that point. The dredged channels are generally 800 feet wide in the straight reaches, 1,000 feet wide in the bends, and 1,200 feet wide in Bulkhead Bar Channel. The buoys marking the dredged channels are usually maintained on or close to the edge, and vessels on the ranges will usually pass them at a distance of 100 to 200 yards. Buoys marking each range are numbered separately, and each buoy bears the first letter of the range which it marks. The ranges do not all show well as daymarks, but vessels will ordinarily have no trouble in running by the buoys except when ice is running, at which times the buoys may be dragged from their positions. Shoaling is liable to take place at any time where the channel has been improved, but the channels are usually redredged as soon as the shoaling is found. In general, the bottom is soft and vessels, if on or close on the ranges, do not sustain damage from grounding, except near the intersection of the Marcus Hook and Chester ranges and near the intersection of the Chester and Tinicum ranges, where the bottom is rocky. At the shoalest places deep-draft vessels take advantage of the tide, which has a mean rise and fall of 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m.) between the entrance of the river and the wharves at Philadelphia, but during strong northerly winds the high and low waters may be as much as 2.5 to 3.5 feet (0.8 to 1 m.) lower than the mean. It must be remembered that the channel in the river is being improved and that dredges may be found at work on or near any of the range lines. Directions for passing dredges are given on page 272. At night a stranger may be confused by the lights of vessels at anchor near the channels, and strangers in deep-draft vessels are advised not to run. Red sectors are established in the lighthouses to cover the dangers on both sides of the channel from Overfalls Lightship to the entrance of the dredged channel and should be observed closely if running at night. The following table gives the courses and distances from Overfalls Lightship to Philadelphia. They lead in a least depth of 33 feet (10 m.) to the entrance of the dredged channel and in the dredged channel (least depth 33 feet (10 m.)) to Philadelphia. Many cutoffs are possible for light-draft vessels, but strangers are advised to follow the main channel. Delaware Bay entrance to Philadelphia [Abbreviations for lights: F., fixed; Fl., flashing; Occ., occulting; Alt., alternating; W., white; R., red. Color white unless otherwise indicated] 1. From Overfalls lightship (Occ.) to 0.3 mile east-northeast of gas and bell buoy No. 11, passing 0.4 miles eastward of gas and bell buoy No. 7, 0.8 mile westward of Brandywine Shoal Light (Occ.), close westward of gas and bell buoy No. 10 (marking a 29foot (8.8 m.) spot), 0.7 mile eastward of Fourteen Foot Bank Light (Occ.). Miah Maull Shoal Light (Occ.). is slightly on the starboard bow on this course. Delaware Bay entrance to Philadelphia-Continued 2. To 300 yards west-southwest of Elbow of Ledge Light (Gp. Occ.), passing 300 yards northeastward of gas and bell buoy No. 13. 3. To 300 yards east-northeast of gas and bell buoy No. 17. 4. To 200 yards southwest of Ben Davis Point Shoal gas and bell buoy No. 16, Elbow of Ledge Light astern. 5. To midway between buoys Nos. 1 B and 2 B, passing 0.3 mile southwest of Ship John Shoal Light (Occ.), entering the dredged channel 200 yards southward of gas and bell buoy No. 2, L, and steering the Liston range. 6. To midway between buoys Nos. 1 R and 2 R, Baker range ahead. 7. To eastward of gas and bell buoy No. 9. To junction with Deepwater Point range, Bulkhead Bar range ahead. 17 11. To junction with Bellevue range 200 yards northwest of gas buoy No. 2 B, Cherry Island range ahead. 12. To junction with Marcus Hook range 200 yards west-northwestward of gas and bell buoy No. 2 M, Bellevue range astern. 13. To junction with Chester range 200 yards north-northeastward of gas and bell buoy, Marcus Hook range astern. 14. To 200 yards northward of gas buoy No. 6 C, Chester range ahead. 15. To 300 yards northeast of gas buoy No. 2 T. 16. To 200 yards south-southeast of gas buoy No. 5 T, Tinicum range ahead. 17. To 150 yards south of gas buoy No. 1 F. 18. To junction with Horseshoe range, west groups, Fort Mifflin Bar range astern. 19. To junction with Eagle Point range, Horseshoe range, west group, astern. 20. To junction with Horseshoe range, east group, Eagle Point range astern. 21. To 100 yards nothwestward of white buoy No. 51, off the immigration station, Gloucester, Horseshoe range, east group, astern. 