Outer Cape Cod and Nantucket Sound

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Outer Cape Cod and Nantucket Sound

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NOAA Coast Pilot figure — Open original at NOAA

This chapter describes the outer shore of Cape Cod and Nantucket Sound including Nantucket Island and the southern and eastern shores of Martha’s Vineyard. Also described are Nantucket Harbor, Edgartown Harbor and the other numerous fishing and yachting centers along the southern shore of Cape Cod bordering Nantucket Sound.

 COLREGS Demarcation Lines

The lines established for this part of the coast are described in 33 CFR 80.135 and 80.145, chapter 2.

 No-Discharge Zone

The State of Massachusetts, with the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency, has established a No-Discharge Zone (NDZ) in all coastal waters of Massachusetts covered by this chapter except a small area from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven, extending about 3 miles offshore.

Within the NDZ, discharge of sewage, whether treated or untreated, from all vessels is prohibited. Outside the NDZ, discharge of sewage is regulated by 40 CFR 140 (see chapter 2).

 Cape Cod

is a long peninsula forming the easterly extremity of Massachusetts. It makes out from the mainland in an easterly direction for 31 miles, then extends northward for over 20 miles. This cape forms the southern and eastern shores of Cape Cod Bay, the northern shore of Nantucket Sound and the eastern shore of Buzzards Bay. The northern trend of Cape Cod, forming what is sometimes called the Hook of the Cape, is known as the Lower Cape. This section is well settled and composed almost entirely of sandy lands, with high bare sand dunes and low nearly level plains. The portion of Cape Cod between Chatham and Cape Cod Canal is known as the Upper Cape. This region is wooded and is well settled by numerous towns and villages.

 Current

The tidal current velocities between Race Point and Highland Light are very strong but diminish to less than 1 knot between Highland Light and Chatham Light. Strengths of flood and ebb set northward and southward, respectively, along the coast. The time of current changes rapidly, the strength of flood or ebb occurring about 2 hours later off Nauset Beach Light than off Chatham Light.

 North Atlantic right whales

Federally designated critical habitat for the endangered North Atlantic right whale lies within Cape Cod Bay (See 50 CFR 226.101 and 226.203, chapter 2, for habitat boundary). It is illegal to approach closer than 500 yards of any right whale. (See 50 CFR 224.103(c), chapter 2, for limits and regulation.) Recommended Two-Way Whale Avoidance Routes and a Recommended Two-Way Whale Avoidance Track have been charted within Cape Cod Bay to reduce interactions between vessels and right whales. When right whales are present in Cape Cod Bay (peak season: December through May), NOAA recommends that mariners use these routes and take the precautionary measures recommended in chapter 3 to reduce the risk of ship strikes. (See North Atlantic right whales, indexed as such, in chapter 3 for more information on right whales and recommended measures to avoid collisions with whales.) Caution: Full bottom coverage surveys have not been conducted within the entire route, so uncharted dangers may exist.

All vessels 65 feet or greater in length overall (LOA) and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States are restricted to speeds of 10 knots or less in the Cape Cod Bay Seasonal Management Area between January 1 and May 15. The area is defined as all waters of Cape Cod Bay with a northern boundary of , to 42°12'W., thence due west back to shore. The restriction applies to a Seasonal Management Area off Race Point between March 1 and April 30. The area is defined as the waters bounded by:

;

; thence due west to the shore. (See 50 CFR 224.105 in chapter 2 for regulations, limitations and exceptions.)

The waters of Cape Cod Bay lie within the WHALESNORTH Mandatory Ship Reporting Area. Each self-propelled ship of 300 gross tons or greater entering WHALESNORTH must participate in the Mandatory Ship Reporting System (See 33 CFR 169, chapter 2, for limits and regulations, and chapter 3 for sample reports). Sovereign immune vessels are exempt from the requirement to report but are encouraged to participate.

 Area to be avoided

In order to significantly reduce the risk of ship strikes to the North Atlantic right whale, an area to be avoided was established in the Great South Channel, east of the Boston Harbor traffic lanes. Ships of 300 gross tons and above should avoid the area bounded by lines connecting the following geographical positions:

;

; and

between the period of April 1 through July 31.

In 2023, an unexploded ordnance hazard area, formerly a firing range active from 1952 to 1961, was reported off the coast of Cape Cod extending about 15 miles E of Nauset Beach in a fanned area. Mariners are cautioned against anchoring, dredging or trawling in this area.

