La Conner and the Swinomish Current

One of our favorite spots on the way to the San Juans and Canadian Gulf Islands is the town of La Conner on the Swinomish Slough. It's a good lunch break-spot cruising up from Seattle with great moorage for a temporary or an overnight tie. An easy walk into town where there are lots of boutiques and stores to visit, plus some good restaurants. One doesn't want to miss the Museum of Northwest Art on the east side of the main street. If it's raining, or even just drizzly, you can always make your way to the bookstore at the south end of the street where you can browse books, have a latte, and curl up in front of a cozy fire. And, friends Marcie Miles and Art Kaplan own and run the LaConner Yacht Sales.

We remember being there many years ago when the whole town had a Potty Parade fundraiser to construct modern public toilets in the heart of town- - they made it and the restrooms are very nice, thank you. We were moored there, returning from the Gulf Islands, when we our daughter called that morning excitedly exclaiming, "The whole world's falling apart!", and we learned of the attack on the twin towers on 9/11.

For years we have always headed north via La Conner, only once in these 24+ years did we head out of Port Townsend to the San Juans. We've never gone through Deception Pass, wimps that we may be. We like the calm and (most of the time) predictability that the Swinomish offers.

Three things jump out when transiting the Swinomish Slough. First, one pays close attention to the navigation markers, especially approaching the channel from the south. Cut inside the red #2 buoy and you'll quickly find yourself aground, stuck in mud. You religiously follow the "red right returning" rule, with a passion.

The second learning stems from the first. As you leave La Conner, making for Anacortes, you eventually pass under the state highway bridge. All of a sudden the green buoys are on your right as you continue up the channel. Yep, the system you've been following switches. Now, "returning" is from the north, from Anacortes, so now you're outbound; "returning" is for those heading south to La Conner. Of course you checked your chart before leaving home so you knew with premeditated confidence that this was going to happen. Sure you did.

A third learning, perhaps more accurately called experiencing, is the current flowing through the Swinomish. It can be strong and mean. At times flowing north, at other times flowing south, without any discernible relationship to tides. While you can get a tidal report for La Conner NOAA will simply tell you that the currents "are unpredictable".

Just this week, while teaching a boathandling client in LaConner, I asked a very friendly gas dock operator what was the local wisdom for predicting the current directions. He told me of a formula, he calls it a Rule of Thumb, that he used, source unknown, which goes like this:

The actual time of slack water and the duration of current flow are dependent on the range between high and low water (tide), and are affected by river runoff. Approximate is the best you can get.

• Use the La Conner tide readings (Seattle + 30 minutes)
• Slack water occurs 2 1/2 to 4 hours after either high or low tide
• Current flows north 2 1/2 to 4 hours before high tide to 2 1/2 to 4 hours after high tide
• Current flows south 2 1/2 to 4 hours before low tide to 2 1/2 to 4 hours after low tide

Not what you'd call precise measures!

So, for example, using Thursday, May 21st (the day I learned all this), and using the outside times, the Rule of Thumb would look like this:

• low tide at La Conner is 10:05 AM, high tide 4:47 PM.
• between  6:05 AM and 2:05 PM the current would run south
• there would be a slack sometime between 12:35 and 2:05 PM
  
• between 12:47 and  8:47 PM the current would run north

Certainly not precision, but at least ball park, somewhat. On the 21st itself, at 1:30 PM, the current was running south at still a healthy clip.

As a last resort check the La Conner Landing Marine Fuel gas dock as you cruise by; there's always a large arrow showing the  direction of the current. That's always precise, and be sure to come in against the current.

And another remember: No wake in the channel!

Any other wisdom or comment, folk or otherwise, would be greatly appreciated.

And thanks for patiently waiting almost 17 days since my last posting. That is, in case you even noticed. Have a great Memorial Day weekend - - the weather is finally and nicely cooperating!