from Caroline Buchanan
Caroline Buchanan has been crossing between her home on Obstruction Island and Orcas since 1990—not always but often rowing her Whitehall, 17’ skiff built by Greg Thompson and Mike Stolmeier in 1990 at Obstruction Pass. Photo: Caroline Buchanan
How would you like this bearing down on you?
After years of not coming through Obstruction Pass, a year ago ferries started coming through the pass. This was a random event—sometimes 8 in the morning, sometimes, 10, sometimes mid-afternoon. I contacted WSF expressing my fear that they would run me down one day as I crossed between the islands in my Whitehall rowboat.
There are approximately four minutes in which there is not enough room on either side of me for the ferry to go through the pass. They would need to wait the four minutes for me to get out of their way. Or hit me and kill me.
I have been assured that the boats have radar that would pick me up, even though my boat has a profile barely a foot above the water. I have wondered. The collision recently with a sailboat confirms my worst fears. If the Hyak could not pick up a sailboat what chances does a low-profile rowboat or a kayak have?
It is understandable that the ferries may need to familiarize themselves with an alternate route to Thatcher Pass. In a storm from either the south or north—when the ferries travel north in Rosario, go through the Pass and then turn south to Lopez—they will have a much smoother trip than taking the weather on the beam.
We have many fine days between late October and early May when they can practice this alternate route. There are not nearly the number of small boats in the the waters between Blakeley, Obstruction, and Orcas as there are in the summer months.
I hope others will join me in contacting the Washington State Ferries requesting them to cease routing themselves through Obstruction Pass during the summer months. If they can’t pick up a sailboat on their radar, good luck with picking up a kayak, a skiff or a rowboat!
A number of years ago we were out in our boat in a rolling 2 foot swell. We saw a consistent target appearing and disappearing on our radar about a mile away. After a while we could spot it with our binoculars, it was a single person kayaker. We could easily spot the mass of the person’s body as they rose in the swell. That was with a low-mid range recreational radar. Imagine on how well you would stand out in a larger boat, sitting higher in the water, picked out by a high end commercial radar.
As to whether the ferry saw the sailboat or not, there are several conflicting stories running around. I would not draw any conclusions or make any decisions about the incident until all the facts are known, probably not until after the USCG issues their report.
As to safety in crossing Obstruction Pass? I would be much more concerned about the average vacationing recreational boater.
Wow, easy for you to say if you are not the one making the Obstruction Pass crossing! And, the average vacationing recreational boater is not out in a small rowing boat. If there is good reason for ferries to take this route occasionally, fine, but if there is no reason….WHY ENDANGER ANYONE?
Merry, I think you misunderstood my comment. The “average recreational boater” that I was speaking of was the 30′ to 40+’ foot. I think Caroline is far more at risk from them than from a ferry.
What a thoughtful letter! Particularly enjoyed your understanding that the ferries need an alternative route for winter storms. I will write Washington State Ferries today to suggest that they stay out of Obstruction Pass, not only during the summer months but at most other times; certainly they can practice their alternative route enough to learn it during a few passages!