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Trip Report    

Sea Kayak - Goat Island

Paddled from Conner Park to Goat Island and back, 7.3 nm. Trip included a short hike to Fort Whitman for lunch.

Doug Palm Doug Palm
July 27, 2019
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • The fishway was blocked with several large logs so we could not make the usual loop from La Conner, around Goat Island, and back to La Conner.

We launched at around 10:30am with light winds and relatively calm water, then headed down the Swinomish Channel and straight to the fishway to determine its condition.  Several large logs were jammed in the fishway, making it impossible to use that opening for the afternoon return during high tide.  We proceeded on to the old quartermaster dock on Goat Island and landed there to visit historic Fort Whitman for lunch.  Afterward, we paddled around the island and saw a large number of heron in the trees on the south-east end.  Wind (around 8 kts) and wave conditions (less than 1 foot) were relatively calm, as predicted by the NOAA marine weather point forecast for the west end of Goat Island.  To end, we paddled back around and headed to La Conner via a circuitous route, in order to make up mileage, and rode the last of the tide swell up the channel to the boat ramp at Conner Waterfront Park.