Deception Pass trip advice

L

localboy

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C Dory Year
2007
C Dory Model
25 Cruiser
Vessel Name
'Au Kai (Ocean Traveler)
My wife and I are planning a trip to Bowman Bay with family. The family will be land camping @ Bowman Bay for my son's & grandaughter's birthdays. We are planning on staying on the boat, going to shore for festivities and also using the boat for some day trips. Trying to find some info on the area.

It appears there are buoys in Sharpe Cove. Anyone ever overnighted there? Anything I should know or be careful about? How far from Bowman is SHarpe? Could we anchor in Bowman w/out worrying too much about currents etc? Can the boat be beached @ Bowman to pick up & drop off?

Anyone ever launch @ Cornet Bay? Ramps/parking/security?

Mahalo.
 
Have never camped there but have launched at Cornet bay a few times. Nive ramp and float with a nice big parking lot. good place to leave the trailer. You should not have to worry about running the pass in a c-dory but if you have not done it before you may want to wait until the tide change. This time of the year you can get a lot of fog in that area very quickly. make sure you run a Snail trail on the gps the first time thru the pass when there is not fog. It wont help you see any thing in the fog (large ships, fast ferry, 20 fishing boat) but it will serve to keep you off the rock. We once ran thru in the fog and the gps and radar were worth every penny susan spent on them :wink: So keep you eyes open .
 
Tom is pretty much right on, you can get some wakes from fast boats, however this year the Victoria Clipper will not be making their runs through there. They are contracted to the Navy to run from Everett to Bremerton.
 
Did not know that about the clipper. I like to see here go by but hate the big wake she puts out.
 
Only affects the one from Seattle to Friday Harbor, it takes the Saratoga pass through Deception. The one from Seattle to Victoria that puts out a rooster tail 50' tall and huge wake is still running.
 
I have camped at Bowman Bay and I have launched small boats at the boat launch there. This launch is used mostly by kayakers but some small trailer boats launch here. Landing on the beach is no problem. There are a few bouys and you can anchor. Not sure if the bay is protected from a big westerly swell.
Cornet Bay is an excellent launch location. You will pay for both your launching and your parking-two separate sheets, when you overnight your car and trailer. I say this because last time I launched there, I forgot to put the parking sheet on my trucks dash. I had a ticket when I returned. :embarrased It was easily rectified, but I won't make that mistake again! (maybe)

Have a great time!

Robbi
 
Check your chart carefully to see where you want to enter Bowman. As I remember there are rocks on the south side. There is a safe passage in, but make sure you check where it is.
 
OK. Thanks to all. I'll definately check charts and weather prior to launching. Hopefully, I can grab a buoy for the overnighting. The Cornet bay launch is just an option since it's very close. I could always make the run up from Everett or Camano State Park.
 
Watch out for "High Mud" in Cornet bay these days with the big tides. If you strike out at Bowmans the park floats at Cornet are relatively peaceful but not as pretty.
Dont try to take the short way out of Cornet inside the island :shock:

Merv
 
Merv, did you hit something???
 
heres the bay

looks like rock's all the way around. In the satellite photos there seems to be or have been a floating dock in the south west corner of the bay.
 
Tom,

No. But I have a friend who took the short cut inside Ben Ure at less than high tide and the brown marks on his underwear were not all mud.

I was also in Cornet bay last week at -3 something tide and you had better believe what the chart says and then some.

For locals with knowledge and the right tide I guess its no problem but as you know I can go aground outside the CPO club in Oak Harbor :oops:

Bowmans is pretty obvious just aim for the BIG gap and watch out for the wake from the trash can liners. I have added the photo of one such taken on May 16th to my album (yes I will learn how to post them directly one day :roll: ) as we were coming back through Deception (slowly) with a load of people fishing, kayaking etc. Pity there wasn't a CG around at that time. :evil:

Merv
 
Grumpy":raplbsgz said:
Tom,
<<Stuff clipped>>
I was also in Cornet bay last week at -3 something tide and you had better believe what the chart says and then some.

Merv
Click to expand...
I agree Merv. Caryn and I stopped at the Deception Pass Marina last year to fuel up in a minus tide. It was very nerve-wracking, even in our shallow-draft boats.
 
Peter,

At -3 you can just about walk up to the posts marking the channel into the marina.. on both sides. Even the seagulls were wearing socks and sandals.

Merv
 
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