On Vela we think of the water in motion as a large slow moving stream with lots of momentum and try to visualize how it would try to flow through the channels and broads. Other than the large scale coriolis effects the water will continue in a straight line until slowed by friction and viscosity or until it is horizontally or vertically deflected by an obstruction.
We look for increased speed next to each point of land and a back eddy immediately downstream. With a fair current and light air it is important to not be greedy and try to over work the advantage as it is very easy to get caught in the back eddy and lose the wind close to shore and/or drift in circles. Examples are the point NE of Big Fishtrap and Johnson Point. We have sampled both, Johnson Point several times.
When the current is foul work the eddies but cross through the fast water at the point as quickly as possible with as radical a course change as necessary. When rock hopping in the countercurrent against the ebb along the Hartstene shore shore of Dana Passage watch out for submerged rocks especially off the mini points between the coves or off any point anywhere for that matter. We haven’t hit them often enough to remember just where they all are so as a rule of thumb we allow for the unseen rocks by expecting one or more at least twice the size of any that we might have seen on shore.
When the jet flow from a channel section meets a much broader area look for a large back eddy on either side. Example: the counterclockwise rotary in the north end of Budd Inlet and the counter current along the south shore of Squaxin Island both during the flooding tide.
Where the wind waves strike the shoreline at an angle look for along-shore currents. Sandspits are the accumulated evidence.
We never, well almost never, cross a rip without noting whether a favorable change in the current can be detected by a swing of the bow or tug on the tiller. The rip itself can be identified by a line of drift or debris where the differing currents meet or by choppy conditions on one side and smoother water on the other when the wind is blowing on a generally parallel direction to the water flow. A major rip lies along a line from Brisco Point to the vicinity of Dofflemeyer Point during the flood. This one is well worth short tacking along its Dana side on the beat home.
Unless obliterated by the wind, mini rips mark the edges of the boils caused by the bottom contours in Dana Passage. Often the effect on the heading is not subtle and the only way we have found to work the boils is to try to bounce off of them in the right direction. They are often rotary so one side is apt to be advantageous and the other detrimental or at least require different angles of attack. The crash tack type of steering often seen here when the wind is light, may slow the boat more than any potential gain or damage would warrant so look ahead and pick the spot where you want to be in time to be able to steer to there gently ... yeah, right. If you do get caught, steering by pumping the tiller may result in the least damage.
George Hansen, Vela