Sequim Bay and Protection Island

Description: We are going to paddle from Sequim Bay to Protection Island, circumnavigate Protection Island, then paddle to take-out at Diamond Point at the mouth of Discovery Bay. Protection Island is one of the premier wildlife viewing locations in Puget Sound; it is estimated that three-quarters of the sea-birds in Puget Sound nest on Protection Island.

Sign-up Requirements:

This is a 14 nautical mile paddle exposed to the Straits of Juan de Fuca and it will be subject to wind, wind waves, current effects, large ship wakes, and ocean swell.

To sign up for this paddle, you need to be an intermediate or advanced paddler, you must have bracing, re-entry, and rescue training, skills and practice, and you must be able to paddle at a sustained 2.5 knots pace. The required kayaking experience and skills need to be documented in your meetup-profile information and your answers to the sign-up questions.

P.T. Paddles Party-time? This will be one of a two or three posted paddles in the Port Townsend area for the extended weekend of July 11 - 13. If you'll be staying in Port Townsend, mention such in a comment if pre-, post-, or 'tween paddles coordination and get-together is of interest.

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Schedule and Itinerary:

9:30 a.m. - meet at John Wayne Marina, off-load, and do a car shuttle to Diamond Point (20 minutes each way).

11:00 a.m - launch and paddle north in Sequim Bay, around the lagoon at Gibson Spit, to a lunch stop at Travis Spit (2.5 n.m. ~12:00 p.m), north along the Miller Peninsula shoreline to a rest stop at Thompson Spit (4 n.m., with 0.6 knots flood current, ~ 2:00 p.m.), out to a circumnavigation of Protection Island (6 n.m., ~5:15 p.m.), and in to Diamond Point (1.5 n.m., ~6:00 p.m.). (14 n.m. total)

~ 6:00 p.m. - arrive and take-out at the Diamond Point beach access, complete the car shuttle, and head home or to Port Townsend

Conditions and Contingency:

This paddle is contingent upon reasonably safe wind and weather conditions. If the predicted weather conditions are unsafe for this paddle, the paddle will be revised to a more protected paddle.

Equipment Requirements:

Kayak, paddle, pfd, paddlefloat, pump, sprayskirt, sunglasses, sunscreen, water and snacks, picnic lunch, VHF radio if you have one, immersion gear.

Immersion Gear:

Wearing immersion gear (drysuit or wetsuit) is mandatory for this paddle.