winds from the north and east, there will be little or no flood current or even slack water and the height of the water in the bay and river will be reduced a foot or more.

The tides meet somewhat to the westward of Bulkhead Shoals, the ebb current flowing eastward through the cut.

DIRECTIONS, ST. GEORGE SOUND AND APALACHICOLA BAY

East Pass.-Coastwise Courses and Distances for approaching East Pass are given on page 3, Position 7C1.

Coming from eastward on a clear day the trees on Lighthouse Point will be seen from southward of South Shoal buoy, and shortly afterwards the trees on the eastern end of Dog Island will be made out on the starboard bow. In a heavy sea, a deep-draft vessel should keep in 5 to 7 fathoms (9 to 13 m) until the East Pass Lighted Buoy 1 marking the entrance to East Pass is about in range with Crooked River Rear Range Lighthouse, on the northwest side of the sound, and bearing about 334° true (NNW. 5% W. mag). Pass the lighted buoy on this course and pass the other buoys close by. If Crooked River Range can be picked up, it is of considerable assistance in keeping in the channel, but it does not mark the best water and it does not show well from outside the bar. In 1935, the channel was to the eastward of the range opposite the Bell Buoy 5 marking shoals immediately to the westward at this point. The channel is narrow and subject to change and has shoals, with as little depth as 6 feet (1.8 m) over them, close by on both sides. Local knowledge is desirable when using East Pass. Inside the pass, chart 182 and the buoys are the guides.

Directions to Carrabelle.

Dog Island Spit.-Pass 200-300 yards to west and north.

South Spit Buoy 11 to Carrabelle River Entrance Light 2.-Pass southeast of Buoy 11 and head for the light, passing northwestward of Turn Buoy 2. (To follow the former dredged cut as charted, pass 250 yards northwestward of Buoy 11 and head for the light; the bottom is rather flat and either course is practicable.) Two beacons mark shoal ground to the northwest of this course.

Carrabelle River Entrance Light 2.-Pass 50 yards west of. Carrabelle River Bar Lighted Range.-Follow this range, Course 324° true (NW. 1⁄2 N. mag.), from Entrance Light 2 to near the front range light and pass 50 yards east of the latter light. Thence favor the east shore to the first wharves and then less than 100 feet off the wharves. A depth of 12 feet (3.7 m) can be carried through this channel as far as the front range light and thence 8 feet (2.4 m) to the wharves.

There is a submerged wreck on the west side of the river, on the point about one-fourth mile above the rear range light. Directions, St. George Sound to Apalachicola.—

East Pass to St. George Sound Turn Light.-Proceed about 300 yards northward of East Pass Buoy 9 and head for the Turn Light on course 243° (SW. by W. 3% W. mag.). Course passes to southward of Royal Bluff Shoal Buoy 2 and St. George Sound Channel Beacon and to the northward of Mud Island Flats Beacon.

St. George Sound Turn Light.-Pass south of, close-by.

Porter Bar Light.-Pass east of, close-by. Continue 100 yards past light.

Bulkhead Cut Turn Buoy 4-Steer 268° true (W. 2 S. mag.) from the previous position and run on to Bulkhead Cut Lighted Range southeastward of Buoy 4.

Bulkhead Cut Lighted Range.-Pass close-by Buoys 4 and 6. The cut is narrow, with spoil banks close to the range on the southwest side. The course is 293° true (WNW. 14 W. mag.).

Bulkhead Buoy 6 to position 1 mile to the southward of Apalachicola Outer Light.-Course 245° true (SW. by W. 11⁄2 W. mag.), distance 4.8 miles. Pass 260 yards south of Norman Bar Buoy 8. Approach the light on course 343° true (N. by W. 34 W. mag.) heading 20-25 yards to the westward of the light. This course is some

what to the east of the range but in 1935 led through the best water. With deeper water off the entrance to the river channel, approach the light of the Apalachicola Lighted Range, course 350° true (N. by W. 14 W. mag.).

Apalachicola Channel.-Pilot Rules for Western Rivers apply inside Outer Light. Pass 20-25 yards to the westward of the Outer Light and continue along the west side of the jetty (25-50 yards off) on course 350° true (N. by W. 14 W. mag.) with Apalachicola Lighted Range ahead. After passing Tow Head Island, head slightly to eastward to pass through the draw and thence to the wharves on the west bank of the river.

