up I could see distinctly that I WAS in the current, and was being swept toward the pass. The land was flying by at a pace never achieved by sailing. I knew instantly that I wouldn’t be able to get back. The irony of the fact that I, of all people, was caught in the current and being swept through, struck me as the funniest thing in the world, and as my boat turned sideways and I rode the river through, I knew I could not return to my group. I laughed out loud as I went under the bridge, looking back at the sailboats getting smaller and smaller, wondering what they were all thinking. Mistake number two:
always bring your VHF radio, fully charged, even if you think you’re just going to sail "right here". (I hadn’t brought mine because I didn’t want to take the time to go down to my other boat and get it. It would have taken five minutes.)
As I exited the pass and got out to the wider water, still chuckling at my stupidity and irresponsibility, but really GLAD it was ME because if it were someone else who’d never been through there or out here they might have been frightened and I’d hate for that to have happened.
The "pass wind" isn’t out here on the outside. There was current pulling me out the pass, out Rosario Straight, out the Straight of Juan de Fuca, out to sea. No radio, no motor. If anyone knew better than to be in that situation, the boat safety chairman does. Too strong of current to row against. Hmmm. Well, I had two hopes. Other boats come and go, and I still had a chance to wave down a motor boat. The other hope happened first. My buddy Larry in his yellow Monty came through after me, knowing I hadn’t intended to go through. HE had a working motor, so he towed me into Bowman Bay, our trip destination for the next day.
Good fortune blessed me because at the float dock in Bowman Bay was an old acquaintance who fixes stuff and has enough tools on his boat to build one, and the main small outboard motor fix it man in Oak Harbor! As I was towed in, Dick hollered "is that Michele…?" Yep yep! He made me a temp shear pin before heading out, leaving me and Larry and a retired couple in a lovely Chriss Craft on the float. What good fortune, because no one else on the float could make a pin for me. Well, we enjoyed some dinner (raviolies), and went for a lovely hike in the beautiful trails while waiting for the next slack tide, which, again good fortune blessed me… was before dark! We returned to the group in time to enjoy the fine fun festive music provided by Rick and Sherry Lynne of P-19 Sherry Lynne and Jim and Rosemary of unnamed P-19. A fine evening, a fun adventure, and the best lesson I could ever learn in the importance of trip preparation no matter WHERE you plan to be. I d! id everything wrong, but was well taken care of and very fortunate to be able to laugh at my foolishness, rather than still being bobbing around out in the Pacific or plowed under by a freighter. I don't think you'll see ME out there again without the basic coast guard safety requirements.
Beautiful stars in the moonless sky, and beautiful glowing phosphorescents in the water.
Saturday morning we ALL went through the pass, intentionally <grin> and while the sailing was great inside the pass, it was nill outside. And by the time we were all out there sailing, the current had reversed and we had to motor to Bowman Bay to keep from being swept back in. There was a lovely soft steady breeze all day in Bowman Bay, which is big enough for the 15’s to sail to and fro in, but not really for the 19’s unless you want to tack all the time. But the wind stopped right at the entrance of the bay, and there was none outside. Totally weird because the wind was coming from that direction, and yet it didn’t exist out there, only inside. It was a hot day, sunny and beautiful, and we were blessed again by the fact that the fog bank that had been showing up every morning for a WEEK, was not there at all! So we were able to get through as planned.
Everybody did their own thing all day on Saturday, a scorcher for this area, 90 degrees in town, much cooler where we were in the water though. There were folks kayaking, folks hiking, and folks just relaxing and hanging out on the float.
Sherry Lynne went motoring north to explore, and M-17 Tullamore left after kayaking and hiking to go to Hope Island and cruise back to Oak Harbor where he had begun on Wednesday.
Sherry Lynne returned later, and again provided music with Jim and Rosemary and it was such a fun social evening of singalongs and visiting. Great fun.
I just appreciate you folks SO much for providing that extra special ingredient to the Potter meets, both in Jarrel Cove a month ago, and this time. Hope you’ll come always, and any more of you who are musical too!
Sunday morning again no fog bank (whew! it’s usually here in August, but this time of year it was most odd) so I did some light sailing in the bay before anyone else was up, and by tenish everyone had gone back through the pass to Coronet Bay, while I and Mike in SeaHorse accompanied Jim Devaney in Sea Biscuit back to Friday Harbor. It was an impulse whim for me, as every summer previous to this one I’ve had my boats in Friday Harbor under Jim’s watchful care.
