Channel. The channel is marked by two lights and at frequent intervals by single pile beacons with day mark, but can best be navigated by a stranger at low water, when the flats show above water. Magotha is a post village on the mainland about 3 miles northwestward of Cape Charles Lighthouse. A draft of about 3 feet (0.9 m.) at high water can be carried to the wharf through a narrow slough leaving the main channel just northward of Long Point Island. There is a long wharf on the northwest side of Smith Island abreast the lighthouse, to which a depth of 6 feet (1.8 m.) can be carried from southward. CHESAPEAKE BAY [Charts 77, 78, 1222 to 1226] UNIV. OF Chesapeake Bay is 170 miles long from the entrance to the mouth of Susquehanna River at the head. It is the approach to the seaports of Baltimore, Norfolk, Newport News, and many other important cities, and has a large trade carried in foreign and domestic vessels. It is also the center of a large oystering and fishing industry. The main entrance is between Cape Charles on the north and Cape Henry on the south. It can also be entered from Delaware River by vessels of 12 feet (3.6 m.) draft through the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, at the north end of the bay; and from Albemarle Sound by vessels of 7 feet (2.1 m.) draft throught the Dismal Swamp Canal, and 12 feet (3.6 m.) draft (in 1929) through the Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal, both connecting the inside waters southward with the Chesapeake Bay at Norfolk. The shores of the bay from the south end northward to Patuxent River entrance on the western side and to Chester River entrance on the eastern side are generally low and present no prominent features. Above these points they are hilly and generally wooded, rising to a considerable height in the vicinity of Northeast and Susquehanna Rivers. The most important tributaries on the western side are generally broad and deep at their entrances, are navigable for long distances, and have a large general trade. Those on the eastern side are generally shoal at the mouths and have little coasting trade, but are frequented by many vessels engaged in the bay trade. Channels.-The main channel of Chesapeake Bay has a least depth of 35 feet (10.6 m.) from the entrance to Baltimore, a distance of 149 miles. It follows the natural channel of the bay from the entrance to Sandy Point, 21 miles from Baltimore, except through York Spit dredged channel, where a depth of 35 feet (10.6 m.) existed in August, 1929. From Sandy Point to Baltimore the channel is a dredged one with a least depth of 35 feet (10.6 m.) in July, 1929. The channel in the bay has ample room, is well marked and easy of navigation by day or night. It leads close to middle grounds just inside the entrance, but above here the mid-channel is clear, although shoals make off for a long distance from many of the points. A depth of about 24 feet (7.3 m.) has been found a little westward of the gas and bell buoy on the Tail of the Horseshoe. Pilots. Pilotage is compulsory between Chesapeake Bay entrance and Smith Point, Yorktown, Newport News, Norfolk, or any intermediate point, for all vessels other than vessels exclusively engaged in the coastwise trade and those made exempt by United States statutes, if spoken outside of a line with Cape Henry bearing south. Pilotage is also compulsory for foreign vessels and vessels from a foreign port and all vessels sailing under register, bound to and from Baltimore, except vessels employed in and licensed for the coasting trade and American vessels laden either in whole or in part with coal or coke mined in the United States. Virginia pilots are taken to any port in Virginia, and Maryland phots to any port in Maryland. Two pilot steamers will usually be found cruising outside the entrance of the bay, except when one goes in for supplies, at which time both Virginia and Maryland pilots are are aboard one steamer. The night signal for a Virginia pilot is one long and one short blast of whistle, and for a Maryland pilot three long and one short blasts. Vessels bound up the Potomac may take either a Virginia or a Maryland pilot, but pilotage is not compulsory. If a pilot is taken, the rates of pilotage to Smith's Point shall be paid. Pilots for the smaller tributaries of the bay are oystermen or fishermen living in the vicinity, and can be obtained from boats at work near the entrance, or on signal from shore. The fees for piloting to or from Smith Point, Yorktown, Newport News, or Norfolk or intermediate points are as follows: Newport News to Richmond or intermediate points per foot- -| $5.00 --any tonnage__ 12.50 For each message or order delivered to any ship----- Detention after six hours later than sailing time $1 per hour, but not to exceed $7.50 for any 24-hour day. Pilotage fees to and from Baltimore are as follows: Vessels drawing 13 feet or over Vessels drawing 10 feet or less than 13 feet-. Pilot service in port. -per foot-- $5.50 __do____ 4.00 __do____ 3.50 -per day 5.00 15.00 Towboats.