Trip Report
Sea Kayak - Maury Island Circumnavigation
Good combo of a short traffic channel crossing and a long fetch up a relatively protected inlet.
Alan Marshall
- Sat, Apr 16, 2022
- Sea Kayak - Maury Island Circumnavigation
- Vashon & Maury Islands Circumnavigation
- Sea Kayaking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Best to go when there is a high tide at the Maury Island isthmus to shorten the portage.
Best to notify VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) on Channel 14 your crossing times. (Although rare, large vessels go through the area fairly steadily, well faster than kayakers of course.)
Launch spot provides a lot of parking; there's a $7 kayak launch fee.
Jensen Park is a good lunch spot but only about a third of the way around for an entire circumnavigation.
We consciously turned around just north of Jensen Park, instead of circumnavigating Maury, mainly because our large group of 10 made slower timing in the morning than was ideal for the late afternoon incoming squalls.
We experienced a light squall at the northernmost part of Quartermaster Harbor and then upon return we had hail (!!) as we took our boats out at Point Defiance Boat Launch.
Weather within the inlet was great in both directions. One member familiar with the area said the only time there's issues if the winds are directly North/South in line with the inlet itself.