sound. The Intracoastal Waterway leads up this river a distance of 234 miles, and thence through Florida Passage and Bear River to St. Catherines Sound.

Pilots. There are no regular pilots for Ossabaw Sound or its tributaries. Persons competent to pilot vessels can be found at Savannah or Thunderbolt.

Tides. The mean rise and fall of tides is about 7 feet (2.1 m), decreasing to about 1 foot (0.3 m) at the highway bridge across the Ogeechee River.

The tidal currents in the sound have considerable velocity, and allowance must be made for them. The ebb setting out of Ogeechee River is particularly strong.

COAST FROM OSSABAW SOUND TO ST. CATHERINES SOUND

(Chart 573)

The coast line between these sounds is formed by the eastern shore of Ossabaw Island. This island lies in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction, having a length of 7% miles and a width of 52 miles. The eastern half of the island is heavily wooded. The western half is almost entirely marshy and is cut up by numerous creeks that afford access to the higher ground to the eastward. The north end of the island forms the south shore of Ossabaw Sound, into which flows a small stream called Bradley River, that penetrates to the center of the island.

The seaward side of the island is unbroken by streams of any size and presents to the view only a white sand beach backed by heavy woods. Dangerous shoals make off from this shore to a distance of nearly 5 miles.

The southwestern point of the island borders on St. Catherines Sound and is well wooded. On the west the island is separated from the marshes of the mainland by Bear River and Florida Passage, connecting streams which afford an inside passage from one sound to the other. From these streams Queens Bess Creek, Canepatch Creek, Buckhead Creek, Big Tom Creek, and Newell Creek run through the marshes to the wooded portions of the island.

ST. CATHERINES SOUND

(Chart 573)

St. Catherines Sound is about 24 miles southwestward of Tybee Lighthouse and 21 miles northeastward of Sapelo Lighthouse (light now discontinued). The entrance to the sound is over a shifting bar which extends 5 miles offshore. The entrance is marked by St. Catherines Whistle Buoy St. C and, with the aid of a chart, it should not be difficult for boats drawing 11 feet (3.4 m) to enter by following closely the buoyed channel. On a clear day the entrance may be recognized, showing the break between the wooded points on its northern and southern sides. Surveys in 1934 show that the points of land on either side of the entrance are wearing

away.

There are no towns on the sound. Strangers seldom enter, and, except for light-draft fishing boats, there is little traffic across St.

ST. CATHERINES SOUND

189

Catherines Bar. There are no regular pilots, but Savannah pilots will take vessels in over the bar.

The sound is for the most part shallow, but channels with depths of 3 to 5 fathoms (5.5 to 9.1 m) lead from inside the bar into the

entrances of its tributaries.

The Intracoastal Waterway crosses St. Catherines Sound just inside the entrance and affords passage northward through Bear River to Ossabaw Sound, and southward through Walburg Creek and Johnsons Creek to Sapelo Sound. The main body of the sound is exposed and becomes quite rough in moderately bad weather. The best anchorage is in Walburg Creek.

Tides.-The mean rise and fall of tides in the sound is about 7 feet (2.1 m), increasing to about 8 feet (2.4 m) at Belfast and Kilkenny Club. The tidal currents have considerable velocity at the entrance and in the rivers.

Bear River enters St. Catherines Sound from the northwestward just inside the entrance. About 8 miles above its mouth the river joins Florida Passage, and this affords passage, with a depth of 9 feet (2.7 m) in 1934, to Ossabaw Sound. This route is a section of the Intracoastal Waterway. The tidal currents are swift in the lower reaches of Bear River.

A depth of 10 feet (3.0 m) can be taken up Bear River and about 3 miles up Kilkenny Creek, its principal tributary. There was formerly a wharf and sawmill at Kilkenny, 134 miles above the mouth of the creek. There is passage through Kilkenny Creek and Skipper Narrows to Florida Passage but should not be attempted without local knowledge as the crooked narrow section at the upper end of Skipper Narrows almost bares at low water.

