A Paddler's Guide to the Salish Sea.: December 2013

12/19/13

Paddling Mats Mats Bay, Trip #33

Overview from Paradise Bay Road.

If you're looking for a mellow bay to paddle in with minimal development for all skill levels, Mats Mats bay is one of my favorites. Located a few minutes north of Port Ludlow and a few miles south of Marrowstone Island, Mats Mats is very protected but has additional options for those seeking more exploring.

Launch directly into the bay on Vernon Road off Paradise Bay Road. Lots of parking and great for big groups. The bay's opening into the Puget Sound is very narrow (for rec boaters) but ideal for paddlers. Once into the Sound, heading right or south will take you to a series of rocks with a great harbor seal population. To the left takes you north past beach homes. Views to the south include Foulweather Bluff on the Kitsap Peninsula, to the east Whidbey Island and to north Marrowstone Island. Mats Mats is Trip #33 in the book.

Tip: Paradise Bay Road is a quick and scenic route connecting Hood Canal Bridge with Port Hadlock. I prefer it to Hwy 104 or Chimacum Road.

Entry connecting Mats Mats to the Sound

Learn more about my book Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juans, 60 Trips. I also offer SUP and Kayak lessons available throughout the year at Salmon Bay Paddle. Questions about paddling on the Salish Sea, give me a holler anytime at salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com or 206-465-7167

Support the Washington Water Trails Association and the Cascadia Marine Trail. The wwta works to create and protect access for paddlers on Puget Sound as well as provide an extensive network of over 60 paddle-in camping sites - www.wwta.org

12/7/13

Port Townsend Boat Haven, Trip #36

Driving into Port Townsend, the first thing you see below the hill is an expansive PT Boat Haven to your right. Boats of all kinds and sizes of all varying conditions are being restored. The town is also home to the Northwest School of Boat Building and the PT Maritime Center has a new building at the end of Water Street. I gave a talk for my SUP book there a year ago as part of their Wednesday speaker series in the Chandry.

The Boat Haven is worth taking a peek exploring the winding road taking you past all types of boat facilities and shops passing Port Townsend Brewing and the Pourhouse (like beer?). Friend Tim Nolan's shop near the Pourhouse designs commercial watercraft such as the Port Angeles pilot boats. Tim's a local SUP paddler who was instrumental in developing the use of the CNC machine for boat building.

Want to launch your boat/board? Find Haines Street in the Boat Haven for a nice sandy beach launch. Plenty of parking, open all the time. In the book, Trip #36.

Rob Casey is author of Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, 60 Trips and Stand Up Paddling Flat Water to Surf and Rivers, both by Mountaineers Books. He owns Salmon Bay Paddle a SUP school in Seattle. Get in touch: rob@salmonbaypaddle.com

12/6/13

Coastal Defense on Puget Sound

Above Elwha River mouth.

In the late 70's I was a student at Marrowstone Music Camp then located at Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island. Since it was summer, playing my cello all day didn't necessarily appeal to me, so my friends and I and others snuck away to hide from our instructors in the park's numerous World War 1 era coastal defense bunkers. We knew where every searchlight bunker, observatory pillbox and gun battery was. There were even rumors of a closed tunnel that extended across the park, which in years since we found didn't exist. At the time the park was in poor condition and most of the emplacements were overgrown yet open entirely, whereas since many doorways, slits, and ladder entries have been welded shut.

This introduction led me in my youth to an interest in local coastal defense emplacements. I researched and old blueprints dating to the late 1890's and locations of most of the emplacements throughout Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and near Cape Flattery.

The first emplacement was Civil War era and located next to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse on the Columbia River mouth. The next series were constructed for the Spanish American War in 1898. These includes the extensive forts in Puget Sound such a Fort Flagler, Worden, Casey, and a few on Rich Passage. There's even a gun battery on Goat Island near La Connor. The final stage was built to keep the Japanese away during World War 2. In all the above cases, history progressed to where each were outdated soon after their completion. The 18" wide diameter muzzle cannon at Salt Creek Rec Area west of Port Angeles was fired only once, then was scrapped.

Fort Casey St Park, Whidbey Island.

Not all are mapped or easily found. There's several observatory pill boxes along the length of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Kayakers have found a mysterious iron door attached to a rock face west of Agate Point (Crescent Beach). Our favorite emplacement, Battery Lee at Fort Flagler is falling off the cliff just above the Marrowstone Light House. Much of it's lower searchlight rooms are on the beach. The bunker was three levels with ladders going through vertical tunnels to each level. Perfect for hiding from music instructors!

Salt Creek Rec Area. WW2 Era.

Fort Casey, Whidbey Island.

Fort Ebey, Whidbey island.

12/4/13

Kayaking & SUP Circumnavigation of Indian & Marrowstone Islands

Trip Report from Laura Prendergast of Pygmy Kayaks:

Mission accomplished! Griff and I paddled approximately 19.5 miles (according to google maps) in 6.5 hours around Marrowstone and Indian Island... a great way to spend Black Friday! No lines to buy things... just sea lions eating salmon, curious seals and porpoises surfacing.

Our route was mapped from Pygmy's HQ as I left from the Point Hudson Marina in Port Townsend. We experienced strong currents by the lighthouse on marrowstone. We followed the tide around perfectly, going clockwise with high tide at 12:30.

The route could also be broken into a two day trip using the WWTA Kinney Point campsite on the south end of Marrowstone. www.wwta.org

We were both paddling Pygmy Murrelets 4PD: Greenland Style Touring Kayaks http://www.pygmyboats.com/boats/murrelet-4PD-kayak-kit.html

In the book, Trip 34 & 35.

12/2/13

Pacific Northwest Paddle Trip Planning Resources

General - Covering all aspects of planning:
- Northwest Paddling, http://www.northwestpaddling.net
- My books! This one and my SUP guide, http://www.amazon.com/Rob-Casey/e/B004N4W41M/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Tidal & Current Predictions:
- NOAA, http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html
- Saltwater Tides, http://www.saltwatertides.com
- Mobile Graphics (type in location), http://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/1528.html
- http://www.dairiki.org/tides/daily.php/dec
- Tides Info, http://www.tides.info

Wind Predictions and Real Time Data:
- Sail Flow, http://www.sailflow.com
- Wind Alert, http://www.windalert.com
- NOAA, http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forecasts/FZUS56.KSEW.html

Surf Forecasts:
- NOAA, http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forecasts/FZUS56.KSEW.html
- WA & OR Surf Spots: http://www.surfwater.org
- Storm Surf, http://stormsurf.com
- Magic Seaweed, http://magicseaweed.com

General Weather (non marine):
- Cliff Mass Blog, http://cliffmass.blogspot.com
- National Weather Service (NOAA), http://www.weather.gov
- AccuWeather, http://www.accuweather.com
- Weather.com, http://www.weather.com

Webcams:
- West Point Lighthouse, Seattle: http://www.brichmond.com/webcam/mywebcam_loop.htm
- Edmonds, http://www.portofedmonds.org/docs/cam/portcam.htm
- Port Townsend (controllable): http://www.cityofpt.us/webcam.htm
- WA & OR Surf Spots: http://www.surfwater.org
- Big Wave Dave - British Columbia and WA State: http://www.bigwavedave.ca
- WA Dept of Transportation (State Wide): http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/cameras/

Aerial Marine Views of the NW:
- Dept of Ecology, Shoreline Photos, https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/coastalatlas/tools/ShorePhotos.aspx
- Google Earth, http://www.google.com/earth/
- NOAA, http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/geodesy/aerialphotos/#2