Barnegat Lighthouse is made and then haul across for Shinnecock Bay Light, and follow the south shore of Long Island.

Many vessels have grounded in fog on the south sides of Block Island and Long Island. Undoubtedly many of these could have been avoided if frequent soundings had been taken when approaching the coast or if use had been made of radio direction-finder bearings.

From 12 mile off Block Island westward to longitude 71° 46.5' W. this entrance of Block Island Sound has been examined by means of a wire drag. The deepest passage in this entrance is just westward of Southwest Ledge and has a width of over 2 miles; this is the best passage for deep-draft vessels. Rounding the southwest end of Block Island at a distance of 11⁄2 miles leads through the middle of a passage about 11⁄2 miles wide with a depth of 6 fathoms (11 m.), which is marked by a perpendicularly striped whistle buoy, located 12 miles southwestward from Southwest Point.

GARDINERS BAY (CHART 298)

is at the western end of Block Island Sound, from which it is separated by Gardiners Island. It is an excellent anchorage and easily entered either day or night. It is the approach to Shelter Island Sound and the Peconic Bays, localities frequented by numerous yachts and motor boats during the summer. The main part of the bay has been examined by means of a wire drag. In addition to the lighthouses, the white church spires at Orient and Sag Harbor are prominent and can be used as aids to navigation. The principal entrance is from eastward, northward of Gardiners Point, and is available for vessels of any draft. The entrance from Long Island Sound is through Plum Gut, and there is an entrance southward of Gardiners Island (Promised Land Channel), that is used by fishing vessels (see the description following). The nearest marine railways are at Greenport, New London and Fishers Island Sound. There are numerous oyster stakes in the bay and small craft should proceed with caution when crossing areas where they are found.

Plum Island is 21⁄2 miles long, hilly, bare of trees except near the southwest end, has a number of large buildings, and is marked at its westerly end by Plum Island Lighthouse. The wharf on the north side of the island, % mile from the eastern end, has a depth of about 15 feet (4.6 m) at its end. The bight in the southeast side of Plum Island is foul out to Plum Island Rock, which lies 1/2 mile from shore abreast the middle of the island, has 1 foot (0.3 m) over it, and is marked by a red buoy.

Plum Gut Harbor, on the southwest side of Plum Island, has an entrance between jetties and had depth of 14 feet (4.3 m) in the entrance and harbor, but it is reported that there has been some shoaling up in this area. Pile dolphins mark the channel between the jetties, and it is necessary only to stand in midway between them on a 25° true (NE. 5% N. mag.) course and go to the wharf. Two red lights, one above the other, mark the end of the jetty on the north side of the entrance.

Plum Island Lighthouse is a white tower on granite dwelling.

Plum Gut, the entrance to Gardiners Bay from Long Island Sound, is nearly 3/4 mile wide and has sufficient water for vessels of the deepest draft; in the passage there are several rocks, with depths of 17 to 19 feet (5.2 to 5.8 m) over them, and the tidal currents set through with great velocity; but steamers, or sailing vessels with a strong favorable wind, should have no difficulty in passing. Slack water occurs about 14 hours earlier than in the Race (see page 119). The strength of flood and ebb, respectively, occur about 14 hours before the strength of flood and ebb at the Race (about 212 hours before high and low water at New London, respectively), and have an average velocity of about 33⁄4 knots. The flood sets northwest and the ebb southeast.

Plum Island Lighthouse is on the eastern side of the passage, and Orient Point Lighthouse is near the end of Oyster Pond Reef, on the western side of the passage.

A wire drag set to 16 or 17 feet (4.9 or 5.2 m) has been passed over the broken ground in Plum Gut between (but not over) Midway Shoal and the end of Oyster Pond Reef, passing 350 yards eastnortheastward of Orient Point Lighthouse; and over the Middle Ground, passing 250 yards westward of Plum Island Lighthouse. This insures a clear channel for vessels of about 15 feet (4.6 m) draft at low water by avoiding Midway Shoal; it is well to give Plum Island and Orient Point Lighthouses and the shore of Plum Island, just southward of Plum Gut Harbor, a berth of 1⁄4 mile. The best water in the passage will be found on a 295° true (NW. 5% W. mag.) course, passing Pine Point and Midway Shoal buoy at a distance of 350 yards and passing midway between Orient Point and Plum Island Lighthouses.

Orient Point Lighthouse is a brown, conical tower on a black pier near the eastern end of the shoalest part of Oyster Pond Reef. There are numerous bowlders and little depth between the lighthouse and Orient Point. The lighthouse should be given a berth of over 350 yards when northward and east-northeastward of it. The wharf on the south side of Orient Point, 1 mile westward of the lighthouse, has a depth of 8 feet (2.4 m) at its end. A steamer from New London and Montauk stops here during the summer.

