I've never seen the Maelstrom so I really don't know. In Deception I saw two steady state whirlpools about 30 feet or more in diameter (at least the visible part was that large) with pinpoint centers. The depth sounder reported 100+ feet all the way through. I'm confident that either of them would have easily taken under a person in PFD. I'm somewhat confident that my M-17, doing hull speed, wouldn't have enough momentum to make it across either one. I'm not saying they couldn't be escaped (after one helluva ride), just that the momentum in and of itself wouldn't be enough. I saw large upwellings of water that bulged upward and gave the water a smooth surface as it sheened down under the force of gravity into a boiling caldron of current. All this was observed at slack +/- 1/2 hour!! At full ebb or flood the current is 9 knots through Deception. If you believe the sea stories of the locals, they go through Deception riding the 9 knot current navigating through the fog by listening to the echo of a bell ring off the canyon walls. On chart 18427, a note appears that cautions to make the pass at slack water since the velocity of the stream at other times makes passage extremely hazardous. I would add that the word 'extremely' should be double underlined. I didn't see any notes about dead heads and the locals seem to think those are the greater hazard in the area. In Rosario Strait I didn't see whirlpools, but I did see the 'water smooth as glass' phenomena frequently. They are always accompanied by a razor sharp edge where the satin smooth gives way to the churning current. The currents in Rosario are capricious. They are ever changing. I picked up a 'lost' (read local) sport fisher at Bird Rocks and he followed me through the fog to Deception at 3 knots (Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!). As many course to steer changes I made, he must have thought I lied when I told him I had GPS. We came out of the fog just on the north side of Deception Island where, true to power boaters, he applied power and left me a wave of the hand and one helluva wake to deal with. I know we have people on the list with M-boats in that area. I'd be interested in hearing what they have to say about Deception Pass, approaches to Deer Harbor through the Wasp Islands, Harney Channel, and other places they have found "interesting". Personally, I found it the richest, most rewarding, most challenging, most draining sailing experience yet. I let go of mooring balls late and picked them up early. There was NO night sailing, which is really my favorite. Dan Doug Kelch wrote:
Intersting article! Surely Deception pass is not in the same class as the Maelstrom.
It is impressive what an underwater ledge can do to surface water with even a 1 - 3 kt current.
Doug "Seas the Day"