Trapped in a Gale on the Salish Sea
A rough winter crossing from Port Townsend to Friday Harbor turns into a life-or-death struggle against the unforgiving winds of the Straits.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Usually, the waters of the Straits of Fuca, as well as the Sound proper, are so still that they are considered smooth water over which passengers seldom become seasick. In the winter time, storms frequently rise that are equally as dangerous as those of the open ocean. On the afternoon of the 25th of November, the schooner 'Chas. H. Marshal' was leaving Port Townsend for Friday Harbor, San Juan Island. We were going on business of Mr. Marsh and M. Nye. We were caught in a sudden gale about six or eight miles from Port Townsend, when it was realized that we were caught in a severe gale. It was impossible to return to Port Townsend and it was equally dangerous to attempt to reach Friday Harbor. The only safe harbor we could reach was the Ship Harbor channel, between Fidalgo and Guemes Islands. The tide began to ebb just about the time the gale struck us. This made our progress slower and caused the sea to rise higher. Mr. Marsh was disabled by seasickness as soon as the storm reached us. Mr. Jeanie Nye was at the wheel during the whole of the storm. Within a few moments after it struck the vessel, we were compelled to take in the mainsail. During the height of the gale, Capt. Coombs put a preventer on the jib, but for which it could not have weathered the storm. In this storm, the waves were estimated to be fully fifteen feet high, and for about one hour, until we were under the lee of Lopez Island, the vessel was almost continually enveloped in a sheet of spray from stem to stem, and her lee rail frequently under water.
“We frequently read of waves being mountains high, a pleasing poetic definition... in this storm the waves were estimated to be fully fifteen feet high.”
Travel across the Salish Sea remains a volatile experience today, with ferry cancellations and storm warnings mirroring the dangers faced by the 'Chas. H. Marshal' in 1878. The reliance on maritime transit continues to define the economic and social tether between our islands and the mainland.
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