-Towboats will sometimes be found cruising in the lower part of the bay near the entrance, and sometimes in the bay between the entrance and the mouth of Patapsco River. At Old Point Comfort tugs may be ordered by telegraph to Hampton Roads from Norfolk and Baltimore. Towboats from Baltimore seldom cruise below Sandy Point Lighthouse unless previously notified. Anchorages. The following anchorages are the principal ones available for vessels bound up and down Chesapeake Bay: Lynn-· haven Roads, just westward of Cape Henry, affords shelter against southerly winds in depths of 20 to 28 feet (6.1 to 8.5 m.); Hampton Roads is a secure anchorage in all weather for vessels of any draft; York River above Tue Marshes Lighthouse affords good anchorage in 6 to 11 fathoms (11 to 20 m.), protected from all but easterly winds; Mobjack Bay has secure anchorage westward of New Point Comfort in depths of 10 to 24 feet (3 to 7.3 m.); Rappahannock River has anchorage within its mouth in depths of 3 to 10 fathoms (5.5 to 18.3 m.); Great Wicomico River affords secure anchorage in depths of 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6.1 m.); anchorage secure from northerly winds can be had in depths of 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9.1 m.) in Cornfield Harbor inside of Point Lookout, and secure anchorage in any weather in St. Marys River, 5 miles northwestward; Patuxent River entrance affords secure anchorage for the largest ships, well sheltered and with good holding ground. There are several good anchorages on the eastern side of the bay, but they are seldom used by strangers. The anchorages prescribed for Hampton Roads are given on page 262 in the appendix, and for Baltimore Harbor on page 196. Supplies. Baltimore, Norfolk, and Newport News are available as coaling ports for large vessels and have wharves equipped for rapid coaling. Fuel oil, Diesel oil, water, and ship-chandlers' supplies are obtainable at these places. As mentioned under the different headings, supplies can be obtained at many other places, but the quantity is apt to be limited and the facilities are not always good. Small vessels and motor boats bound up and down Chesapeake Bay and desiring supplies can best obtain them at Cape Charles, Reedville, Solomons Island, or Annapolis. Repairs. Repairs to the hulls and machinery of large vessels can be made at Baltimore, Newport News, and Norfolk. Places near Chesapeake Bay where repairs to small vessels can be made are Hampton, Weems, Solomons Island, Annapolis, and Crisfield. Further information is given under the different headings, and a table of dry docks and marine railways is given on page 4. A list of storm warning display stations of the United States Weather Bureau is given on page 9. Fog. See page 8. The reporting station for vessels entering Chesapeake Bay is at Cape Henry, from which vessels are reported to Norfolk and Baltimore either day or night, and with which vessels can communicate by use of the International Code by day or a flashing lamp and the Morse Code by night. Messages to or from vessels will be forwarded to destination. Vessels bound to Baltimore are also reported from Cove Point and Sparrows Point. Quarantine. See page 6. Speed trial course.-A speed trial course 1 nautical mile long has been established on the western side of Kent Island, 5 miles northward of Bloody Point Bar Lighthouse. The ranges are masts with white day marks. A line joining Bloody Point Bar and Sandy Point Lighthouses leads at right angles to the ranges. Buoys have been established to mark the ends of the mile course. Fish weirs are numerous in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries in season, the fishing season usually lasting from about March to July and from October to December, and many of them will be found in position throughout the year. They are thickest on the western side of the bay from Hampton Roads to Potomac River, but will be found throughout the bay and for a considerable distance above the entrances to the tributaries. Areas of possible fish traps should be avoided by small craft, especially at night, on account of the danger from stakes which may have been broken off and not removed. Fishtrap limits are shown on charts 1222 to 1226. They are generally marked by black and white striped spar buoys. Ice. In severe winters ice forms in the head of the bay and in many of its tributaries. Under the influence of wind and tide ice. will sometimes be met as far down the bay as Cove Point, very seldom below this. The weather shore is generally free from ice. Large steam vessels can always pass up and down the bay, but some of the tributaries may be closed to navigation for a period of a month or more during the winter. To vessels bound to and from Baltimore, ice sufficient to interfere with navigation of vessels is most often found in the vicinity of Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, where ice packs