Time For a No Wake Zone Around Jones Island

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

I went out to Jones Island last Friday. Was a nice enough evening, but the wind hung at about ten knots out of the SE until about midnight. Got up early Saturday morning to sun and flat calm water. Things remained calm to just before eleven o'clock when the traffic started up. The real issue became the big tour boats that feel the need to stay in close to the south bay on Jones and making 10 to 14 knots.

I didn't have my hi-definition camera with me but decided to shoot some video with my pocket camera. A little after eleven the 80 foot Victoria Star 2 came by at about 12 - 13 knots and really close. I was on the hook and knew if I took a big wake on the beam there was going to be damage. I ran below, grabbed my camera and then back up to the helm. Turned on the camera and cranked the engines to be sure I was pointed directly into the approaching wake.

The three and a half foot wake arrived and stood the Saratogan on her stern. I had the stern-gate open and the Skagit dinghy rafted to the swim step. Water came over the stern and into the stern-gate and onto the deck. The waves passed and broke on the shore just behind me. The painter securing the dinghy broke from the dink being thrown around so violently.

I had expected to be waked by big pleasure boats, but that didn't happen. I was there until about 7:00PM Sunday and only had two questionable pleasure boat wakes. By contrast, I was waked seven times by the big commercial tour boats. I photographed and videoed them all. Called them on the VHF and chewed them out.

Jones Island is very popular with the kayakers, canoeists and by young family with young kids. The south anchorage and beach is really unsafe for kids or anyone anymore.

I've attached two videos which I shot. One is the big wake I took from the Victoria Star 2 and the other from the 90 foot Island Explorer 4. The Island Explorer 4 waked kayakers as they were getting out of their boats on the beach. Pretty ugly.

One of the things I'm going to be doing is getting the word out to the cowboy tour boat drivers that the waking game is over.

here are the two videos. Sorry not in hi-definition:

[media=youtube]h46CM_vTeks[/media]

[media=youtube]AJCvh9ThLuw[/media]

[GregJ]

Tim, This is why I don't frequent the San Juans.

[Bflaherty]

Tim that is some scary footage! I would hate to see what would have happened had you not be alert enough to start the motors and point into the wake...

We experienced the equivelent effect on the lake whatcom Sunday with the three "wake surfing" boats that were circling the center portion of the lake. Little Declan was not pleased when the wake tossed him across the back seat thus spilling his snacks!!!

[Lootas1]

Tim, that kind of stupidity is just completely uncalled for. Glad you told the skippers that oafish behavior like that is dangerous. Suppose they wouldn't observe no wake warnings. Another subject -- Rosario may be finding a home at Friday Harbor. Have a potential buyer coming from there to look at her Tuesday. Already a bit of seller's remorse after a trip to Patos from Lummi Island burned $78 fuel in the 5.7 liter engine of the 20 foot Blue Water.

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Jerry,
Hope Rosario sells to someone in Friday. Yeah, must be tough to part with her. The big wakes at Jones Island. Really uncalled for.

[Skagitguy]

[ATTACH]16399[/ATTACH] Rosario may be finding a home at Friday Harbor. Have a potential buyer coming from there to look at her Tuesday. Already a bit of seller's remorse after a trip to Patos from Lummi Island burned $78 fuel in the 5.7 liter engine of the 20 foot Blue Water.[/quote]


Jerry, I have had seller's remorse on just about every boat i have had. More so on Rosario ! Anything i can do for you on a possible sale just let me know. This picture was taken in a cold Jan 200? on a outing in South Sound with my son with our ski masks on. Does keep you face warm when out there , but you had better not forget to take it off before going into a 7-11. Chuck

[DMCI]

Tim and all;

As some of you know I spent most of my teen years and deer Harbor running lots of boats, big and small in that area. Most of the time when coming back from Roche or even Victoria always pass to the south of Jones, unless going directly to the northern harbor of Jones.

I knew the harbor very well and it was a destination for quick little cruises deer harbor to Jones in my little 14 footer with a 115 Johnson on it. This is when I learned the advantage of the deep vee hull. I think that guy was either lost or was an incompetent boater. In my younger days I would've run him down and given him the word.

I'm surprised, no one did it here.

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Dave, I did speak to both captains on channel 13 and advised them of what they had done within 30 seconds of their passing the bay. A few days later I called the owners and talked to them as well. I also talked to Brian Goodremont, president of Pacific Whale Watch Association. Most of the tour and whale watch boats belong to this organization. Brian said he would get the word out.

I went out there (to Jones) on Tuesday for a couple hours with my hi-definition camera. Videoed one boat the wake of which turned out to be not much. Then missed my opportunity when a 38 foot Eurostyle powerful motor yacht steamed past at 25 knots throwing a mean three foot wake.

Going to be an uphill battle......

Tim

[TheBronze]

Regarding private trawlers and large semi displacement yachts. Some of the captains are conscientious of their vessel size and wake, most are not. The difference, I think, is boat owners vs boaters. This applies to pretty much any size vessel, too. A "who cares" attitude with that much displacement doesn't do anyone favors. We mostly encounter it when going through Agate Passage. Narrow waters and big rolling wakes do not mix well. In all the time we have been boating up here, I've had one, ONE, yacht captain slow down in the channel when he saw other vessels. Never mind the water hitting the shore...

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

John,
Thanks for your input. Yes, the wake issue is an old and sore one. Back in the 1950s, the average pleasure boat length was 17 feet. Today it's 42 feet. Some of the go-fast 40 footers are boasting 1000 horsepower! So the wake issue is a real one for pleasure boaters world wide. I intend to do something about it! That commercial licensed captains are waking State park moorages is outrages.

On the bright side, back in 1997 I got a job to pick up and tow a 37 foot trawler from Campbell River B.C. to Skyline Marina in Anacortes. I took my son along as crew. I originally got the call in September, but it was mid October before we got the green light.

Well it was a pretty rough trip, but once we got south of Nanaimo we had smooth sailing. About half way through the Gulf Island we encountered a big B.C ferry. The big British Columbia ferries are half again as big as the biggest Washington State Ferries.

About a half mile from the ferry, I got a call on the VHF from the ferry's master, telling me that he were slowing down so as not to wake us. Well compared to the seas we'd been in in Georgia Strait, the ferry's wake (as big as it was) would have seemed like nothing.

I radioed back my appreciation for the Captain's thoughtfulness and consideration. You see there are still professional mariners out there. I'm intent on creating a few more..................

Thanks again for your input, John

Cheers,

Tim aka McSkagit