, formed by a turn in the northern end of the hook of Cape Cod, has a diameter of about 2 miles. It is one of the best harbors on the Atlantic Coast, having a sizable anchorage area with excellent holding ground. Coasters and fishermen find protection here in gales from any direction.

The historical town of Provincetown, on the northwestern side of the harbor, is at the site of the first landing of the MAYFLOWER in the new world. Supplies and hull repair facilities are available in Provincetown. Engine repairs are available by arrangement.

The approach and entrance to the harbor are free of dangers and are marked by three lights and by Pilgrim Monument, a slim stone structure 348 feet above the water; two standpipes are about 0.2 mile westward and another is 1.5 miles northeastward of the monument. A 2,500-foot stone breakwater is about 300 yards southeastward of the end of the town pier (MacMillan Wharf). The east and west ends of the breakwater are each marked by a light. Strangers should exercise caution when operating in the area. Numerous fishing vessels work out of Provincetown during the year. During the summer, floats are set out that are capable of mooring vessels up to 40 feet. Larger vessels must tie up at permanent piers. Anchorage inside the breakwater is reported to be fair to poor, mud bottom with much debris. The marina close southwest of MacMillan Wharf maintains 40 mooring buoys on the west side of the harbor.

All moorings and berthing in the harbor are under the control of the harbormaster, who has an office at the end of the town pier. The harbormaster monitors VHF-FM channel 16, 24 hours a day.

The Captain of the Port, Boston, has established a fairway 100 yards wide extending from to , and in the area extending about 100 yards around the piers in Provincetown Harbor. Anchorage is prohibited in this fairway.

Provincetown Coast Guard Station is about 0.4 mile southwest of the town pier.

The finger pier northeastward of the Coast Guard pier is in ruins. Mariners should exercise caution while navigating in the area.

Cape Cod Canal is described in chapter 5. Complete information about the harbors and ports in Cape Cod Bay is contained in United States Coast Pilot 1, Atlantic Coast, Eastport to Cape Cod.

Between Wood End () and , the westernmost point of Cape Cod, shoals that rise abruptly from deep water extend a maximum of about 0.6 mile from shore. Race Point Light (), 41 feet above the water, is shown from a white tower on the northwest point of Cape Cod.

Peaked Hill Bar includes shoals with a least depth of 11 feet about 3.5 miles northeast of Race Point Light.

The bar is about 0.6 mile offshore and extends for about 4 miles paralleling the coastline. This area should be given a berth of at least 2 miles. Keeping in a depth of 20 fathoms will ensure passing 2.5 to 3 miles off the eastern side of Cape Cod.

From Race Point, the shore of Cape Cod curves northeastward, eastward and then southeastward for about 9 miles to the Highlands and is composed of bare sand dunes of various heights. The sand dunes begin to be covered with a brownish-looking growth of grass, and the land is higher as the Highlands are approached. The water shoals somewhat abruptly within 0.5 mile of the shore and care must be taken not to go inside the 10-fathom curve.

Highland Light (), 170 feet above the water, is shown from a 66-foot white tower with covered way to the dwelling on a high bluff of the Highlands.

Prominent objects include a stone crenellated tower, a red brick stack and three spherical radar domes on the summit of a ridge, 0.5 mile south of Highland Light.

The shore southward from the Highlands for 12 miles to Nauset Beach Light has a slight curve. The terrain continues hilly with narrow valleys at intervals. From Highland Light to near the Chatham entrance the water continues to shoal abruptly within 0.5 mile of the shore.

Two spires at Truro, 2.5 miles south of Highland Light, are prominent. A tank stands out near the shore about 9 miles south-southeastward of Highland Light in South Wellfleet.

Nauset Beach Light (), 120 feet above the water, is shown from a 48-foot conical tower, the upper part red and the lower part white, on the beach at Eastham. The buildings of a former Coast Guard station, about 1 mile south of the light, are conspicuous.

The coast from Nauset Beach Light turns gradually southward to Chatham, a distance of 11 miles, and becomes lower and less steep. The terrain slopes gently back from the beach and is covered with a scanty growth of grass.

