Musketeers Pass (locally known as Midnight Pass) is reported closed. The light draft channel through Little Sarasota Bay, is not marked and is rather difficult to follow. It is seldom used, boats usually going outside. Osprey is a post office and store on the eastern side of Little Sarasota Bay, 521⁄2 miles north of Venice Inlet. There is a small landing here, and gasoline and some supplies may be had. Vamo is a small settlement 134 miles north of Osprey, on the same side of the bay. Big Sarasota Pass leads into Sarasota Bay 38 miles northwestward of Gasparilla Island Lighthouse and 20 miles southeastward of Tampa Bay Southwest Channel Entrance Buoy. It lies between Sarasota Key and the small islets north of this key and can be recognized, coming up the coast, when nearly up to Sarasota Point, by the low sandy west end of Sarasota Key. A water tower and three tall buildings at Sarasota will be seen as the pass opens. This pass is the southern entrance to Sarasota Bay and is good for about 6 feet (1.8 m) at low tide. The entrance to the pass is marked by Big Sarasota Pass Light 1. The structure is a white skeleton superstructure, with tankhouse, on piles, with light 47 feet (14.3 m) above the water. The channel across the bar is marked by two buoys. New Pass.-The city of Sarasota has dredged a channel through New Pass to a depth of 22 feet (6.7 m), but United States Engineers report that it had a controlling depth of 8 feet (2.4 m) in June 1933. As the channel of this pass is constantly shifting, strangers should not attempt to enter without a local pilot. A sunken dredge formerly obstructing channel has been removed. In 1935 the channel passed close-by the south point at the entrance and was marked by two buoys inside Sarasota Main Channel Lighted Buoy 1; the channel was considerably south of the lighted Main Channel Range which could only be used for passing through the cut. A drawbridge crosses the cut just south of the conspicuous uncompleted hotel on Quick Point. The bascule draw has a horizontal clearance of 110 feet and a vertical clearance of 15 feet (4.6 m) at low tide when closed. Currents attain considerable velocity in New Pass. There is a depth of about 8.0 feet (2.4 m) in a dredged channel leading from the pass to the Payne Terminal at the northern boundary of the town of Sarasota and about 10 feet (3.0 m) in the basin at the terminal. This channel is marked by the lighted Barge Channel Range and by beacons. Each of the front lights for the two channel ranges is obscured along the other range. Sarasota (population 8,398 by the 1930 census), on the eastern shore of and toward the south end of Sarasota Bay, is one of the principal winter resorts of the west coast of Florida. It has railroad and highway communication to points north and south and to the interior of the State. A draft of about 7 feet (2.1 m) can be taken to the municipal pier inside of Cedar Point where there is extensive berthing space for small yachts as well as anchorage area in the immediate vicinity of the pier. Fresh water, gasoline, provisions, and supplies can be obtained here and also at Payne Terminal. Local guides for the west coast waters of Florida can be secured at Sarasota. There is a municipal airport 2 miles east of the city. There are oil storage plants, fish packing plants, and a (10) BIG SARASOTA PASS TO TAMPA BAY 119 general warehouse at Payne Terminal. A narrow 6-foot (1.8 m) channel leads to Bird Key on which there is a large white residence. Storm warnings are displayed at the municipal pier. Whitaker Bayou (also known as Hog Creek) on the north side of the town and Hudson Bayou on the south side furnish excellent shelter for small craft. About 5 feet (1.5 m) can be carried through dredged channels into these bayous. There are two boat yards at Payne Terminal and another at Whitaker Bayou where boats up to about 45 feet long and 32 feet (1.1 m) draft can be hauled and repaired. There is a north and south channel between Bird Key and Coon Key. The north end is blocked by the causeway and bridge from Cedar Key to Coon Key but the channel provides a good anchorage site for small craft. Longboat Inlet.-In 1932 the concrete bridge across this inlet was destroyed and the south end of Anna Maria Key was washed away. In 1935 there was only a small, low, bare islet in the former location of Ilexhurst. Sand flats extended northward to the new south shore of Anna Maria Key while Longboat Inlet extended into the Gulf from just south of the islet. The position of the inlet has been somewhat changed and the use of this channel is not recommended even for small boats. There are numerous old automobile wrecks in the present channel which have been struck by shallow-draft boats. Longbeach, on the northern end of Longboat Key, is a small fishing village. Cortez is a post office and small fishing village 134 miles north of Longboat Inlet, on the eastern side of Sarasota Pass. Gasoline, oil, fresh water, and general supplies can be