Colvos Passage PNW - Anyone with southbound experience?

[AKMary]

The Puget Sound forecast for the next few days is looking good & this will be my last chance for a while to take the boat out. I'm thinking of heading south from Poulsbo to Vashon. I'd anchor out in Quartermaster Harbor. It looks like a nice spot with kayaking & hiking options.

I've read how the current in Colvos always runs north. Has anyone run this route southbound? What did you experience current-wise? I'd be hitting it at the start of a flood. I average 8 kts.

The west side (Colvos) of Vashon looks much prettier than the run on the longer east side (tide in my favor) and views are far more important to me than speed...unless we're talking several hours difference. Does the slower west vs the longer east = little difference in arrival time?

Thanks for your insight,
Mary

 

[klee wyck]

Mary,
Nothing to it. Just watch the water a little and pick the side of the passage away from the current line and that north flow on a flood will not add 20 minutes to your trip down the passage in an 8 knot boat. You will be closer to the peninsula in the north part and closer to Vashon in the south part as I recall. The passage is wide enough that the current is pretty minor on most tide swings that I have been through there on. Just ahead, the Narrows, different story.

 

[windmist]

We do Colvos a lot and will be going south in a couple of weekends. My experience is if you go on a flood the current will be mostly negligible for the most part. If you go on an ebb, you can hug the Vashon side and find less current. Going north on the ebb can give you a nice push, maybe 2 knots at times.

 

[AKMary]

Klee Wyck & Windmist,

Thank you both for your input, it's exactly the info I was looking for. I'm looking forward to checking out some new territory!

Cheers,
Mary

 

[av8r]

We have done Colvos several times, traveling at our usual 8 knots. It does generally run north or is slack; even on a major exchange you won't see more than about 1.7 k current running north. If you are traveling further south the Narrows is much more of a consideration than Colvos.
Quartermaster is a nice anchorage, and the park at Dockton has good anchorage or dock space, and some nice walking trails.