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abreast the town and deep water at the wharves. A railroad connects with Wilmington. Fresh water and gasoline can be had at the wharves, and provisions are obtainable in the town. Coal and fuel oil can be obtained from the railroad wharf if ordered in advance. Pilots for the bar and river maintain a lookout tower in Southport. The Intracoastal Waterway entrance to the westward is marked by Southport Light No. 1 south of Southport.

Storm Warnings are displayed at Southport.

A channel 100 feet wide with a controlling depth of 8 feet (2.4 m) has recently been dredged eastward and southeastward from a point on the main ship channel about 350 yards southward of buoy 17A to the dock of the Ethyl-Dow Chemical Company on the east side of the river about 5 miles N. by E. of Corncake Inlet.

The Intracoastal Waterway channel northward from Cape Fear River leaves the main ship channel opposite the Manhaden Fish wharves on the west side of the river, northward of buoy 17A, and trends 25° true (NNE. 2 E. mag.) with the Intracoastal Waterway Range ahead to beacon 73. Thence 67° true (ENE. 14 E. mag.), with Canal Entrance Range astern, to the mouth of the land cut to Myrtle Sound. The junction is marked by Junction Light.

Passage from the Intracoastal Waterway to the main channel of the Cape Fear River opposite beacon No. 23 is possible for boats of 412-foot (1.4 m) draft through the slue leading northward from Canal Entrance Range rear light. This channel is now well marked by beacons. Pass about 200 yards east of Canal Entrance Range rear light and steer 357° true (N. mag.) for 1% miles until abeam of beacon No. 7, thence 330° true (NNW. 3% W. mag.) for Liliput Middle Beacon No. 23 ahead, with the end of the ruined Carolina Beach Railroad wharf, on the east side of the river, astern.

Elizabeth River is navigable up to the second fish factory for boats of 5-foot (1.5 m) draft. Entrance is made through the Intracoastal Waterway. Dutchman Creek, entered from Elizabeth River Channel, is used by boats of 412-foot draft.

Northwest Branch.-The controlling low-water depths in the northwest branch of the river above Wilmington were 8 feet (2.4 m) to Kings Bluff (Lock No. 1), 3 feet (0.9 m) to Browns Landing (Lock No. 2), and 2 feet (0.6 m) to Fayetteville, June 1934. These depths are secured by dredging and the building of two dams, one at Kings Bluff and the other at Browns Landing, 34 and 64 miles, respectively, above Wilmington. The tidal range at Kings Bluff is about 1 foot (0.3 m). It was reported that with the completion of the lock and dam project a depth of 8 feet (2.4 m) was available to Fayetteville (January 1936).

Northeast River, known locally as Northeast Branch, empties into Cape Fear River from northeastward at Wilmington. The governing low-water depths in January 1936 were 15 feet to a point 234 miles above the mouth; thence 6 feet to Bannermans Bridge, 48 miles above the mouth; thence 3 feet to Crooms Bridge, 56 miles above the mouth. Above Crooms Bridge the river is navigable during freshets only, which are liable to occur any month in the year. Black River empties into Cape Fear River about 1211⁄2 miles above Wilmington and has a low-water depth of 5 feet (1.5 m) to Point

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Caswell, 21 miles; 212 feet (0.7 m) to Hawes Narrows, 28 miles; and 112 feet (0.4 m) to Clear Run, 571⁄2 miles. Above Clear Run for a distance of 7 miles to Lisbon the river is so shallow that navigation is practicable only during high-water stages.

Anchorages. On account of the Government submarine cable, vessels are cautioned not to anchor on or near a line from Bald Head Lighthouse to Fort Caswell. The best anchorage is off the town of Southport, where the depth ranges from 4 to 6 fathoms (7.3 to 10.9 m); the holding ground is good, but, on account of the strong tidal currents, vessels should anchor with a good scope of chain. Vessels should anchor well clear of the range line. This anchorage is sometimes used as a harbor of refuge in the winter by coasting vessels. There is a limited anchorage basin abreast the lower end of Wilmington, on the easterly side of the river just above the mouth of Alligator Creek.

It is reported that the holding ground in the vicinity of the entrance buoy is poor.

DIRECTIONS, CAPE FEAR RIVER

The channel from sea to Wilmington is a dredged cut 300 to 400 feet wide, the currents have considerable velocity, the dredged channel across the bar is subject to a gradual change in position, and strangers are advised to take a pilot. Unless with a local pilot, vessels do not run the river at night; sailing vessels require a towboat.

1. Approaching from northward.-The safer course, and the one generally used by large, deep-draft vessels, is to pass outside of Frying-Pan Shoals Lightship. From a position about 1 mile south of Cape Lookout Shoals Lighted Whistle Buoy a course of 229° true (SW. 34 W. mag.) made good will lead to a position 1 mile south of Frying-Pan Shoals Lightship.

