Chapter 13 -- Puget Sound, Washington
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514 Puget Sound, Washington Volume 7 WK50/2011 123° 122°30' 18428 SKAGIT BAY STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA S A R A T O 18423 G A D A M DUNGENESS BAY I P 18464 R A A L S T S Y A G Port Townsend I E N L E T 18443 SEQUIM BAY 18473 DISCOVERY BAY 48° 48° 18471 D Everett N U O S 18444 N O I S S E S S O P 18458 18446 Y 18477 A 18447 B B L O A B K A Seattle W E D W A S H I N ELLIOTT BAY G 18445 T O L Bremerton Port Orchard N A N 18450 A 18452 C 47° 47° 30' 18449 30' D O O E A H S 18476 T P 18474 A S S A G E T E L N 18453 I E S C COMMENCEMENT BAY A A C R R I N L E Shelton T Tacoma 18457 Puyallup BUDD INLET Olympia 47° 18456 47° General Index of Chart Coverage in Chapter 13 (see catalog for complete coverage) 123° 122°30' WK50/2011 Chapter 13 Puget Sound, Washington 515 Puget Sound, Washington (1) This chapter describes Puget Sound and its nu- (6) Other services offered by the Marine Exchange in- merous inlets, bays, and passages, and the waters of clude a daily newsletter about future marine traffic in Hood Canal, Lake Union, and Lake Washington. Also the Puget Sound area, communication services, and a discussed are the ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, and variety of coordinative and statistical information. The Olympia, as well as other smaller ports and landings. office monitors VHF-FM channels 20 for Grays Harbor traffic, 9 for Strait of Juan de Fuca traffic to Protection COLREGS Demarcation Lines Island, and 20 for Puget Sound traffic from Protection (2) The International Regulations for Preventing Col- Island, 24 hours a day. The Marine Exchange may also lisions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS) apply on all the wa- be contacted by phone, 206–443–3830 or toll free 800– ters of Puget Sound and adjacent waters, including Lake 562–2856. Union, Lake Washington, Hood Canal, and all tributar- ies. (See 80.1395, chapter 2.) (7) Vessel Traffic Service Puget Sound, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, has been established in the waters Chart 18440 of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Rosario Strait, Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, and the navigable waters adjacent (3) Puget Sound, a bay with numerous channels and to these areas. (See 161.1 through 161.23 and 161.55, branches, extends about 90 miles S from the Strait of chapter 2, for regulations, and the beginning of chapter Juan de Fuca to Olympia. The N boundary of the sound 12 for additional information.) is formed, at its main entrance, by a line between Point Wilson on the Quimper Peninsula and Point Partridge (8) The U.S. Coast Guard and the Puget Sound Harbor on Whidbey Island; at a second entrance between West Safety Committee have developed and adopted a Harbor Point on Whidbey Island, Deception Island, and Sares Safety Plan that formally establishes a set of Standards Head on Fidalgo Island; at a third entrance, at the S end of Care for Puget Sound and surrounding waters. The of Swinomish Channel between Fidalgo Island and Mc- standards and protocols contained in the Puget Sound Glinn Island. Puget Sound was named by George Van- Harbor Safety Plan complement and supplement ex- couver for Lieutenant Peter Puget, who explored the S isting federal, state, and local laws. The Harbor Safety end in May 1792. Deep-draft traffic is considerable in the Plan is not intended to take the place of or otherwise larger passages, and small craft operate throughout the intended to replace the good judgement of a ship’s area. Unusually deep water and strong currents charac- master in the safe operation of his/her vessel. These terize these waters. standards and protocols were developed and adopted by (4) Navigation of the area is comparatively easy in clear local experts for insuring greater safety. Some sections weather; the outlying dangers are few and marked by of the plan provide important safety info for professional aids. The currents follow the general direction of the mariners transiting Puget Sound, while the Standards channels and have considerable velocity. In thick weath- of Care formalize and document good marine practice. er, because of the uncertainty of the currents and the The Harbor Safety Plan can be obtained by going to the great depths which render soundings useless in many Seattle Marine Exchange website at http://www.marine- places, strangers are advised to take a pilot. exchangesea.com or contact 206–443–3830. (5) The Marine Exchange of Puget Sound, located in Regulated navigation area Seattle, has a Vessel Monitoring/Vessel Reporting ser- (9) Due to heavy vessel concentrations, the waters of vice which tracks the arrival of a vessel from a time the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands, the prior to arrival at the pilot station to a berth at one of Strait of Georgia, and Puget Sound, and all adjacent the Puget Sound ports. Constant updates of the ship’s waters, are a regulated navigation area. (See 165.1 position and estimated time of arrival are maintained through 165.13 and 165.1301, chapter 2, for regula- through a variety of sources. This information is avail- tions.) able to and is passed to the vessel’s agents and to other interested activities. These services continue until the (10) Floating logs and deadheads or sinkers may be en- vessel passes the pilot station on her outbound voyage. countered anywhere in Puget Sound; caution should be exercised. 