are of frequent occurrrence. The ice-breaker steamers from Baltimore attempt to keep the channel open, but navigation is sometimes blocked for limited periods, and none but the largest vessels enter or leave at night when ice may be expected. In the tributaries north of Pocomoke Sound entrance on the eastern side and York River on the western side ice sufficient to interfere with navigation of small vessels and motor boats may be met with at any time between January 1 and April 1, and north of Patapsco River entrance ice is sometimes found a little before and after these dates. The ice from Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds does not interfere with the larger vessels in the bay, but small vessels engaged in oystering and fishing are frequently held up by the ice, especially in Kedges and Hooper Straits, and are forced to employ towboats to assist them. Tides. Data relative to tides are given in the text with the descriptions of the different places. Full tidal information is given in the Tide Tables for the Atlantic Coast, published by the Coast and Geodetic Survey. CURRENTS, CHESAPEAKE BAY The tidal currents in the bay and its tributaries are greatly influenced by the winds, which also affect the rise and fall of the tides to a marked extent, especially near the head of the bay. Strong northerly winds will increase the velocity of the ebb current and may, for a period, interrupt the flood current, while a strong southerly wind will increase the velocity of the flood current and may interrupt or retard the ebb current. Under average conditions the velocities of the flood and ebb strengths are 1 knot and 11⁄2 knots, respectively, at the Tail of the Horseshoe; 34 knot off Sandy Point; and 114 knots and 111⁄2 knots, respectively, off Worton Point. In the entrance of the bay and between the Middle Ground and the Tail of the Horseshoe and in the channels eastward of the Middle Ground the currents have a somewhat greater velocity than at the Tail of the Horseshoe, and under the influence of strong winds the shoals will sometimes be marked by rips. The effects of the flood and ebb currents are marked at the entrance of the principal tributaries, the effect being felt sometimes for a considerable distance from the entrances. Off the mouths of York, Rappahannock, and Potomac Rivers, especially the latter, a considerable set by ebb or flood currents is often experienced. At Tail of the Horseshoe gas and bell buoy.-Daily predictions of the times of slack water and the times and velocities of the strength of current in this part of the entrance are included in the Atlantic Coast Current Tables, beginning with the issue for the year 1930. Under average conditions slack water before flood occurs approximately 2 hours 50 minutes before the time of high water at Old Point Comfort and slack water before ebb approximately 2 hours 40 minutes after the time of high water at Old Point Comfort. The mean velocity of the current at strength of flood is 1 knot, and at strength of ebb is 1.5 knots. These velocities are influenced to a considerable extent by winds. A westerly gale will at times cause a very strong ebb current and will greatly diminish, or even overcome the flood current, and an easterly gale will at times cause a very strong flood current and will greatly diminish or overcome the ebb current. During 10 months of observations in the summer and fall the greatest ebb current measured was 3.0 knots during a northwester, and the greatest flood current observed was 2.6 knots in an easterly gale. At Middle Ground gas and whistling buoy No. 10.-Slack water before the flood occurs about 1/2 hour after the time when the current turns northwest at Chesapeake Bay entrance (or approximately 24 hours before the time of high water at Old Point Comfort), and slack water before the ebb occurs about 1/2 hour after the time when the current turns southeast at Chesapeake Bay entrance (or approximately 3 hours after time of high water at Old Point Comfort). The mean velocity of the current at strengths of flood or ebb is approximately 1 knot. Off Wolf Trap Lighthouse.-Slack water before the flood occurs about 134 hours after the time when the current turns northwest at Chesapeake Bay entrance (or approximately 1 hour before time of high water at Old Point Comfort), and slack water before the ebb about 134 hours after the time when the current turns southeast at Chesapeake Bay entrance (or approximately 12 hours before time of low water at Old Point Comfort). The mean velocity of the current at strength of flood (northerly) is 1 knot and at strength of ebb (southerly) is 111⁄2 knots. Southeast of Windmill Point Lighthouse.-Off the mouth of the Rappahannock River a set to the eastward, due to an ebb current, and to the westward (to a less extent), due to a flood current, is often experienced. Off Windmill Point. The time of greatest strength of the flood and ebb currents and the times of slack water are about 21⁄2 hours 89926-30-8 |