West Sound or Deer Harbor - Yellow Island Preserve Round Trip

To successfully register you will need to sign into your OOPS member account, and your account will need to be a member of the "Wet Exit Certified" group if you intend to wear a spray skirt.  Your acceptance is conditional on approval by the Organizer, who may contact you with questions about your skills and equipment.  If the measured water temperature is different enough from that listed below to warrant a change in required immersion protection, the Organizer will contact all participants and the Trips Board member with the update at least a day before the trip.

Activity Title: West Sound or Deer Harbor - Yellow Island Preserve Round Trip
Date of Activity: 9/7/2019
Narrative: Launching from West Sound County Dock, this trip takes us to Yellow Island Preserve, an 11 acre island owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Head first to Victim Island State Park, around Caldwell Point and thru Pole Pass and then through the Wasps to Yellow Island. Parking at the dock is roadside and limited.
I have secured permission from TNC Yellow Island Steward for this trip as that is required for groups larger than 6. He will not be on the island on the 5th, but will be available the 6th and 7th. One option is to split the group into 2 smaller pods at the small island just northwest of McConnell Island which is a good place for lunch. They can take different routes to the island to avoid hitting the caretaker with the full group at one time. The larger pod can be reformed when we leave. No food is allowed on Yellow Island. They don’t want the current residents from Jones Island to swim over for goodies. I will call the steward the night before once we have finalized plans. If we send 2 pods over, they will need to have non-overlapping visitation times. Call Matthew Axling, (206) 971-4337, the evening before for permission.
Walking shoes might be nice. The island hike is very short.
The total distance paddled will be 12-13 miles. If people would prefer a shorter paddle, launching from Deer Harbor Preserve is an option as long as no other group is using that as a launch as there would not be enough parking. That paddle depending on how much exploring of the wasps is done is only 4 – 7 miles. This could be a good morning paddle for a small group on Sunday.
There is an occasional ferry that between McConnell and Cliff Islands.
Meeting Time: 9:30:00 AM
Launch Time: 10:00:00 AM
Type of activity: Paddle Trip
Put in: Caravan as a group from West Beach Resort to West Sound or Deer Harbor
Take out: Same as Put In
Route Alternative for bad weather: Other trips are proposed we would join another if they can accommodate
Required equipment:
Minimum Immersion protection: Full wet suit
Primary Organizer: Michael Kipley
Assistant Organizer(s): Stacy Ozer
Has organizer paddled here before? No
Has organizer led an OOPS paddle here before? No
Organizer's first aid and CPR current? Yes
First Aid /CPR Person:
Maximum number of paddlers: 10 Paddlers
I certify that I understand and will conduct this activity in accordance with the OOPS Activity Policy: Yes
Estimated Air Temperature: upper 60's
Estimated Water Temperature: mid 50's
Estimated Water Time (including breaks/lunch): 3 - 4 hours
Tide times & heights: 2019/09/06
Fri 05:18 AM
0.24 Low Tide
2019/09/06
Fri 01:23 PM
6.40 High Tide
2019/09/06
Fri 04:58 PM
5.65 Low Tide
2019/09/06
Fri 09:55 PM
6.87 High Tide
2019/09/07
Sat 06:19 AM
0.10 Low Tide
Current information:
Hazards: Shipping traffic
Wind strength: Level 2: 7-12 knots (14 mph) – wind noticeably effects movement of paddle
Swell/Surf size: Level 2: Waves up to 2', no breaking waves
Sea state: Level 2: Waves up to armpit; light to moderate chop, scattered whitecaps
Landing types: Level 2: Frequent landing opportunities including docks or moderate sloping banks, brush or overhanging trees
Currents: Level 2: Mild currents (up to 2 knots): current increases / decreases group speed by half
Total distance: Level 3: 11 to 15 miles
Open crossing: Level 2: Less than 1 mile
Paddling Environment:
Overall rating: Level 2
Rating Comments:
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