Rating: SKIV

Distance: 46 NM

Date: August 5, 2000

Leader: Henry Romer Participants: 3

Launch: 02:00 Return: 6:00

Weather: The weather really cooperated. Started under clear skies, mid-50’s, and light breezes. An overcast formed and stayed with us until 12:00, a real blessing that kept us from having to paddle under a hot sun. The hot sun appeared around noon but was soon followed by a light breeze that kept things comfortable for the balance of the trip. Mid 70’s in the pm.

Description: Rather than the usual trip narrative I’m going to reproduce the plan developed by the leader with some additions relative to deviations from it (in italics).

2am start from Olympia: Low water at 3.2 feet and won’t be until 5 am so we should still have water below the bridge to launch from there. Olympia Police have been informed so they wouldn’t be startled at our being there. Good start happened at 2 no problems so far.

We will have an ebb in Budd Inlet and Dana Passage until 5 am. Plan to be at Boston Harbor by 4 am (6.5 NM) where the restroom might be open, otherwise we can stop at Burfoot Park about ½ mile before Boston Harbor. We actually stopped at Burfoot and were a little ahead of schedule already. Paddled through Dana during the slack before flood with no problems at all. Stayed south and crossed the mouth of Henderson.

6 am cross from Henderson to Devils Head (12.5 nm). Right on time. Took a break on the beach.

7 am Eagle Island (16 nm) for the breakfast stop. Between Devils Head and Eagle, Drayton ebbs most of the time, especially along the Anderson shore so we won’t have anything to deal with until we get to the entrance to Balch. Peak flood in Balch is about 1.5 kts at about 6:15. We will have to sneak along the Anderson Shore and ferry over to Eagle. Again, everything went according to plan. We arrived at Eagle about 15 minutes behind schedule and noted that the flood in Balch hadn’t been any problem. The seals watched us breakfast on Eagle.

After breakfast we will proceed from Eagle into the falling flood, staying wide around McNeil to minimize the current. Once again it worked beautifully.

9 am Fox Island (21 nm). Plan to stop at the fishing pier for a break. The narrows (27.5 nm) is still running 2 kts in flood at 9 am. We will have to sneak up the shore again. Slack in the Narrows is 10:30 which hopefully will put us into Gig Harbor about 11 am. Actually, after breaking on Fox, we hit the slack in the Narrows at 10:30. An easy passing so we paddled on and stopped for lunch at Sunrise Beach at 12. We are no longer behind schedule.

After lunch we’ll float up Colvos, stopping at Lisabuella Park (33 nm) for a break. There’s a 1 knot ebb in Colvos from about 1 to 4 pm. The sun came out at lunch and the paddle from Sunrise to Lisabuella was hot. Our energy hit it’s low for the day. Nevertheless, after a break at Lisabuella, a breeze came up and the rest of the float up Colvos was clear and comfortable. Energies were renewed!

Arrive at Point Vashon (40 nm)(at the ferry dock) at 4 to 5 pm. Break before crossing. Arrived Point Vashon at 4 pm. Beautiful weather and the seas appeared ripe for the crossing.

Cross from Point Vashon to Fauntleroy, north of the ferry track with advice from Vessel Traffic (Channel 14). That puts us on the other side with lots of daylight left. We actually headed for a point between Fauntleroy and Alki, made a short jog to avoid an approaching ferry, and wound up on the West Seattle shore just south of Alki.

Arrive at the finish at Alki Beach (46 nm) at 9 pm or better. Or better! Our actual arrival was at 6 pm. 16 hours total for the trip!

The trip took us through an ebb, a flood, and another ebb. The moon was only half so even the max ebbs and floods weren’t radical. See the trip narrative for details.

Charts:

Waterproof Chart #30 – Puget Sound – International Sailing Supply.
Puget Sound Current Guide – Island Canoe, Inc.
Chart #18440 - Puget Sound
Chart #18445 – Puget Sound – Possession Sound to Olympia, Pages A,C,D, and E
Chart #18448 – Puget Sound – Southern Part.

Notes:

1. Take a variety of clothing. Warm stuff for the morning hours, then change to lighter stuff at breakfast or lunch.
2. An extra capilene T-shirt was nice to have. At lunch if you get rid of the old salt encrusted one, and put on a clean one, you’ll cut down on chaffing around the arm pits.
3. Be sure to have headlights in good working order. You’ll be turning them on to verify moored boats and etc. that sneak up on you in the dark. Also good for finding bathrooms in the dark.
4. Use VHF channel 14 to monitor ship traffic on the crossing from Point Vashon to Alki.

Directions to Launch Site: From I-5 at Hwy 16 in Tacoma it’s about 30 miles (35 minutes) to the southern tip of Budd Inlet in downtown Olympia. From I-5 take the Port of Olympia/State Capitol exit (then go either way depending on the launch site you have chosen). Out launch site was at the extreme southern tip of the inlet and while it was a good launch site, directions will not be included here due to the presence of ‘derelicts’ at the launch site (yes, at 2 am). You would not be able to leave vehicles here either. Basically, it’s a dangerous place. Sorry, until I find a better spot, you’ll have to drive down there and investigate.

Facilities:

1. There are woods at Burfoot Park. Boston Harbor has bathrooms in the parking area behind the marina but we did not verify whether or not they are open at 4 am.
2. Nothing at Devils Head…plenty of woods.
3. Eagle has plenty of beach and eating sites but no facilities.
4. Fox Island. Stop at the pier and take the trail up the bluff. There are bathrooms up topside.
5. Sunrise Beach. Take the trail up the hill to find the bathrooms.
6. Point Vashon. Bathrooms up on the ferry dock.
7. Alki has plenty of public bathrooms.

Sample Magazine Submittal: Olympia to Seattle (SKIV). 46 NM in a single day! Got any winter fat left? Well, get rid of it doing a little longer paddle.

This is the only specific reference I know of for this trip. However, further information can be gleaned from: