strategy in passages with strong currents

[ArgleBargle]

Hi

i live on the west coast of canada (Vancouver Is.) and sail a 32 foot jeanneau. there are a lot of narrow passages around to negotiate with fairly high currents (many with currents near or in excess of my boat's hull speed - Porlier pass, Baynes Channel, Gabriola Pass, Active Pass etc) . Usually i consult the tide/current tables and aim to pass at slack water, but occasionally, due to circumstances and commitments, I end up fighting a contrary current.

my question is this - commercial traffic aside, is there a strategy to make good time against the currents? i try to look for back eddies and steer for them, but with little success. I would think that closer to the shore the current should be less, but of course that's not really where i want to be when there is much of a current.

any thoughts?

-ArgleBargle

[Hartley18]

Originally Posted by ArgleBargle

my question is this - commercial traffic aside, is there a strategy to make good time against the currents? i try to look for back eddies and steer for them, but with little success. I would think that closer to the shore the current should be less, but of course that's not really where i want to be when there is much of a current.

any thoughts?

In my experience, unfortunately, close to the shore is where you want to be - or in shallower water at any rate. The shallower the better.

If you are familiar with the area and have a good depth-sounder, sometimes you can follow shoal patches mid-stream where the current may be weaker than in the deeper parts of the channel.

If you can actually see the back eddies - it's probably not a good time to be sailing!! Drop anchor and wait for slack water.. you'll find it's quicker than going backwards.

[kiprichard]

The passes you mentioned, and most others in your area, are full of rocks, kelp and other hazards. You're right, the current is usually less close to shore, if it's shallower there, and the turn will happen there first but if I was you I'd time my passage as close to the slack as you can get. I use plus or minus 3 knots as a safe window and plus or minus 2 is better. In those passes the slack doesn't always occur half way between the ebb and flood. I think "Ports & Passes" is the best investment you could make. The book is a lot easier to use than the gov't tide tables. For harbours it gives the flood & ebb info but for all the passes it gives the times of the slack & max. currents, which is really what you want to know. It's daylight saving time corrected and costs about $20. Wouldn't leave the dock without it.

[Faster]

It is possible to negotiate SOME of these passes at times other than slack. However you must use caution and common sense and in some cases (Porlier especially) you need to be aware of the weather and wind conditions in the Strait. Even a moderate flood stream against a big westerly will create some of the worst seas you are likely to encounter anywhere on Georgia strait.

It is equally important to know which direction each pass floods or ebbs, and it's often not what you might at first surmise.

You can often find backeddies close to shore, but make sure you're not too close for obvious reasons.

Some passes are simply not worth risking... others can be easily negotiated within and hour or two of slack, depending on your direction, your timing, the size of the tide etc.

Still others, like Gabriola, have virtually no real slack time and so you are negotiating eddies and swirls even at the scheduled "slack".

But for the safest passage, try for slack, realizing that everybody else is doing the same.

[Plumper]

To add to the above comments, it is probably unwise to sail through any of the smaller passes because you will impede the passage of everything else. You should motor through.

The correct timings and routes through the various passes are the subject of many books and articles. The foremost are probably the Sailing Directions. Many are available at local libraries. I find that they give good information on how and when to transit the passes. Pacific yachting recently did a series on all the passes right up to the north end of the Island. It was very good.

[Boasun]

I've seen Dodd Narrows spit out larger vessels 65 to 120 ft side-ways and backwards when the captain misjudges his time of arrival there. Use to run it all the time back in the 60s.

[Faster]

Originally Posted by Boasun

I've seen Dodd Narrows spit out larger vessels 65 to 120 ft side-ways and backwards when the captain misjudges his time of arrival there. Use to run it all the time back in the 60s.

Yes, Dodds in particular can be very dangerous despite it's lack of shallows and rocks. Eddies and whirlpools have been known to "spit" out 50 foot logs in torpedo fashion.

It is one of the narrowest, too, and a busy one. It's not unusual to meet tugs & barges, mega yachts etc. trying to go both ways.. it can be exciting.

All in all the most prudent thing to do is plan for slack.. if you miss it, wait for the next convenient one.

[erps]

We got to Dodds a little early one time (current against us in Dodds) so throught, what the heck, lets give False Narrows a try. We made it without scratching our fresh bottom paint but the 1st mate says we'll never do that one again. I never saw so much kelp and rocks.

[sailaway21]

Looking for counter-currents is best done offshore. For instance, you can catch a weak counter-current to the Gulf Stream off the coast of Florida. It runs about a mile off the beach and the keys. While you may gain only a knot or less, you're at least not losing 4-5 knots.

Possibly the only thing worse than the negative progress being made through narrows with strong current is the sudden realization of a dead rudder. Your boat, any boat, may not have sufficient power or rudder to maintain steerage. Or the steering may be highly erratic. Best to wait for slack water.

[jimmyb116]

We go through Dodds several times a year on our way to Newcastle Island my kids favorite spot, its usually good 30 min ether side if slack except if there is big power boats going through there wake added to everything else can cause problems for our 24' sailboat.