Nauset Harbor, 3.3 miles south of Nauset Beach Light, is used by small local craft. The area offshore of the harbor is a chain of shifting sandbars. Breakers are present in this vicinity at all stages of the tide and even during the calmest weather. The area is extremely dangerous for any vessel larger than a runabout or for anyone without local knowledge; strangers should never attempt to enter.

Nauset Beach, on the barrier island east of North Chatham, is continually changing due to the effects of erosion and shifting sands. Waves wash across the beach into the sound in several places during periods of high water. There is a break in the beach centered in approximately The break is unmarked, extremely dangerous, and should be avoided by those without local knowledge.

 Chatham to The River

Chatham, about 11.5 miles southward of Nauset Beach Light, is on fairly high ground on the west side of Chatham Harbor. Two conspicuous standpipes with red and white tops are at Chatham Light (), 80 feet above the water, is shown from a white conical tower on the west side of the harbor. Chatham Coast Guard Station is near Chatham Light.

Chatham Harbor can be entered east of Chatham Light. Shoals are constantly shifting in the entrance, and extreme caution is advised. Currents are extremely strong and dangerous; surf can build up quickly on the outer bar during an ebb tide. Ocean waves carry into the harbor and reportedly break as far north as Tern Island. Anchoring and even mooring in much of Chatham Harbor is not recommended. Mariners unfamiliar with the area are advised to stay east of Chatham Beach Lighted Whistle Buoy C ().

Chatham Inlet Bar Guide Light (), 62 feet above the water, is shown from a white skeleton tower near Chatham Light. A white (with orange border) and diamond-shaped dayboard worded ROUGH BAR is on the light. The light will be activated when the seas exceed 2 feet in height and are considered hazardous for small boats. Small-boat operators are cautioned, however, that if the light is not flashing it is no guarantee that sea conditions are favorable.

About 2.7 miles south of Chatham Light, at what used to be the end of Nauset Beach, is a large area of shoals that extends southwestward to Monomoy Island. There is no marked channel through the shoals. Small vessels with local knowledge use the area with a smooth sea; strangers should avoid the area. These shoals are dangerous in thick weather and vessels in the vicinity should stay in depths of 8 fathoms or more.

The passage inside the barrier beach from Chatham Light to the head of navigation in Orleans, on the west side of Meeting House Pond, is about 7.9 miles long and used by small-craft. The passage, marked by private, seasonal buoys, leads northerly from the break through Chatham Harbor, Pleasant Bay, The Narrows, Little Pleasant Bay and The River to Meeting House Pond. The channel requires local knowledge.

A boat basin is in Aunt Lydias Cove between Tern Island and Chatham; a fish pier is in the basin. The area is subject to frequent changes. Commercial fishing boats operate from the cove. The harbormaster can be contacted on VHF-FM channel 16.

Bassing Harbor, at the north end of Chatham Harbor, is the entrance to Ryder Cove and Crows Pond. A small-craft facility is on the south side of Ryder Cove, about 0.5 mile inside the entrance. A town launching ramp is close westward of the facility. Private seasonal aids mark the channel from Chatham Harbor to the town ramp. A 5 mph speed limit is enforced in the cove. A forklift at the facility can haul out craft to 25 feet. Gasoline, water, ice, marine supplies, moorings and storage facilities are available; hull and engine repairs can be made. In 1981, a reported depth of 3 feet could be carried to the small-craft facility.

Nickersons Neck, on the north side of Crows Pond and the south side of Pleasant Bay, has a country club on the north side.

Round Cove, at the southwest end of Pleasant Bay, has a town wharf and launching ramp. A combination antenna and flagpole on the west bank of the cove is conspicuous.

The Narrows is a passage between Sipson Island and the mainland and connects Pleasant Bay with Little Pleasant Bay. The passage is marked by private seasonal buoys.

Little Pleasant Bay extends about 1.5 miles northward to Barley Neck. A launching ramp is on the west bank of the entrance to Paw Wah Pond on the south side of Namequoit Point.

Namequoit River leads westward from the head of Little Pleasant Bay to Areys Pond. In 1981, depths of 2 feet were reported in Namequoit River, and the channel into the pond had depths of 3 feet. A small-craft facility on the north side of the pond has a 50-foot marine railway, a 2-ton crane, moorings, water, marine supplies, a launching ramp and storage facilities; hull, rigging and sail repairs can be made.

