Above the Salish Sea

[David Patterson]

The planning of a somewhat extended cruise may be only a fantasy exercise. Not until raising anchor or casting off has the cruise begun, and even then.... Will it occur? In the hoped for time-frame and manner? Safely? Hilaire Belloc, in his 1951 book, On Sailing the Sea, captured the indeterminacy well, expanding it in his characteristic way. "Indeed, the cruising of a boat here and there is very much what happens to the soul of a man in a larger way. We set out for places we do not reach, or reach too late; and, on the way, there befall us all manner of things which we could never have awaited." That very indeterminacy now energizes me, here in my 7th decade, as I lay plans for cruising above the Salish Sea, as much under sail as possible. Vocational and family life --life ashore-- can begin to seem far too determined and constrictive for some, as the decades stretch back in time's wake.
**The Salish Sea ends where the tidal drainage to the Pacific Ocean shifts from running south out of Juan de Fuca Strait to running north out of Queen Charlotte Strait. That boundary does vary somewhat but occurs off Quadra Island. The metric chart screen-shot below shows the top of the Salish Sea, bounded by Vancouver Island to the west, and by the British Columbia mainland to the east. Very popular "Desolation Sound" is less a specific waterway (though there is the sound) than a larger area of great beauty, warm summer waters, and easy anchorages. Or so I read.
**My intention with this new topic is to describe some of my planning, and eventually to show some photos of my cruising above the Salish Sea...as, and IF, I get there! Any who have been north of the Strait of Georgia, please share your experiences. And, please wish me luck. I wouldn't be the first cruiser to make serious arrangements, yet never get to make the cruise. "Events conspire; alternatives exclude," according to John Gardner.

[David Patterson]

Sight unseen, significant rapids and narrows can begin to loom in the mind of a NW cruiser. One man, the holder of a CG 100 ton license, told me that as he motored (mostly) his Nor'sea 27 down the inner passage from Haines AK, he obsessed about Dodd Narrows above the southern Gulf Islands, until it grew to fearsome proportions as an obstacle. Not until a waitress heard him conversing about his fears over food, and told him to simply enter 30" minutes before the slack, was he able to relax. He motored thru fine. Three routes are possible (with minor variations) to get above the Salish Sea. I'll describe the first obstacle that looms in my inexperienced mind.
**The western route —most heavily traveled— has infamous Seymour Narrows (currents to 18 knots) and Race Passage (to 10 knots) to navigate. Before even entering Discovery Passage, which is the southern entrance to Johnstone Strait, a vessel under sail must first pass near potentially deadly Cape Mudge. On his exploratory voyage of these waters in 1792, Captain Vancouver took his ship DISCOVERY through Seymour Narrows and (henceforth named) Discovery Passage. She and her consort CHATHAM fortunately missed lethal Ripple Rock, which had claimed well-over 100 lives, before the top was blown off in the late 1950s. In the chart below you can spot the remains of the rock in the center. Those are meters, not fathoms. Plenty of info on line. A remarkable engineering feat.
**Johnstone Strait (which must be used for at least about a quarter of its length in any route north) and Discovery Passage both funnel prevailing winds through their lengths. Very dangerous wind over tide situations occur. Large cruise ships, cargo vessels, log ships, big fishing boats, and over-boated mega-yachties create hazardous wakes for small sailing vessels. I'm pretty wary of using it, until I learn a lot more about it, especially if I'm under sail. Two charts below: one of the situation of Discovery Passage, to the west at the top of the Salish Sea; the other of Seymour Narrows proper. Note the distance scales. The tide rip symbols are indicative, but the rips also move around. As do any whirlpools. Many vessels lost, and multiple lives, over the centuries. And still today. Slack waters are brief. YouTube videos are available. [Ever notice how grimly pessimistic the Sailing Directions can read?]

[David Patterson]

Two other routes can lead a cruiser north above the Salish Sea, east of Dicovery Passage. The most eastern route, beginning along the B.C. Mainland, is past or includes Desolation Sound, a conventional Salish Sea destination of famous beauty. Seasonally, there are also mega-yachts and a flotilla of recreational cruisers. Summer winds are usually moderate, reputedly. However, five sets of rapids obstruct passage north. Large whirlpools occur, especially at The Devil’s Hole in Dent Rapids. Spaniards Galiano and Valdes, also exploring through in 1792, took their 50’ schooners through the eastern route’s barriers, including fearsome Yuculta and Dent Rapids (with the guidance of native peoples) laughing madly, one of their journals reports, as SUTIL was spun about three times in The Devil’s Hole, the 30’ whirlpool of Dent Rapids. MEXICANA followed but missed the whirlpool.
**Metric charts below give a hint of why the Desolation Sound area might be so attractive in which to cruise. Islands and channels abound, in the first one. The route north from Desolation is up Lewis Channel and Calm Channel, on past Stuart Island. Bute Inlet dead ends. Yuculta (say "you-clue-taw" with accent on the last syllable, I think) and Dent Rapids can be seen charted to the west of Stuart, in the second chart. Last is more detail of Dent. One person with experience tells me that good timing makes it workable. Never having been there, I remain more than a bit awed at the prospect of transiting these rapids one after another. Of the three northern routes I rank this one as second most difficult, after Seymour Narrows. Much less big boat traffic. But I don't know yet, do I? This set of rapids is above the tidal boundary of the Salish Sea, for here the flood tide has reversed, coming down from Queen Charlotte Strait. A full keel boat with a thick hull, like our Cape Dorys, would hopefully ride up on rocks in a way a fin keel could not. Some consolation, at least. Again, note the distance scales.

