480 Strait of Juan De Fuca and Georgia, Washington andGeorgia, ofJuan De Fuca Strait 125° 124° 123° 18421 BOUNDARY General Index of Chart Coverage in Chapter 12 BAY CANADA 49° (see catalog for complete coverage) 49° UNITED STATES S T R Blaine A I T O F G E O R V I G 18431 (CANADA) I A 18424 Bellingham A S S 18460 18430 B 18432 Y P A R E N D L U L O I B N G Orcas Island H A M B A 7 Volume Y H A R O San Juan Island S 48° T 48° 30' R 30' 18465 A S I Lopez Island Anacortes T T R A I Victoria T O F J 18433 U A 18434 N 18484 D E F U C Neah Bay A 18423 18429 18427 SKAGIT BAY A D M I R A L DUNGENESS BAY T 18468 Y 18485 I N Port Townsend L E Port Angeles T W 48° 48° 18471 WK50/2011 125° 124° 123° WK50/2011 Chapter 12 Strait of Juan De Fuca and Georgia, Washington 481 Strait of Juan De Fuca and Georgia, Washington Chart 18400 currents, extreme caution and vigilance must be exer- cised. Strangers should take a pilot. (1) This chapter includes the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Sequim Bay, Port Discovery, the San Juan Islands and COLREGS Demarcation Lines its various passages and straits, Deception Pass, Fidalgo (6) The International Regulations for Preventing Colli- Island, Skagit and Similk Bays, Swinomish Channel, sions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS) apply on all the waters Fidalgo, Padilla, and Bellingham Bays, Lummi Bay, of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Haro Strait, and Strait of Semiahmoo Bay and Drayton Harbor, and the Strait Georgia. (See 80.1385 and 80.1390, chapter 2.) of Georgia as far N as Burrard Inlet. The more impor- tant U.S. harbors described are Neah Bay, Port Angeles, Traffic Separation Scheme Friday Harbor, La Connor, Anacortes, Bellingham, and (7) The Strait of Juan de Fuca Traffic Separation Blaine Harbor. Deep-draft vessels use the harbors at Port Scheme has been established in the Strait of Juan de Angeles, Anacortes, and Bellingham, the principal cities Fuca. The separation scheme consists of five sets of traf- in the area. The Canadian coasts are only briefly de- fic lanes: the Western Approach and the Southwestern scribed. (See Pub. 154, Sailing Directions (Enroute) for Approach from the ocean; the Western Lanes in the British Columbia, published by the National Geospatial- Strait; the Southern Lanes to Port Angeles; the North- Intelligence Agency, and the Sailing Directions, British ern Lanes to Victoria; and two precautionary areas, one Columbia Coast, (South Portion) Vol. 1, published by WNW of Cape Flattery and the other N of Port Angeles. the Canadian Hydrographic Service, for detailed infor- Each set of lanes consists of inbound and outbound mation on Canadian waters.) traffic lanes with separation zones. Each precautionary (2) Strait of Juan de Fuca separates the S shore of area is marked by lighted yellow buoys. The lighted buoy Vancouver Island, Canada, from the N coast of the State marking the precautionary area WNW of Cape Flattery of Washington. The entrance to the strait lies between is equipped with a racon. The purpose of these buoys is parallels 48°23'N., and 48°36'N., on the meridian of to assist in the separation of inbound and outbound ves- 124°45'W. This important body of water is the connect- sels transiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca to eliminate as ing channel between the ocean and the interisland pas- much as possible the cross vessel traffic that now occurs sages extending S to Puget Sound and N to the inland between the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca at waters of British Columbia and southeastern Alaska. Cape Flattery and the pilot stations at Port Angeles and (3) The commerce of this region is extensive, both for- Victoria, B.C. It is recommended that all vessels navigate eign and domestic. Vast quantities of lumber, fish, grain, so as to leave these buoys to port. and general merchandise are exported, while the man- (8) The Haro Strait and Strait of Georgia Traffic Sep- ufacturing and shipbuilding industries are important. aration Scheme, consisting of inbound and outbound Several transcontinental railroads have their terminals traffic lanes with separation zones, continues E from on Puget Sound. There are many steamer lines, foreign the Victoria Approach segment of Strait of Juan de Fuca and domestic, operating from this area to places across Traffic Separation Scheme to Victoria, B.C., thence the Pacific or through the Panama Canal, in addition to through Haro Strait, Boundary Pass, and the Strait of the coastal vessels. Georgia, to Vancouver, B.C. (4) At its entrance and for 50 miles E to Race Rocks, (9) Two abbreviated traffic separation schemes, also the strait is about 11 miles wide and then widens to consisting of inbound and outbound traffic separation about 16 miles for 30 miles E to Whidbey Island, its E lanes, with separation zones, connect the Haro Strait boundary. The waters as a rule are deep until near the and Strait of Georgia Scheme with the Puget Sound shore with few outlying dangers, most of which are in Traffic Service (described later in this chapter.) One the E part. The shores on both sides are heavily wooded, leads NW from the precautionary area E of Hein Bank rising rapidly to elevations of considerable height, and, into Haro Strait, and the other leads NW from the pre- except in a few places, are bold and rugged. cautionary area S of Alden Bank into the Strait of Geor- (5) The navigation of these waters is relatively simple gia. All Traffic Separation Schemes within the Strait of in clear weather. The aids to navigation are numer- Juan de Fuca and Strait of Georgia have been adopted ous. In thick weather, because of strong and irregular by the IMO. (See 167.1 through 167.15, chapter 2, for additional information.) 482 Strait of Juan De Fuca and Georgia, 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 in- notify the state of any vessel emergency that results in spections of these regulated oil transfers on vessels receiv- the discharge or substantial threat of a discharge of oil to ing fuel for propulsion within Washington waters. Details state waters or that may affect the natural resources of can be found in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) the state within one hour of the onset of the emergency. 317-40. Information is also available at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/prevention/Ves- Tug Escorts for Laden Tankers selTechAssist/Bunkering.html/ Any laden oil tanker, whether enrolled or registered, proceeding east of a line extending from Discovery Island Tank vessels delivering oil in bulk to a non-recreational Light (British Columbia, CN) south to New Dungeness vessel or facility within Washington waters must meet Light (Washington State, US) must be escorted by a tug state oil transfer requirements. They may also be subject or tugs with an aggregate shaft horsepower equivalent to to Washington State oil transfer inspections for these regulated oil transfers. Details can be found in WAC 173- fi ve percent of the deadweight tons of that tanker. For ad- 184. Additional information is available at: ditional details see Washington state law at 88.16 Revised http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/prevention/Ves- Code of Washington (RCW). selTechAssist/vessel_otr.html/ • For a transfer of more than 100 gallons of bulk oil to Emergency Response Tug at Neah Bay a facility or non-recreational vessel, the delivering vessel An industry-funded emergency response tug is located must submit an Advance Notice of Transfer (ANT) report at Neah Bay at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. to Ecology. This ANT must be submitted 24 hours prior to The tug is available 24 hours a day and can be under- the transfer for facilities or within the timeframe required way within twenty minutes of a decision to deploy. The by local USCG Captain of the Port. purpose of the tug is to assist vessels having propulsion • For convenience, the ANT report can be made either: and steering failures or that are directed by either the US online using the Ecology website at: or Canadian Coast Guard to obtain towing assistance. https://secureaccess.wa.gov/ecy/ants, by Among other capabilities, the tug is intended to be able to e-mail: OilTransferNotifi [email protected], or by make up to, stop, hold, and tow a drifting or disabled ves- fax: 360–407–7288 or 800–664–9184.