Hartstene Island

04/19/15 -SAT –III+—HARTSTENE ISLAND CIRCUMNAVIGATION. APPROX 21 NM.
LEADER: LISA A JOHNSON
PADDLERS: LEONARD INGALLS, TERRY JARET, SHINHO PARK
TIDES/CURRENTS: . NARROWS -5.01 @ 0945, +6.26 @ 1613. HARTSTENE BRIDGE -2.3 @ 1045, 1.6 @ 1700. BRISCO PT -3.6 @ 0930. MCDOUGALL PT S @ 1330. PICKERING PASSAGE NORTH -0.9 @1130, S @ 1430, +1.0 @1645.
CONDITIONS: CALM TO WW 0-1’, VARIABLE LIGHT BREEZE AT TIMES, SUNNY, TEMPS 60-70, VISABILITY GOOD
SIGHTED: CORMORANTS, SCOTERS, EAGLE, BUFFLEHEAD, GREAT BLUE HERON, SEAL

Terry and I carpooled to meet Shinho and Leonard at the Lattimer Landing boat launch on time at 0815. We launched late at 0930. We ferried our way quickly across the 2+ knot north flowing current across Pickering Passage to the west side of Hartstene. We followed the back eddy close to the shore until we reached the wider passage between Squaxin and Hartstene where we followed the south flowing current to arrive at Brisco Point at 1030. Current was about 3 knots around the outside of the nav aid and we continued on another mile to haul out for a 30 minute break on the shore. We then continued up the east side on to McMicken Island, arriving at 1345. We hauled out on the west side of the island for an hour long lunch before continuing on in the slight wind waves to arrive at McDougall to find an 1+ knot current sweeping us into Pickering Passage. We travelled at 3+ knots in the building current, waiving a stop at Jarrel Cove after a brief rafted up discussion. We continued on to the launch point, arriving at the bridge at 1700 with an average speed approx 3.8 knots on a very warm day that felt like summer. Terry and I were the only ones to stop for dinner at the Fish Tale in Olympia.

All paddlers performed well with excellent group dynamics.