An arm, known as The River, extends northward from the entrance to Namequoit River for about 1 mile to Meeting House Pond. Private seasonal buoys partially mark the channel from The River to the pond. A town landing and launching ramp are on the north side of the channel leading to the pond. A small-craft facility is on the north side of the pond. In 1981, depths of 4 feet were reported in the channel to the pond. A hydraulic trailer at the facility can handle craft to 50 feet. Berths and moorings in depths of 6 to 10 feet, gasoline, water, ice, a launching ramp and storage facilities are available; hull and engine repairs can be made. A town ramp is on the east side of the pond southeastward of the small-craft facility.

 Nantucket Sound

Nantucket Sound is between the south coast of Cape Cod on the north and Nantucket Island and part of Martha’s Vineyard on the south and joins Vineyard Sound on the west to provide an inside passage. Nantucket Sound has a length of about 23 miles in an east-west direction and a width of 6 to 22 miles. At the eastern entrance and within the sound are numerous shoals. Between these shoals are well-marked channels making the navigation of these waters comparatively easy for powered vessels and also sailing vessels with a fair wind. The shoals at the eastern entrance are subject to considerable shifting while those inside are somewhat stable. Boulders are along the shores.

The channel through Nantucket Sound and Vineyard Sound has a controlling depth of about 30 feet and provides an inside passage for vessels of medium draft to avoid Nantucket Shoals. This route is used principally by coastwise vessels and pleasure craft. The navigational aids are colored and numbered for passing through the sound from the eastward.

Monomoy and Nantucket Shoals are eastward and southeastward of the eastern entrance to Nantucket Sound. Owing to the great extent and distance offshore of some parts of these shoals and the strong and baffling tidal currents that set over them, their navigation in thick or foggy weather is hazardous. In clear weather the lights and buoys render navigation of the two principal channels, Pollock Rip and Great Round Shoal, comparatively easy. For the purpose of description Great Round Shoal Channel will be considered as the dividing line between Monomoy and Nantucket Shoals.

Numerous fishtraps are located in Nantucket Sound, particularly along the southern shore of Cape Cod. These areas may be marked by private lights.

 Monomoy Shoals to Hankerchief Shoal

consist of numerous detached shoals extending about 5.5 miles in an easterly direction and 9.5 miles in a southeasterly direction from Monomoy Point, the northeast entrance point of Nantucket Sound. Narrow sloughs separate the many parts of the shoals. It should be remembered that the shoals are shifting in character and are subject to change in location and depth.

A dangerous wreck, reported covered 15 feet, is off Monomoy Island in about Mariners are advised to exercise extreme caution while navigating in the area.

and , extending about 5 miles eastward of Monomoy Point, are a series of sand shoals and ridges with little water over them in places. Pollock Rip Channel is between the shoals.

, covered 10 to 18 feet, is eastward of Pollock Rip.

Stone Horse Shoal, Little Round Shoal and are portions of a continuous series of sand shoals and ridges covered 4 to 18 feet. These shoals are directly eastward of the entrance to Nantucket Sound and between the two main channels. Southward and eastward of these shoals are numerous shoal spots, including , covered 16 to 19 feet.

, extending for 5 miles southwestward from Monomoy Point, is covered 2 to 18 feet. A spot that uncovers 2 feet is about 2.7 miles southwest of the point. On the northwest side the water shoals gradually and soundings will indicate an approach to danger, but on the southeast side the shoal rises abruptly from the deeper water. Handkerchief Shoal is uneven and shifting in character. Vessels should not attempt to pass northward of the buoys marking the southern end and southeast side of the shoal.

Nantucket Shoals is the general name of the numerous broken shoals which extend 23 miles eastward and 39 miles southeastward of Nantucket Island. These extremely dangerous shoals are described in chapter 3; caution must be exercised in this area.

, near the center of Nantucket Sound, is covered 9 feet. Its southern end is marked by a lighted bell buoy. Depths of 17 and 22 feet are 2.5 and 1.5 miles, respectively, southeastward of the shoal. Deep-draft vessels should use care to avoid them. A lighted bell buoy is 1.3 miles east-northeast of the 22-foot spot.

, about 2.5 miles west-southwestward of Halfmoon Shoal, has a least depth of 11 feet. Its northern edge is marked by a lighted gong buoy. A shoal, covered 28 feet, extends 1.2 miles eastward of the buoy. Caution must be exercised in passing between this shoal and the shoal making out southwestward from Halfmoon Shoal.

