Exploring Hood Canal
Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Bill Weir
Weather: Sunny and clear, 70
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 48.6 to 54.2
Destination: New Places and Unknown Waters
Exploration was the theme for today's cruise. No set agenda other than to see new things.
I Met with Bill on the 1:30 Edmonds ferry after a morning meeting in Seattle. We arrived in Kingston at 2:00, picked up the truck, hooked up the trailer and launched the boat by 2:30. As we exited the harbor, I asked Bill "north or south" today? He chose north and we were off at about 19 knots. When we got past Point No Point, we decided to cruise the Hood Canal south instead of going north to Port Townsend. The key to the decision was that we had not been south of the bridge before.
Few people cruise Hood Canal, perhaps because of the limited number of marinas. The name Canal is misleading. This is no commercial, narrow, man-made canal, but a fjord carved by glaciers. We got the charts out and an old Waggoner Cruising Guide and started looking for places to explore deciding on the south end of Dabob Peninsula and Pleasant Harbor by Dosewallips State Park. We did not quite get to Dosewallips though, sidetracked by Fisherman's Harbor.
The Hales commented in Waggoner that they tiptoed into Fisherman's Harbor at less than full tide in a sail boat without touching. Since the MC30 only draws 18", we decided to give it a try although it was only mid-tide. After all, what is the point of a beachable, shallow draft boat if not to go where others cannot? We crept up at 1 knot or so when the depth read under 10 feet. Just inside the harbor we read 3 feet under our engines. The water was clear and the bottom was covered with oysters. Once inside the harbor, the depth drops to 20 feet and opens into an amazing cove.
We left Fisherman's Harbor after exploring for half an hour. Not enough time to really enjoy it. I want to go back and anchor there. Dinner on the boat in that cove will be a great outing. As we left the Fisherman's Harbor, we continued around Dabob peninsula. The Cascade mountains leapt into view with a great open bay of water stretching out from the mountains. Hood Canal is as pretty as any of the views in Desolation Sound 200 miles north, but only a few hours away from Seattle.
Lots of porpoises out today. We saw about a dozen of them in five or six different sightings.
Maintenance Issues:
None
Guests: Bill Weir
Weather: Sunny and clear, 70
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 48.6 to 54.2
Destination: New Places and Unknown Waters
Exploration was the theme for today's cruise. No set agenda other than to see new things.
I Met with Bill on the 1:30 Edmonds ferry after a morning meeting in Seattle. We arrived in Kingston at 2:00, picked up the truck, hooked up the trailer and launched the boat by 2:30. As we exited the harbor, I asked Bill "north or south" today? He chose north and we were off at about 19 knots. When we got past Point No Point, we decided to cruise the Hood Canal south instead of going north to Port Townsend. The key to the decision was that we had not been south of the bridge before.
Few people cruise Hood Canal, perhaps because of the limited number of marinas. The name Canal is misleading. This is no commercial, narrow, man-made canal, but a fjord carved by glaciers. We got the charts out and an old Waggoner Cruising Guide and started looking for places to explore deciding on the south end of Dabob Peninsula and Pleasant Harbor by Dosewallips State Park. We did not quite get to Dosewallips though, sidetracked by Fisherman's Harbor.
The Hales commented in Waggoner that they tiptoed into Fisherman's Harbor at less than full tide in a sail boat without touching. Since the MC30 only draws 18", we decided to give it a try although it was only mid-tide. After all, what is the point of a beachable, shallow draft boat if not to go where others cannot? We crept up at 1 knot or so when the depth read under 10 feet. Just inside the harbor we read 3 feet under our engines. The water was clear and the bottom was covered with oysters. Once inside the harbor, the depth drops to 20 feet and opens into an amazing cove.
We left Fisherman's Harbor after exploring for half an hour. Not enough time to really enjoy it. I want to go back and anchor there. Dinner on the boat in that cove will be a great outing. As we left the Fisherman's Harbor, we continued around Dabob peninsula. The Cascade mountains leapt into view with a great open bay of water stretching out from the mountains. Hood Canal is as pretty as any of the views in Desolation Sound 200 miles north, but only a few hours away from Seattle.
Lots of porpoises out today. We saw about a dozen of them in five or six different sightings.
Maintenance Issues:
None
posted by Scott Karren at 2:30 PM
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