Swinomish Channel advice

[TN]

Does anybody have advice/stories to share about traversing the Swinomish Channel (WA state) headed north? I've not done this, but am thinking about doing it in a 27ft boat with 5 foot draft instead of crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The guidebooks make it sound kind of stressful, and a few people I've talked to suggested it is best left to the power boats. Any commentary would be appreciated!

 

[Jon W.]

Swinomish Channel

I've been through there a couple of times with my 6' 3" draft. It's not that bad. You need to use a good chart. I also had the GPS and depth sounder, but these are not that useful. The GPS isn't really accurate enough, and the depth sounder will just help confirm when you are aground. Lowest depth I saw was in the 12 ft range. I just crossed my fingers for luck. When the current's running you might be hard pressed to stop in time if you think it's shoaling up. The only nagging difficulties are occasionally some power boats that won't slow down when passing, causing wakes in tight quarters, and the current can make docking at Laconner a little tricky at times if you stop there. Me and another guy were trying to help dock a 40 ft Beneteau. He first tried to make a U-turn approach, going with the current, but the current kept pushing and wouldn't allow him to come around. He took my advice and turned against the current. Then after we got a bow and stern line to the dock, he was still parallel to, but 15 ft off the dock. The current was holding him off, and his lines were drum tight. It took all the strength we had to pull him in, inch by inch. I joked to him that he was just going to have to spend the night that way, so close but yet so far away. Just keep a close eye on navigational buoys so you know exactly where you are, particularly at the North end. And if you're nervous, try to transit near a high tide.

 

[Terry Cox]

Been through it many times. Some things to...

consider:1. The tidal convergence zone is downtown LaConner, so you want to plan your transit accordingly. Coming in from the south take a flooding tide at least to town then an ebbing tide from town to the north entrance.2. Our boat draws five feet and have been through it in a minus tide. Shalllow at times especially north of the fixed bridges, but just enough water.3. Our Garmin chart plotter helps me to stay in the safer part of the channel. It has a safe route already planned into the program.4. Stay in the middle of the channel as best you can; the markers reverse about a mile north of town, but still red right returning.5. If you plan your transit you can sail through as I have done with the right wind and current. I sometimes stop at LaConner to wait for the right conditions to emerge; two large guest docks and lots of neat shops. Terry

 

[Les]

Some added data

I have been through the Swinnomish Slough many times with many sailboats over the past forty plus years. It is a delightful way to go north or south and if you have time to spend some time in Laconner. According to most locals the current is not predictable but the channel is. While the government has not dredged the channel in a number of years controlling depth is eight feet at low tide. Minus tides can be a problem.There is one area to watch out and that is a newly developing sandbar just south of the entrance to Shelter Bay. Watch the current and stay east of center from about the bridge to you get to the last house on Shelter Bay. The charts actually tell you to follow this route so don't stay in the center.I have used a Garmin 175 GPS and had no problems in getting through the slough following its instructions. But for many years, my wife and I only used the small scale charts for navigation. Always dock in LaConner going against the current and if there is space the preferred docking in on the inside of the docks--less rocking at night from passing wakes. LaConner is a great town and has several excellent restaurants, plus a bakery to die for. Great other shops for shopping. My only problem in going through the slough in all these years was recently when I was bringing a boat north just before midnight. When I got further north and was approaching the railroad swing bridge I suddenly saw a large number of red and white lights. I looked at my charts and they were not shown. I actually stopped the boat while I got my binoculars out to look but couldn't figure out what was there. There were a lot of red and white lights. I eased along slowly, actually putting my hand out to touch the swing bridge base and slowly edged forward totally confused. When I got past the bridge it finally dawned on me what I was looking at--the new casino that the tribe just put up was all lit up with these damn red and white lights. It looked like it was right on the water but actually was further inland. Big time confusion. Just pay attention to your charts--you'll have no problems and it is a fun and delight trip. Good luck.Les

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Les, we keep our boat at Shelter Bay...

