Miss Betty's first cruise!

[DaveandEileen]

Ahoy mates!
My wife and I are heading out for our first cruise ever on “Miss Betty”, our (new to us) 2011 Ranger 29 Tug.
We are going to Port Townsend and then from Port Townsend to Fisherman Bay on Lopez Island on June 16th for a few days.
I have heard there can be challenges crossing the strait of Juan de Fuca going into Rosario Strait going to Fisherman Bay Lopez Island.
On the 16th when we leave Port Townsend it looks like low tide is at 8:10 AM and high is 3:38PM around Lopez Island so we should be getting there with the tide coming in, leaving on the 20th it's a minus -1.1 tide at 10:02 AM so I'm thinking I'd have to leave early around 6 AM or wait til the tide floods back in and maybe leave around 1PM.
I have read a little about going into Fisherman Bay @ Lopez Island and that there are hazards and to be extra cautious.
We have our fingers crossed that the weather will be nice and that we don't have to make changes but only time will tell.
Has anyone that's made this trip have some input?
Regards,
Dave
Dave & Eileen
“Miss Betty”

 

[Toki]

Hi Dave and Eileen,

Yes, I've been in and out of Fishermans Bay a number of times ... on a sailboat with a 6' deep keel ... and without a chartplotter!

Yes, caution is needed. It's a narrow, dredged channel with some twists and turns. There's a town dock about half way down that channel, and the town considers it a spectator sport watching people come in. Groundings are always a crowd pleaser. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a booky at the head of the channel laying odds as boats come in, and bets being placed.

OK, it's not that bad, and our little tugs with their shallow draft are a piece of cake. Just make sure your chartplotter is well calibrated an follow that channel precisely. Even at a minus tide you shouldn't have a problem. And worse case if you were to run aground, it's a muddy bottom, and the marinas are well versed at sending out help.

Something else you need to be wary of: Cattle Pass between San Juan and Lopez Island. That pass gets a weird confluence of currents, and even when the strait is nice and calm Cattle Pass can be a washing machine. My advice is this; as you're going across the strait, put a call out on VHF to any boats currently transiting the pass and get a report from them. If it sounds too rough then head slightly east toward the east side of Lopez. You can either go up Lopez Sound, around the north tip of the island, and down to Fishermans Bay. Or head into Watmaugh Bay on the southeast tip of Lopez, grab a mooring ball, and stay there for the night. I love Watmaugh.

Enjoy your maiden voyage!

 

[BradOwens]

Adding to Toki's advice, the best time to cross the straits is early morning. Afternoon winds can make the crossing a little rough. Usually nothing a Ranger Tug 29 can't handle, but uncomfortable for the crew.
We've also been in and out of Fisherman's Bay, and as long as you go slow and follow your chartplotter carefully, you should have no problem.
You mentioned going up Rosario Strait. That route is a little longer than going through Cattle Pass, but is often calmer. If winds are from the east it is sheltered by Whidbey and Guemes islands.

 

[DaveandEileen]

Hi,
Thank you both very much for your input.
Dave

 

[RichBirk]

On entering the bay: I like to shave the Chanel marker close and make a straight beeline to just off the end of the spit. Don't get too far to the left, there's a rock that a lot of people hit. People that have docks in front of their houses are wake sensitive. Don't forget to round the last red bouy before turning up the bay, it marks a rock shoal and can be hard to see as it is lined up with IMC marina.

 

[JamesTXSD]

I drove commercial whale watch boats out of Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor for 5 years - crossed Juan de Fuca and Cattle Pass many, many times. The big issue with Juan de Fuca is wind against current: with a west wind and the tide going out, that is going to be very unpleasant; same with east wind and an incoming tide. Cattle Pass has a reputation that is deserved on the roughest days.. but, as often as not, it is mostly benign. Slack tide is a great time to pass through there, but it was hardly ever that timing for our scheduled trips. A southwest wind and outgoing tide through Cattle Pass is best avoided. You can pick your best path through there by staying near the middle and watch for standing waves and eddies (avoid those). Once clear of Cattle Pass, San Juan Channel is generally protected, except with a north wind.

Going into Fisherman's Bay is twisty, but well charted, my preference is mid-tide and rising - never had an issue. Keep your speed down. If I'm reading your post correctly, 4 days in Fisherman's Bay? You may get itchy feet and decide to do some day-tripping out of there. So many great places in the San Juans.

Congrats on the boat and have fun with this first outing!

 

[bob daily]

Dave and Eileen, May you have fair winds and a following seas!
Best of luck Bob

 

[DaveandEileen]

Thank you all,
It is so nice knowing that there are people out there willing to help and take the time to give pointers.
Regards to all,
Dave

 

[DaveandEileen]

Thank you all for the input,
Looking at things more closely we will most likely go through Cattle Pass and into Fisherman's Bay.
We just got the "Ports and Passes" book, "Current Atlas", some nice big charts paired with our cartplotter and new AIS system along with your help and info on line I'm feeling pretty good about going to Lopez Island. Hopefully the weather, wind and wind waves all cooperate!
Dave

 

[SassyRed]

We like Waggoner Cruising Guide. Here is what Waggoner says about the Point Wilson Rip. I am copying without permission, but with attribution. In no way am I saying avoid the crossing, just providing some more information for your planning going and coming back.

“One of the more frustrating pieces of water we face in the Northwest is the infamous Point Wilson tide-rip just off Port Townsend. The rip usually (but not always) forms on an ebb tide, and may or may not be accompanied by westerly wind. The patch of rough water can extend for several miles north and west of Point Wilson. We have learned three ways to avoid being bounced around by the Point Wilson rip.

The first is to round Point Wilson at or near slack water. Usually, the rip doesn’t form until well into an ebb cycle, so timing your arrival to coincide with slack water should get the job done.

If, however, you must go that way while the rip is tearing the Strait of Juan de Fuca to shreds, you can pick one of two routes around it.

The first is to hug the Point Wilson shore as closely as you dare, keeping close to shore until you pass McCurdy Point, before heading across to the San Juan Is- lands or heading west to Victoria. The fact that the current runs more slowly close to shore prevents the tide-rip from having the same wild effect as farther out.

The other route is to stay close to the Whidbey Island shore (avoiding the shoal water off Partridge Point and staying east of Partridge Bank) until past Smith Island before turning toward your destination.

It doesn’t take much ebb current to create the Point Wilson Rip. On July 26, 2001 we were returning to Seattle from the San Juan Islands, reaching Point Wilson at noon. Bush Point maximum ebb of 2.3 knots would not be until 1347, yet already the rip was visible and working its way eastward across the mouth of Admiralty Inlet. Although there was no wind and the water around us was calm, inside the rip ugly black seas reared up and broke.

A white powerboat entered the far side of the rip. The boat was about 40 feet long, perhaps coming down from Victoria. Once in, it was trapped. It rolled and plunged, taking water up to the fly bridge.

The longer it was in the rip, the bigger the rip became. Rolling and crash-
ing, the boat had no choice but to carry on. The bow lifted out on the crests and disappeared in the troughs, burying in the waves ahead. Eventually the boat got through. We don’t know if it suffered damage, but we’re sure the people suffered. This rip should not be trifled with.“

– Tom Kincaid and Robert Hale