Ram Head is a prominent yellow bluff on the western shore of Gardiners Bay. There is a lower bluff nearly 111⁄2 miles westward of Ram Head with a house on top. A shoal with 7 to 12 feet (2.1 to 3.7 m) over it extends 12 miles southeastward from Ram Head. A bowlder with 1 foot (0.3 m) over it and marked by a bush stake, lies 230 yards from shore about 650 yards northeastward of the northern point of the entrance to Coecles Harbor. There are other bowlders with little depth between this bowlder and Ram Island.

Coecles Harbor has its entrance at the south end of Ram Head; it is little used. A depth of 4 feet (1.2 m) can be taken across the bar on a 248° true (W. 34 S. mag.) course for the north point at the entrance; the latter should be passed close to, not over 100 feet off. Inside this point the chart is the guide. This course leads close southward of the bowlder mentioned above.

Threemile Harbor, on the south side of Gardiners Bay, has a dredged channel, over a shifting bar, leading into it. It is reported

that 8 feet (2.4 m) can be carried to the lagoon. A red and a black buoy mark the entrance channel, and then it leads between two short jetties. There is a light on the east one. After passing the jetty light the channel is marked by round black and white buoys, maintained locally, which can be passed on either side.

From the south end of Threemile Harbor there is a channel through the lagoon to a boatyard on its southeast bight. Boat supplies and gasoline can be obtained. There is a railway for boats 40 feet long and 5-foot draft. The difficult parts of the channel into the lagoon are buoyed by private interests. The tidal currents have a velocity of about 3 knots through the entrance of Threemile Harbor. Hog Creek Point, south of Gardiners Bay, is generally flat, with bluffs of approximately 25 feet in height. There is a boys' school with a landing at Fireplace just east of the point. Lionhead Rock, off the point, is awash at high water. There are fish traps westward of the point.

Cartwright Island, locally known as Ram Island, is a narrow, low sandy island 114 miles long, extending in a southerly direction off the south tip of Gardiners Island. Its size and shape is subject to considerable change by storms.

Napeague Bay. The passage southward of Gardiners Island, known as Promised Land Channel, is used principally by fishing vessels. The deepest draft of the vessels using the channel from Napeague Bay to Promised Land is 16 feet (4.9 m), but coal-laden vessels drawing as much as 20 feet (6.1 m) occasionally enter with the aid of local knowledge.

Promised Land Channel is well marked by buoys. The channel has a least depth of 14 to 16 feet (4.3 to 4.9 m) in the center, but the shoals are shifting in character and local knowledge is necessary for vessels of over 10-foot (3 m) draft. The tidal currents have an average velocity at strength of about 11⁄2 knots through all the channels between the shoals.

Promised Land is a fishing village on the southwest side of Napeague Bay. Coal, gasoline, fresh water, and provisions in limited quantities can be obtained here. The depths at the wharves are 19 feet (5.8 m) and under. A depth of 7 feet (2.1 m) can be carried to the landing of the Devon Yacht Club, 14 miles westward of Promised Land.

Directions. In the absence of local knowledge it is not considered advisable for vessels of a greater draft than 10 feet (3 m) to attempt the passage to Promised Land or through to Gardiners Bay, and then only when the buoys can be seen. Due to frequent changes occurring here, no directions are given. The buoys should be followed with the aid of the latest edition of chart 298.

Napeague Harbor, having its entrance northeastward of Hicks Island, can be entered by vessels up to 7-foot (2.1 m) draft at low water and is frequently used by small local craft, especially in northeasterly weather, when the adjoining bays are unsafe. The entrance is very narrow and is usually staked. There are no landings in the harbor.

Gardiners Island is partly wooded and has an elevation of 130 feet (40 m) near its middle. Crow Head is the high bluff at the western end of Gardiners Island. Crow Shoal extends 134 miles

west-southwestward from Crow Head and is marked at its western end by a horizontally striped buoy. The shoal is generally steep-to. Bostwick Bay is the bight on the northwest side of Gardiners Island. It affords excellent anchorage in easterly winds in depths of 24 to 25 feet (7.3 to 7.6 m), but is exposed to all westerly winds. There are no dangers in the bay or its approaches, with the exception of Crow Shoal and the bar extending from the north point of Gardiners Island to Gardiners Point.

Gardiners Point is a low spit on which there are the ruins of a concrete structure about 20 feet (6 m) high, and lies at the northerly end of the very shoal bar which extends 111⁄2 miles north-northwestward from Gardiners Island. This shoal is steep-to on its north and west sides and is marked at its north end by a lighted buoy and a bell buoy. A channel is gradually cutting across the shoal between Gardiners Point and the island, but it should not be attempted without local knowledge. There is a rock with a depth of 112 feet over it, just east of the north point of Gardiners Island, about 3,960 yards 1282 true (SE. 1⁄2 S. mag.) from the ruins at Gardiners Point.

