am fog at Whiffen Spit
Sooke Harbour to Albert Head
am fog at Whiffen Spit
Rating: SKIII
Distance: 16 NM
Date: August 12, 2001
Leader: Pete Schwab / Henry Romer Participants: 7
Launch: 07:45 Return: 12:30
Weather: Serious fog covering the Strait on Saturday and Sunday due to high temps of ~80F. Sea conditions were quite mild with small swells and wind waves of 1 - 1 1/2 feet in exposed areas along the coast. Fog lifted along the coast of Vancouver Island at around 11 am. Still heavy out in the Strait.
Description:
We did this
paddle in about 5 hours but it's such a beautiful place I'm going to recommend
you plan at least 7 hours so you'll have time to see it all. There are
huge bluffs and crags and even a petroglyph (the "sea monster") at
Aldridge Point. It's an exposed coastline so you should be prepared for at
least small swells and wind waves blowing in from the Strait.
We launched at Whiffen Spit in Sooke in fog so thick you
couldn't even see the end of the spit. Fortunately there was just enough
visibility to cross from the end of the spit to cross Sooke Inlet. With
the fog so thick we stayed close to shore enjoying the scenery along the
mainland but unable to investigate sites like Donaldson Island. Beechey
Head is known to have tide rips and eddies at max flood and ebb and while we did
experience a little turbulence it wasn't anything to speak of.
The fog had dissipated in the area of Becher Bay to the
extent that we were able to cross from Aldridge Point to Smyth Head ever mindful
of the huge population of fishing boats in the area. As we passed Smyth
Head we came to Bedford Island. Great place to take a break. There's
a small isthmus between Bedford and the mainland. You can portage across it if
you don't mind carrying or dragging your boats for about 20 feet (not much of a
portage, eh?).
The spit behind Bedford Island
We passed through Whirl Bay and on into the passage inside of
Bentinck Island. The place is full of seals and provides a nice break from
the swells coming in off the strait. In fact, beyond Bentinck the seas are
no longer so influenced by the Strait. The shoreline bends to the north
and seas were pretty calm for the balance of our trip.
By now the fog had moved away from the mainland and we were
able to cross Pedder Bay to William Head with no problem. From there we
headed straight across Parry Bay to Albert Head. We were paddling against
the ebb (albeit an extremely mild ebb) at this point and definitely noticed it's
effect. This could be difficult to paddle against a strong ebb.
Reaching Albert Head we rounded the point and headed for the landing site at
Albert Lagoon Regional Park.
Tides/Currents:
1. Sunday.
A slight (1.5 feet) flood in the tide until 8:00 am.
Followed by a mild ebb until 13:00 (the ebb only drops 1.1 feet).
Charts:
NOAA Chart # 18465 Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Coast Guard Contacts: The Coast Guard does not accept Float Plans. The emergency number to call is 206-217-6001. The USCG will contact the Canadian Coast Guard. Leave your float plan, including trip plan, names of participants, color of boats etc. with one of your support people.
Customs:
This information is included for planning purposes. The trip's original intent was a crossing of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. That portion of the trip was cancelled due to heavy fog.
It was my original intent to run this trip from Crescent Bay to Sooke. However, Canadian Customs would not allow us to enter Canada via Sooke Harbour. Sooke Harbour is not a "Designated Marina", a requirement for entry! If you're reluctant to believe this, call 1-888-CANPASS for an explanation.
US Customs was easy to deal with. My instructions were to call into the US Customs Small Boats Reporting System at 1-800-562-5943. They told me to give them a call before we leave Sooke, OR, if we'd prefer, after we arrive in Crescent Bay. No sweat, no bother. They also told me that "Canada doesn't care that you're leaving, so there's no need to report to them".
Victoria Canadian Customs can be reached at 604-666-0272.
Vessel Traffic Information:
You can get live reports via telephone at 206-217-6050 or via VHF channel 5A out in the Strait. For more information visit the USCG Vessel
Traffic Service - Puget Sound at:
http://www.uscg.mil/d13/units/vts/psvts.html.
Accommodations in Sooke:
In Sooke Harbor: We
camped at the Sooke River Campground (The Flats). It's located where the
Sooke River drains into the basin. $13 per tent, showers, flush toilets,
group site, water access (boat ramp) and FREE FIREWOOD. You can contact them at:
(250) 642-6076.
