Next 2009 Event: The Slough Run

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Just a reminder that the next Northwest Classic Boat Club event for 2009 will be The Slough Run, on Saturday, February 28, starting at Lake Sammamish State Park at 10 a.m., running down the Sammamish River and the length of Lake Washington to Coulon Park. (Other boats not wishing to "do the Slough" can launch at Coulon Park, Lake Washington Saturday morning and meet the Slough Runners as they emerge from the river at Kenmore...and accompany them on the southbound run across Lake Washington.

For details on other gatherings, see 2009 Calendar of Events on the Home Page.

[Steve_Kiesel]

My plan is to launch at Coulon and meet everybody at the North end. Plus I can give three or four slough runners a ride to Sammamish to pick up their vehicles.

[Skagitguy]

Marty, Will be there too. Best, Chuck

[halffast32]

We will be there. Not quite sure yet in what. Had a good time last year. (Thanks again Marty for breaking down so we could use your gas to finish!) Here is a picture of last year's Slough Rat.

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Gordon and Cheryl....

...I'll try to break down in the same place this year, just so you know where to get some extra fuel. (Or maybe not...if I'm lucky).

I don't know what I'm taking yet, either. Since I put a few coats of paint on last year's Slough Runner, I'm not excited about scratching the thing up in the willows. Need to find a total rotter that has a good transom. Nothing else matters for the Slough Run!

- Marty

Slough Run fuel estimate?

I would appreciate a little input from those that have done the slough run before. Obviously I won't have a boat ready but I have a friend with a 14ft Fibeform and I believe a 40 horse Evinrude on it. He has suggested maybe we should use his boat to do this as he has always wanted to run the slough. Any suggestions on how much fuel should be on board? Any ideas on how long it might take to do the run would also be appreciated. Certainly not expecting exact numbers here by any means but just something to work with. Thanks
Barry

Marty, Thanks to all that have worked so hard to get this sight up and going so quickly. From what I've seen so far it is reaaly a wonderful sight. Great job!
I will probably be able to make the slew run.
Greg

Slough Run Info

Back in 2003 a friend and I did this run from Lake Sammamish State Park all the way out through the locks. We did it in a 16ft canoe. So here is what I know of the trip mind you it may be a little out dated. Crossing Lake Sammamish was into a head wind the entire way so it took us three times as long to cross as it should have. Once into the Slough by Marymoor park the water calms and works with you till you come to the dam. There is a shallow, wide, concrete dam across the Slough near the dog park that has a small brake in it about 2 to 3 feet wide where you can pass then the water begins to pick up speed and you come to a stretch where the willows have been allowed to over grow the slough and you have to push them back to get past. This stretch is maybe 100 yards then the slough opens up again and it is easy passage from there to Woodinville. Between Woodinville and Bothell there is a place where a small tributary enters and just above that the depth of the water is minimal at best. This is why you see lots of large boats tied to docks along the way beyond there but not before. The sloughs depth changes depending on the amount of run off. More run off = more depth. At this point the passage is clear and there are posted speed signs and channel markers. In February there may be more water but I am not sure I would attempt this run in anything with more than 6" of draft and certainly not anything with a hull you don’t want scratched and gouged then you have to worry about an outboard and the prop and Skeg getting hammered. I am not sure that motors are even allowed on the upper half of the slough. It might be an environmental eco thing where they don’t allow anything but human powered boats or something like that. If anyone else has any other information on this that would be great.
Steve H.
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[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Slough Run Details....

Good description of the river in the above posting. There's always been water running over the spillway at the time of the Slough Run--at least since 1999, when we first started 'doing the Slough,' and we'll know by the level of Lake Sammamish exactly what we're getting into on Slough Run day. (Jack and Kathie Dando live on the lake, so we'll have a preview. If their dock is underwater, there will be tons of water over the spillway; if the lake level is just below the deck of their dock, we still have plenty of volume.)