had. There is telephone and telegraph connections and a tourist hotel. A bridge, with draw, connects the town of Cortez with Cortez Beach on Anna Maria Key. The bridge has a horizontal clearance of 60 feet. A draft of 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 m) can be carried to the wharves at Cortez south of the bridge. The entrance to the wharves is north and east of Sarasota Bay Light 11. DIRECTIONS, BIG SARASOTA PASS TO TAMPA BAY. The controlling depth through Big Sarasota Pass was about 6 feet (1.8 m) in 1935. The project depth for the channel through Sarasota Bay to Tampa Bay is 7 feet (2.1 m) but there is often less water (4 to 5 feet in 1935) over a shifting bar just inside Longboat Inlet. The distance from Big Sarasota Pass Light at the south end of the route to Sarasota Pass Light 1 at the north end of the route is 20 miles. Approaching this pass, a vessel should keep at least 2 miles offshore until the tall buildings in Sarasota are in line with the northwest point of Sarasota Key. Head in for the shore, passing close to the entrance buoy No. 2 and the channel buoy. Inland rules apply inside this buoy. Bns. 1A, 3, and 5.-Pass about midway between beacons and south shore, passing well south of Big Sarasota Pass Light 1 and keeping off the shoaler ground south of Fishery Point. Bns. 5, 7, and 9.-Pass to the south and east avoiding the shoal ground off the south end of Bird Key. Big Sarasota Pass Light 4.-Pass west and north, giving good berth. Cedar Point.-Pass about 100 yds. to southward and head for municipal concrete pier at Sarasota. Directions, Sarasota Bay and Pass to Tampa Bay. From a position northward of Light 4 head for and pass through the draw of the bridge. Bn. 27.-Pass west of, about 400 yards. New Pass Main Channel Range Rear Light.-Pass east of, close to. Sarasota Bay Light 28.-Round to eastward and northward. West Channel, South Range, Front Light 26.-Approach from eastward on South Entrance Range (front Bn. 24 and a rear beacon), passing south of Bn. 25. Proceed northwestward on West Channel South Range (lighted). Several beacons mark the west side of the dredged cut and Longbar Shoal Bn. 23 and West Channel Light 21 mark the east side of the cut. There is a second range at the north end of this cut, viz., West Channel North Range (lighted). West Channel North Range Front_Light 19.-Approach from southward on West Channel North Range (lighted). When on Longboat Inlet Side Range (daymarks only), follow this range to westward, passing close to north end of Longboat Key. Longboat Inlet Bn. 10.-This beacon marks the vicinity of a bar near the intersection of Longboat Inlet Side Range and Longboat Inlet Lighted Range. It is necessary to proceed with caution here, passing to the eastward of Bn. 10 and picking one's way through a shoal area. In 1935 there was a short, narrow channel with only about 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 m). This channel is reported to shift frequently. Longboat Inlet Light Range.-Follow this range from the bar in the vicinity of Bn. 10 to near the front light of the range, passing to west of Bn. 17 en route. Bn. 13 and Sarasota Bay Light 11.-Pass to westward and through draw. The approach to the wharves at Cordez is to the north and east of Light 11. Bns. 8 and 9 and Sarasota Pass Light 6.-Pass as indicated by color. Sarasota Pass Lights 3, 4, and 6 on range. Bulkhead Lighted Ranges. From south of Sarasota Pass Light 6, follow the South Range to the front light, pass to westward of this light and also to westward of the North Range Front Light. Follow the North Range to north of Sarasota Pass Light 4. Sarasota Pass Light 3.-Approach from southward with Lights 4 and 6 on range. Pass to southward. Pass north of Bn. 2 and to the southward and westward of Sarasota Pass Light 1 into Tampa Bay. East Channel.-There is an old channel with 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) extending from Sarasota Bay Bn. 25 to Longboat Inlet Bn. 17, passing east and north of Otter Island. This channel has recently been re-marked and, with certain conditions of the bar inside Longboat Inlet, it might be desirable to use this old channel. If continuing northward to Boca Ciega Bay, steer the following courses and distances to Point Pinellas Light, 21/2 miles eastward of Point Pinellas. Sarasota Pass Light 1 to Terra Ceia Island Spit Buoy 4. Course 31° true (NNE. 12 E. mag.). Distance 3.4 miles. Terra Ceia Island Spit Buoy 4 to Tampa Bay Channel Lighted Bell Buoy 19. Course 13° true (N. % E. mag.). Distance 1.9 miles. From above Bell Buoy 19, follow Cuts A and B of the Tampa Bay Channel for 5.8 miles to a position 0.6 miles northeast of Tampa Bay Channel Lighted Buoy 5B. Then steer 328° true (NW. % N. mag.) for 1.6 miles on the West Channel Lighted Range to Point Pinellas Light. Directions for Boca Ciega Bay to Anclote Anchorage are given on page 139. Directions for Tampa Bay are given on page 131. 