Bill & Evelyn,
Les, Dusty and Kathy are by far the best source of advice I know of regarding Deception Pass, but the few times we have been through the pass have been very smooth. From what I understand, with our planning hull boats having such shallow drafts and decent size motor(s) the Pass is not as threatening as it is for a slow displacement hull boat whose slow speed may not be able to overcome the current flow. Due to our first timer's concern, the pass was harder on us mentally than it ever was on the boat. Just don't try and cruise through one of the whirpools. If you can time yourself to go out with some other C-Brats, that should really help ease those first time jitters. If not, wait for some other boaters and watch how they do it or follow them through. You can also arrive early, find a parking spot near the bridge, grab a pair of binoculars and watch from above. The launch ramp at Cornet Bay is one of the better "first timer" ramps that we have used as it is well protected from the weather.
Chivita Dave