We usually pause at a rowing-club float just upriver from the spillway. Before floating over the spillway and making the fast-water drift through the willows, you've got to raise your lower unit and paddle through the willows. Do not take a boat that you're not willing to scratch up, and prepare to duck down because some fairly good-sized willow branches will be coming at you...right over the deck of your boat. Bring a paddle for each person in your boat, and try to keep the hull pointed straight down the Slough--or straight up if you get turned around by branches--as you zip through the willow run. This is an event where you might consider removing your windshield, before the willows do it for you. Finally, regarding the willow-run section, I would not advise going in an inflatable; it's liable to be punctured by some of the spear-like willow branches...and don't go in something like a little 8-foot hydro because it's way too easy to have the hull trapped in the willows and flipped upside down. (Uh, I've been there and done exactly that, losing my cell phone and digital camera one year.) Runabouts in the 12-16 foot range are best, and beaters are the very best.

Bring an extra prop and tools. Bring hip waders if you have them. Protect your cell phone in a plastic bag.

Once you get past the willows, you can drop your lower unit and resume motoring downstream. There's the shallow spot mentioned in the above posting, and there are also huge boulders near the Bothell Bridge, where the city has rolled them into the river in an effort to create the appearance of a wild river. Be sure to slow to a crawl anywhere you see riffles on the surface of the water, logs or stumps, fast-moving water coming in from a side channel (where there might be a gravel bar)...and always get down to a no-wake speed if you encounter canoeists or kayakers, since we don't want to be sinking other boaters.

Motors are allowed; the Slough is listed as a navigable waterway, but the posted speed limit is 5 mph. As you get to the lower Slough, approaching Kenmore, you'll see lots of waterfront homes with boats at floats along the riverbank--and that's where you'll start seeing No Wake signs and other warnings that you need to slow down. Just use discretion.

Almost every year we've run the Slough and encountered any winds, they've been from the south. So running Lake Sammamish has rarely caused problems...since you're generally going with the wind and waves...but running the length of Lake Washington into the wind can occasionally be a challenge. I can think of two boats that have sunk in the Lake Washington stretch, but one of them was what you'd call operator error, and in the other case the boat was swamped by a huge cruiser wake--not by wind-driven waves. If it's rough, just take your time and work along the shore that appears most sheltered. (Most often you're better off to hug the eastern shore of the lake, working along the Kirkland waterfront which is sheltered from most southerlies, and then under the 520 bridge and the East Channel bridge, going down the channel between Mercer Island and the eastern shore until you reach our destination, Coulon Park.)

I've run every kind of boat imaginable, from the ill-fated 8-foot hydro to a 10-foot racing runabout, 10-foot Mini-Craft runabout, 13-foot double-cockpit runabout, 16-foot Bell Boy convertible...and others. I wouldn't advise anything longer than about 16 feet, since you can get stuck sideways between willow trees with a bigger boat--and THEN you've got a real problem.

More later, as we get closer to the event.

- Marty

slough run

Marty and Steve
Thanks for the info on the run. Exactly what I wanted to know. Barry

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Marty, I have a good slough runner available. 16 Skagit skimaster. Very rough, has some "minor" holes in the chines. No windshield. Good transom. Very reasonable.
McSkagit

Slough Run

Marty

Just got word from friends that have a place on the slough in Bothell about where the 522 meets the 405. Apparently a large tree has come down from the south bank and stretches out across the creek. They say the base of the tree is about three feet thick and most of it is submerged. Also due to the flooding there has been an unusual amount of debris (furniture, docks etc) floating by. Because it is near the freeway where there is a walkway on the north side it might be worth checking out if somebody is close. Barry

[Bflaherty]

The Flaherty Rocket will be there!!!

The Blue Rocket and its faithful "Crazy" crew will be attending once again. We are already making plans to bring two boats, group is too large for just one, and this year it won't be a row boat with only 10hp.

I would suggest to everyone looking for a cheap slough boat to steer away from any of your 10 - 12 ft aluminum fishing boats as they have trouble keeping up with the rest of the group. Most of us have vessels capable of maintaining 25 - 45 mph across the open water and usually run around 20 mph down the upper portion of the slough. Also remember that shallow draft is great but even a bayliner can make it with an intertube inflated under the drive for the weir and shallows... (My father made it in a 18ft Century)...

Hope to see evreyone out on the water.

[Sammamish1]

The slough is up

Due to all the lowland flooding the slough is as high as it ever gets. As long as we get average rainfal for the next month navigation will be no problem. The level comes up a lot faster than it goes down. Like four feet in three days this year.

[BruceDrake]

Rotter

Marty
Anything better than this should qualify as a low ridder - rotter plus.