Sucia Island Fun --gctid386219

[SomeSailor]

Time IV Family wrote:
I am still trying to figure out why the trawler was running around in the pitch dark with his inside lights on and he was running from the lower helm. I am sure he couldn't see a thing. But hey we could see him.

Probably trusting that chart plotter a bit more than he should've been.

We were rafted to an other 33 bayliner at a buoy and it was rough. We hardly slept from the boats banging each other, but we were extremely thankfull for the buoy. I checked from time to time that we were not dragging the buoy with us.

Cheers

Jacques

We were in Fossil bay on the hook. 9.7' of water when we anchored. Put out 125' of chain and a 44# delta plow. (yes I knew it wasa a lot but wind was in the forecast) We did drag a couple of times and ended up about 50' west of where we started.

I watched the sailboat raft fall apart at 3 am. I also watched the trawler cruise around trying to help. I am still trying to figure out why the trawler was runing around in the pitch dark with his inside lights on and he was running from the lower helm. I am sure he couldn't see a thing. But hey we could see him.

I don't ever want to see that kind of fun again.

Rick

I spent the week end in Gig Harbor. No issues. I was slopy as usual when we returned to Everett

[mmichellich]

jwishart wrote:
The best place at Sucia...is tied to the dock when a storm hits! None of the bays at Sucia offer very much protection in big storms. Plus, all of the bays are over crowded with boats that you are most likely to hit if your anchor drags. I find Sucia to be tied with Clark Island as one of the worst places to be in a storm. There may be others, but these two are the ones I have been at multiple times when freak storms hit and you feel like you may lose your boat.

Matia ranks in that list, from one who has had experience there.

We were south of Sucia at Jones Is when this happened. Luckily we were tied to the dock on the North (lee) side of Jones. It was breezy that Saturday night for sure.

That's tough to see.

We were at Bowman's Bay Friday night and it was wonderful. Spent the day Saturday and around 8pm the rollers came in. Checked the wind and it was 31kts coming up the Straight. Untied and was going to go through the pass...as soon as we came around the head we were sideways to the wind in 3-4 swells and was very happy when we got inside deception pass. Went to La Conner for the night.

Lesson: Don't spend so much time looking at the weather forecast and a little more looking at the wind forecast.

Sucia has no solid anchorage. It is a rock bottom and doesn't even have much kelp and is very exposed. For us, it is either the dock, buoy, or move on to somewhere else.

The best place at Sucia...is tied to the dock when a storm hits! None of the bays at Sucia offer very much protection in big storms. Plus, all of the bays are over crowded with boats that you are most likely to hit if your anchor drags. I find Sucia to be tied with Clark Island as one of the worst places to be in a storm. There may be others, but these two are the ones I have been at multiple times when freak storms hit and you feel like you may lose your boat.

[mmichellich]

The difference between highest high and lowest low is about 14 feet. I thought these boats ended up on the rocks because their anchor dragged with a bit of wind. I don't think most folks would anchor that close to shore regardless.

How many feet does the tide come in and go out in this area? I'm going to be in this area this summer for the first time and do not want this to happen to me.

Looks like the Trophy and the CG were shallow to start with and the tide went out leaving them high and dry.

Thanks in advance,

Mark & Audrey

[Go Aweigh2452]

10 boaters in our group enjoyed Bremerton Marina all weekend. It was windy at times. Glad we stayed close to home... er, Bremerton...

[mmichellich]

We were in South Puget Sound all weekend. Saw no significant wind except late one afternoon of 25-30 knot gusts for maybe 15 minutes.

Not surprised by the weather...in Everett Marina, was cleaning the boat yesterday, and by 3:30-4:00 pm the wind was howling out of the NNW at a good 20 kts. Glad I was tied to the dock.

[mmichellich]

Did these boats drag anchor or other. Darn shame in any case. For the USCG to also do so, is very unusual.

Yikes! Glad we decided to stay home. It wasn't that windy down south.