Procedure Shilshole to Sand Point

        

Procedure Seattle to Sand Point 

CORRECTION Per information from Walter:

“Canoes will leave Suquamish in order of protocol and will arrive at Shilshole in order of protocol.”

Canoes and support boats will group up by region at Shilshole Bay (near Golden Gardens Park) Seattle, WA, July 31st. By region the canoes and support boats will depart together and paddle around to the left to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks – Ballard Locks. The actual name of the locks is the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard. 

    

Each canoe needs to have a length of tie-up rope about 25 ft. and a couple of those float-bumpers for each side of the canoe.

At the direction of Locks managers over the loud speaker, the canoes and support boats will enter the designated lock.  Canoes will raft-up, side-by-side across the width of the lock. Those canoes on the outside (near the walls) will tie-up to the sides of the lock and remain tied there throughout the rising of the water, and until the lock attendants tell them to untie from the side.  

On departing the lock at the direction of the lock attendants, the canoes and support boats will continue through the ship canal.

It is advised to stay to the right side while traveling through the canal and Lake Union. And be sure to heed the marker buoy’s. There are some rocky shallows that you don’t want to hit, or drag bottom along.

The canal is a few miles, and you go under several big bridges. Then, after passing the University of Washington stadium on the left shore, and you get around into Lake Washington it opens up toward the North and West. Follow that around to the Northwest (leaving room for traffic along the left shore). You can still keep to the right (but not far right) as you continue through Lake Washington. 

At the place where the canoes are to land, there will be some big old military installation buildings on the left. There is an area with a cement bulkhead and beyond that is beach area. This is where the landing will take place. After the canoe entry ceremonies, the canoes will be loaded onto trailers and taken over to Muckleshoot where everyone will gather for feasting, presentations, ceremonies, and more wonderful things. Here is a general information map to help, and there are others on the Directions to Locks and Directions to Sand Point and Maps pages of this blog.

It will take about 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours from Shilshole Bay to Sand Point. 

More information to be added to these pages as it comes in, so stay tuned.