Jump to content

Mixed day sailing.


umop_apisdn

Recommended Posts

Well, for Labor Day I decided to leave the Hope Island trip for another day, and go to James Island. I launched from Washington Park in Anacortes, with the intent of sailing to James Island.

It was a largely disappointing excursion. It appears I was completely unprepared for the currents in Rosario Strait. The wind was from the South, and the current was headed north as well, so both were going in the same direction.

Once I got out into the Strait, it was pretty much game over. I was swept up towards Reef Point on Cypress Island, but fortunately missed it by a good half mile. But I was still far north of where I wanted to be.

Next the current drove me towards Black Rock next to Blakely island. Black Rock is not a fun place to be, and it was getting really close, really fast. When it looked to be 300-400 yards away, I decided to raise the iron mainsail. At this point the current was swift enough to even overcome the motor, but at least I was not getting any CLOSER to it. So I turned and motored cross-current across Thatcher Pass and over to James Island.

While near Black Rock, I saw three other sailboats get into exactly the same predicament, and all three did the same thing I did - fired up their motors and got the heck out of there.

After we made it to the Island, I decided to motor most of the way back. Once out of the worst of the current, I sailed the rest of the way back, and managed to sail right up to the dock, which was cool.

So the post-mortem:

What went right:

No disasters, no damage to boat or crew.

Made it to James Island, albeit under motor.

Successfully docked using nothing but sail and a boat hook.

What went wrong:

Did not sail where I wanted to go.

Ended up way off course.

Freaked out my crew (although GPS said we were ever closer than a third of a mile to Black Rock)

Had to motor to my destination and most of the way home.

Stuff I did right:

Went out over equipped. Had GPS pre-programmed with the ramp. destination, and major navigation landmarks and hazards in the area. Installed new compass, brought an extra gas can for the motor, printed out paper charts in three different resolutions. Brought binoculars. Used ALL of this on the trip out.

Stuff I did wrong:

Not sure here. I was unprepared for the current, that much is sure. The current table said 1.6 knots. But it was much faster than that in places. Some places it was fast enough my motor couldn't keep up with it. (GPS says my motor can push thee boat 5.5 MPH on lake Washington.)

I should have noticed before the trip that the wind and current were going the same direction. That must have been a major factor on me being so far off course.

What else? Go ahead, I can take it. :-)

Noel

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

Supporting Members

Supporting Members can create Clubs, photo Galleries, don't see ads and make messing-about.com possible! Become a Supporting Member - only $12 for the next year. Pay by PayPal or credit card.




×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.