516 Puget Sound, Washington Volume 7 WK50/2011 Washington State Requirements Reports of Oil Spills and Vessel Emergencies to carry, or that carries, oil in bulk as cargo or cargo All vessels must report oil spills or potential oil spills to residue. both: Washington State Ecology inspectors may conduct ves- 1. Washington State 800–258–5990 sel inspections on regulated cargo, passenger, and fi shing 2. National Response Center 800–424–8802 vessels when in Washington waters. Additional informa- Tank vessels and cargo and passenger ships 300 gross tion is available at: tons or larger must make notifi cations to Washington http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/prevention/Ves- State for vessel emergencies, including a loss or serious selTechAssist/AISsubstantialrisk.html/ degradation of propulsion, steering, means of navigation, electrical generating capability and seakeeping capability Oil Transfer Requirements constituting a substantial threat of pollution affecting Safe bunkering procedures must be followed during Washington state natural resources. In addition to any fueling operations. For vessels 300 gross tons or greater, notifi cations to the USCG, the owner or operator must Washington State Ecology inspectors may conduct notify the state of any vessel emergency that results in inspections of these regulated oil transfers on vessels the discharge or substantial threat of a discharge of oil to receiving fuel for propulsion within Washington waters. state waters or that may affect the natural resources of Details can be found in state regulations at Washington the state within one hour of the onset of the emergency. Administrative Code (WAC) 317-40. Additional informa- tion is also available at: Tug Escorts for Laden Tankers http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/prevention/Ves- Any laden oil tanker, whether enrolled or registered, selTechAssist/Bunkering.html/ proceeding east of a line extending from Discovery Island Light (British Columbia, CN) south to New Dungeness Tank vessels delivering oil in bulk to a non-recreational Light (Washington State, US) must be escorted by a tug vessel or facility within Washington waters must meet or tugs with an aggregate shaft horsepower equivalent to state oil transfer requirements. They may also be subject to Washington State oil transfer inspections for these fi ve percent of the deadweight tons of that tanker. For ad- regulated oil transfers. Details can be found in WAC 173- ditional details see Washington state law at 88.16 Revised 184. Additional information is available at: Code of Washington (RCW). http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/prevention/Ves- selTechAssist/vessel_otr.html/ Emergency Response Tug at Neah Bay • For a transfer of more than 100 gallons of bulk oil to An industry-funded emergency response tug is located a facility or non-recreational vessel, the delivering vessel at Neah Bay at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. must submit an Advance Notice of Transfer (ANT) report The tug is available 24 hours a day and can be under- to Ecology. This ANT must be submitted 24 hours prior to way within twenty minutes of a decision to deploy. The the transfer for facilities or within the timeframe required purpose of the tug is to assist vessels having propulsion by local USCG Captain of the Port. and steering failures or that are directed by either the US • For convenience, the ANT report can be made either: or Canadian Coast Guard to obtain towing assistance. online using the Ecology website at: Among other capabilities, the tug is intended to be able to https://secureaccess.wa.gov/ecy/ants, by make up to, stop, hold, and tow a drifting or disabled ves- e-mail: OilTransferNotifi [email protected], or by sel of 180,000 metric dead weight tons in severe weather fax: 360–407–7288 or 800–664–9184. conditions. The tug can be contacted through the USCG VTS or the Puget Sound Marine Exchange. Contingency Plan Requirements Tank vessels and cargo and passenger ships 300 gross Washington State Vessel Inspections tons or larger transiting Washington waters must either The Washington State Department of Ecology regulates have a Washington State Department of Ecology approved cargo and passenger vessels and tank vessels operating in oil spill contingency plan or be a member of a non-profi t Washington waters.