Drayton Passage 2
Open the map ↗

Drayton Passage runs about 3 miles between Key Peninsula and Anderson Island, connecting Pitt Passage and Balch Passage at its north end to Nisqually Reach at its south end.

Timing

Current runs 1 to 2 knots at the southwest end of the channel.

Coast Pilot, In Plain Words

Here is what the U.S. Coast Pilot says about Drayton Passage and the water around it. The official text is below.

Read the official text

Currents

From here the route to Olympia continues southwest and west through Balch Passage, Drayton Passage and Dana Passage, thence south into Budd Inlet. This route is deep and generally free of dangers.

Caution

Drayton Passage, between Key Peninsula and Anderson Island, is about 3 miles long in a north direction; at its north end, it connects with Pitt Passage and Balch Passage, and at its south end joins the west part of Nisqually Reach. With the exception of a spit extending 0.2 mile from the west shore, marked by a lighted buoy, the waters are deep and free of dangers. A small-boat launching ramp is 0.25 mile north of the light. Estimated current velocities of 1 to 2 knots occur at the southwest end of the passage.

Filucy Bay, on the west shore opposite Balch Passage, is about 1.5 miles long and irregular in shape; it is 0.4 mile wide at the entrance. Good anchorage in 7 to 8 fathoms, muddy bottom, is available. There are numerous houses around the shores of this bay. Longbranch, a village in the small cove opposite the entrance, has a pier and floats for about 30 fishing and pleasure craft.

Source: U.S. Coast Pilot 10, Chapter 8, 7 ed. (NOAA, Office of Coast Survey). Updated weekly. Official Coast Pilot ↗

Local Knowledge

  • Watch out

    A spit reaches 0.2 mile from the west shore, marked by a lighted buoy. Away from that spit the water is deep and clear.

  • Timing

    Current runs 1 to 2 knots at the southwest end of the channel.

  • Tip

    Longbranch, a small village with a pier and floats, sits in the cove opposite Filucy Bay on the west shore near the channel.

Plan a Trip Through Drayton Passage

1. Start from

Nearest harbor on each side of the narrows. Pick a side to start there.

2. Cross to the other side of Drayton Passage

Longbranch Marina → Drayton Passage · 2.0 nm · ~0h 15m at · from the north

Stations & Data

Times are NOAA predictions, not live readings. Open a station for its full tide and current charts.

Questions

What is Drayton Passage?
Drayton Passage runs about 3 miles between Key Peninsula and Anderson Island, connecting Pitt Passage and Balch Passage at its north end to Nisqually Reach at its south end.
When is the best time to go through Drayton Passage?
Current runs 1 to 2 knots at the southwest end of the channel.
What should I watch out for at Drayton Passage?
A spit reaches 0.2 mile from the west shore, marked by a lighted buoy. Away from that spit the water is deep and clear.
What does Class 2 mean?
Class 2 is BoatRoutes' own 1-to-5 rating of how costly a timing or judgment mistake is here — it is not a NOAA scale. Class 2 means one thing to plan around (depth, a schedule, or mild current); getting it wrong costs time, not safety.

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.