Swinomish Channel status?

[forbin]

Hey - has anyone gone through the channel lately or know of the status? The last info I can find is that it was dredged in the end of 2014. I went through in 2015 I think but obviously that's a while ago. It's my normal backup plan for getting to the San Juans so looking for some more recent info. -Brian

 

[Stu Jackson]

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/i...siting-the-ditch-er-swinomish-channel.176907/

Last one I've seen.

 

[jssailem]

HI Brian. I was through the channel in May of this year. I draw 5 feet. It was flowing at high tide. I had no problems and saw no shallow bars. I would be attentive at the south entrance and be sure I was in the middle of the channel (aligned with the range marker). How much do you draw?
I spoke with @Terry Cox on Monday as he was heading north in the channel. He was at the swinging bridge and had no issues. He was traveling at near high tide and draws 4.8 ft with his Hunter Passage 42.

 

[jssailem]

The Channel is a great resource when the Juan D Fuca is stormy.

 

[forbin]

How much do you draw?

Thanks for the info. I draw 6.5 feet, but sounds like if we can go through at high tide it won't be an issue. It is definitely the best backup plan when the strait gets ugly!

 

[jssailem]

Did you get an extra deep keel on your boat? When I looked on Sailboat Data at a C&C99 I thought it had a draw of 5.5ft. Take a look at the tide table in La Conner. If it is at plus 2 you should be fine.
My friend @LeslieTroyer went through to La Conner at a +.5 last year with his Catalina 36 which is supposed to have a draft of 5.3. We had a bit of drama at buoy 6 on the south end. The depth sounder read .5 for a couple of seconds.
But all was well. It' is just easier on the heart to be sure there is water in the ditch.

This just taken using Deepzoom.com. You'd have no problem right now and for the next couple of hours.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

Hey John it was 6” on a plus 2. And 6’ draft

 

[jssailem]

How soon I forget.
Why does the Catalina data on Sailboat data say the 36 has a draft of 5.3 feet and the MKII IS 5.83 feet

 

[LeslieTroyer]

Here is the specs from the owners manual. Showed 5’ 10” for standard and 5’1” for shole

 

[jssailem]

So we did have 3 inches when we slipped over that sand shoal.

 

[forbin]

Did you get an extra deep keel on your boat?

Yeah there were two models originally, one with a 6.5 option, so that's what the original owner bought, which in most cases, i great for Puget Sound. Last time we had a couple really shallow readings at the south end too, so that was my main concern. Charted at 12 and showing .5 or so definitely makes the heart flutter...at least it's not Fishermans bay with the whole town watching but I'll avoid grounding if at all possible ;-)

Not going up until the end of August this time so I wanted to check in early.

 

[jssailem]

Use the Deepzoom.com website. Quick and easy tool.

Here is the look on the 27th. If you plan to be at the south end entrance about 12:15 you'll have the water depth to transit and it will be flowing north. It is an hour earlier on the 26 and progresses an hour later each day as you head towards the end of the month. At least that is the way I read the tides. If you go an hour later you'll have more water to play in.
While the ditch is favorable the currents in Deception Pass don't get to be nice until after say 14:00 on the 27th.

The ditch route gets you into Anacortes at an early time to get a slip, have a walk and make happy hour at one of the great restaurants.

 

[Terry Cox]

Our boat's draft is about five feet. Shelter Bay marina has a sand bar that prevents egress with a tide state of less than 1+. Transiting the ditch with at least a 1+ in our boat works just fine. A boat with a 6.5 draft should wait for at least a 3+ tide state. Just make sure you stay in mid channel and avoid wandering off.

Came through from the north on a flood yesterday arriving at Shelter Bay without incident. One of those floods that midway through a full flood cycle will dip into an ebb for a couple of hours, then swing back to a flood to complete the full flood cycle. Do those cycles have a name, like neap, or perhaps a spring tide? Looks to me to be a spring tide.