private stakes or barrel buoys. At the lighted buoy eastward of Barley Point the channel is narrow and turns sharply from west to northwest, and care is necessary to avoid the shoal on the north side when bound west, and the submerged stone dike on the south side of the channel eastward of the light when bound east. From the lighted buoy head for the lighted buoy off Upper Rocky Point, and then follow the channel as marked by lighted buoys and bush stakes to the north opening in Oceanic Bridge, giving the stakes a berth of about 30 or 40 feet. The draw opening of the bridge is 952 feet wide. A stake, 300 yards eastward of the bridge, marks the east side of a channel for boats across the shoal middle ground.

Just west of the bridge is the steamboat landing, depth 7 feet (2.1 m), at Oceanic, from which the channel leads northwestward; the west end of the middle ground on the north side of the channel is marked by a bush stake. The landings above Oceanic are Locust Point, depth 7 feet (2.1 m), Fairhaven, depth 8 feet (2.4 m), and Red Bank, depth 7 feet (2.1 m). The narrow channel leading to Red Bank is marked on both sides of the entrance and on the east side at the turns by bush stakes, and is good for a depth of 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m). The bottom in Navesink River is hard sand from the entrance to Oceanic Bridge, above which the bottom is soft.

Reeves Channel and the channel in Shrewsbury River are marked

by several lighted buoys, which are maintained from April 1 to November 1, and by bush stakes. The horizontally striped lighted buoy on the west side of the channel at the entrance is off the north end of a submerged jetty, which shows only at lowest tides. There is also a private spindle about 100 yards southward of this buoy. The channel leads through the east opening (Width 80 feet) in Seabright Bridge, which has a vertical clearance of 9 feet (2.7 m) above mean high water when closed. There is a short rock jetty on the east side of the channel just northward of the lighted buoy off the northeast end of Sedge Island.

At the lighted buoy on the south side, 1 mile farther up, the channel turns sharply from west to southwest. From the entrance to this lighted buoy the bottom is hard sand, and above it the bottom is soft. The channel leads through the east opening (width 70 feet, vertical clearance 7.9 feet (2.4 m) above mean high water when closed) of the bridge crossing Pleasure Bay, and then leads for the steamboat dock at Long Branch. The largest vessel navigating the river to this dock is over 200 feet long and 5 feet (1.5 m) draft. Above it the channel is good for about 6 feet (1.8 m) at low water.

Sandy Hook, including Island Beach, is a Government reservation down to the north end of Highland Beach, and landing is not permitted. Highland Beach, Navesink Beach, Normandie, Seabright, Monmouth Beach and Long Branch are summer resorts, with railroad communication, on the outside beach. Motor boat supplies can be obtained at Seabright and Long Branch. There are marine railways for small craft at Seabright. Storm warnings are displayed at Long Branch, Sandy Hook, and Red Bank. Highlands, a town on the west side of the entrance, is a summer resort and has only a small native population during the winter. Fishing is the chief industry. The wharf of the Long Branch

Steamboat Co., about 150 yards north of the bridge, has about 8 feet (2.4 m) alongside. In 1932, the steamers were landing 3% mile northward of the bridge, at a private gasoline wharf, with 8 feet (2.4 m) at its end. During the summer months daily steamboat communication is maintained between New York, Highlands and Long Branch. The wharf south of the bridge is no longer used. Gasoline, water, and other supplies can be obtained. The Central Railroad of New Jersey connects Highlands with New York and with Long Branch, Asbury Park, and points to the south.

Fairhaven, a suburb of Red Bank, lies about 1 mile below the Oceanic Bridge on the Navesink River. There is a landing with depth of 6 feet (1.8 m) to 8 feet (2.4 m). Gasoline and supplies in limited quantities can be obtained. There is a boat-building plant which has a railway with a capacity of 150 tons that can take out boats 100 feet long and 6 feet draft. Complete hull and engine repairs can be had for boats up to this size.

Red Bank is a town at the head of navigation on Navesink River. There are boat-building and repair plants; and railways, with a capacity of about 12 tons, that can take out boats about 60 feet long and 5 feet draft. Water is piped to the steamboat dock, which has a depth of about 7 feet (2.1 m) alongside. Gasoline and supplies in limited quantities can be obtained.

Branchport, at the head of navigation on Pleasure Bay, Shrewsbury River, has two small marine railways. Supplies and repairs can be had. There is a depth of 6 feet (1.8 m) in the channel to this point.

Oceanport, at the head of navigation on Shrewsbury River, has a depth of 3 feet (0.9 m) at low water to it, the channel leading through two drawbridges.

Bridge regulations.-See Raritan Bay following.

Tides. The mean rise and fall of tides are as follows: Entrance, 5 feet; Highlands Bridge, 32 feet; Seabright Bridge, 1 foot; head of Shrewsbury River, about 1 foot; Oceanic, 22 feet; Red Bank, about 21/2 feet. Strong southerly and westerly winds lower the water about 1 foot, and northerly and easterly winds raise it an equal amount; the greatest variations noted are from 2 to 22 feet.

