On the Rocks

We’re having an extreme low tide today at Shilshole Bay/Meadow Point. We are 6 minutes to the lowest tide of the month at -4.1 feet. That means we’re a bit more than 4 feet lower than the mean low tide for the area. Considering this is an artificial marina with dredged fairways and channels, that makes the areas nearest the seawall pretty dry and a few boats on the landward end are actually standing on their keels right now. Our boat is out at the seaward end, so we’re fine, but some of the small boats and catamarans and tris at the dock heads are looking a bit sad.

Extreme tides also cause a lot of disturbance in the water as they come and go since a larger volume is being moved per minute than usual. The result is much stronger rips and currents around the constrictions of channel mouths and narrow passages. You really have to keep an eye on the tides around here, or you can find your boat on the rocks, even if you’re still tied to the dock and more so if you’re out in the current and get caught up before you can pull away. I expect by now someone has discovered the hard way why you need to stay inside the channel markers at all times.