Appendix A
Additional Information for Washington Boaters

Tsunamis in Washington State

Washington State is on the Pacific “rim of fire,” which is the main generator of seismic events that can create tsunamis. Washington has had tsunamis in the past and can expect another tsunami in the future.

• Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, explosions, landslides, and meteorite impacts can all cause tsunamis.
• Tsunamis are capable of flooding areas hundreds of feet inland past the normal high-tide line. The water moves at 300-600 miles per hour and can crush almost anything in its path.
• Tsunamis can cause rapid changes in the water, including water levels and unpredictable currents, especially in harbors and entrance channels.

tsunami: A series of ocean waves that are caused by disturbances in the earth's crust

It is important for boaters in coastal areas, including Puget Sound, to know what to do if they are on their boat when a tsunami strikes.

• Vessel operators should pre-plan evacuation procedures for moving docked or moored vessels and removing belongings from vessels including insurance and ownership papers.

In the event of a tsunami warning, boaters should consider the following.

• If in deep water (600 feet or greater), stay at sea.
• If time allows, move trailered vessels to an area outside of the evacuation zone.
• If a vessel is in shallow water or a harbor and if time and weather conditions allow it, move the vessel to deep water (at least 1,200 feet deep).
• Once a vessel is taken out to sea, it should not return until an “All Clear” has been issued by the Civil Defense Agency.
• Channel 22 VHF/FM should be monitored for up-to-date information and “All Clear” notifications.
• Vessel operators in the Puget Sound or the Lower Columbia River should anticipate heavy commercial traffic heading seaward.
• If time does not allow moving a docked or moored vessel to deeper water, the best strategy is to leave the vessel and follow local tsunami evacuation route procedures.

Vessel Traffic Systems and Shipping Lanes

Puget Sound has a Vessel Traffic System (VTS) run by the U.S. Coast Guard that oversees the shipping lanes through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Seattle. The Columbia River has shipping lanes but no vessel traffic system. Shipping lanes are identified on nautical charts.

Vessel Traffic System: A service that provides active monitoring and navigational advice for vessels in particularly confined and busy waterways

Commercial ships have limited views from the bridge and require long distances to come to a full stop—often ¾ to 1½ miles. Recreational vessel operators in shipping lanes need to watch for large ships and keep the following in mind.

• Avoid commercial shipping traffic lanes by as wide of a margin as possible.
• Always give commercial traffic the right-of-way. Commercial ships in shipping lanes have right-of-way.

• At night, be extra vigilant and note navigation lights, especially sidelights. If both red and green lights are visible, a vessel is approaching you head-on. Be aware that there may be an unlit space of several hundred yards between bow and stern lights, such as when a tugboat is pushing a barge.
• Stay a lengthy or long distance behind deep-draft traffic.

deep draft: A barge, ship, or ferry operating primarily in the open ocean

• Cross traffic lanes at 90 degrees to the prevailing traffic or as practical.
• Never cross in front of a tugboat or between a tugboat and its tow. A pilot’s “blind spot” can extend for hundreds of feet in front of tugboats and towboats pushing barges.
• Allow ample room when crossing or traveling behind a ship or tugboat. Dangerously strong underwater currents (or wheel wash) created by the engines can extend for hundreds of yards from the ship or tugboat.

wheel wash: Strong underwater current created by a large vessel or tugboat that can result in severe turbulence hundreds of yards behind the vessel

• Never anchor in a shipping lane, and never tie up to a buoy or other navigational aid.
• Do not enter into the direct path of commercial vessels that are approaching bridges and locks. Narrow passageways restrict movement for large vessels and make it dangerous for ships to alter courses.
• When necessary to communicate your position to a ship, contact commercial vessels by VHF-FM radio using the locally-monitored frequency.
  • Do not use a cell phone for distress call. VHF-FM radio is monitored by nearby vessels ready to assist.
  • Contact commercial vessels in Puget Sound on channel 14/5A or 13 VHF/FM.

Boating Safety Tips: Share the Water

Due to their size, commercial ships are allowed only in the deep-draft navigational channel. Consequently, these vessels always have the right-of-way. Their size also makes it difficult for them to slow or maneuver quickly. Recreational watercraft and sailboarders can share the water safely by observing the following:

• Boat on the starboard (right) side of the channel.
• Be visible and vigilant. If it is dark or foggy, carry a radar reflector as high on the boat as possible. Make sure your navigation lights are bright and not obscured by anything.
• Keep a close watch.
• Monitor ship lights. Pay attention to the sidelights rather than the masthead lights. If you see both sidelights, you are dead ahead—move out fast!
• Don’t pass too closely behind a tugboat. You may encounter tow cables and log rafts low in the water.
• Know whistle signals. Five or more short blasts on the whistle mean “DANGER.” Check, and if the signal is for you, make way quickly.
• Use safe anchorages, not buoys. U.S. Coast Guard buoys mark where you must pass. It is illegal and unsafe to tie up to these buoys.
• Beach your boat as high as possible along the shore. Also avoid mooring to pile dikes and jetties. Large vessel movements create a suction or undertow effect along the shore.
• Steer clear of large vessels. Don’t jump wakes, ride close alongside, or cut under the bow or stern.
• Realize that a large vessel can “steal your wind.” Don’t expect to have the same wind you started with when executing a sailing maneuver near a ship or tugboat. That includes sailboards as well as boats.
• Beware when fishing. If you are fishing in the channel, you MUST move when a barge or large ship approaches. You will be cited for blocking the channel—and you endanger yourself—if you don’t move.

