I was trying to figure out which was the closest station that was on the radio, and finally decided that the "West Point" they were referring to was the one at the outside of Deception Pass. I kept checking the currents to see when it would ebb, and listened constantly to the weather to determine what conditions were like out on Rosario Strait to see if we could make it across to Lopez before evening. It was a very sunny afternoon of a very stormy day in the spring. I've only been through Deception Pass once, about 5 years ago when my partner and I were bringing the boat I bought in Des Moines back to Sidney. Just be sure to stay inside the slack water window. In time the flood will begin to build in Saratoga and offset any favorable current through Deception.Īs you plan your future cruises consider Deception Pass as a very safe and scenic moment for those with you on your way to distant points and new experiences. If your route is south it would be more favorable to transit on a slack before the ebb.Ī route east through Deception Pass becomes less of an issue, but a slack before the flood will be more favorable for awhile south down towards Strawberry Point. That way when we pass through we will pickup a flood north through San Juan or Bellingham Channel. Both place you within minutes of the entrance.ĭepending on your route direction, if we stop in Cornet Bay for a route north we will transit on a slack before the flood. Two very good anchorages provide a respite in preparation for the passage Bowman Bay on the west side of the Pass and Cornet Bay on the east side. Currents outside this window build rather quickly and become quite strong (six to eight knots at maximum flow) with powerful eddies and debris about that can overpower your boat's ability to maintain course. You can push it, but we try to stay within that window. Depending upon tide state on a given day, you have about a 30 minute window to transit during slack water. Be sure to pick one up and become familiar with it. Most local tide table books provide a section that covers slack water times at Deception Pass. Utmost of importance is to transit during slack water where it becomes a nonplus event. Now, however, after many times through here is what I have experienced, a smooth passage with cliffs and greenery to marvel, a passage that cuts many miles off of alternative routes. Before I made my first transit, I shared this apprehension. Much of this fear comes from lore about past mishaps that have become more of a fable than fact. Some harbor a fear of transiting Deception Pass in a displacement hull boat.
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