Jena is a small settlement just inside the mouth of the Steinhatchee River. There is a post office, telephone, and State highway connections. Gasoline, water, and provisions can be obtained and there is limited facilities for repairs to small boats.

There are high pine trees on Piney Point which can be seen well offshore on a clear day.

Fenholloway River empties into the Gulf 64 miles northwestward of Cedar Keys, and eastward of Apalachee Bay. It can be entered with a draft of 4 feet (1.2 m) on a favorable tide, but local knowledge is necessary. It is navigable for only a few miles from the

mouth.

Aucilla River empties into Apalachee Bay at the bend in the coast line 10 miles eastward of St. Marks Lighthouse. A draft of 5 feet (1.5 m) can be taken into the river on a favorable tide, but the approach for a distance of 3 miles is a narrow winding channel, unmarked and difficult for a stranger.

St. Marks River enters the head of Apalachee Bay, 83 miles northwestward of Cedar Keys and 54 miles northeastward of Cape St. George. The approach is marked by St. Marks Lighted Range and a channel marked by lights and buoys leads between shoals to an anchorage known as Spanish Hole, which lies between oyster bars in the mouth of the river, one-half mile eastward of St. Marks Rear Range Lighthouse. A conspicuous wreck lies at the northeast side of Spanish Hole and St. Marks Light 1 marks the southwest side of it. The depths are 10 to 19 feet (3.0 to 5.8 m) with very shallow water close-by on all sides.

A channel 10 feet (3.0 m) deep and 100 feet wide has been dredged from the Gulf to the village of St. Marks; it is subject to shoaling but in 1935 the controlling depth was about 10 feet (3.0 m). This channel is narrow and crooked through the oyster bars in the mouth of the river but is well marked by numerous beacons.

Any draft that can enter the river can continue 4 miles above St. Marks to Newport, while a draft of about 6 feet (1.8 m) can be carried to Wakulla Spring, on the Wakulla river 7 miles above St. Marks, where there is a sawmill.

St. Marks Rear Range Lighthouse (Lat. 30°04′.5; Long. 84°10′.7) is a white, conical tower, with a 1-story dwelling attached. The light is fixed white, 82 feet (25 m) above the water, and visible 12 miles.

St. Marks is a small village on the north bank of St. Marks River, one-half mile above the junction with Wakulla River, a stream which empties into St. Marks River from northwestward, at a point 5 miles above the lighthouse. The principal industry is fishing. There is a boat landing, 1,000 feet long along the river front. Cruising boats can be chartered and local fishing guides can be secured at St. Marks. There is a post office and a general store, and telephone, telegraph, railroad, and State highway connections to Tallahassee, 19 miles away. Gasoline, oil, ice, provisions, and fresh water in limited quantities can be obtained; Diesel oil, fuel oil, and other supplies can be secured on short notice from Tallahassee. There are two marine ways, the largest capable of hauling boats up to about 80 feet long and 7 (2.1 m) feet draft and there is a machine shop, together with other facilities for boat repairs.

Local pilots (not licensed) for the river can be secured by telephoning from St. Marks Rear Range Lighthouse. Arrangements can be made for having supplies delivered to vessels at anchor in Spanish Hole.

The rock pile, formerly in the middle of the river off St. Marks, has been removed; it was the remains of an old railroad pier.

Directions, St. Marks River.-Bring St. Marks Rear Range Lighthouse to bear 357° true (N. 11⁄2 W. mag) and steer for it, passing closeby either side of St. Marks Channel Sea Buoy, from which the courses and distances listed below lead to (or from) the anchorage. The anchorage (Spanish Hole) is about half a mile west of St. Marks Rear Range Lighthouse, between oyster bars, and should be approached cautiously after rounding the inner buoy. Depths of 10 to 19 feet (3.0 to 5.8 m) are found in the channel and at the anchorage with very shallow water close-to on all sides. There is a conspicuous wreck on the northeast side of Spanish Hole and St. Marks Light 1 is at the southwest side of it.

Above the anchorage, the channel through the oyster bars at the mouth of the river is well marked by numerous beacons. Keep 25 to 35 yards east of Beacon 3 and between Beacons 10 and 12 keep to the west side of the channel; there are shoals at these points. Â mile and a half above Three Mile Point the river forks; the right fork is St. Marks River and the left fork the Wakulla River.

Courses and Distances to St. Marks Channel Sea Buoy are given under Coastwise Courses, page 64. The following courses and distances lead up the river as far as Spanish Hole.