Very nice place. Headed out a few weeks ago for Coupeville on a minus tide and low and behold a 40 footer was stuck on that shoal you refer to. They were downing a few brewskies while they waited for water. The entrance to Shelter bay is okay, but about 50 yards in it gets pretty shallow. I know I have to wait for no less than a minus 1.5 foot to get in or out. Otherwise, I'm stuck in the mud.Sailing the channel does take more time than say Deception Pass or the outside of Whidbey Island, but it does have much to offer for the skipper and crew who is in no hurry. Two weeks ago I found it to be especially fun for the first time to actually sail the channel from Anacortes to the south end of downtown LaConner.Terry

 

[Les]

Hi Terry (Shelter Bay)

Your report of that 40 footer aground on the sand bar revived recent memories. I was skippering a delivery--a Hunter 35.5--with owner and wife aboard from Bellingham to Seattle. They had never sailed before so I had him at the wheel under power going running south down the channel with the current against us. At LaConner I said to just stay in the center and moments later near your place we hit the mud. What an embarrassment, here I am a commercial delivery skipper. We were there for about a half hour and then the current got us off. No big problem.But a week later I got an emergency e-mail from the boating advisory group telling us about the new sand bar developing off Shelter Bay. Ah, just a week too late.Maybe we can get together someday and have coffee.Les

 

[TN]

Thanks for the info

The personal info really helps add some perspective to what I've been reading in the guide books.

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi TN, you're welcome. Say, have you...

come across an H28 with the name of Our Quest, by chance? Our first sail boat; we sold her to an older couple in 2002 who had planned to moore her in Edmonds.Let me know what you decide for your sail plan coming north. Where do you plan on going once you transit the Channel? Be sure to bring a dink with you so that you have a way to go ashore while at anchor.Terry

 

[TN]

After Swinomish...

Terry - The current plan is to head up through the channel, putter around Lopez Sound, move on to Stuart Island or Roche Harbor, and then hop across to S. Pender Island, Sidney, down to Victoria, and then back across the strait, perhaps to Port Angeles if there is time and the weather is good. Everything is pretty flexible at this point. We may decide to skip the channel this trip but later look for a ride through the channel with an experienced person so we can get the lay of the land. This is our third excursion to the islands. The first was a learn-and-cruise, and last year we went up with our own boat. This year we're going to try to expand our horizons a bit Last year taught us that the dinghy needed a motor (Primary duty is as beagle ferry to shore)I haven't seen Our Quest in the marina, but she might be hiding in there. I'll keep an eye peeled.

 

[CharlieCobra]

Watch the Bellingham Channel at Flood if headed

South. We hit the current just after slack and went from 5.8 to 1.8 knots in 100'. Then we got smacked with a 20 knot wind on the nose to boot. It took us 3.5 hours to get through there.

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Les, just some local knowledge to share...

The admiral and I sailed and ebbing tide from Cypress Island to Anacortes the other day, then after pumping out set sail on a flooding tide for Shelter Bay. Just had the genoa up in a light northwesterly averaging maybe three to four knots over ground. As I recall we made maybe four tack changes down the channel to town. I hugged the east side docks coming into town having time to chat with boaters as we slowly passed by.As I mentioned in an earlier post the flooding tidal convergent zone for this day was just south of the Channel Inn. So, here we are putzing along with the light wind and current passing the local docks gradually slowing down. I could still see some flooding current to the south, but it was getting weaker. Towards the south end of town I could see the flooding current from the south approaching. At this point all we had was about five MPH of wind, not enough for forward motion against the flooding current. Belle-Vie slowed to a halt. At this point we had about a half mile to the Shelter Bay entrance, so I fired up the iron genny to get us the rest of the way. I had never paid that much attention to tidal action in the channel before this time because we always did it under power. Sailing the channel gave me a much better sense of what was going on. By being purposeful about our sail plan I was able to sail from Shelter Bay to Cypress Island and back with favorable winds and current. Rare, perhaps, but well worth the experience. Of course we were in no hurry this time, unlike before. Terry