Local Knowledge Sought - Camano Island

N

NORO LIM

Member
Next week I will be boating from Olympia to Bellingham. I'm quite familiar with most of the water, but I have a question regarding Camano Island.

Is it possible/advisable to go the "back way" east of the island through Davis Slough at a high tide (or something less)? If so, does it save any time, given the probable need to slow down for some or all of the detour from the Saratoga Passage route?

Also, any recommendations for overnighting between Mukilteo and La Conner?

Thanks for any advice.
 
no its not. the susan bay area is really shallow and unmarked. every storm changes the bottom and sand bars. the charts are useless here. Its a jet sled only kind of deal. You would have to go so slow to find the channel that it would cost you time not save it. I fish up there for sturgean one or twice a year in a freinds sled and even in the sled we have ran aground or skipped over the sand. lots of snags too.

If the wind is up you are better off in deep water on the west side of the island then you would be in the shallow water of the bays. as the wind blows out of the deep water to the south and east to the shallow water (5ft or less in most places) it can really stack up and you will see 3ft swells become 5 ft breaker. No this area is not the way to go if you are passing thru. Its fun to explore at a snells pace if you are soaking crab traps out in the bay.


place to stay is langley in that area. its the only place to stay out side of everett which would be out of your way. Oh also oak harbor would do, forgot about them.
 
Thanks a bunch. Confirms my suspicions.

I have been into Oak Harbor. Hadn't thought about Langley - I see they have guest moorage and fuel. (On edit - maybe not on the fuel.) Thanks for the tip!
 
Langley is a good option. Coupeville too, moorage and Fuel (call on that) good restaurants. Oak Harbor is good but no dining within walking distance need to be careful at low tides, channel is well marked. I assume you want to moor at a marina otherwise there are quite a few anchorages along Whidbey. Finally Cornet Bay, just south of Deception Pass has moorage at the state park docks but no fuel or dining.
 
A Q&D route on Coastal Explorer tells me it is about 130 NM from Olympia to Bellingham. A mid-point fuel stop in Everett ought to work just fine, or even at Shilshole. Maybe make a reservation to overnight at Bell Harbor!
 
Thanks all for the helpful responses.

This time of year, weather and daylight hours are going to dictate how far I go before I seek refuge for the night. On a perfect day, it could be a one day trip without killing myself. March is seldom perfect. That being the case, my first preference would be to find a state park buoy. They're easy quick and cheap (I always get an annual pass), but they happen to be scarce in just the stretch I'm probably most likely to want to stop. There are choices in the Deception area, of course, but they represent a bit of a detour from the Swinomish channel if I'm going to go that way, and I'd probably just stop in La Conner if I was already half way up Whidbey well before dark. Anyway, I like to have lots of alternatives for contingency planning. So thanks for the good tips.

This is just a great site, ain't it!
 
If you are going up the swinomish channel be wary at low tides. Entering from the south there are a number of quite shallow stretches where even a C-Dory would be wise to stay in mid channel. If you can make it all the way up the channel you are quite close to Cap Sante marina in Anacortes, a very good stop with a fun town and good food within walking distance. Beware of anchoring on the West side of Camano Island there are few protected anchorages. Coming up from the south if you pass Langley the Holmes Harbor area on the East side of Whidbey has some protected areas to anchor but in a wind against tide situation that area between Camano and Whidbey can be very rough. In such a case I'd definitely stop at langley.
 
No one has mentioned Edmonds, probably because it is somewhat south of Mukelteo, The entrance to the marina may be a little hard to find. Just look for the ferry dock. The entrance is in the center of the rock breakwater to the right of the ferry terminal. Restaurants and fuel at the marina.
 
I'm in complete agreement with colobear. I used to live in Langley, now reside at Skyline Marina in Anacortes. Langely is totally protected moorage with nice restaurants, etc.; but north of there can be really rough going north all the way between Whidbey and Camano. You can always stay over safely in LaConner with wonderful restaurants and fuel, etc., while you wait for calm water to dash north to Anacortes -- then wait again for calm water and zip up to Bellingham. Bellingham Bay can also be full of surprises, since it's relative shallow character can whip up some daunting wave action. This is one trip where I'd try to rack-up as miles you can every chance you get with smooth water, just keep going . . .
 
IMHO, the best route this time of year is up I5 on a trailer! :)

Seriously, the marine forecast for this week has 3' to 4' chop in Puget Sound - that is really, really, going to be a slog.
 
centerisland":tmmdzi0t said:
IMHO, the best route this time of year is up I5 on a trailer! :)

Seriously, the marine forecast for this week has 3' to 4' chop in Puget Sound - that is really, really, going to be a slog.
Click to expand...

If only I had a trailer :( . . . But then I'd need a bigger truck. And then I'd need a bigger garage . So it's just the boat.

Actually, I've made most parts of this run many times, and all of it a couple of times. I'm pretty familiar with how nasty it can get. THE most harrowing boating experience of my life was getting to the dock at Coupeville. Near dark. Low tide. Big rocks. Waves over the bow. Waves running over the dock. I made half a dozen failed approaches. Each time I would be blown off and into a desperate 360 degree spin, trying to regain headway and control in order to keep from being driven ashore. Having to approach a dock from 20 yards away at something close to WOT was definitely as much excitement as I care to have. (The next day, Les Lampman told me he was in a small plane trying to land on Whidbey that same evening. He wasn't having much fun either.)

I will watch the weather closely and shoot for a first light cast off. I could take anywhere from 1 to 3 days. Thursday is my likely departure. Winds seem to be now predicted in the 10 knot range, SW to SE, most of the way for Thursday. With luck, I hope to get at least to Langley before that afternoon Northerly comes visiting down Admiralty. We shall see.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing experiences, knowledge and advice.
 
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