15. ST. MARKS RIVER TO CAPE SAN BLAS

(Charts 182 and 183)

From St. Marks River the general trend of the coast is about southwest by west for a distance of 54 miles to Cape St. George, and thence about west by north for a distance of 17 miles to Cape San Blas; but the coast line is very irregular and broken by numerous bays and entrances. The outer coast line is formed by a chain of narrow, wooded, sand islands, of which the most important are St. James, Dog, St. George, and St. Vincent. Cape San Blas is low and wooded. Between Dog and St. George Islands and the mainland are two important bodies of water, known as St. George Sound and Apalachicola Bay. The coral formation, which characterizes the coast of Florida from the Florida Keys to Apalachee Bay, gives way to a sand formation to the westward.

Shoals, with depths of as little as 3 feet (0.9 m) on them, extend several miles offshore from the eastern end of St. James Island, from Cape St. George, and from Cape San Blas; they shift frequently during storms and are dangerous to navigation, but are marked at their outer ends by buoys.

Air photo compilations are available for the coastal area from Apalachee Bay to Mobile Bay; see page 2.

ST. MARKS RIVER TO ST. GEORGE SOUND

(Chart 182)

Ochlockonee Shoal extends 81/2 miles eastward of St. James Island, and, although separated from the mainland by lanes of moderate depths, there is no safe passage inside of it, except for small boats. Ochlockonee Shoals Sea Buoy 24, a first-class red nun, lies about 1 mile southeast of the shoal.

St. James Island extends westward from Apalachee Bay for a distance of 20 miles, and is separated from the mainland by Ochlockonee Bay and by three narrow connecting streams, known as Ochlockonee River, Crooked River, and Carrabelle River. Lighthouse Point, the southeastern end of St. James Island, may be seen from well offshore.

Ochlockonee Bay, Ochlockonee River, Crooked River, and Carrabelle River form an inside passage, about 38 miles long and 3 feet (0.9 m) deep at low tide, from Apalachee Bay to St. George Sound. A draft of 42 feet (1.4 m) can be taken through on a favorable tide, but passage for all but small boats is obstructed by the bridges mentioned under Ochlockonee River.

Ochlockonee Bay is a shallow bay 5 miles long in an east and west direction and 1 mile wide. The approach to the bay is obstructed by shoals that probably shift from time to time, and the southern half of the mouth is entirely closed by oyster bars, but there is a narrow channel into the bay and to its head, good for about 4 feet (1.2 m) at low tide. This channel is north of the oyster bars on the south side and close to Ochlockonee Point, the northern side of the entrance.

A fixed highway bridge crosses the bay about 11⁄2 miles inside the entrance; there is a boat opening with a horizontal clearance of 37

(15) APALACHEE BAY TO ST. GEORGE SOUND

151

feet and a vertical clearance of 14 feet (4.3 m) above mean low water.

From Apalachee Bay the best water leads in a general west-northwesterly direction toward the south side of Ochlockonee Point, follows the point, at a distance offshore of about 150 yards, for threefourths mile, and then leads in the middle of the bay until about 2 miles west of the point. Thence it follows close to the south shore until nearly up to Shell Point, identified by a high sand and shell bluff, and from there it leads through a channel, generally marked by bush stakes, to the mouth of the Ochlockonee River, favoring the north side in entering.

Ochlockonee River empties into the head of Ochlockonee Bay. It trends westward for a distance of 7 miles to Crooked River, then turns northward, and finally eastward. It has a low-water depth of 5 feet (1.5 m) or more for a distance of 29 miles. One railroad bridge and one highway bridge, both with fixed spans cross the river just below the junction with Crooked River at a place called McIntyre. These bridges have a horizontal clearance of 33 feet and a maximum vertical clearance of 9 feet (2.7 m) above mean low water. Crooked River is a narrow, crooked, tidal stream 22 miles long, connecting Ochlockonee and Carrabelle Rivers. It is from 5 to 20 feet (1.5 to 6.1 m) deep, except in a few short stretches where the depth is only about 3 feet (0.9 m) at low water.

South Shoal extends southward from the east end of St. James Island for about 6 miles. The sea breaks on portions of the shoal even in good weather. South Shoal Whistle Buoy 26 lies one-half mile off the southern end of the shoal.