Medway River enters the sound from the westward and is navigable through Belfast River as far as Belfast, the former site of a large sawmill, now dismantled. A draft of 7 feet (2.1 m) can be taken to Belfast according to surveys of 1934. A draft of about 13 feet (4.0 m) can be taken to the entrance to Belfast River, a distance of 612 miles. Sunbury, formerly a settlement of some importance, now has one wharf serving an oyster plant. Water can be secured at the wharf. Roads lead from Sunbury and Belfast to join the main highways. There is a pile of rocks, bare about 3 feet (0.9 m) at low water in surrounding depths of 12 feet (3.7 m) in mid-channel off the bluff at Belfast.

Walburg Creek enters the sound from southward just inside its entrance and with North Newport River, Johnson Creek, and South Newport River forms the section of the Intracoastal Waterway to Sapelo Sound. The controlling depth through this passage was 9 feet (2.7 m) in 1934 on the range at the junction of Walburg Creek and North Newport River.

There is good anchorage in Walburg Creek and a dock (privately owned) on its east bank.

North Newport River enters the sound from southward just west of Walburg Creek. It is of little commercial importance, except for that small portion of it which forms part of the Intracoastal Waterway. According to surveys of 1934 a draft of 12 feet (3.7 m) can be taken to a point about 12 miles above the mouth of the river, and about 6 feet (1.8 m) nearly up to the railroad bridge (closed).

Timmons and South Newport Rivers have no importance above the sections near the Intracoastal Waterway. Both are used locally by

those with local information. A wharf, privately owned, is located on the South Newport River 5 miles above its junction with Johnson Creek.

COAST FROM ST. CATHERINES SOUND TO SAPELO SOUND

(Charts 1241, 573, and 574)

The coast line from St. Catherines Sound to Sapelo Sound is formed by St. Catherines Island. This lies nearly in a north and south line, having a length of 92 miles and a breadth at its widest part of about 3 miles. The whole island is flat, and extensive portions of it are marshy. Its higher parts are heavily wooded. Seen from seaward, at a distance it presents no prominent distinguishing features, showing only dense woods in level outline. It has a white sand beach, and near its center there are sand hills 20 feet (6.1 m) high, which show up from some directions.

There is a prominent sand dune 3 miles south of the north end of St. Catherines Island and about 1 mile north of McQueen Inlet. This is the only landmark in the vicinity and is reported to show well from seaward. The island is separated from the marshes lying between it and the mainland by Walburg Creek, Johnson Creek, and the South Newport River.

McQueen Inlet is the only break visible on the seaward side of the island. It is unimportant, as it is blocked by shoals at low water. Dangerous shoals make off from the eastern shore to a distance of 5 miles. Between the south point of this island and the north point of Blackbeard Island lies the entrance to Sapelo Sound.

SAPELO SOUND

(Chart 574)

Sapelo Sound is 10 miles northeastward of Sapelo Lighthouse and 34 miles southwestward of Tybee Lighthouse. The entrance is obstructed by shifting shoals which extend nearly 5 miles seaward, through which there is a channel with a least depth of 19 feet (5.8 m) according to surveys made in 1925. The sound affords excellent anchorage for any vessel that can cross the bar. There are no towns or villages of any importance on the sound or its tributaries.

The break in the shore at the entrance to the sound can be seen a distance of about 8 miles on a clear day, and the old quarantine station can be seen from the sea buoy. Sapelo Lighthouse, 10 miles southwestward of Sapelo Sound, can also be seen from off the bar and is a good mark. The light station has been discontinued. Sapelo Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 S, lat. 31°28′30'' N., long. 80°54′30′′ W., is located about 15 miles eastward of Sapelo Sound entrance in 48 feet of water. The light is flashing white, 1 second, every 6 seconds. Directions. Shoals extend about 5 miles from shore, and vessels should keep in a depth of over 5 fathoms (9.1 m) until the sea buoy is sighted.

