Sea Kayak - Tacoma Narrows

SIGHTED: EAGLE, CORMORANT, MERGANSER, SEAL

Due to conflicting weather forecasts, variation in paddling abilities and the possibility of 19 kt gusts starting in mid afternoon I changed this trip from the original 16 mile paddle from Sunnyside Beach to the shorter 12 nm from Titlow.  We still launched at the same time.

It is prudent to plan an extra 15 minutes to allow for the frequent trains that come through between the staging area and the parking area at both locations.  Fortunately everybody was early and ready to go by our pre-trip huddle at 0900 and we launched into calm water under variable skies 15 minutes later.  We went west until mid-channel, turned right and whizzed mostly up the mid channel reaching Gig Harbor around 1015.  A brief huddle yielded the decision for two paddlers to go into The Tides Restaurant to get us a table while the rest of us explored the harbor for a while.  That was scuttled when we arrived at the restaurant and were told by a worker cleaning the dock that they wouldn’t be open for another half hour at 1100.  So all of us went for a dink around the harbor, reaching almost all the way to the back before turning back and getting out at the dock at the restaurant.  While most of us got out of our drysuits we were asked not to leave our gear on the mud porch due to security concerns so we stashed them at our table.  As always on a chilly spring day it was nice to have a flushing toilet and hot water to wash my hands.  As usual the hot food was good and filling with fast and friendly service.

It was 12:45 by the time we were all suited up and back on the water.  I started slightly ahead of the others as I needed to adjust my back hatch on dry land before we proceeded on past the marker and into the channel.  The water sparkled but wouldn’t do so for long as clouds moved constantly overhead.  I had us on the west side of the channel to be in the lee of the SW wind until we reached the first point and the east end of the bridge appeared.  I didn’t see white caps indicating wind in the main channel so we moved east and approached the bridge in the center to take advantage of the by now approximately 3 knot current. Right on cue the clouds moved in and rain began falling steadily with the wind rising slightly as we made our way through the occasionally chaotic 1’ wind waves around and under the bridge.  As usual, things smoothed out once south of the bridge and we briefly paused while I instructed the group to stay in the channel current without turning too soon into the cove at Titlow and avoid the strong back eddy along the beach. Right on cue the rain stopped, the sun came out and we were able to easily glide onto the shore with the water level almost exactly where we had left it at 1345.  Good teamwork was applied to get the boats and gear up to the grassy staging area in the on and off rain.  Some members took advantage to clean off gear and shoes in the outdoor shower facility that is now operational. (It is shut it off during the winter.) A post trip huddle yielded thank yous and smiles all around and Evan had told me earlier that the change of plan had been a good decision.  Terry and I opted to have a soda in The Beach while the others went straight home.  

It only took us an hour coming and going the 6 nm each way which is I think the fastest time I have had on this trip. All paddlers performed very well with excellent group dynamics.