, about 7.5 miles long, bares in places at extreme low water. Its western side is marked by two buoys and its northern and southeastern sides by lighted buoys. The main channel passes between the southeastern lighted buoy and the lighted gong buoy marking Cross Rip Shoal.

L’Hommedieu Shoal, covered 3 feet, and , covered 5 feet, lie in an east-west direction in the western end of Nantucket Sound and the eastern end of Vineyard Sound. The water deepens abruptly at the edge of these shoals, and soundings will give little warning of approaching dangers. The main channel passes southward of Hedge Fence Shoal. L’Hommedieu Shoal is marked by buoys at its north, east and west ends. Hedge Fence is marked by a lighted gong buoy on its southeastern side and a buoy on its western end.

The numerous other shoals in Nantucket Sound are discussed with the land features near them.

 Channels

Two principal channels lead from the eastward into Nantucket Sound. The northerly one is through Pollock Rip Channel and Butler Hole and the southerly one through Great Round Shoal Channel. Between the numerous shoals in Nantucket Sound are two well-marked channels leading to the eastern end of Vineyard Sound. Muskeget Channel, discussed later in this chapter, leads into the sound from the southward, eastward of Chappaquiddick Island.

and Butler Hole form the most direct channel leading from points northward of Cape Cod to Nantucket Sound. The channel leads between Bearse Shoal and Pollock Rip, thence eastward of Handkerchief Shoal. Since large-vessel traffic may be encountered in this channel, fishing vessels and small craft should avoid the area during thick or foggy weather. The channel is well marked by navigational aids. Mariners should consult the chart and seek local knowledge before entering Pollock Rip Channel and Butler Hole because numerous shoals exist in this channel. Caution is advised when transiting the area.

Submerged piling, the remains of the former Monomoy Point Light structure, may exist about 0.3 mile southward of Monomoy Point. An abandoned lighthouse about 1.2 miles northward of the point is prominent.

, about 10 miles southward of Pollock Rip Channel, is used by many large fishing vessels transiting Nantucket Sound from New Bedford to Georges Bank and sometimes by sailboats that are headed by the wind so as to prevent their working through Pollock Rip Channel. The buoyed channel has a controlling depth of about 27 feet between Great Round Shoal and Nantucket Shoals. Great Round Shoal and Great Round Shoal Channel are subject to continual change.

The Main Channel of Nantucket Sound leads southward of Halfmoon Shoal, through , southward of Horseshoe Shoal, through the fairway between Hedge Fence and Squash Meadow, and thence into the eastern end of Vineyard Sound. The channel is used by most of the vessels bound through Nantucket Sound and is well marked by navigational aids. With care a least depth of 30 feet can be carried through the channel, but the draft of the vessels using it seldom exceeds 24 feet.

Cross Rip Lighted Gong Buoy 21 (), marks the northern edge of Cross Rip Shoal.

North Channel leads along the north side of Nantucket Sound, on either side of Bishop and Clerks, northward of Horseshoe Shoal, between Wreck Shoal and Eldridge Shoal, northward of L’Hommedieu Shoal, and through one of the openings in the shoals westward of L’Hommedieu Shoal into Vineyard Sound. This channel is used mostly by craft bound to points on the north shore of Nantucket Sound and by vessels bound through the sound during northerly winds or in winter when the prevailing northerly winds keep the north shore of the sound free from drift ice. The least depth in the channel is about 16 feet. Lighted and unlighted buoys mark the channel.

 Anchorages

Sailing vessels working through the sound against a head wind usually anchor during the night, or if becalmed and drifting toward the shoals it is best to anchor and wait for a favorable current or change of wind. The only anchorages for vessels of over 10-foot draft that afford shelter from all winds are Nantucket Harbor, Hyannis Harbor and Edgartown inner harbor. Vineyard Haven, the anchorage most used by coasters, is exposed to northeasterly winds. In northerly winds the best anchorages are off Dennis Port and Hyannis Port and along the north shore. The anchorage off Falmouth is used in most winds by vessels with good ground tackle. In easterly winds vessels sometimes anchor in smooth water westward of Handkerchief Shoal or inside Great Point. Good shelter from easterly winds can also be found in Chatham Roads and Edgartown outer harbor. In southerly and westerly winds Edgartown Harbor and Vineyard Haven are the best anchorages. With the aid of the chart and the directions given under the discussion of these harbors, strangers can enter the anchorages.

