InsidePassageNews.com

June 18, 2004
Linda Lewis & Dave Parker M/V Royal Sounder (lindaldavep@hotmail.com)

We had read your advice re entering the Bradley Lagoon Narrows 2 hrs after the Blunden Harbor High Water. We found ourselves anchoring in Blunden at just about high water and we were itching for a dinghy passage & lagoon exploration - something we love to do. So we decided to dinghy over to Bradley even though the timing was questionable. We decided to be watchful and cautious and do as the conditions dictated.

Since you had said “share your experience with us,” I outfitted myself to do just that. I took my paper/pen/instruments with me and Dave was calling me Dr. Livingston because I was busily taking depth soundings while we were shooting broadside through the little stretch of rapids. What else did I have to do except say: “yee hah!” It was great fun.

12' fiberglass dinghy with 9.9 hp motor
Hand-held GPS
Hand-held (flashlight type) electronic depthsounder

Tide Info for Blunden Harbor 6-18-2004 (Spring Tide - one day past New Moon):
0815 - 1.9
1445 - 12.6
2000 - 7.1

Entering Lagoon:
1435 - Approaching entrance to Bradley Lagoon
50° 50.981' - 127° 38.310' - Depth 22.8'
50° 55.08'0 - 127° 15.68'9 - Depth 10.6'

1439 - Transiting narrowest part of entrance (no lat/longs - too busy doing depths)
Depth mid-channel, mid-narrows - sounding #1 - 6.1'
Depth mid-channel, mid-narrows - sounding #2 - 8.1'
Depth as exiting narrows - sounding #1- 18.1'
Depth as exiting narrows - sounding #2 - 17'

1439 - Transiting narrows - SOG with motor off:
4.2 K - fastest encountered
3.7 K - as exiting
2.5 K - out of narrows

1439 - Entering lagoon Conditions/Experience:
From a short distance we could see shallow rapids; waves were 6-10" high; white water. As we approached closer it still looked OK to do so we started in. Dave made a quick decision to raise the motor because he could see rocks he thought might be a problem. The dinghy floated broadside through the rapids in a very straight, safe path.

We then cruised around all 3 arms of the lagoon; we loved this place. Feels like a fresh-water lake. The breezes were warm. Saw lots of Hooded Mergansers (ducks). We saw a first for us: two babies riding on their mother’s back!

Exiting Lagoon Conditions/Experience:
1550 - From a distance it looked fairly slack at the narrows.
1607 - Still flooding but didn’t look like much; describe waters as looking “ruffled - no white water - swirling - small whirlpools.

1608-1610 -
50° 55.152' - 127° 14.432' - 16.6'
50° 55.135' - 127° 15.585' - 19.9'
50° 55.114' - 127° 15.564' - 10.8'

1611 -
Transiting narrows. Almost high water based on land tide-lines. Small whirlpools. A little bit of turbulence. We needed to push the RPMs up to proceed against flood. Made SOG 2.4 K then 1.4 K. Based on dinghy RPMS, we estimate there was still approximately a 3.5 to 4 K flood current. We believe it looked less turbulent (compared to our entry) because the water was higher; but the flood was definitely still strong.

Couldn’t get depths on the exit; too much dinghy vs current turbulence; wouldn’t register.

1630 - Back at Royal Sounder

Bottom Line:
No way would we ever take our 45' LOA (4'6" draft; 14'6" beam) vessel through there. Too shallow; too rocky; too narrow. But a GREAT dinghy passage. Not to be missed.