[tjr818]

Devil's Hole with a YSM8 seems daunting to me. How much time do you have between flood and ebb? What is the distance you would have to sail or motor?

[David Patterson]

Tim, I don't know the code you are mentioning. A rating scale of rapids? Kayakers go thru. I don't yet know the answers to your questions. My armchair recon hasn't taken me that far. Most of my resources are back aboard in Friday Harbor, or I don't have them yet. I will, you can be sure. From this distance, it all seems fantastical to me. The photo below is of Yuculta Rapids. David, in NJ

[Dmitche4]

Devil's Hole with a YSM8 seems daunting to me. How much time do you have between flood and ebb? What is the distance you would have to sail or motor?

I believe he referring to a Yanmar diesel engine.

David

[Dmitche4]

Thanks for posting, even though I am stuck working (at this point), I love reading about your travels.

Thanks again...

David

[tjr818]

Devil's Hole with a YSM8 seems daunting to me. How much time do you have between flood and ebb? What is the distance you would have to sail or motor?

I believe he referring to a Yanmar diesel engine.

David

Yes, David is correct. A YSM8 is the single cylinder 8HP Yanmar in many CD27s and it is very similar ( I believe) to the engine in most CD25Ds. They sound much like the African Queen putting around and, on a very good day, they might push one of our boats at almost 5kts. Not the engine to run Devil's Hole at flood, nor at ebb!

[David Patterson]

Thanks, David and Tim. I looked up the engine designation. My hope, though, is to transit the rapids under sail, if possible. My chance to do so lies in the factor new to my life now, that of time...time to study and observe, time to wait until a neap tide if necessary, enough time having passed already in my life to go ahead and throw the dice on a main chance sometimes, as I did recently at Malibu Rapids. To my own surprise, I'm not even being dramatic about it. Also to my surprise, my Salish Sea cruising has not been so much about the open water passages in strong winds, though some have certainly delighted, worried, and/or challenged me, but about constricted waters with currents, rocks, kelp, standing waves even, and other empediments --like large power vessel wakes at critical moments. I've grown to relish the required mode of sailing (mostly!). Whatever else I've gotten from the cruising, my life feels revitalized here in my early retirement. Cheaper, too. Here is Melville, through his narrator Ishmael in Moby Dick:
"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral that I meet...then I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can."
Even setting aside his tongue-in-cheek 19th century humorous exaggeration (think Mark Twain) his point lands home. Vitality and reinspiritedness can result from mental and physical challenge. Joshua Slocum, only in our mid-life years, reported that his acquaintances claimed he had refound his youth, after his circumnavigation. Sea change.
Enough of all that, though. I'll try to get to describing the third route north above The Salish Sea, in another post. The route I am most drawn to try, if all works out in 2016.

[John Schafer]

It would be nice to pick a time of month when you are not seeing large variations in the high and low tides. If you run out of slack after Yuculta you can tie up to the goverment dock at Big Bay, Stuart Island, to wait for the next tide. Anchoring not advisable, too many back eddies. From the dock you can observe the next set of rapids and record the duration of slack, only 1/2 mile away. Locals will have lots of information about surrounding conditions. In spring and early summer you will probably have the place to your self and after a long winter the inhabitants will be anxious for human discourse. Wait at the dock till wind and current is best and then quickly slip your lines. Hope for a deep low pressure system and ride the southeaster north. which is the prevailing conditions in the spring. When summer sets in a ridge will predominate and ride the Northwesterly south. The last two series of rapids are fairly close and by the time you are clear of Dent the ebb will be setting in strong and you can enjoy the extra push northward into Cordero Chanel. Weather you go Green Point or Blind might be determined on your success of transiting Yuculta, or take the easy way out thru Nodales Channel onto Johnstone Strait. Wind conditions will probably be your determining factor. john.