22. Above Gloucester the mid-channel is clear but the best water favors the western side of the river along the wharves at Philadelphia, Pa. DELAWARE BAY, WESTERN SIDE The western shore of Delaware Bay is low and marshy, with few prominent marks northward of Delaware Breakwater. The principal marks visible from the western channel are as follows: A small group of houses at Waterloo, just above Broadkill River entrance; a group of houses at Slaughter Beach, just below Cedar Beach; the lighthouse and fish factory in the mouth of Mispillion River; a large group of houses at Bowers; a small group at Kitts Hummock; the lighthouse and a few houses at Mahon River; and the ranges at Leipsic River. The rivers on the western side of Delaware Bay are very narrow and crooked, and vessels have considerable difficulty in making some of the turns. They are frequented by freight and passenger steamers and schooners carrying produce, fertilizer, and canned goods to or from the towns at their heads and the farm landings below, the usual draft of boats engaged in this trade being 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m.). Oyster and fishing boats also seek anchorage in the mouths of many of them. Towboats are not often used, and strangers seldom enter. Most of the business from the rivers is northward to Chester and Philadelphia. Local vessels usually take advantage of the tide up and down the Delaware River, leaving the mouths of the creeks bound northward at a little after low water, and leaving Philadelphia bound southward at high water or a little before. In entering or leaving the creeks allowance should be made for the current in the bay, which sets across the dredged channels and has considerable velocity at times. There are many detached shoal spots with depths of 2 to 6 feet (0.6 to 1.8 m.) along the western side of Delaware Bay from Delaware Breakwater northward to Bombay Hook Point. They are generally unmarked, except in the vicinity of the main ship channel, and are subject to some change, both in depth and position. Strangers using any of the channels westward of the main ship channel should proceed with caution. There is a channel along the western side of Delaware Bay which is marked by a line of perpendicularly striped buoys from off the mouth of St. Jones River southward to below Old Bare Shoal. It is used by most of the vessels frequenting the tributaries on the western side of the bay. It is said to lead clear of dangers if the buoys are followed closely, but leads close to the shoals in places. Vessels entering the channel from northward usually leave the main channel of Delaware River at gas and bell buoy No. 21, 212 miles southward of Ship John Shoal Lighthouse, pass close eastward of buoy No. 3, at the north end of Blake Channel, and steer 183 true (S. by W. mag.) to the gas buoy off the entrance of St. Jones and Murderkill Rivers. The northerly sector of Mahon River Lighthouse covers the entrance to the channel at night. The least depth crossed on this course is 7 or 8 feet (2.1 or 2.4 m.). Cape Henlopen, on the southwest side of the entrance to Delaware Bay, is a high white sand hill, bare of vegetation. The point of the cape, from a comparison of the surveys, is moving northward at a slow but uniform rate. Vessels should keep in the white sector of Delaware Breakwater light when passing north of the cape. A shoal with little depth, as shown on the chart, extends nearly 3% mile castward from the end of Cape Henlopen, and is marked at its easterly end by a black bell buoy. Delaware Breakwater (chart 379) is the name generally applied to the entire anchorage in the vicinity of Cape Henlopen, including the inner anchorage (Breakwater Harbor) and the outer anchorage (Harbor of Refuge). Breakwater Harbor, on the west side of Cape Henlopen, southward of the inner breakwater, is easy of access both day and night and is a safe harbor for light-draft vessels in all but heavy northwesterly gales, and affords considerable protection even in such weather. Under the most favorable conditions a vessel of as much as 15 feet (4.5 m.) draft can select anchorage with sufficient swinging room in the easterly part of the harbor, but the harbor is generally crowded in heavy weather, and vessels of a greater draft than about 10 feet (3 m.) should preferably anchor westward or northwestward of the inner breakwater or in Harbor of Refuge. Breakwater Harbor has depths of 10 to about 30 feet (3 to 9.1 m.) in its easterly part, eastward of a line joining the reporting station on the breakwater and the easternmost fish-oil works. The angle in the westerly part of the breakwater is shoal, depths of 9 to 10 feet (2.7 to 3 m.) extend nearly 3 mile south-southwestward from the westerly half of the breakwater, and depths of 12 to 13 feet (3.6 to 3.9 m.) extend to shore southwestward. Tides. The mean range of tides is about 4.3 feet. Currents. The tidal currents have considerable velocity behind the breakwater in the inner harbor, especially near its eastern end. The flood sets westward and the ebb eastward, and at strength have estimated velocities of 12 to 2 knots. Outside the outer breakwater the velocity of the current at strength is 1.9 knots. The general direction of tidal currents is parallel with the breakwater, with a considerable set toward the lower end on the ebb and toward the upper end of the flood. Directions, Breakwater Harbor.