dead on - I have cut the corner turning in where Jon describes and agree you would not want to do it any closer than that, although you might be tempted. Once you sight the outside buoys I don't see why you would rely on the chartplotter; after turning you can see the greens, funneling you in along the rocks which is where you do not want your motor to fail.

By the time you approach the channel by the rocks, the current is the factor, not the waves. I think the nastier the weather and the more uncertain you might be, the more you would be inclined to go further out to make the turn.. There is no visible doubt that there is something happening at the end of the north jetty and this is more apparent in fresh breezes. And you know that if you go out you will be safe, even though it will take another 30 minutes and you would be bucking the wavers heading ESE to head out to the further buoys. OTOH, it would be also easy to see a decision process of trading off getting in before dark against the risk of cutting it close.

If he decided to head out (which the picture seems to indicate the final resting place is due east) a little too late and his engine failed, he would get hammered along the north side of the jetty pretty quick. You could not sail your way out of that.