In 1935, the controlling depth from East Pass to Apalachicola was 7 feet (2.1 m), this depth being found to the westward of Bulkhead Buoy 6 and also off the entrance to the Apalachicola Channel.

Directions, West Pass to Apalachicola.-The channel across the bar is subject to such frequent and marked changes that no definite courses can be given and strangers are advised not to attempt to enter without a pilot. The best water across the bar is indicated by West Pass Spit Lighted Buoy 2 and by one black and three red buoys, all of which are shifted frequently to conform to changes in the channel. Red Buoys 2A and 2B are each equipped with red reflectors. Pass to the southward of the black buoy and to the northward of the red buoys and of West Pass Cut Light 2 and thence onto West Pass Cut Lighted Range to the eastward.

West Pass Cut Lighted Range.-Course 70° true (NW. by W. 8 W.) Favor the St. Vincent Island shore and pass close-by Turn Buoy 3 and continue about 1/4 mile beyond buoy to next lighted

range.

Sand Island Cut Lighted Range.-Course 133° true (SE. 21⁄2 E. mag). These lights are close inshore and of less intensity than the lights of the above range. When about 1/2 mile from the front light, bear to northward of the range, passing about 200 yards north of this light and about 1/4 mile north of St. George Light.

St. George Lighted Range.-Course 32° true (NNE. 1⁄2 E. mag). Cape St. George Lighthouse, showing over the trees, is the rear range light. When half way across the bay, bear to the southeast of the range so as to approach Outer Light on either course 343° true (N. by W. 34 W. mag.) or 350° true (N. by W. 14 W. mag.) See "Directions, St. George Sound to Apalachicola", above.

INLAND WATERWAY, APALACHICOLA BAY AND ST. ANDREW BAY

This section of the Intracoastal Waterway provides a safe inland passage for small craft inside of Cape San Blas. The passage is partly through natural waterways, which have been improved where necessary by dredging, and partly by a canal, and in 1935 had a controlling depth of 512 feet (1.7 m) and a width of 65 feet. The passage is tidal throughout, there are no locks, and it is free of toll.* At White City, 18 miles above Apalachicola, there is a pontoon bridge across the canal which is swung open to accommodate all boats. There is a small store and gasoline pump here, and gasoline, oil, fresh water, and provisions can be obtained. At the post office and settlement of Overstreet, 30 miles above Apalachicola, a ferry (operated by cable) crosses the canal. Provisions can be obtained here, but there is no gasoline pump at the canal.

The distance from Apalachicola to Panama City via this passage is 53 miles, of which 24 miles is through canal and improved creeks. The route follows Apalachicola River for 5 miles, until 134 miles above the railroad bridge, Jackson River for 4 miles, thence Lake Wimico, Searcy Creek, South Prong, Wetappo Creek, and East Bay, an arm of St. Andrew Bay. The dredged channels across Lake Wimico and through the eastern part of East Bay from the mouth of Wetappo Creek, are marked by pile beacons.

In 1936, the depth of this waterway was being increased to 9 feet (2.7 m).

Directions. Follow directions given above for entering the Apalachicola River and when through the draw of the highway bridge, haul over to the north bank of the river in the vicinity of the Apalachicola Rear Range Light, taking care to avoid the midriver shoal. Favor the northern side, pass northeastward of an island, and then head for the draw in the railroad bridge. This draw has a controlling horizontal clearance of 120 feet and a vertical clearance (when closed) of 7 feet (2.1 m) above mean high water. There are a few old piles from abandoned docks along the south and west side of the river at a short distance below the railroad bridge. When 134 miles above the bridge, take the left (west) fork into the Jackson River and pass northward of the island in that river. Jackson River is about 4 miles long and connects Apalachicola River with Lake Wimico. The channel across Lake Wimico is marked by beacons along the southwest side; it is a dredged cut 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) deep and 65 feet wide. In 1935, the controlling depth was 512 feet (1.7 m) between Beacons 17 and 19. Outside the dredged cut, the lake is shallow. The course through the channel is 307° true (NW. by W. mag.).

Entering Searcy Creek from the western end of Lake Wimico, keep in midstream and follow the natural channel until cut-offs are reached. These are recognized by the piles of old dredged material, now covered with trees and brush, along the banks. The western end of the canal connects with South Prong, which is a branch of Wetappo Creek, which empties into the east end of East Bay, an arm of St. Andrew Bay.

