Deception Pass
- Thread starter homerjack
- Start date
smckean (Tosca)
New member
Strangely, one thing the folks involved, or the author, fail to mention is the condition of the current at the time of the accident. Perhaps it's an innocent omission; or perhaps too embarrassing to mention.
I just checked, and there was a 6.6 kt max ebb at 4:54am that day (5/2/19) at Deception pass. The time of accident? 4:45am. Assuming prevailing west winds......not a smart time to be going thru the pass in the dark! Indeed, I can't imagine a dumber time.
I just checked, and there was a 6.6 kt max ebb at 4:54am that day (5/2/19) at Deception pass. The time of accident? 4:45am. Assuming prevailing west winds......not a smart time to be going thru the pass in the dark! Indeed, I can't imagine a dumber time.
A truly amazing story of survival--and death. The last week the most active chain of threads has evolved about the loss of two firefighters who launched out of Port canaval. They did not return. The search was called off a week later, last Friday. The boat was 24' long, and no floatation. All that had been found, with hundreds of man hours of searching, was a tackle bag which was on the boat.
The lesson from this story about Deception Pass, and the loss of two mariners in the Atlantic is similar. There was no way to effectively call for help. The importance of DSC radio as well as a Personal Locator Beacon was a key in the threads. We have both. Including a hand held DSC radio and a PLB for each of us, and one for the ditch bag.
If there had been a DSC or PLB distress signal, both cases may have turned out differently.
You don't have to be crossing oceans to be lost at sea. It is truly amazing that the man survived after nearly 8 hours in 47* water.
Moral: get that MMSI number and put it in both the fixed and DSC enabled hand held VHF radio. Get a Personal locator beacon. Put on a life vest of the correct size and floatation before you are thrown into the water. Have an emergency plan.
The lesson from this story about Deception Pass, and the loss of two mariners in the Atlantic is similar. There was no way to effectively call for help. The importance of DSC radio as well as a Personal Locator Beacon was a key in the threads. We have both. Including a hand held DSC radio and a PLB for each of us, and one for the ditch bag.
If there had been a DSC or PLB distress signal, both cases may have turned out differently.
You don't have to be crossing oceans to be lost at sea. It is truly amazing that the man survived after nearly 8 hours in 47* water.
Moral: get that MMSI number and put it in both the fixed and DSC enabled hand held VHF radio. Get a Personal locator beacon. Put on a life vest of the correct size and floatation before you are thrown into the water. Have an emergency plan.
PaulNBriannaLynn
New member
Great article, and a miracle he survived for so long in that cold water. Thanks for sharing.
We have had our own close call in Deception Pass a number of years ago. I recall the wall of water just as described in this article and pushing the bow of our c-dory straight through it, seeing nothing but green water. The hit so violent the port side honda 40 lost power, leaving us with one running motor to navigate with as we rolled into the next series of waves. I'm convinced that the closed cabin design of the c-dory probably saved us that day. Although the cockpit had significant water in it, we didn't sink and the bilge pumps quickly pumped it out. Having spent my entire life on boats, and passed through that exact spot countless times I underestimated Deception pass. I was aware the tide was not ideal, but it was a Sunday evening, it would be getting dark soon, with work the next day. We went for it anyway. It was a gamble I wouldn't make again. It also proved our little 22 cruiser very sea worthy that day.
We have had our own close call in Deception Pass a number of years ago. I recall the wall of water just as described in this article and pushing the bow of our c-dory straight through it, seeing nothing but green water. The hit so violent the port side honda 40 lost power, leaving us with one running motor to navigate with as we rolled into the next series of waves. I'm convinced that the closed cabin design of the c-dory probably saved us that day. Although the cockpit had significant water in it, we didn't sink and the bilge pumps quickly pumped it out. Having spent my entire life on boats, and passed through that exact spot countless times I underestimated Deception pass. I was aware the tide was not ideal, but it was a Sunday evening, it would be getting dark soon, with work the next day. We went for it anyway. It was a gamble I wouldn't make again. It also proved our little 22 cruiser very sea worthy that day.
Is there a name for the wall of water phenomenon, I didn't catch it in the conversation or the article. What causes this wall of water and what can you do about it? Head straight at it if you see it coming or run away from it? Does this only happen during a large tide change after low tide with the water coming in and the current still flowing out? Is this wall predictable?
Thanks for your time.
-Troy
Thanks for your time.
-Troy
If you want to study waves there are two books pretty much dedicated to the subject:
Oceanography and Seamanship by Van Dorn
Waves and Beaches by Willard Bascom.
Waves come in "sets". or "trains"and there is often one higher. The length of the "set" may vary, and the largest is usually in the center. The largest is often called a "sneaker", "sleeper" or "King" wave. In open oceans, and beaches there are "Rogue waves". which can be enormous. Often variation is caused by competing wave trains and summation of the waves.
In Deception Pass, (or any pass/inlet) when you have current agains the wind, the waves become very steep--and have a short period. Wind with the waves gives longer period, and the waves are not as steep. You also have the geological features of the pass, with varying bottom depths, and changes in width of the pass, which will react on the waves to change their pattern.
As for handling the wave: I would want to go had on--that is your best chance of survival, in a narrow pass. If you try and turn, it is almost inevitable that your boat will be rolled, especially if the height of the wave is equal to or greater than the beam of your boat, is breaking and steep. Running down the face, if the wave is equal to the LWL of your boat, then you run the chance of broaching, and pitch poling.