-From Overfalls Lightship steer 279° true (WNW. 1⁄2 W. mag.) until Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse bears about 240° true (WSW. mag.). Then steer this course for that lighthouse and pass about 100 yards southeastward of it in entering the harbor. The entrance is about 1/4 mile wide between the lighthouse and the edge of the shoal southeastward. Caution is necessary at night during heavy weather on account of the large number of vessels which will usually be found at anchor in the harbor. Vessels should keep in the white sector of the Delaware Breakwater light when passing Cape Henlopen at night. Coming down Delaware Bay pass eastward of Brown Shoal gas and bell buoy, and steer 175° true (S. 14 W. mag.) for Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse (flashing white) with Brandywine Shoals Lighthouse astern, pass 350 yards eastward of the lighthouse and then steer 203 true (SSW. 34 W. mag.) to pass 100 yards eastward of Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse. Wharves.-The easterly wharf on the south side of Breakwater Harbor is the property of the Government, and has a depth of 16 feet (4.8 m.) at its end, but is in bad repair. Westward of it are wharves of fish-oil works, with about 12 feet (3.6 m.) at the ends, some of them in ruins, and 114 miles westward is a railroad wharf with 12 feet (3.6 m.) at its end. Speed trial course.-A speed trial course is located east of the outer breakwater and is defined by range lines. The front objects are skeleton towers located on the outer breakwater; the southern rear object is a skeleton tower near the western end of the inner breakwater and the northern rear object is a skeleton tower on shore 11⁄2 miles west-northwestward of the railroad wharf at Lewes. Westward of the range tower is an old tower, formerly the Delaware Breakwater rear range light. The exact distance between the range lines is 1.000067 nautical miles on a course 319° true (northbound) or 139° true (southbound). Lewes is a town with railroad communication lying 1⁄2 mile southwestward of the railroad wharf. Provisions, gasoline, ice, and some ship chandlery are obtainable, and some coal in case of necessity. The inner breakwater is nearly 1 mile long in a west-northwesterly direction, and is marked at its east end by Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse, and at its west end by a red light. A telegraph and reporting station, from which vessels are reported to the Maritime Exchange at Philadelphia, is located near the middle of the breakwater, and storm warnings are displayed. Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse (occulting white), on the east end of the inner breakwater, is a brown conical tower. It has a red sector south of 240° true and 101° true, covering a shoal off the point of Cape Henlopen and Breakwater Harbor. It is 61 feet (18.6 m.) high and visible 13 miles. The fog signal is given on a horn, blast 2 seconds, silent 13 seconds. If the horn is disabled a bell will be struck by hand. Lying westward and northwestward of the inner breakwater is an extensive anchorage with depths of 16 to 25 feet (4.8 to 7.6 m.), muddy bottom, where vessels are sheltered from southeasterly and northeasterly winds, and this anchorage is much used by coasting vessels. The anchorage is easy of access, the least depths in the approach being 23 to 30 feet (7 to 9.1 m.) between the inner breakwater and Marshall Shoal red and black buoy. Harbor of Refuge, lying 1 to 2 miles north-northwestward of Cape Henlopen, is formed by a breakwater which extends 114 miles south-southeastward from the southeast end of the Shears, and by a row of ice breakers on the Shears. The breakwater is marked on its south end by Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, and at its north end by a red light. The harbor, except in its northern part, has depths of 4 to 7 fathoms (7.3 to 12.8 m.), muddy bottom, for a distance of nearly 1 mile west-southwestward from the breakwater. It affords a harbor in easterly gales for deep-draft vessels. The entrance from southward is deep and clear, while that from northward across the Shears has depths of 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to 3.6 m.). The deepest water, depths 5 to 7 fathoms (9.1 to 12.8 m.), will be found 3⁄4 mile westward of the south half of the breakwater. During seasons of ice drifting ice often forms a danger. A ridge, having lumps with depths of 12 to 18 feet (3.6 to 5.5 m.), extends 145° true (SSE. 12 E. mag.) from the south end of the Shears toward Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse. The south end of the |