A dredged channel with a controlling depth (Feb. 1935) of 7 feet (2.1 m) extends from the mouth of Wetappo Creek through the eastern part of East Bay. The channel is very narrow, with shal

low water close by on either side, and is marked by a row of day beacons along the south side. The dredged channel ends at Beacon 35, but the row of day beacons continues along the east side of the natural channel extending southwestward from this beacon, ending at Beacon 53, 134 miles south of Wetappo.

For Directions through East Bay, see page 168.

16. ST. JOSEPH BAY

(Chart 184)

St. Joseph Bay lies northward of Cape San Blas and is separated from the Gulf by a long narrow strip of land and succession of low sand hills, wooded in places, extending northward from the cape. The bay is 112 miles long and varies in width from 2 miles at its entrance to 51/2 miles at its widest part. It is one of the best harbors on the Gulf coast and is easily entered at any time by vessels of a moderate draft. The entrance is across shoals varying in depth from 15 to 19 feet (4.6 to 5.8 m), and has an improved channel 300 feet wide and 24 feet (7.3 m) deep. The dredged channel is subject to little change and is well marked by buoys and a slow range. The course from the entrance whistling buoy on the range is 62° true (NE. by E. % E. mag.). A swash channel having a depth of 14 feet (4.3 m) follows the shore of St. Joseph Point at a distance of one-fourth mile and passes between the shore and a shoal of about 8 feet (2.4 m) depth. The entire bay, except for the southern third and a narrow shelf along the sides, is free from shoals and is from 24 to 36 feet (7.3 to 11 m) deep. Small craft can find protected anchorages in Eagle Harbor, a small bight in the west shore 6 miles south of St. Joseph Point, and in the narrow sloughs in the south end of the bay.

Port St. Joe (population 851 by 1930 census) is a small town on the east shore of the bay, 5 miles in from St. Joseph Point. It is on the southern State highway between Tallahassee and Pensacola and has railroad communication with Apalachicola. In 1935, the long wharf near the town was in ruins; immediately north of it there is a wharf for small boats with a depth of 4 feet (1.2 m). A half mile farther to the northward there is a commercial fishery dock with 10 feet (3.0 m) at the outer end. Local pilots can be secured at Port St. Joe. There are telephone and telegraph connections, a post office, and a small hotel. Gasoline, oil, and water are available for small boats, and there are facilities for hauling and repairing small boats up to about 40 feet long and about 4 feet (1.2 m) draft.

The nearest customs officer is at Apalachicola. Storm warnings are displayed at Port St. Joe. Vessels going to Port St. Joe notify the customs officer at Apalachicola of their arrival, and he comes to the vessel at the first opportunity. To clear, the master goes to the customs office at Apalachicola.

The broken ground from the dredged channel into St. Joseph Bay northwestward to St. Andrew Point is known as Bell Shoal. It has depths of 16 feet (4.9 m) near the dredged channel, but much shoaler depths approaching St. Andrew Point. The point should be given a berth of 3 miles. Crooked Island is a long, narrow island extending northwestward from St. Andrew Point to the entrance of St. Andrew

Bay. It incloses a shallow, unimportant body of water known as St. Andrew Sound.

The tides in St. Joseph Bay are chiefly diurnal with an average rise and fall of about 12 feet.

St. Joseph Point Rear Range Lighthouse (Lat. 29°55'.1; Long. 85°22′.8) is a white tower on a square dwelling. The light is fixed white, 63 feet (19.2 m) above the water and visible 13 miles.

Directions.-Courses and Distance to St. Joseph Bay from both Apalachicola Bay and St. Andrews Bay are given under Coastwise Courses on page 64. Courses and Distances from the entrance buoy into the bay are given below.

Smaller vessels can carry a depth of 12 to 14 feet (3.7 to 4.3 m) closer inshore from Apalachicola Bay by steering 278° true (W. 14 N. mag.) for 912 miles from West Pass Bell Buoy to the swash channel 2 miles off Cape San Blas; this channel is marked by two black buoys. After passing through this swash channel, haul in gradually for the shore north of the cape and follow the shore at a distance of 11⁄2 mile until the shore turns northeastward. Then close in to a distance of 1/4 mile offshore and at that distance follow through the swash channel around St. Joseph Point.

St. Andrew Bay is a narrow irregularly shaped, landlocked harbor of moderate depth lying 27 miles northwestward of Cape San Blas. It is the approach to the tributary inlets of East, West, and North Bays and to several towns and villages. One of the largest paper mills in the world is located here and there is considerable commerce in paper products and a little commerce in lumber and naval stores.