I have been in documented 40+ foot plus breaking seas when crossing the North Atlantic. Our boat was a full displacement, doubled ended at the waterline, with a wine glass transom, which gave a lot of buoyancy. We went diagonally down the waves, always keeping the wind behind us--trying to be no more than 30* off the center of the wave direction. We had only a storm jib (60 plus knots of wind) and the engine ticking over to keep water flow across the rudder at all times. It is essential to maintain steerage control. We were rolled to 90* several times, but never all of the way over. (which would have been catastrophic) The boats LWL was about 50 feet, and beam about 13'.
Best to avoid a situation where there is strong wind against current, going thru passes or inlets when there is maximum current with winds.
Oceanography and Seamanship by Van Dorn
Waves and Beaches by Willard Bascom.
Waves come in "sets". or "trains"and there is often one higher. The length of the "set" may vary, and the largest is usually in the center. The largest is often called a "sneaker", "sleeper" or "King" wave. In open oceans, and beaches there are "Rogue waves". which can be enormous. Often variation is caused by competing wave trains and summation of the waves.
In Deception Pass, (or any pass/inlet) when you have current agains the wind, the waves become very steep--and have a short period. Wind with the waves gives longer period, and the waves are not as steep. You also have the geological features of the pass, with varying bottom depths, and changes in width of the pass, which will react on the waves to change their pattern.
As for handling the wave: I would want to go had on--that is your best chance of survival, in a narrow pass. If you try and turn, it is almost inevitable that your boat will be rolled, especially if the height of the wave is equal to or greater than the beam of your boat, is breaking and steep. Running down the face, if the wave is equal to the LWL of your boat, then you run the chance of broaching, and pitch poling.
I have been in documented 40+ foot plus breaking seas when crossing the North Atlantic. Our boat was a full displacement, doubled ended at the waterline, with a wine glass transom, which gave a lot of buoyancy. We went diagonally down the waves, always keeping the wind behind us--trying to be no more than 30* off the center of the wave direction. We had only a storm jib (60 plus knots of wind) and the engine ticking over to keep water flow across the rudder at all times. It is essential to maintain steerage control. We were rolled to 90* several times, but never all of the way over. (which would have been catastrophic) The boats LWL was about 50 feet, and beam about 13'.
Best to avoid a situation where there is strong wind against current, going thru passes or inlets when there is maximum current with winds.
Micahbigsur@msn.com
New member
I agree with Bob, after being through a couple of life and death situations due to weather at sea I have a healthy respect for changeable conditions beyond my control. We think having an E.P.R.B., an In-reach and a dsc vhf are important for safety and our HF radio also is handy. (One time we were caught in horrendous conditions in the Tasman Sea off of Australia's south east coast, we wanted to inform the coastguard of our conditions and because of all the wind blown spume and salt air in the cabin, when I hit the transmit button on the HF radio mike, the radio literally blew up. Luckily we lived to tell the tale.)
Interesting story. Incredible act of survival, 8 hours in water less than 50 degrees. Also some very unwise actions. Firing all 4 rounds at once, (though we don't know how far away the other vessel was). Not swimming across the current initially, The ebb running out of Deception is stronger to the south of the pass, instead of to the north around the cliff walled island and into the lee. Not having PFD's on to start with, not having portable VHF's and not having a PLB on the the PFDs goes without saying as a serious error in survival planning.
But, the main thing was going out in the dark. You can't fight what you can't see and waves in the dark are big time scary. Deception Pass can have big whirlpools, and it could be that they lost track of their direction, became disoriented and ran into a big whirlpool. Boating in the dark, it could be easy to become disoriented.
Sad to loose someone, anyone on teh water.
I listened to a Mayday 2 weeks ago, must north of Seymour Narrows at Ripple Point, a Kayaker on a hand held VHF called "Mayday" after a capsize in zero visibility fog. He was unable to reboard his kayak, was talking to Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) who had 2 big tugs within less than a mile from him when he first called. CCG could hear him on the VHF but the tugs could not. Both were at his position with in a few minutes, but could not see him, though he could hear them passing close to him. One passed close enough to him he could feel the wash of the prop, and eventually they were able to get him together with the tug. (It took about 20 minutes, and for sure was his lucky day). Whole time, viz was less than 50 feet, and the tug captain did great with the radar to find him and the kayaker couldn't really direct them in because he couldn't tell where the sound was coming from because there were 2 tugs close together, both looking for him.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
[/code]
But, the main thing was going out in the dark. You can't fight what you can't see and waves in the dark are big time scary. Deception Pass can have big whirlpools, and it could be that they lost track of their direction, became disoriented and ran into a big whirlpool. Boating in the dark, it could be easy to become disoriented.
Sad to loose someone, anyone on teh water.
I listened to a Mayday 2 weeks ago, must north of Seymour Narrows at Ripple Point, a Kayaker on a hand held VHF called "Mayday" after a capsize in zero visibility fog. He was unable to reboard his kayak, was talking to Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) who had 2 big tugs within less than a mile from him when he first called. CCG could hear him on the VHF but the tugs could not. Both were at his position with in a few minutes, but could not see him, though he could hear them passing close to him. One passed close enough to him he could feel the wash of the prop, and eventually they were able to get him together with the tug. (It took about 20 minutes, and for sure was his lucky day). Whole time, viz was less than 50 feet, and the tug captain did great with the radar to find him and the kayaker couldn't really direct them in because he couldn't tell where the sound was coming from because there were 2 tugs close together, both looking for him.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
[/code]