Entrance to Kilisut harbor (Puget sound) - currents? advice?

[SaintOckwell]

Next week I'm planning to go into Kilisut harbor, near Port Townsend in Puget Sound. I'll be in a 40' sailboat with a 6' draft. I've studied the charts and understand the route. I'll be entering and exiting at about mid-tide. The depth is well marked on charts, but I'm unsure what the current will be like at mid-tide - how strong, and whether it runs in a similar path to the channel or perpendicular to it. Anyone out there gone into/out of Kilisut Harbor at mid-tide and seen what the current does?

[TrentePieds]

I'm sure you've already seen this or the equivalent:

https://www.tideking.com/United-Stat...ilisut-Harbor/

What I would do is think as follows: At Kilisut the afternoon tide (today) rises about 8 feet, about 2/3 of the rise of a spring tide. Nothing much to write home about.

Kilisut is entered by a narrow, curved entrance at the north end and is closed at the south end, so there will be no thru-flow of vast quantities of water. All that has to happen is that some of the water from Puget sound will flow into Kilisut on the flood. Kilisut is 5 miles long and not very wide, so the water volume isn't anything to write home about either.

So, extrapolating my experience from other places in the Salish Sea, I would expect a current of 3 knots maximum at mid tide for a rise of 8 feet.

In a straight channel, that would be nothing to worry about in a 40 foot boat. But the curve at the entrance might throw you a curve. And besides, the current will be "in-bound" and might, if you muff it, set you on the shore. Be cautious. But in any event, from mid-tide to slack water is only a three hour wait, so why not wait?

Wait a single hour past mid tide and the current will have slowed to 1 knot or so. A trick I've often used in dodgy passes such as Dodd Narrows is to STEM a fair tide. Turn the boat around and slow down. A 3-knot inbound tide will, if you are going 1 knot, set you through the channel, apparently BACKWARDS at 2 knots in the direction you want to go. But you have steerage way through the water. All you have to do is keep nicely centered in the pass by judicious changing your heading a few degrees one way or the other. While you are doing it, what you need to do at any given moment is really, really obvious! And if you don't like what's developing while you are doing it, then goose 'er to your hull speed which for you is, say, 9 knots, and drive 'er back out to sea.

I, myself, wouldn't worry about entering Kilisut. The only tricky bit appears to be the actual entrance. Bot it's 200 yards wide. That is 15 boat lengths for you. Under power you should be able to reverse course in less than 3 boat lengths! I can do it in TP in ONE boat length.

The least reported depth at the entrance that I have seen is 5 feet, but that would be unreliable because it is a sandy/muddy, and therefore shifting, bottom. This too speaks in favour of waiting till the slack after the afternoon flood tide. You should then have 5 + 8 = 13 beet of water, or, say, 6 feet under your keel as you come through the gap at the entrance.

Small boat navigation is just another way of playing chess :-) Predict (accurately) what your opponent (the environment) is gonna do. You do that by observing things around you. Then you plan you own moves several moves ahead to counter your opponent's game plan.

So don't get fixated on your chart plotter going into Kilisut :-) Just watch what's going on around you and respond appropriately. You don't need current tables :-)

All the best to you.

TrentePieds

[Panope]

I have transited in/out Kilisut harbor approximately 30 times in the last year. About 10 times in Panope (4 foot draft, 6 knot) and 20 times in an outboard skiff.

I have not noticed any current running other than parallel to the direction of travel. No eddies or whirlpools either.

Max current that I recall seeing was 2 knots, but there could have been more at a peak Spring tide.

This is an easy entrance with nice soft "edges". I recommend transiting during a flood in case an error is made.

Steve

[SaintOckwell]

Thank you Panope! Two last questions - would you have any hesitation about taking a boat w/ a 6 foot draft through the entrance to Kilisut between mid-tide and high-tide?

And for staying overnight in Kilisut, if the mooring balls in Mystery Bay are all taken, would you prefer anchoring in Mystery Bay, or anchoring somewhere else in Kilisut?

[Panope]

Originally Posted by SaintOckwell

Thank you Panope! Two last questions - would you have any hesitation about taking a boat w/ a 6 foot draft through the entrance to Kilisut between mid-tide and high-tide?

And for staying overnight in Kilisut, if the mooring balls in Mystery Bay are all taken, would you prefer anchoring in Mystery Bay, or anchoring somewhere else in Kilisut?

You're welcome, Saint.

I went through about a month ago (in the skiff) at a minus 1.5 feet tide. Minimum depth that I saw was 6 feet. Might have been deeper as there was heavy weed visible over the side (depth sounder may have been reading the weed).

