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DANGEROUS TIDE-RIPS IN ROSARIO STRAIT
By Dean Babbitt, Tacoma, Wash.
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Sometimes we have to learn things the hard way. One of those things is understanding just how serious a tide-rip can be. This letter describes the rip that can develop at the south end of Rosario Strait on an ebb tide, especially a large ebb tide, when a strong current is flowing.
January 29, 2002. In the Waggoner you say you like to hear from people. It’s a cold January day, a good day to write a letter I’ve been thinking about since last summer.
I’m 60. I have been boating most of my life, and for the last 20 years I have been single handing my 23-foot Bayliner Nisqually all around Puget Sound and as far north as Nanaimo, B.C. In 2001 I encountered the tide-rip the Waggoner says can exist at the south end of Rosario Strait, and I was taught a lesson I’ll never forget.
For many years when I headed south from the San Juan Islands, I timed a safe transit through Deception Pass for the trip down the east side of Whidbey Island. The last three years, however, I’ve crossed the Strait of Juan de Fuca instead. While you recommend crossing the strait in the early morning before the sea breeze comes in, sometimes it puts a southbound boat squarely into an ebb current, which can make for a slow trip across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and down Admiralty Inlet.
On the other hand, you are soooo correct about the nasty tide-rips that occur in some of the areas, namely at the south entrance to Rosario Strait, and others. In 2000 I left Rosario Strait on a morning ebb and had no problems. In 2001 it was a different story.
I checked my tide tables so I could leave Blakely Island Marina at 0830. I planned to carry the ebb out of Rosario Strait and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, then catch the change to flood for the run down Admiralty Inlet. Nice planning, right? No, not right, at least not this time.
Before I departed Blakely Island Marina, Rick, the manager, warned me of the possibility of tide-rips at the south end of Lopez Island. It was a minus tide, so I knew currents would be running.
I left the San Juan Islands via Thatcher Pass, and as I entered Rosario Strait the wind began. I knew then that with the strong ebb current flowing against the southerly wind I might have a problem crossing the strait. If things got too bad I figured I could duck into Lopez Pass to wait it out.
The strong current swept me south. A cloud layer came in. What began as a sunny morning was now overcast, with a 15-20 knot breeze. Before I realized it I had gone past the mouth of Lopez Pass. The wind was not easing. I put on my life jacket.
Off in the distance I could see what appeared to be a white string stretching across the mouth of Rosario Strait. The boat was bouncing, so it was difficult to see just how bad the water was. I studied the white line of water with my binoculars as I approached the south end of Lopez Island. I felt I couldn’t decide whether to turn back until I could determine just how severe it was.
When I was about 200 yards away I realized the white line was an overfall, three to four feet high! It extended from left to right as far as I could see in either direction. There was no break in the overfall, no way to go around. As last, I felt I could get through, but just in case, I grabbed my flare gun and handheld VHF radio, and tightened my life jacket.
What a sight. Just before I hit the white line the water was churning but smooth. Then, WHAM! The overfall was so violent that I had to stand and hold the steering wheel with both hands to keep from being knocked against the side of the flybridge. I hoped I’d make it through. I did, but it was frightening.
Once past the overfall, I was confronted by an expanse of sharp, steep-sided four-foot seas. They came from all directions, beat me up, and beat the boat up pretty badly. I was in the rip for about 20 terrifying minutes. Finally the seas began to subside. By the time I was approaching Smith Island they had calmed and I was able to continue my trip down Admiralty Inlet and past Point No Point to Kingston.
This was the first time I’d been in such a tide-rip, even though I’ve read about them in the Waggoner and other publications. At first I was spellbound. I kept thinking, What is an overfall doing out here? I didn’t really appreciate that I was witnessing a terrible collision of strong tidal currents, and the power those currents contain. As I look back on the experience I realize that I must have been in that rip about the time of maximum ebb. I also realize that if a fresh westerly breeze had been blowing the rip could truly have been deadly.
On page 101 of the 2002 Waggoner you have a sidebar article on Rosario Strait, in which you quote Walt Woodward as saying he encountered vicious waters off Lopez Pass. It is easy to see that when the SSW wind is coming up Rosario Strait against a full-flowing ebb current, the entire strait is to be treated with great caution.
The warnings you have in the Waggoner regarding these and other tide-rips are to be heeded. They could ruin what otherwise would be a nice cruise. My boat came through without a scratch, but I think about this experience often.
As I look toward another season of boating, I keep in mind that I could very easily have been a statistic. Nevertheless, will I try Rosario Strait again? Yes! Will I be on guard? You bet!
P.S. The Waggoner is very well written, and I refer to it a lot when I’m cruising. Keep up the good work.v
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