High water occurs later than the time of high water at Sandy Hook, as follows: Rocky Point, 1 hour; Red Bank, 2 hours; head of Shrewsbury River, 311⁄2 hours.

Currents. The tidal currents have considerable velocities in the contracted parts of the channel. The currents generally set fair with the channels and through drawbridges.

At Highlands Bridge the fender pier is at an angle with the axis of the flow, and both ebb and flood currents set across the opening, about 355° true (N. 11⁄2 E. mag.) on the ebb and 170° true (S. 1 W. mag.) on the flood. Slack water occurs about the time of the corresponding slack at the Narrows (approximately 12 hours after low and high water at the Battery). The velocity at strength is about 2 knots.

In Navesink River, in the vicinity of the bridge off Oceanic, the currents have a velocity of about 2 knots at strength, and slack water occurs about 1 hour after local high and low waters.

161875°-33-20

In Shrewsbury River, off Seabright, velocities of 3 to 4 knots are reported. Slack water occurs about 12 to 2 hours after local high

water.

Communication to points on the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers is by steamer from the Battery, New York, and by railroad. Ice.-Navigation in Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers is generally suspended on account of ice from December to March, inclusive.

NEW YORK LOWER BAY, WESTERN PART

SANDY HOOK BAY

is the southern part of the lower bay, lying westward of Sandy Hook and eastward of Point Comfort. The bay is an excellent anchorage for vessels of less than 24-foot (7.3 m) draft, the depth of water ranging from 5 fathoms (9 m) just inside the Hook to 15 feet (4.6 m), near its southern part; the shoaling is gradual and the bottom good holding ground. The best anchorage is in the eastern part of the bay, giving the shore of Sandy Hook a berth of about 11⁄2 mile. (See the anchorage map in appendix.) Steamers ply between Atlantic Highlands and New York daily during the summer months, and during this season anchorage on a line between Atlantic Highlands railroad pier and the entrance to the channel west of Flynn Knoll should be avoided. Vessels of over 24-foot (7.3 m) draft can not find good anchorage out of the channel until above Quarantine. Extensive shoals make off northward and eastward from Point Comfort, but as the depth of water decreases gradually the lead will give sufficient warning of too close an approach to the shore. There are heavy fish traps, extending out to a depth of 20 feet (6 m) in places, on the shoals on the southwest side of Sandy Hook Bay between Atlantic Highlands and Point Comfort.

Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers are described above.

Atlantic Highlands, a town of about 2,200 population, is 2 miles west of Sandy Hook. There are four wharves, the easternmost having about 14 feet (4.3 m), the westernmost about 10 feet (3 m) and the other two about 7 feet (2.1 m) at their ends. Steamboat communication with New York is maintained by two lines, daily during the summer. Railroad communication is also had with New York and other points. Very few boat supplies can be obtained, and gasoline is not sold from any of the wharves. The westernmost wharf belongs to the Standard Oil Company of New York, and has a pipe line on it to receive its own products.

Compton Creek (charts 369 and 543) is on the south side of Sandy Hook Bay, 4 miles westward of Sandy Hook Lighthouse; the entrance is called Shoal Harbor. A channel 150 feet wide and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep has been dredged across the flats to the mouth of the creek, and about 75 feet wide and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep in the entrance of the creek. In June, 1932, the controlling depth in the improved channel leading to the creek was about 6 feet (1.8 m). The entrance channel is marked by buoys. The creek is navigable by small boats a distance of 1 mile to a railroad bridge without a draw. A highway drawbridge (opening 40 feet wide) crosses the creek 1/4 mile above the entrance. One-half mile above the entrance, two highway bridges, without draws but having a clearance of about 4 feet (1.2 m) at high water, cross the creek.

Port Monmouth, a village at the mouth of the creek, is the shipping point for garden produce from the adjoining country, and for fish and oysters. The creek is used extensively as a harbor of refuge by small fishing craft.

Staten Island (Richmond Borough of New York City) forms the northwest side of New York Lower Bay. The high wooded ridge of the island has elevations of 100 to over 300 feet (30 to over 91 m). South Beach and Midland Beach are summer resorts on the southeast side of the island.

Staten Island Flats are the extensive shoals making off from the southeast side of Staten Island. Parts of these flats are known as Old Orchard Shoal and West Bank, the latter bordering on the main channel up the bay. A channel used by local vessels of less than about 8-foot (2.4 m) draft leads westward of West Bank. From the black bell buoy southeastward of Fort Wadsworth steer southwestward through the dredged channel to black gong buoy No. 3, and then steer for a perpendicularly striped bell buoy in range with Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse. Care should be taken when anchoring not to foul the cable which extends from the southernmost wharf at Fort Wadsworth to the spar buoy off Point Comfort.

Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse is a conical tower, lower half brown, upper half white, on a black pier.

Great Kills is a shallow bight on the south side of Staten Island northwestward of Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse. It is used as an anchorage by small local craft, but is exposed to southerly and southwesterly winds. A narrow channel, with depths of about 4 feet (1.2 m), leads about in the middle of the entrance; the deeper water, depths 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 m), is in the western half of the bight, as shown on chart 369. Great Kills Light is located % mile south-southeastward of the entrance.

New York and New Jersey Channels are the channels extending from deep water in the main channel, northwest of Sandy Hook, through Lower New York Bay and Raritan Bay to Perth Amboy, and thence through Arthur Kill, lower Newark Bay, and Kill van Kull, known collectively as Staten Island Sound, to deep water in Upper New York Bay. This route is located approximately along the boundary line between the States of New York and New Jersey.

These channels are under improvement to secure a depth of 30 feet (9.1 m) for a width of 400 feet from deep water in Lower New York Bay through Raritan Bay and Staten Island Sound to deep water in Upper New York Bay, with a branch channel in Raritan Bay to South Amboy, 21 feet (6.4 m) deep and 300 feet wide, and a branch channel north of Shooters Island, 20 feet (6.1 m) deep and 400 feet wide, protected by a dike on its northern side. In 1932 the project was about 93 per cent completed. The controlling depth in the dredged channels from Sandy Hook to Upper Bay, via Arthur Kill and Kill van Kull, was 30 feet (9.1 m). The controlling depth in the channel north of Shooters Island was 20 feet (6.1 m) in the northerly half and 18 feet (5.5 m) in the southerly half; the channel to South Amboy had a depth of 25 feet (7.6 m). Descriptions of these channels are given under separate headings below.

RARITAN BAY (CHARTS 369 AND 286)

is the part of New York Lower Bay lying westward of Point Comfort and southward of Staten Island. The bay is full of shoals, with depths of 7 to 18 feet (2.1 to 5.5 m). The channel into Arthur Kill leading from Main Channel, west of Sandy Hook, through the Lower Bay and along the southeastern shore of Staten Island, has a project depth of 30 feet (9.1 m) for a width of 400 feet (see New York and New Jersey Channels, preceding). In June, 1932, this channel had a controlling depth of 30 feet (9.1 m) to Arthur Kill. This channel is well marked by lights and buoys. The direct channel over the shoals is good for a depth of about 11 feet (3.4 m) and is used only by small vessels and towboats.

Point Comfort, on the south side of Raritan Bay, is the location of Keansburg, a summer resort. There are two wharves on the western side of the point, the northern one having a depth of 7 feet (2.1 m) at its end. The other is in poor condition and is no longer used. It has about 3 feet (0.9 m) at its end. Further south is the ruins of another pier. Steamboat connection is maintained with New York during the summer, and there are railroad connections with New York and with points east and south.

Matawan Creek empties into Raritan Bay from southward, between Conaskonk Point and Matawan Point, the entrance lying about 311⁄2 miles southward of Seguine Point. A channel 200 feet wide and 8 feet (2.4 m) deep, was dredged in 1911 to the wharves at Keyport. The controlling depth in June, 1932, was 8 feet (2.4 m) in this channel. Vessels load to from 6 to 12 feet (1. 8 to 3.7 m) at Keyport. The entrance is buoyed, and buoys mark the west side of the shoal making northward from Conaskonk Point. The axis of the improved channel trends 190° 30′ true (S. by W. % W. mag.) to the red buoy, and then tends 204° true (SW. % S. mag.) to the wharves. The mean rise and fall of the tides is about 514 feet.

Keyport is at the entrance of Matawan Creek. There is railroad and bus service and a daily freight steamer to New York, a passenger steamer runs to Perth Amboy and New York during the summer. When the harbor freezes over, freight is trucked to Perth Amboy for shipment to New York. Water, coal, gasoline, and other supplies can be obtained. There is a marine railway capable of hauling out vessels 80 feet long and up to 35 tons, and there are facilities for repairing wooden hulls and making machine repairs.

There is a privately dredged channel, about 25 feet wide in places, from the steamboat wharf at Keyport to a small boat basin at the entrance to Oyster Creek. In 1932, the channel was marked by stakes with red arrows on the starboard side and stakes with black arrows on the port side. There is a sharp turn leading to the basin and it is indicated on the starboard side by a privately maintained flashing red light. There is 5 feet (1.5 m) in the channel to the wharf. Gasoline, oil, water, and boat supplies can be obtained at the basin. Boats up to 60 feet and about 25 tons can be hauled out. There are facilities for repairing wooden hulls, the machine repairs being done elsewhere in Keyport.

Matawan Creek, above Keyport, had a dredged channel 3 feet (0.9 m) deep in 1921 for a distance of 11⁄2 miles above Keyport No dredging has been done since that date, and the creek is used