Dog Island Reef, lying 5 to 6 miles off the shore of St. James Island, extends from a point about 5 miles west-southwestward of Lighthouse Point to the eastern end of Dog Island, and has depths of 2 to 6 feet (0.6 to 1.8 m) over a considerable part of it.

Directions, Inside Passage from Apalachee Bay to St. George Sound.From St. Marks Channel Sea Buoy follow the course 236° true (SW. 34 W. mag.) for 71⁄2 miles to a position off the entrance to Ochlockonee Bay and then the course 237° true (WNW. 34 W. mag.), heading for the south side of Ochlockonee Point. This last course will lead very close to shoals on each side and may have to be modified somewhat to avoid them. Go slowly and sound continuously until past the point.

When inside the point, follow the directions given in the last paragraph under Ochlockonee Bay above. These directions will carry into the Ochlockonee River.

Inside the river, turn southward at the first bend, one-half mile above the mouth and keep about in midriver, passing either side of the island which is about 31⁄2 miles above the mouth. Leave the Ochlockonee River just above the two bridges and turn westward. into Crooked River; Ochlockonee River here tends to the northward. For 17 miles westward the Crooked River is easily navigated but further westward to its mouth there are several points where caution is necessary. In 1935 the controlling depth through Crooked River was about 3 feet (0.9 m). Caution is necessary at the junction of the Crooked and Carrabelle Rivers to avoid a shoal where the two channels meet. Coming down the Carrabelle River, pass northward of the island in the reach above the town.

ST. GEORGE SOUND AND APALACHICOLA BAY

(Charts 182 and 183)

These adjoining bodies of water, 40 miles long and 3 to 6 miles wide, are separated from the Gulf by Dog, St. George, and St. Vincent Islands. Both the sound and the bay are generally shallow with numerous oyster reefs and shoals, all of which are dangerous to vessels striking them. A line of shoals, known as Bulkhead Shoal, extends in a northerly direction from St. George Island to the mainland and forms the dividing line between St. George Sound and Apalachicola Bay. A channel has been dredged across Bulkhead Shoal; it is well marked by a lighted range and buoys and with the aid of the chart can be readily followed by a stranger if the weather is clear. In 1935 the controlling depth in this channel was 9 feet (2.7 m).

Except in the vicinity of East Pass, St. George Sound and Apalachicola Bay are navigated principally by local oystermen, fishermen, towboats, and small craft of less than 7 feet (2.1 m) draft. The principal commerce consists of lumber, oysters, and fish. St. George Sound can be entered from the Gulf by Duer Channel and by East Pass. It can also be entered by open launches of 3 feet (0.9 m) draft coming from Ochlokonee Bay by way of Carrabelle River. Apalachicola Bay can be entered from the Gulf by way of West Pass, and also with a draft of about 5 feet (1.5 m) by an inside passage from St. Andrews Bay.

Duer Channel lies at the eastern end of St. George Sound between South Shoal and Dog Island Reef. It is subject to frequent change and is unmarked. It is occasionally used during stormy weather by light-draft vessels with local knowledge, as it gives access to the sheltered waters of St. George Sound, but it is difficult for a stranger. Local fishermen sometimes enter St. George Sound through the shoals close eastward of Dog Island.

Alligator Harbor is a shallow, unimportant body of water at the easterly end of St. George Sound, formed by a long narrow spit of land which extends westward from Lighthouse Point. There is a good anchorage east of Peninsula Point in 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 m) of water, hard sand bottom. There is a narrow, crooked channel, with a depth of 7 feet (2.1 m), leading to it from Duer Channel, but for a stranger drawing over 5 feet (1.5 m) it is difficult to follow, as there are no marks.

Dog Island is a narrow, wooded island 5 miles long, and the first land sighted in approaching from southeastward. The western end is a low barren sand spit which is reported to be gradually shifting northward.

East Pass, the principal entrance to St. George Sound, lies between Dog and St. George Islands, 23 miles eastward of Cape St. George Lighthouse. A channel 150 feet wide by 2012 feet (6.2 m) deep has been dredged between the shoals extending 2 miles offshore. This channel is subject to change and, although it is well marked by buoys and a lighted range, it is somewhat difficult for a stranger. The range does not mark the best water, the channel being eastward of the range. The pass should be used only with local knowledge. In 1935 there was a controlling depth of 18 feet (5.5 m) on the range while 2012 feet (6.2 m) could be obtained by following the channel buoys which deviated slightly from the range. A Swash Channel, good for about