I had to take my boat over to the West Sound Marina on the other side of Orcas Island from where I moor. Should have known it was going to be one of those days as on the way out I had a really close call with a deer jumping out in the road in front of my truck forcing me to slam on the brakes at no faster than 35mph. It was one of the closest calls with a deer in quite some time.
My neighbor/friend Lee, who is an accomplished long-time mariner here in the San Juan Islands, came along with me as I am still a little green and nothing like a little local knowledge when making my first thread through Pole Pass. Plus Lee was up for a boat ride and interested in my CD22 despite having his own 34’ cabin cruiser.
Wonderful smooth seas and light winds made for a delightful cruise at mostly around 17 knots. We came south through Spring Passage between Jones and Orcas Islands, transitioned to North Pass between Steep Point and Reef Island and set a course to the west well outside of Deer Harbor. I did notice another power boat far off my stern heading our same direction. Several minutes later I noticed the power boat approaching at a much higher speed than I, and off my port transom appearing to be on a course between me and Steep Point. I thought it strange that this fast boat would choose to overtake between me and the point, rather than the much more open waters to my starboard. I was aware of him and made sure I was holding a straight and steady course. This boat was really coming up fast and suddenly he was heading right for my transom. Lee and I were quite astonished he was coming up so fast and on a coarse right toward my port stern. Didn’t seem to make sense, but how could he not see me? Suddenly he was right up on us and I couldn’t see much more than a big wall of teal colored bottom paint. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Within 10 feet and milliseconds before impact I made a evasive hard full turn to starboard as right about that time the assaulting vessel made a hard turn to the left and narrowly passed us on our port side. Whew, that was WAY too close and felt so surreal. He zoomed by so fast we couldn’t read his registration number other than that it had Washington numbers. It was a well-used 24’ SeaSport with what looked like an old Johnson 2-stroke kicker swing up on the back. Wow, what a close call and it took quite a few minutes to get my heart rate to settle down.
But that was not to be the end of the day’s excitement, but it was the climax. As we approached Pole Pass, there was what turned out to be another C-Dory, an Angler 19’, heading through in the opposite direction. Not a problem, although the pass is a bit narrow, it is certainly wide enough for two C-Dorys to pass at the required slow speed. I held my course to the right of center giving plenty of room. At first is appeared the passing CD was intending to pass port to port. But then as the gap was starting to close, he starts veering across the other direction. So then I thought; “well then, I guess he plans to pass starboard to starboard, OK then…” Then he goes back the other direction as if in an intentional zigzag. What the heck is going on here? Lee and I look at each other and just can’t determine his intentions. He’s acting like the proverbial drunk sailor. At least this time we are both going slowly. Finally the opposing skipper makes a decisive decision and passes to starboard and all is clear. But that is not to be as a huge cabin cruiser is also on a course through the pass from the east in the opposite direction at a very high speed despite our being clearly in the pass long before he even came up, and I clearly had the right of way with my port side being in his starboard quadrant. Rather than backing off or slowing down, he was literally stuffing me into Crane Island! I throttled further back couldn’t go any slower if I wanted to maintain control to stay off the rocks! Cabin Cruiser guy just zooms by and give a wave. What in the world is going on?
My friend Lee, who has been plying these waters for well over 40 years, and even before that with his parents as a child said he has never had so many close calls in all his years, especially in such a short distance. We had no idea what the issue was with the Seaport as it was either pure belligerence or complete negligence. Either way it felt like an assault. The indecisiveness of the other C-Dory just seemed like inattention or incompetence, but the cabin cruiser was pure self-centered aggressiveness.
So back on land the normally very pleasant car drive through calm easy-going Orcas Island was punctuated by a large RV motorhome with Colorado plates pulling right out in front of us without a care in the world and going so slow he eventually held up a whole string of vehicles before eventually turning into Eastsound. I safely got home, and am planning to stay put for awhile. May not even take my dog out for his evening walk.
My neighbor/friend Lee, who is an accomplished long-time mariner here in the San Juan Islands, came along with me as I am still a little green and nothing like a little local knowledge when making my first thread through Pole Pass. Plus Lee was up for a boat ride and interested in my CD22 despite having his own 34’ cabin cruiser.
Wonderful smooth seas and light winds made for a delightful cruise at mostly around 17 knots. We came south through Spring Passage between Jones and Orcas Islands, transitioned to North Pass between Steep Point and Reef Island and set a course to the west well outside of Deer Harbor. I did notice another power boat far off my stern heading our same direction. Several minutes later I noticed the power boat approaching at a much higher speed than I, and off my port transom appearing to be on a course between me and Steep Point. I thought it strange that this fast boat would choose to overtake between me and the point, rather than the much more open waters to my starboard. I was aware of him and made sure I was holding a straight and steady course. This boat was really coming up fast and suddenly he was heading right for my transom. Lee and I were quite astonished he was coming up so fast and on a coarse right toward my port stern. Didn’t seem to make sense, but how could he not see me? Suddenly he was right up on us and I couldn’t see much more than a big wall of teal colored bottom paint. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Within 10 feet and milliseconds before impact I made a evasive hard full turn to starboard as right about that time the assaulting vessel made a hard turn to the left and narrowly passed us on our port side. Whew, that was WAY too close and felt so surreal. He zoomed by so fast we couldn’t read his registration number other than that it had Washington numbers. It was a well-used 24’ SeaSport with what looked like an old Johnson 2-stroke kicker swing up on the back. Wow, what a close call and it took quite a few minutes to get my heart rate to settle down.
But that was not to be the end of the day’s excitement, but it was the climax. As we approached Pole Pass, there was what turned out to be another C-Dory, an Angler 19’, heading through in the opposite direction. Not a problem, although the pass is a bit narrow, it is certainly wide enough for two C-Dorys to pass at the required slow speed. I held my course to the right of center giving plenty of room. At first is appeared the passing CD was intending to pass port to port. But then as the gap was starting to close, he starts veering across the other direction. So then I thought; “well then, I guess he plans to pass starboard to starboard, OK then…” Then he goes back the other direction as if in an intentional zigzag. What the heck is going on here? Lee and I look at each other and just can’t determine his intentions. He’s acting like the proverbial drunk sailor. At least this time we are both going slowly. Finally the opposing skipper makes a decisive decision and passes to starboard and all is clear. But that is not to be as a huge cabin cruiser is also on a course through the pass from the east in the opposite direction at a very high speed despite our being clearly in the pass long before he even came up, and I clearly had the right of way with my port side being in his starboard quadrant. Rather than backing off or slowing down, he was literally stuffing me into Crane Island! I throttled further back couldn’t go any slower if I wanted to maintain control to stay off the rocks! Cabin Cruiser guy just zooms by and give a wave. What in the world is going on?
My friend Lee, who has been plying these waters for well over 40 years, and even before that with his parents as a child said he has never had so many close calls in all his years, especially in such a short distance. We had no idea what the issue was with the Seaport as it was either pure belligerence or complete negligence. Either way it felt like an assault. The indecisiveness of the other C-Dory just seemed like inattention or incompetence, but the cabin cruiser was pure self-centered aggressiveness.
So back on land the normally very pleasant car drive through calm easy-going Orcas Island was punctuated by a large RV motorhome with Colorado plates pulling right out in front of us without a care in the world and going so slow he eventually held up a whole string of vehicles before eventually turning into Eastsound. I safely got home, and am planning to stay put for awhile. May not even take my dog out for his evening walk.
