Deer Harbor Entrance 1
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Deer Harbor sits east of Steep Point in the Wasp Islands group, with good anchorage in 6 to 7 fathoms about a fifth of a mile from the head.

Timing

Deer Harbor sits east of Steep Point in the Wasp Islands group, with good anchorage in 6 to 7 fathoms about a fifth of a mile from the head.

Coast Pilot, In Plain Words

Here is what the U.S. Coast Pilot says about Deer Harbor Entrance and the water around it. The official text is below.

Read the official text

Turn Island to Gull Rock

North Pass, between Steep Point on Orcas Island and the Wasp Islands, leads east from San Juan Channel to Deer Harbor and into Pole Pass. The pass is about 0.2 mile wide between Steep Point and Reef Island and is free of outlying dangers, except for a rock covered 10 feet, 0.3 mile east of the north end of Reef Island.

Deer Harbor, east of Steep Point, has good anchorage in 6 to 7 fathoms about 0.2 mile from the head. Fawn Island is near the entrance of the harbor and about 200 yards from the west shore; vessels may pass on either side. The east shore of Deer Harbor should be given a berth of at least 300 yards because of a shoal that in some places extends more than 200 yards off.

Deer Harbor, on the east side of the harbor, is a village with stores, a marina and an inn. Pleasure boats call here frequently in the summer. The marina has about 100 berths, including 65 transient berths that can accommodate craft up to 100 feet. Services available include electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, pump-out facility, launching ramp, marine supplies and a 40-ton marine railway, and full repairs can be made.

Crane Island is off the entrance to Deer Harbor and about 1 mile southeast of Steep Point. The north shore of the island is foul with bare and covered rocks within 250 yards of it. A shoal covered ½ fathom is 350 yards north of the center of the north side of the island, and a rock that uncovers 5 feet is 200 yards off the east point, with foul ground between it and the shore.

Source: U.S. Coast Pilot 10, Chapter 7, 7 ed. (NOAA, Office of Coast Survey). Updated weekly. Official Coast Pilot ↗

Local Knowledge

  • Watch out

    Crane Island sits off the entrance with rocky, foul ground on its north shore, plus a shoal covered by half a fathom and a rock that bares at 5 feet off its east point. Give the island's north and east sides room.

  • Tip

    The harbor's east shore carries its own shoal, reaching over 200 yards out in places — stay at least 300 yards off. The village on the east side has a marina with about 100 berths, including 65 for visitors, plus fuel, ice, and a launching ramp.

Plan a Trip Through Deer Harbor Entrance

1. Start from

2. Cross to the other side of Deer Harbor Entrance

Port of Friday Harbor Marina → Deer Harbor Entrance · 6.5 nm · ~0h 49m at · from the south

Full departure plan →

Questions

What is Deer Harbor Entrance?
Deer Harbor sits east of Steep Point in the Wasp Islands group, with good anchorage in 6 to 7 fathoms about a fifth of a mile from the head.
What should I watch out for at Deer Harbor Entrance?
Crane Island sits off the entrance with rocky, foul ground on its north shore, plus a shoal covered by half a fathom and a rock that bares at 5 feet off its east point. Give the island's north and east sides room.
What does Class 1 mean?
Class 1 is BoatRoutes' own 1-to-5 rating of how costly a timing or judgment mistake is here — it is not a NOAA scale. Class 1 means no meaningful timing constraint — ordinary care and a chart.

Predictions, not observations · U.S. Coast Pilot 10 (7 ed.)

U.S. Coast Pilot text is a work of the U.S. Government and is in the public domain. Per 17 U.S.C. §403, no copyright is claimed in that text. BoatRoutes is not endorsed by NOAA.