With the aid of the chart, vessels of 15-foot (4.5 m) or less draft, on a rising tide with a smooth sea, should have no difficulty in entering during daylight by following the buoys. A comparison of the

surveys made in 1859, 1902, and 1925 shows practically no change in the bar during that time, except in the vicinity of the shoalest part of Experiment Shoal, which has moved southward more than 14 mile; the slue between that shoal and St. Catherines Island has also deepened and extended and now shows up as a swash channel with least depth of over 9 feet (2.7 m). Another channel through the shoals south of the main channel had 8 feet (2.4 m) at low water in 1925. It is unmarked but is used by fishing boats.

When in the sound, pass about 1/4 mile northward of the old quarantine structure in the water and stand westward in the buoyed channel to an anchorage northward of Dog Hammock Spit.

The Intracoastal Waterway enters Sapelo Sound from the northward through South Newport River and continues southward to Doboy Sound through Sapelo River, Front River, Creighton Narrows, and Old Teakettle Creek.

Anchorages. There is good anchorage anywhere in the channel of the sound, but vessels entering for shelter usually anchor in South Newport River or on either side of Dog Hammock Spit.

Tides. The mean rise and fall of tides is about 7 feet (2.1 m). In the entrance to the sound the average strength of the flood and ebb currents are about 2 and 212 knots, respectively.

Pilots for Sapelo Sound can be obtained by writing or wiring to Darien. Pilotage is not compulsory unless the vessel is spoken by a pilot.

Pilotage rates. Following are the rates of pilotage for Doboy and Sapelo Bars and for Darien and Sapelo River:

Drop, $7; every day's detention, $3; foreign vessels, 50 percent additional to the above rates.

South Newport River enters the sound from northward just inside the entrance; the river has a channel depth of 11 feet (3.3 m) for a distance of 11 miles to its junction with North Newport River,

and at high water 8 feet (2.4 m) can be taken about 5 miles farther up the river. Entering the sound from northwestward is Barbour Island River, through which a draft of 8 feet (2.4 m) at high water can be taken to South Newport River; in its northern part the channel leads southward and eastward around the large island to South Newport River.

Sapelo River, which enters the sound from westward, is navigable at low water, according to surveys in 1934, for vessels of a draft of 7 feet (2.1 m) for a distance of 4 miles to the small landing at Fairhope, and a draft of 3 feet (0.9 m) to a point about 1 mile below the closed county bridge at Eulonia post office.

In 1934 a draft of 13 feet (4.0 m) could be carried from the deeper waters of Sapelo River into the mouth of Front River. On the western side, just inside the entrance to Front River, were formerly the loading berths for Darien. Artesian water is piped to the point. At the head of Front River a dredged channel through Creighton Narrows affords a passage, with a controllng depth of 8.2 feet (2.5 m) in March 1935, to Old Teakettle Creek and thence to Doboy Sound. The Intracoastal Waterway follows this route.

Mud River enters the head of Sapelo Sound from southward; it is a broad, shallow body of water, with a channel depth of 5 feet (1.5 m) in 1934, marked by range beacons, and is important only as a part of an alternate route of the Intracoastal Waterway between Savannah and Fernandina. No further dredging will be done to maintain this depth, as the main Intracoastal Waterway leads through Front River.

For details of the route in this locality, see Inside Route Pilot, New York to Key West.

COAST FROM SAPELO SOUND TO DOBOY SOUND

(Chart 1241)

The coast line from Sapelo Sound to Doboy Sound is formed by the shores of Blackbeard and Sapelo Islands. These are separated only by a strip of marsh and a narrow inlet leading into Cabretta Creek. At low water 2 feet (0.6 m) can be taken into this inlet and through the creek into Sapelo Sound. Local boats use this passage frequently. From all points of view they appear as a single island and may be described as one. Taken together they have a length of 1011⁄2 miles in a north-northeasterly direction and with a width of about 4 miles. Large portions of both islands are heavily wooded, but the western part of Sapelo Island consists almost entirely of broad marshes through which wind numerous creeks. The most important of these is Duplin River, which has deep water for several miles and affords means of communication to the island. Sapelo Island is separated from the marshes lying between it and the mainland by Mud River and New Teakettle Creek. Seen from seaward, these islands present no well-marked distinguishing features, nothing being visible other than the usual sand beach backed by the dense woods in level outline, with the exception of the lighthouse and old tower near the south point of Sapelo Island.