Notes:
1. In Sooke, to get to Whiffen Spit, just drive along hwy 14 until you see the sign for Sooke Harbour House and turn left on Whiffen Spit Road. There are no facilities at the spit but it's easy to launch on either side.
2. The MV Coho ferry that runs between Port Angeles and Victoria is a tuffy. You may want to arrive as much as 4 hours before launch time! Better yet, you might want to drive to Tsawwassen and take the ferry to Swartz Bay (Sidney) as most of us did.
Directions to Launch Site:
Directions to the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay Ferry:
From I-5 at Highway 16 it's about 149 miles to Blaine (Customs) and then another 27 miles to the ferry. It takes about 3 hours, depending on how long you spend in Customs. To get there just follow I-5 to the border, then follow Highway 99, in Canada, to Highway 17 and turn west to the ferry (follow the signs).
Directions to Sooke from Swartz Bay (Sidney):
From the ferry landing follow
Highway 17 south to Victoria (about 32 km). Take highway 1A over to
highway 14. Then follow Highway 14 to
Sooke. Sooke is 21 miles west of Victoria.
You will enter Sooke on Hwy 14 (Sooke Road).
Follow it until you cross the Sooke River and then immediately turn right on Phillips Road.
Go about a half mile or so to the Sooke
River
Campground
(250-642-6076).
Directions to the Landing site in Crescent Bay: (Carol’s Crescent Beach Camping)
From I-5 at Hwy 16 it takes a good 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to the launch site (126 miles). Follow 16 to Bremerton and then follow the signs to The Hood Canal bridge. After you cross the bridge stay on highway 104 until you get to hwy 101. Take 101 to, and through, Port Angeles. It turn left in Port Angeles. After you get out of Port Angeles take the right turn for Hwy 112. You'll follow 112 for 7.5 miles until you see the sign for the Salt Creek Recreation Area (Camp Hayden Road) and then turn right. From there it's 3.7 miles to the public ramp. When you see the Salt Creek campground, don't turn in, just bear off to the left and on down to the launch site. The site is a small gravel parking area just behind a small marsh. If you're going to camp for the night at Carol's Crescent Beach, just continue along for another 1/8 mile and you'll see it on the left.
Directions from Crescent Beach to The M.V. Coho Ferry in Port Angeles:
Go back to highway 112, turn left and
go back to highway 101. Follow 101
back into Port Angeles and follow it all the down the hill until you get to East
Front Street. Turn left on Front
street and go a block to Ferry Road and turn right.
Directions from the M.V. Coho ferry in Victoria to Sooke:
When you get off the ferry you’ll be on Belleville Street.
Go two blocks to Douglas Street and turn left (north).
Then just follow the signs to Sooke.
Sooke is 21 miles west of Victoria.
You will enter Sooke on Hwy 14 (Sooke Road).
Follow it until you cross the Sooke River and then immediately turn right on Phillips Road.
Go about a half mile or so to the Sooke
River
Campground
(250-642-6076).
Facilities:
1. There are no facilities at the Whiffen Spit launch site in Sooke, nor are there any obvious stopping places within Sooke Harbour. Parking is adequate for ~10 vehicles.
2. Along the route from Sooke Harbour to Albert Head there is mostly rocky shoreline. There are no facilities, per se, but numerous spots are available all along the route for breaks, lunch, or whatever.
3. Albert Head Lagoon Regional Park has parking for about 8 or 9 cars right smack on the edge of the beach. There are no other facilities there and even changing your clothes is difficult with all the folks moving about.
Sample Magazine Submittal: Sooke Harbour to Albert Head (SKIV) 16 NM. We’ll spend the night in a nice campground in Sooke and then paddle to Victoria (Albert Head) on Sunday. From Albert Head we’ll ferry back. Wet or dry suit required. Leader is Pete Schwab, Co-Leader Henry Romer.
References:
Snowden, Mary Ann. Island Paddling. A Paddler's Guide to the Gulf Islands and Barkley Sound. Orca Book Publishers. Victoria BC. 1997. pp. 23-36.
Sooke Community website: http://www.sookenet.com/sooke.html
MV Coho ferry - Port Angeles to Victoria: http://www.northolympic.com/coho/
Pat's Boating in Canada - US Visitors website: http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/boating/us.html
