How do you ride the currents in the San Juans?
If you are a kayaker and your kayak paddle is getting heavy, or you're in a putt-a-putt puttster boat and need another knot of speed, you should know that the current pretty much always flows north in Burrows Bay.
Don't believe me, check your current atlas and find a day of the year or time of day that the current is forecast to flow south.
Burrows Island and Allan Island are strategically located to create a whirlpool counter current within the bay, so along the shore is a dependable northward current at all times.
What this means is that when you are cruising from Deception Pass north to Anacortes, or anywhere north, in Rosario Strait, it will pay you to come in close to the eastern shore and get a little boost. Of course, if you're heading south, you should stay out in Rosario Strait.
Hugging the shore in Burrows Bay will get you about 4 miles of free current to ride. Wouldn't it be great if all the channels and passages were this helpful? This back-and-forth tidal thing is fun for a while, but it doesn't always keep to my schedule.
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