Voyage north to Friday Harbor about to begin

In just a few days we will board Aeolus and begin our journey north from Bainbridge Island to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. The weather forecast is shaping up to be wonderful, with a high pressure system settling in to create fairly dry and even partly sunny weather. Winds are forecast to be mild from the SE.

In planning for this trip several bits of data become especially important. One is currents and of course the other is wind. Current in Admiralty Inlet can absolutely determine whether a displacement hull boat has any chance of forward progress. Luckily for us on this day, the dominant current this Saturday is ebbing from 8:45 all the way to 4:47. We will ride a river of water all the way from the Seattle area to Port Townsend.



View Sailing Bainbridge to Friday Harbor in a larger map




Now, if a strong NW wind is blowing, as it can do any time of year but especially in the summer through Admiralty Inlet (Strong West winds in the Straits of Juan de Fuca turn south through Admiralty Inlet to fill up Puget Sound) you can end up with hellish conditions off of Foulweather Bluff due to the wind opposing the north bound ebb current. Aptly named, I've been at Foulweather when these conditions were afoot and it is a maelstrom of classic clapotis. Only stout boats like a Gulf 32 are very happy to be out in it.

But, in our favor, these strong ebb currents will be aided by a forecast SE wind of 5-15 knots. We might very well be doing 8 knots instead of 6 for much of our journey north if these conditions actually occur. Our plan is to anchor off Port Townsend for Saturday night.

Sunday is a bit trickier because you need to cross the Eastern side of the Straits of Juan de Fuca, which is susceptible to strong winds from all sides, and somehow time the currents to help you as much as possible. Because leaving Port Townsend is nice on an ebb current, your ideal situation is to catch the last of an ebb, and have it turn to flood around Smith Island to push you north through Cattle Pass or Lopez Pass. I've done this before. It is lovely. We aren't so lucky this time.

Because it is ebbing all day, we will have to rise early, with the dawn, and fight a bit of flood out of Port Townsend in order to catch the last of the flood up toward Rosario Strait before the strong ebb kicks in. We have until about 9:30 before the ebb starts, and that will give us about 2 hours. This won't be enough to get us through the passes, but we should be getting close enough that the start of the ebb is not too fierce.

So excited for the time afloat. Nothing like a little voyage to cure the winter blues, and I cannot begin to express how much we look forward to having our boat back in the San Juans and nearer to all the places we love to visit. Elliott and Owen will join me for the voyage, as will our friends Bill and Banning. It is a boys trip, for sure.