[David Patterson]

The middle route north above the Salish Sea...and hopefully the last post in this chart exercise/essay. Little used for ample enough reasons, the remaining or third route leaves the Salish Sea just east of Cape Mudge (named after one of Vancouver's officers), then passes east of Quadra Island (named by Canada for the Spanish officer who treated Vancouver in a most gentlemanly and respectful manner). A cruiser can then enter Hoskyn Channel, squeeze between Sturt and Peck Islands via shallow and tight Beazley Pass in the Settlers Group, enter Okisollo Channel and work past the attractive marine park of the Octopus Islands, pass Hole in the Wall to starboard, negotiate Surge Narrows (!), before exiting into the upper end of Discovery Passage. A cruiser under sail or engine can then turn up Nodales Channel and travel on, before a further exposure to Johnstone Strait (signicantly missing Race Narrows). The route passes through comparatively protected waters. But...in Beazley Pass "[c]urrents reach up to 12 knots at springs and the presence of Tusko Rock makes it particularly dangerous especially when traveling north with an ebb tide," according to Bill Wolferstan in his Discovery Sound (1980), written back when cruising under sail was still more sought after. Indeed, from the era that produced our Cape Dorys and Albergs. Surge Narrows itself seems to especially be popular with whitewater kayakers, generating high-current waves comparable to the famous ones in Skookumchuck Narrows of Sechelt Inlet, though not as stable. I've more to find out about Surge before committing to the route, obviously, if I can find the info. Still, my leaning is toward the middle route. I'd hardly be the first cruiser through under sail, or who turned back, I'm sure. Nor would I be free of rapids, after, for the route north leads through Greene Point Rapids in Chancellor Channel, if I want to minimize my exposure to boisterous Johnstone Strait. Can I do it? Enticing challenges. The beauty and wildlife of the subsequent archipelagos are enough of a draw, challenges aside.

[David Patterson]

**"The last two series of rapids are fairly close and by the time you are clear of Dent the ebb will be setting in strong and you can enjoy the extra push northward into Cordero Chanel. Weather you go Green Point or Blind might be determined on your success of transiting Yuculta, or take the easy way out thru Nodales Channel onto Johnstone Strait. Wind conditions will probably be your determining factor. john"**
Thanks, John. I'll study your comments. Better, I'll chat with you over the charts. Back by March. David

[David Patterson]

Just a bit more about some of these rapids: below is a link to a video which represents a big power boater's take on them, and typifies how cruising is conventionally done at least part of the year around them. Note the boat's wakes near the end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ8nMPk_uUg Also below is an uncredited photo I ran across on line of a boat transiting Beazley Passage of Surge Narrows, apparently under sail. I believe the photo is of the stern. Last is a note (for Tim) about length of slack in Surge, from Sailing Directions. Not the Mississippi in flood, though!

[David Patterson]

Continuing my cruise planning, one resource is the Dreamspeaker guide to the Broughtons. These books are beautifully illustrated but not comprehensive. Not useful for route planning for under sail, as much as for destinations and anchorages. [I've no connection with them.] The authors seem to primarily motor (a trip from Victoria to Princess Louisa Inlet in 5 days?). Sailboat owners who switch to power boats often cite that they found themselves only sailing 7 or 8 percent of the time, or much less.
**Consulting my own journals of recent years, I occasionally find a little sketch that aids in stirring my memories of certain anchorages. The seaplane one is from Ganges Harbor, on Salt Spring Island in Canada's lower Gulf Islands. The other is of waterline cleaning in a particularly calm anchorage, with the help of a stern painter for the dinghy, to stay close alongside. Hulls stay relatively clean in 50* water, but the waterline doesn't. Hand washing with Scotch Brite pads works best. I need a wider bootstripe for my overloaded little cruiser.

[David Patterson]

In the process of studying guides to the area above the Salish Sea, the lower Inside Passage to Alaska, it quickly becomes apparent how conventional cruising has altered in the last four decades. Two factors seem to be involved: powerful engines and GPS/chart plotters. Older guides, representing exploration with an auxiliary sailing craft, requiring an overt athletic component and an intimate relationship with natural conditions, have given way to description of destinations and a listing of waypoints. Two books published in the '80s, but representing cruising done in the '70s, include advice pertinent to cruising under sail. Recent ones include very little, such as in the Douglass book pictured below. Wolferstan, who cruised a 28' foot or so Alberg or similar design, in his Desolation Sound volume might say something like "if entering [Manson Passage] from the west, one should stay south of a bearing or line between the north tip of Mitlenatch and the southernmost cliff of Savary Island until one can see the tip of Cortes Island (Mary Point) past the eastern extremity of Hernando." Manson, also known as False Passage, is not even included in Douglass' fairly comprehensive powerboaters' and motoring sailing vessels' guide (they cruise a Nordic Tug) since it is not on the conformist routes. Cruisers under sail don't travel in such straight lines. Wolferstan's respected guide, published by Pacific Yachting, is full of historical, cultural, and natural environmental information, much of it from his academic writing. Rich reading and welcome to a curious sailor. A companion volume is the very respected John Chappell's Cruising Beyond Desolation Sound. He too cruised in a small auxiliary cruiser, knowing well what he was describing to other sailors, given extensive experience. These two books, and others from a regional high point era of small boat cruising primarily under sail, are out of print but available used on Abebooks and Amazon. Conventional cruising is no longer what it was. True of much in the world, but sailing continues to be renewable, though perennially challenging.