11. TAMPA BAY (Charts 586, 587, and 1257) Tampa Bay, at about the central point along the west coast of Florida, is 187 miles 343° true (N. by W. 34 W. mag.) from Key West Northwest Channel Entrance. It extends in a northeasterly direction for about 20 miles and is 6 to 7 miles wide. It is the approach to Hillsboro, Old Tampa, Sarasota, and several smaller bays and to the cities of St. Petersburg, Port Tampa, and Tampa. It is easy of access either day or night and is the largest deep-water harbor in the State of Florida. It is one of the important harbors on the Gulf Coast of the United States having a considerable foreign and coastwise trade in phosphate rock, lumber, tobacco, and general merchandise. Off the entrance, shoals extend westward for about 5 miles from shore. Through these shoals there are two main ship channels, passing to either side of Egmont Key. For a distance of 15 miles above the entrance, Tampa Bay has a general depth of from 3 to 5 fathoms (5.5 to 9 m) along its central line between broad shoals that extend far from the shores on all sides. Channels, with project dimensions of 30 feet (9.1 m) deep by 400 to 300 feet wide, are being dredged where necessary to give a depth of 30 feet (9.1 m) to Tampa and Port Tampa. The channels to these respective ports branch at the north end of Cut F, 31⁄2 miles southwestward of Gadsden Point. All these channels are well marked by buoys, lights, and lighted ranges. In 1936, the controlling dimensions of the various channels to Tampa and Port Tampa were as follows: Egmont Channel (new); 27.5 feet (8.4 m) for a width of 150 feet. Tampa Bay Channel; 30 feet (9.1 m) for a width of 300 feet. Port Tampa Channel; 30 feet (9.1 m) for a width of 300 feet. The old Egmont Channel at the entrance to the bay had a depth of 29 feet (8.9 m) for a width of 400 feet. The entrance to the bay is divided by Egmont Key, forming the two ship channels known as Egmont Channel and Southwest Channel. Egmont Channel, to the north of Egmont Key, is the most important one commercially. The project dimensions are 32 feet (9.8 m) deep by 600 feet wide. The channel is well marked by buoys, some of them lighted, and by Egmont Key range lights. Egmont Channel has a natural depth of about 21 feet (6.4 m) over a width of about half a mile. Palatine Shoal lying 5 miles westward of Egmont Key Lighthouse, on the south side of the Egmont Channel, consists of several small lumps having 19 to 22 feet (5.8 to 6.7 m) over them. It is marked by a horizontally striped buoy which should be given a berth of one-quarter mile or more. Southwest Channel to the south of Egmont Key has a depth of about 16 feet (4.9 m) and is marked by buoys. Egmont Key, 11/2 miles long, lies between Egmont and Southwest Channels and the shoals making westward from it separate the two channels. This channel is subject to shoaling and should only be used with local knowledge. Passage Key Inlet has a depth of 9 feet (2.7 m) in an unmarked shifting channel and is used only by small local vessels. Passage Key, formerly about 1 mile north of Anna Maria Key, has washed away and there are now several small sand spits left that shift in position during heavy weather. Prominent features.-Approaching Tampa Bay entrance on a clear day, a water tank, 130 feet (39.6 m) high, located on Egmont Key, three-eighths mile south of the lighthouse, is usually the first object sighted. The large concrete hotel and tall water tank about a mile north of Pass-a-Grille are very prominent, especially if approaching from the northward. The tall water tank and houses near the southern end of Mullet Key, and a hotel and tall tank at Pass-a-Grille, can also be recognized when a little closer in. Egmont, Mullet, and Anna Maria Keys are low and wooded, and Egmont Key has a number of houses southward of the lighthouse. In thick or hazy weather nothing can be seen, and it is then advisable for vessels not sure of their position to anchor until the weather clears. Egmont Key Lighthouse (Lat. 27°36'.0; Long. 82°45′.7) is a white tower, the top of which shows over the tops of the trees. It is prominent from offshore and from any point in the lower part of the bay. The light is group flashing white, 85 feet (25.9 m) above the water, and visible 15 miles. It has a red sector covering the Southwest Channel Entrance Lighted Bell Buoy. The fog signal is an air horn or a bell. A radiobeacon is located here. See Light List or Hydrographic Office Publication No. 205. Sarasota Pass and Bay are described on page 117. Anna Maria is a post office and small village on the northern end of Anna Maria Key. There is a wharf on the northeastern side of the key, with 9 feet (2.7 m) of water at the end. A road extends from Anna Maria to Bradentown by way of Cortez, and there is also telephone connection. Gasoline, water, ice, and some general supplies can be had here. Manatee River is described on page 125. St. Petersburg (population 40,425 by 1930 census), on the west side of Tampa Bay, is a large winter resort with a commercial ship |