I had a lovely motor cruise all the way back, good wind in Rosario Straight, waves… it was awesome. Rain on the horizon but never on us. Left SeaHorse happily moored to Jim’s float, caught the ferry back… a good good day.
A great weekend, I am so glad everyone made it who did, we had nine boats! A good turnout.
I am sorry there was not great wind out in the straights for the hours of sailing in the big water that I’d anticipated. I hope everyone enjoyed their relaxing day in the State Park anyway.
Thank you all for coming, and I look forward to the next trip.
Lets get together again soon!
Michele Sladko/P-15 Seahorse - Hostess
Proposed Plan:
Friday June 27th meet and launch Potters at Cornet Bay State Park (just south on Whidbey Island from Deception Pass State Park) around 3:00 pm. From there we will all ride the incoming current to Hope Island, about an hour away, I'd guess. Possibly less if we get under way by 4 or 4:30. Hope Island is an undeveloped state park with a few mooring buoys and good anchorage. Bring your tenders for going ashore, where there is a somewhat undeveloped but definite hiking trail around the perimeter. Also a grouping of picnic tables and an outhouse. If we are the first to claim the spot, we'll be able to raft three potters to each mooring buoy. Some of us may need to anchor. No dock.
Saturday June 28th we'll head toward Deception Pass riding the outgoing current, max current of 7 knotts is at 6 a.m. and slack water is at 9:30 (always approximate, depending on moon, wind, etc.) So we'll look at riding the current from Hope Island at around 7:30 or 8 a.m. and ride the end of the ebb tide out through Deception Pass. Once it turns, there's no getting through in our little boats, so we would rather be early than late.
Once through Deception Pass, we'll do some daysailing in the really wide area where the Straight of Juan de Fuca meets Rosario Straight.
After hopefully having some nice sailing out there for a few hours, we'll all come back in to Bowman Bay, which is just outside of Deception Pass. There are mooring buoys and what I really hope to be early enough to monopolize is a separate floating dock which we can all gather around and tie up to. Even here we will need tenders to get to the pier and dinghy dock which leads to the bathrooms and showers and wonderful grassy area for frisbee, hacky sack, and wonderful WONDERFUL hiking trails and scenery. A wonderful afternoon ashore enjoying one of our most scenic area will wind down to a group bbq in a wonderful covered bbq area, or if the weather is so nice, outdoor bbq stands. We'll all bring our own food, pack as for your own bbq picnic. Then we'll all go back out to our boats on that dock, hopefully, otherwise mooring buoys and anchorings, and it would be great if someone musically inclined brings instruments again.
Sunday June 29th slack water in Deception Pass is at 10:00 a.m. as the tide turns to flood. We can go early and have a lot of fun fighting the current and playing in the rapids and fast water in the wide area outside the pass, until the flow changes and we can go through. Or we can wait till it is underway inward, and be swept through quite easily.
The fees for these state parks will be approximately $5 or $7 per night for the truck/trailer parking in Coronet Bay, and then in Bowman Bay the dock is $13 per boat (sorry, no rafting deals), or $6 per boat on mooring buoys. Anchoring is free, of course. I haven't been able to reach anyone to inquire about Hope Island mooring buoys, but there is no pay station on Hope Island so I'm guessing that's why it's undeveloped. We might have to anchor anyway, depending on how early in the day we get there and how popular the location is that night.
Any questions or concerns, please post them to the list and I will reply to the list. Deception Pass does have a reputation as a place to be informed about before going through. Do not worry. We are going through at slack current, and I've been through before at max current in my Catalina 27. We will NOT go through at any time BUT slack current. It will be a gentle ride, and beautiful scenery, an experience you'll never forget!
Here's a list of the boats who have indicated intention of participation:
Jim Sinclair P-19 Second Wind, Portland, OR
Jim Bluhm P-19, Bremerton
Bill Velez P-19 Day Tripper, Olympia
Anthony Amort P19 Foray
Barbara Keller P-15, Seattle
Randy Graves M-15, Post Falls, ID
Erik & family P19 Lady Wisconsin
Tim Spofford P-19 Inochi, Seattle
Bill McClure P-19 Dulcinea, Seattle
Larry Yake M - 17, Spokane? Idaho?
Michele Sladko P-15 SeaHorse
Dave Panco P-15 Comet, Olympia (only maybe)
So please join in if you haven't already, and please reply again, to the list, now, if you are for sure.
Looking forward to sailing with good friends again!
Michele Sladko