North of Mystery bay, in the entrance channel are a several nice mooring balls at Fort Flagler State Park. I frequently see boats at anchor just to the South of those balls, as well. That park is large and scenic with miles of beaches.

If you wish to be alone, the entire south 2/3rds. of Kilisut Harbor is wide open for anchoring, albeit with exposure to whatever wind chop might develope.

I have conducted a massive series of anchor tests at the Extreme South end of Kilisut Harbor (Scow Bay). In that area, the bottom consists of a very soft mud. Many anchors have only a fraction of thier "Sandy Mud" (more common around these parts) holding power.

Note that the entire (magnificent, undeveloped) west shore of Kilisut Harbor is U.S. Navy property and is restricted. Great places to anchor on that side, but no shore access.

Have fun.

Steve

[SaintOckwell]

Hi Panope - wow, that is the best local knowledge I could hope for. Thanks very much for generously sharing!

Based on your measurement, it looks like the shallowest bit of the entrance is going to be around 7 ft (at 0 tide height). The high tide is a little later in the day than I'd like (around 7 PM), which means my window of tide and daylight is a bit narrow. I'm a little wary of having tight time constraints when sailing a new area, so I'm going to play it safe and skip Kilisut this time. I definitely look forward to trying it another time.

All the best!

[SailingPNW]

It's pretty easy to get as far as Fort Flagler, the channel is well marked and if you have a modern chartplotter, the maps should be accurate. Anchoring is pretty easy just past the mooring balls. If your on a time table I would probably skip going as far as Mystery bay due to the lengthy trip since you have to stay in the channel and it circles around a bit. The shallowest part is in that channel as well, so you avoid that if you stop at Ft Flagler.

As for currents, it hasn't ever really been a problem. For the tides even low tide hasn't been an issue, though I have avoided starting into the channel at negative tide.

[brianc]

We did this July 17, around noon, so approx 4 ft tide in a 7.5 draft boat. We had no problems, I don't recall any current that impacted us, but there was definitely current flowing at the Flagler moorings, but maybe a knot or two, not a ton.

I do remember an article somewhere that said don't do straight point to point transits between markers, instead make it a smooth curved path, and I found this to be especially true between red 8 and red 10, where a straight line will put you through the shallowest part, so watch the charts in that area and follow the shape of the land to port.

All of the moorings in Mystery Bay were closed. I don't know if they've fixed them yet. We anchored west of the voluntary no anchor zone, it was mud/sandy mud and no issues. One of the Ft Flager buoys looked suspect.

On shore at Mystery Bay there's not much, if I wanted to walk around I would stay at the Ft Flagler buoys if one was available.

[Cheechako]

Man, I never had the cajones to go through there in a sailboat. Even a small keel boat. I've waded part way into that entrance while staying at the park. Never saw a sailboat go through but small powerboats did. It looked like it would be a cool place to anchor though, protected.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by SaintOckwell

Thank you Panope! Two last questions - would you have any hesitation about taking a boat w/ a 6 foot draft through the entrance to Kilisut between mid-tide and high-tide?
And for staying overnight in Kilisut, if the mooring balls in Mystery Bay are all taken, would you prefer anchoring in Mystery Bay, or anchoring somewhere else in Kilisut?

With our 6.5 foot draft 20 ton ketch we like to arrive at an "S" entrance like Kilisut at high tide slack, the timing is easy if you're anchoring at Port Townsend as we usually do before visiting Marrowstone. You might be going against the current before arriving at your destination but it shouldn't be too strong less than an hour after slack when you arrive in Mystery Bay.



If no mooring balls are available and you want to visit Fort Flagler, you can anchor just south of the mooring balls for good holding. If no mooring balls in Mystery Bay there is a great anchorage with lots of room just outside the entrance to the north. I've seen boats anchor at the entrance across from the mooring bouys but i prefer to be out of the way.

[bumpman]

I'm local, and the moorings at Mystery Bay are still closed due to not being able to get a diver to inspect them. One of the mooring balls at Ft. Flager is also closed and others have issues. A worrisome part of the entrance is right in front of the Ft. Flagler dock; be sure to stay within the channel. A large sailboat was hard aground a couple of weeks ago just a few feet outside of the channel markers. Throughout what's called the 'slalom run' be aware not only of depth but also late summer tall aquatic grass that can foul your prop. It's a nice bay though. Enjoy!

[Adelie]

I used to send my keelboat students in there after dark as a final test. Only had one of them go aground, and softly at that, it’s all sand.

It’s well marked, if not lit. Plot your courses for each leg and carry a 6v flashlight. The only trick was figuring out that the entrance was not in the gap between the islands but the middle of the island on the right.

OP is going during the day, they should have minimal problems.