Small recreational vessels often cannot be seen from the bridge of commercial vessels. Always stay astern of deep-draft traffic.

Aquatic Nuisance Species in Washington

Aquatic nuisance species, both plant and animal, pose a serious threat to the biological diversity of Washington waters. Many organisms have been spread unintentionally as hitchhikers on recreational vessels and gear. Once nonnative species spread to a new environment with no natural predators, they often kill off native species and cause other negative biological and economic impacts.

The largest concerns for boaters on Washington waters are aquatic weeds and New Zealand mudsnails. Sea squirts are also an issue in parts of Washington, and zebra mussels are a looming, potential problem for Washington.

New Zealand mudsnails: There are established populations of mudsnails in the Columbia River at Young’s Bay and Kalama, in the Snake River on the eastern border of the state, and in waterways on the Long Beach Peninsula.

• New Zealand mudsnails are very small (about ⅛ of an inch long when full grown). Therefore, they are easily transported on gear and in live/bait wells. The snails can reproduce rapidly via asexual reproduction, so it takes only one to start a new infestation. They have no natural predators in the U.S.
• Boaters visiting areas infested with mudsnails need to clean their boats and gear with very hot water and let them dry out for several days. During the wet season, use a weak chlorine solution instead of water.

Aquatic weeds: Nearly every county in Washington is infested with some species of aquatic weed, such as purple loosestrife, giant hogweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, or fanwort.

• It only takes a small fragment to begin a new population of these invasive plants. Once introduced, they rapidly displace native plants and form singlespecies stands. These stands clog waterways and reduce aquatic habitat for fish, waterfowl, and aquatic mammals.
• If boaters leave an area with weeds on their boats, those weeds also can carry a variety of other nuisance species.

Sea squirts: Several species of invasive sea squirts (also known as tunicates) have spread throughout the Puget Sound, turning up in Hood Canal, Birch Bay, Totten Inlet, Des Moines, and Neah Bay. Sea squirt infestation is becoming a critical issue in Washington.

• Sea squirts have no known predators and can quickly cover the hull of boats, pilings, and other hard surfaces, suffocating other sea life. Sea squirts can attach to hulls and anchors and be spread if the vessel is moved from one body of water to another.
• Three types of sea squirts have been discovered in Washington’s waters:
  • Clubbed tunicate (Styela clava), which is native to Asia. This type of sea squirt has very heavy infestations at Pleasant Harbor, Neah Bay, and Blaine.It tends to get on docks, boats, aquaculture lines, and cages.
  • Solitary sea squirt (Ciona savignyi), which is native to Asia. This sea squirt species is found at Eagle Harbor, Des Moines, and South Hood Canal.
  • Colonial sea squirt (Didemnum lahillei), which is native to Europe. This type of sea squirt is found in Okeover Inlet and around Vancouver Island. A small piece of the colony (less than a half-inch square), when transported, can form a new colony.

Zebra mussels: Although not yet a problem in Washington, zebra mussels are still very much a concern.

• Zebra mussels are about an inch or less long. They attach to hard substrates and are often found in clusters. Because the mussels can live out of water for nearly a month, the possibility of them being transported to Washington via a recreational boat exists.
• Zebra mussels have been found in states close to Washington, so boaters who travel out of state with their boats should thoroughly clean their boats and gear before putting them back into Washington waters.

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!

Then follow these steps every time you come in contact with any body of water. By doing so, you can protect your waters from harmful aquatic hitchhikers.

Before leaving a launch area, do a full inspection, removing all visible mud, plants, fish/animals. Examine all your gear, boats, trailers, clothing, buckets etc.

• Remove any visible plants (even plant fragments), fish, or animals.
• Leave any potential hitchhiker at the area you visited.

Eliminate water from all equipment while at the area you visited.

• Remove water from motors, jet drives, live wells, boat hulls, scuba tanks and regulators, boots, waders, bait buckets, and floats.
• Once water is eliminated, clean these items.

Clean and dry anything that came in contact with the water.

• Use hot water to clean your boats, motors, trailers, anchors, decoys, floats, and nets.
• Where available, pressure wash the hull and motor, and any gear exposed to the water.
• Be sure to clean the propeller area and bottom of the hull.
• Dry thoroughly. If possible, allow five days of drying time before entering new waters.

Do not release plants, fish, or animals into a body of water unless they came out of that body of water.

Did you know ... Recently adopted Washington state law prohibits transport of any aquatic nuisance species on any size boats, trailers, fishing gear, or bait wells, and allows state authorities to detain suspected carriers. A list of prohibited aquatic nuisance species in Washington can be found at:http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/ans/index.htm.