Tides. The mean rise and fall of tides is about 212 feet.

DIRECTIONS, GARDINERS BAY

Courses to Gardiners Bay entrance are given in the directions for Block Island Sound. Little Gull Island and Orient Point Lighthouses and Gardiners Island lighted and bell buoys are the principal guides for the entrance from Block Island Sound. This entrance is over 1 mile wide between the 6-fathom (11 m) curve on the broken ground surrounding Constellation Rock and Bedford Reef and the 6-fathom (11 m) curve eastward of Gardiners Point. A 274° true (WNW. 12 W. mag.) course for Orient Point Lighthouse leads in about the deepest water through the middle of this channel. When past Gardiners Island lighted and bell buoys vessels can stand over for an anchorage which affords the best lee in the prevailing winds, or from abreast Gardiners Island lighted and bell buoys deep-draft vessels can steer westward or west-southwestward until Orient Point Lighthouse bears north, and then bring it astern on a 167° true (S. mag.) course, which leads in a least depth of about 6 fathoms (11 m) until approaching the southern end of the bay. The principal dangers are the broken ground between Constellation Rock and Bedford Reef, the shoal making out to Gardiners Point, and Crow Shoal. The shoaling is generally abrupt in approaching these dangers. In general the shoaling is gradual in approaching these shoals on the western side of the bay. There are fish pounds and many oyster stakes on most of the shoals.

Plum Gut is used by vessels entering Gardiners Bay from Long Island Sound. (See the description of Plum Gut preceding.) Courses to the north and south entrances of Shelter Island Sound are given in the directions under that heading.

SHELTER ISLAND SOUND AND PECONIC BAYS (CHARTS 298 AND 299)

These waters extend westward from Gardiners Bay about 22 miles to Riverhead, the head of navigation on Peconic River. They are much frequented by yachts and motor boats in summer, and there

SHELTER ISLAND SOUND

137

are many summer resorts. There are fish traps and oyster stakes on many of the shoals.

Channels.-At low water a depth of 21 feet (6.4 m) can be carried through the north part of Shelter Island Sound and Little Peconic Bay as far as Robins Island, and 13 feet (4 m) through the south part of Shelter Island Sound. Across the bar between Little and Great Peconic Bays 12 feet (3.7 m) can be carried at low water, and there is a greater depth in Great Peconic Bay. A depth of 6 feet (1.8 m) at low water can be carried to South Jamesport; above this only launches and lighters go as far as Riverhead. From Great Peconic Bay boats of 4-foot (1.2 m) draft can be taken through Shinnecock Canal and by inside waters along the south side of Long Island to East Rockaway Inlet.

Pilots. There are no regular pilots. The piloting is generally done by fishermen or masters of small local vessels.

Towboats are rarely used, but they can be obtained from New London. The oyster steamers are available in case of necessity. Supplies.-Coal, gasoline, provisions, ice, water, and ship chandlery can be best obtained at Greenport and Sag Harbor.

Repairs.-There are several shipyards and marine railways at Greenport, also inclosed basins with excellent facilities for laying up and fitting out yachts. The largest marine railway is 180 feet long, with a capacity of 1,200 tons, and can haul out vessels up to 20-foot draft aft and 8-foot draft forward. Ordinary repairs to machinery can be made.

Ice obstructs navigation in the coves and shallow harbors for about two months (January and February). There is some drift ice at Greenport, but not sufficient to interfere with navigation. In the south arm of Shelter Island Sound the ice is sufficiently heavy at times to be destructive to structures exposed to it.

Tides. The mean rise and fall of the tides is about 212 feet. Currents. The tidal currents have considerable velocity wherever the channel is narrowed. The estimated velocity at strength in the narrower places is 111⁄2 knots or more.

In the entrance to Little Peconic Bay slack before flood and ebb occur about 4 hour after the corresponding slack at the Race (approximately 212 hours after low and high water at New London). The average velocity at strength of current is about 134 knots.

SHELTER ISLAND SOUND, NORTH PART

Extensive flats make off from Ram Head and the shore between it and Hay Beach Point. Southward and southwestward of Long Beach Bar Lighthouse there are depths of 5 feet (1.5 m) for a distance of nearly 34 mile from the south shore, and the edge of the shoal is marked by a black buoy. The northerly part of these shoals, extending 1/2 mile off the eastern side of Hay Beach Point, are known as Hay Beach Point Flats and are marked at the northeast end by a lighted buoy. From southward of Long Beach Bar Lighthouse to Hay Beach Point the edge of the shoal is steep-to. Hay Beach Point is a low flat with a clump of scrub at the end, backed by wooded highland. There are fish pounds in places on the shoals and on both sides of Long Beach Point.