The Inexorable Fog

Stealthy fog banks constantly shift position on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Fog envelopes ANNA

Fog dissipates revealing anchorage.

Departing as fog lifts.

Fog off the starboard bow drifts back in.

K. Faith appears off our stern as the fog temporarily  lifts.

Fog lifts, but it's a short-lived phenomena.

Race Rocks sits shrouded in a low layer of afternoon fog moments later.

Insidious, unrelenting fog returns, yet again.

Fog shifts position at Sooke's entrance.

Fog rolls into Sooke harbor and the sand spit, where we anchor, 

awaiting gale-force winds to subside on the central Strait.

The Strait of Juan de Fuca from its East Entrance through the central section and on to the West Entrance, at Cape Flattery, is a complex system of weather and sea states. A transit from east to west can be a challenge at times as wind and wave conditions vary considerably from section to section. The West Entrance may have light winds, a low swell and a clear sky, while the east and central sections may have gale-force conditions along with heavy fog in the busy shipping lanes.

A common misconception is that fog is typically accompanied by calm conditions. That's not always the way it plays out on the Strait. Today for instance, we had heavy fog and 20 to 30 knots of wind. When it's on the bow (typical on an east to west transit) it's time to find shelter. It's simply too rough as the strong opposing currents kick up big chop against a strong wind. It can slow forward progress to less than 2 knots at times.

Waiting for good weather windows is a way of life for us. It usually pays to wait until conditions are  favorable. The past few days have been windy and foggy on the central portion of the Strait so we ducked into Sooke Harbor and anchored out at the sand spit with a view out to conditions on the Strait. The Olympic mountain range in the backdrop help to show off the drama of the shifting, stealthy fog banks as they roll through the Strait.

Sooke at sunset with a gentle fog.

Sooke at sunset, fog fills in 10 minutes later.

The forecast indicates that a dissipating cold-front moving north and east across the Gulf of Alaska will pass by us in two days, to be followed by a high-pressure system that is anticipated to produce NW winds of 10-20 knots, from 10 to 60 miles off the coasts of Washington and Oregon. We hope to move offshore at that time to take advantage of the favorable conditions, as we make our way south from Cape Flattery.