What should I watch out for at Mosquito Pass?

Near the south end, at the entrance to Mitchell Bay, a small islet sits close offshore with a rock next to it that has only about six feet of water over it. The safe way past is to keep north of the islet.

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.

Mosquito Pass — Currents, Slack & Local Knowledge

Mosquito Pass 2

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Mosquito Pass is the back-door route into Roche Harbor. It runs along the east side of Henry Island, linking Hanbury Point in the south to Garrison Bay, Westcott Bay, and Roche Harbor in the north. It's only for small boats, and only with someone aboard who knows the water.

Timing

There's no NOAA current station for Mosquito Pass, so there's no predicted current speed for this page. Go through on a moderate stage of the tide rather than trying to time slack water exactly.

Mosquito PassPhoto: Buidhe / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

Coast Pilot, In Plain Words

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

Read the official text

Local magnetic disturbance

Hanbury Point (48°34.7'N., 123°10.3'W.), 3.8 miles north of Lime Kiln Light, is the north entrance point to Mitchell Bay, one of a series of well-sheltered bays on the northwest coast of the island. A small islet 3 feet high is in the center of the bay about 350 yards southeast of the entrance. A rock about 100 yards west of the islet uncovers 6 feet. The only safe passage into the bay is north of the islet. Snug Harbor, a resort and yacht haven on the south side of Mitchell Bay, has about 70 berths with electricity, gasoline, water, ice and limited marine supplies. A launching ramp is available; engine repairs can be made to small craft. Mosquito Pass, available only to small craft with local knowledge, leads north from Hanbury Point to Garrison Bay, Westcott Bay and Roche Harbor.

Henry Island is close west of the north point of San Juan Island, from which it is separated by Mosquito Pass and Roche Harbor.

Roche Harbor has its main entrance between the north end of Henry Island and the west end of Pearl Island, which is marked by a light. Sandspits covered 17 and 18 feet extend into the channel from the islands on each side of the entrance. Entrance to the harbor can also be made from the south through Mosquito Pass between Henry Island and Bazalgette Point. The harbor has depths of 4 to 9 fathoms. It affords good anchorage and in the summer is used extensively by yachts. The harbormaster can be contacted on VHF-FM channel 78A.

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

Local Knowledge

Watch out
Near the south end, at the entrance to Mitchell Bay, a small islet sits close offshore with a rock next to it that has only about six feet of water over it. The safe way past is to keep north of the islet.
Timing
There's no NOAA current station for Mosquito Pass, so there's no predicted current speed for this page. Go through on a moderate stage of the tide rather than trying to time slack water exactly.
Tip
Roche Harbor's main entrance is a separate, wider gap between Henry Island and Pearl Island. Mosquito Pass is the narrower way in from the south. Once inside, Roche Harbor itself has plenty of depth, 24 to 54 feet, and Snug Harbor Resort at Mitchell Bay is a fuel and supply stop near the pass's south end.

Plan a Trip Through Mosquito Pass

1. Start from

2. Cross to the other side of Mosquito Pass

Port of Friday Harbor Marina → Mosquito Pass · 9.5 nm · ~1h 11m at · from the southeast

Full departure plan →

Questions

What is Mosquito Pass?: Mosquito Pass is the back-door route into Roche Harbor. It runs along the east side of Henry Island, linking Hanbury Point in the south to Garrison Bay, Westcott Bay, and Roche Harbor in the north. It's only for small boats, and only with someone aboard who knows the water.
When is the best time to go through Mosquito Pass?: There's no NOAA current station for Mosquito Pass, so there's no predicted current speed for this page. Go through on a moderate stage of the tide rather than trying to time slack water exactly.
What should I watch out for at Mosquito Pass?: Near the south end, at the entrance to Mitchell Bay, a small islet sits close offshore with a rock next to it that has only about six feet of water over it. The safe way past is to keep north of the islet.
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.