From a position 1 mile south of Frying-Pan Shoals Lightship steer 2961/2 true (NW. by W. % W. mag.) for 2214 miles, passing 0.4 mile south of Frying-Pan Shoals Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 AFP, to a position 21/2 miles south of Frying-Pan Shoals Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 F P. Then steer 162° true (S. by E. % E. mag.) for 14 miles to a position about 200 yards west of Cape Fear River Entrance Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 C F.

1A. Approaching from southward. The principal danger southward of Frying-Pan Shoals is the broken ground extending off between Cape Romain and Winyah Bay, on which there is a depth of 334 fathoms (6.7 m) near the wreck of the Hector lying 11 miles from shore. The wreck is marked by a lighted bell buoy. Deepdraft vessels should pass outside of this broken ground, giving the coast a berth of over 12 miles, and this is the safer course for all vessels at night. When clear of the broken ground, the course can be shaped for Cape Fear River Entrance Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 CF off the entrance of Cape Fear River. When approaching from the southwestward in daytime, the water tanks on Fort Caswell will generally be picked up before Cape Fear Lighthouse.

Currents. Except with northeasterly winds, some overrun, probably amounting to 0.5 knot at times, may be expected in approaching from southward. (See currents on pages 31 and 32.)

Courses and distances, Sea buoy to Wilmington

[Abbreviations: Lt., light; Bn., beacon; F., fixed; Fl., flashing; Occ., occulting; W., white; R., red; G., green; Alt., alternating; t., true; dist., distant]

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COURSES AND DISTANCES

Courses and distances, Sea buoy to Wilmington-Continued

131

[Abbreviations: Lt., light; Bn., beacon; F., fixed; Fl., flashing; Occ., occulting; W., white; R., red; G., green; Alt., alternating; t., true; dist., distant]

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9. Buoy 13A abeam (covered by the red Sec-
tor of Snow March Channel Range rear
light). Steer Reeves Point Channel
range (front Lt. Fl. W. rear Lt. Occ. W.,
red sector) astern; pass west of buoy 10:
Direct
Reverse_.

10. Buoy 10 abeam (covered by the red sector
of Upper Midnight Channel Range front
light). Steer Lower Midnight Chan-
nel range (front Lt. Fl. R., rear Lt. Occ.
R.) ahead; pass east of buoy 15 and
Midnight Channel Lt.:

Direct
Reverse_

11. Midnight Channel Light (Fl. G.) abeam. Steer Upper Midnight Channel range (front Lt. Fl. W., rear Lt. Occ. W., red sector) astern; pass east of buoy 17A, west of Junction Light, east of buoy 19, west of buoy 12, east of buoy 19A, and west of Orton Point Lt.:

Direct.

Reverse_

12. Orton Point Light (Fl. R.) Steer Lower Lili-
put Channel range (front Lt. Fl. W., rear
Lt. Occ. W.) ahead; pass east of buoy
21, west of buoy 14, and east of buoy 23:
Direct
Reverse___

13. Beacon 23 abeam. Steer Upper Liliput
Channel range (front Lt. Fl. R., rear
Lt. Occ. R.) astern; pass west of buoys
16 and 16A:

Direct

Reverse_

14. Buoy 16A abeam. Steer Keg Island Chan-
nel range (front Lt. Fl. W., rear Lt. Occ.
W.) ahead; pass west of buoy 16B:
Direct
Reverse__

15. Midway between Beacons 25 and 18.
Steer Big Island Channel Lower range
(front Lt. Fl. W, rear Lt. Occ. W.) astern:
Direct
Reverse..

16. Midway between Beacons 25A and 20.
Steer Big Island Channel Upper range
(front Lt. F. W, rear Lt. Occ. W.) astern:
Direct

Reverse_

17. Midway between Light 25B (Fl. G) and Beacon 22. Steer Lower Brunswick Channel range (front Lt. Fl. W., rear Lt. Occ. W.) ahead; pass west of buoys 24 and 26:

Direct
Reverse__

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Courses and distances, Sea buoy to Wilmington-Continued Abbreviations: Lt., light; Bn., beacon; F., fixed; Fl., flashing; Occ., occulting; W., white; R., red; G. green; Alt., alternating; t., true; dist., distant]

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Wilmington, the chief port of the State of North Carolina, population 32,270 in 1930, is on the east bank of the Cape Fear River, 27 miles above its mouth. It has considerable trade in lumber, cotton, naval stores, and fertilizers, and is a distributing point for gasoline and other supplies to the surrounding hinterland. Excellent hotel accommodations are available in the city. A Coast Guard cutter is stationed at Wilmington.

National quarantine. The quarantine and boarding station is on the east side of the channel, about 1 mile above Southport.

Pilots for the bar and river maintain a lookout tower in Southport and will board a vessel within a radium of 8 miles from the entrance buoy. All vessels will be met by the pilot boat. The usual anchorage for vessels awaiting a pilot is 1 mile south by west from the entrance buoy. Vessels bound for the Cape Fear River and desiring a pilot should radio time of arrival off bar to Wilmington. The information will be telephoned to the pilot station at Southport. Vessels bound upriver are reported by telephone from the pilot station when passing Southport.

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