Sea Kayak - Swinomish Channel

Originally I intended to paddle from Cornet Bay to Goat Island then north on the Swinomish Channel to Twin Bridges Boat Launch.  

Due to forecast high south/southeast wind conditions at Skagit Bay I changed the scope two days prior to start and return at Twin Bridges Boat Launch hoping for more protection from the wind.  I had intended to paddle to the southern entrance of the Swinomish and perhaps go to Goat Island.

When I reviewed weather that morning the forecast now added chance of thunderstorms after 2pm with the winds still  from the south/southeast.  

Upon arriving at Twin Bridges Boat Launch winds were light enough to confirm that the Swinomish Channel was indeed flowing south.  I also informed my paddlers that rather than go all the way to the south entrance we would stop at the La Conner Boat launch, under the Rainbow bridge, due to the chance of thunderstorms forecast. I wanted to be off the water by 2 pm.  Since one of the paddlers is a Sea Kayak Equivalency candidate he would perform his rescue practice near there.  We would break for lunch there then return to Twin Bridges Boat Launch after 12 pm. I also informed them that if winds or conditions become too difficult for anyone we would turn around and abort the paddle.

By the time we launched, around 9:40 am, winds were high enough to result in standing waves not far south of Twin Bridges Boat Launch.  And, as it turned out, even with near constant 10 to 15 knots with higher gusts of headwind we still managed to maintain a 2 to 2.5, and sometimes 3 knots paddling speed.  We reached the La Conner boat launch, 4 nm away, in 1 hr and 40 minutes.  The southbound flow of the Swinomish countered the opposing force from the southerly winds.  Hence the standing waves near the north end of the Swinomish channel since there is a long enough fetch by then.

After a successful demonstration of self and assisted rescues by the equivalency candidate we paused for lunch.  Launched from the La Conner Boat Launch at 12:30 pm.  Now with the Swinomish Channel flowing north and with the winds, forecasted to be higher than earlier, we were attaining 4+ knots paddling speed if we were really trying.  Even paddling at an easy rate with pauses to admire the view and chatting we still made Twin Bridges Boat launch in 1 hour and 10 minutes.

I still consider the trip a success even though we didn’t paddle what I had intended the week before.  Mother Nature had other ideas, we adapted, and we met the goals we set prior to launching. Except for the wind the paddling conditions weren’t bad.  We saw eagles, herons, and otters.

Apres-paddle libations at Temperate Habits and awesome takeout cream pies at Pegasus Pies in Mount Vernon.

As an aside, I think that the Swinomish Channel Route description available in the Mountaineers website is confusing to the point of being inaccurate, I think.  

From an article published by Salish Sea Pilot titled Sweating the Snohomish, dated April 27, 2016, is this paragraph:

“Using Seattle tide tables (and adding 30 minutes to the times), currents flow north for 2.5-4 hours before and 2.5-4 hours after high water, and flow south for 2.5-4 hours before and after low water. Slack water is 2.5-4 hours after high or low water.”. But instead of using Seattle tides I use the tide forecast for La Conner itself and foregoing the 30 minutes bit.  To summarize 2.5 to 4 hours on either side of high tide will be north flow, 2.5 to 4 hours on either side of low tide will be south flow.

There’s quite a bit of overlap here.  To fine tune my prediction I use the Skagit Bay, 1 nm south of Goat Island current prediction table.  I believe this area is a choke point for the waters of the Salish Sea, Kiket Bay, Skagit Bay, and the Swinomish Channel.  When this point is ebbing these waters will be flowing south.  If flooding they’ll be flowing north.  I also look at current forecasts at Yokeko Point and Guemes Channel, East, to visualize the water flows and their timing.

Since I prefer to paddle with the flow I’ve been accurate so far in predicting the Swinomish Channel flow direction with this method after having paddled from Cornet Bay to Goat Island, La Conner to Goat Island, and from Twin Bridges Boat Ramp (north end of Swinomish Channel) to La Conner a few times. I had intended to paddle from Cornet Bay to Twin Bridges to fully vet this but was thwarted by the high winds.  But from what I saw on this paddle I think the method works.  I would be very much interested in what other trip leaders observe.  Perhaps we can propose a change to the Swinomish Channel route description in the Mountaineers website site.