Rating: SKII

Distance: 9.5 NM

Date: August 16, 1998

Leader: Jim Borgeman Participants: 9

Launch: 09:15 Return: 2:30

Weather: Partly cloudy, ~70F, winds southerly 10-15 knots, wind waves 1 foot.

Description: Launched at Cornet Bay on Deception Pass. Paddled out into the Deception Pass flood current and rode it eastward to Skagit and Hope Island State Parks. East of the islands we visited an Atlantic Salmon farm. Before eating lunch on Hope Island we circumnavigated it and played in the tide rips on the SW corner. The water was nearly slack so the rips didn’t present any difficulty. Stopped on the north side of Hope for lunch. There’s a trail at the east end of the picnic/camp area on Hope that leads up and around the east side of the Island. We wound our way back to the west and were able to look down on the rips of the SW corner. Great views to be seen. After lunch we rode back to Cornet Bay on the ebb.

1. The tide rips on the SW corner of Hope can be dangerous. If you have an inexperienced group, take them through at slack tide.
2. These islands are in the lee of Deception Pass and are, to some extent, subject to the currents of the pass. There are always a few eddys and whirlpools around though not with the intensity of the pass.

Charts:

Waterproof Chart #30 – Puget Sound – International Sailing Suppply.

Puget Sound Current Guide – Island Canoe, Inc.

Chart #18423 – Bellingham to Everett including San Juan Islands

Chart #18427 – Anacortes to Skagit Bay

Notes:

1. There are a few (2-3) campsites on the north side of Skagit. They are not listed by the State Park system as campsites.
2. Hope Island has a far larger area for picnicking and camping than Skagit. There are 5 camp sites on Hope.

Directions to Launch Site: From I5 @ Hwy 16 it takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes (117 miles) to get to the Cornet Bay launch site. Drive north on I5 to Hwy 20 (North Cascades Highway) and go west. After you cross the bridge to Fidalgo Island take the left turn at the Deception Pass/Oak Harbor sign. Continue on Hwy 20 South until you cross the Deception Pass bridge. Take the first left – Cornet Blvd (there’s a new traffic light) and drive down to the bay and marinas. Parking and launching is just above the seawall and just beyond the private marinas.

Facilities:

1. There is a State Park bathroom with sink, toilet, and shower at the Cornet Bay parking area.
2. Private marina next to the park has a small store.
3. Skagit and Hope have port-o-lets.

Sample Magazine Submittal: Skagit and Hope Islands (SKII). Ride the tides of Deception Pass and visit two of our Island Marine State Parks. We’ll visit a salmon farm and play in the rips off Hope Island. Sign up at the clubhouse (Seattle Branch).

Scott, James W., and Melly A. Reuling. Washington Public Shore Guide. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 1986. pp. 64-65.

Washburne, Randel. Kayaking Puget Sound, the San Juans, and Gulf Islands. Seattle: The Mountaineers. 1996. pp. 101-104.