Several general anchorages are in Nantucket Sound and its eastern approaches. (See 33 CFR 110.1 and 110.140(c)(3) through (c)(7) and (d), chapter 2, for limits and regulations.)

 Routes

Because of the numerous shoals, strong tidal currents, thick fog at certain seasons and vessels that may be encountered in the narrow parts of the channel through Nantucket Sound, the navigator must use more than ordinary care when in these waters.

In clear weather, day or night, the aids are readily distinguished and sufficiently numerous to enable a stranger to follow the channel without difficulty. The strongest currents will be encountered in Pollock Rip Channel, between Pollock Rip Channel Lighted Buoy 8 and Handkerchief Shoal Buoy 14, and off East and West Chop. In some places the current sets directly on the shoals, and in a calm, sailing vessels are sometimes obliged to anchor to prevent going aground. Most of the shoals rise abruptly from deep water and the bottom is very irregular, so soundings alone cannot be depended upon to keep clear of danger. Sailing vessels with a favorable current and with some local knowledge beat through the sound against a head wind in clear weather. If they find they are losing ground, they come to anchor within the prescribed anchorages under the lee of one of the shoals, or in one of the harbors until the wind or current changes.

Vessels off Pollock Rip Channel entrance desiring to anchor, wind and sea permitting, should stand westward and anchor west of a line joining Pollock Rip Channel Buoy 2A and Chatham Beach Lighted Whistle Buoy C. Anchorage may also be had in depths of 5 to 10 fathoms about 1 mile northeastward of Broken Part of Pollock Rip.

In Great Round Shoal Channel, the tidal currents are not as strong as in Pollock Rip Channel. Easterly winds make high tides and strong westerly currents. Westerly winds make low tides and strong easterly currents.

Pollock Rip Channel and Great Round Shoal Channel are subject to change; vessels of deep draft should wait for a favorable tide.

The Main Channel through Nantucket Sound is well marked, and strangers should experience little difficulty in navigating it. Vessels must take care to avoid the 24-foot shoal extending 1.2 miles eastward of the buoy marking Cross Rip Shoal and the 17- to 22-foot shoals 2.5 and 1.5 miles, respectively, southeastward of Halfmoon Shoal.

The North Channel through Nantucket Sound has broken ground with depths of 16 to 17 feet in some places. Strangers should not attempt this channel at night.

 Current

The Tidal Current prediction service at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov contains detailed information about times, directions, and velocities of the current at numerous locations throughout the area. Links to a user guide for this service can be found in chapter 1 of this book.

At the eastern entrance to Pollock Rip Channel the flood current sets about 053° and the ebb 212°.

Daily predictions for Butlers Hole at the western end of Pollock Rip Channel can be generated from the Tidal Current prediction service at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov. Links to a user guide for this service can be found in chapter 1 of this book.

Off the southeast end of Great Round Shoal, the tidal current is rotary, turning clockwise. The average velocity at strength is 1.3 knots, and the average minimum velocity is 0.3 knot. Tide rips and water surface agitation caused by upwelling may be observed across the 10-fathom contour east of the entrance to Great Round Shoal Channel. (See the Tidal Current prediction service at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov)

From the eastern entrance of Nantucket Sound to the lighted gong buoy off Hedge Fence, the time of current becomes gradually later; the average velocity at strength varies from about 1 to 2 knots.

 Weather, Nantucket Sound and vicinity

Winter winds and waves along with spring and early summer fogs provide weather hazards in these waters. From October through March gales can be expected about 3 to 6 percent of the time and are frequently out of the west and northwest. Some wind and current interactions can also create problems. The most severe of these is found at the west entrance to the Cape Cod Canal. Rough seas can develop here when the tide ebbing out of the canal opposes a brisk southwest wind. Another well known “rough spot” is the West Chop off the north corner of Martha’s Vineyard. At a maximum ebb or flood the current runs 3.5 knots here, and when it is opposed by the wind a nasty chop is set up.

In general, over open waters, waves of 12 feet (3.7 m) or more can be expected 5 to 15 percent of the time from November through February. In the shallow portions of Nantucket Sound these frequencies drop, but waves may break before reaching these heights.

The characteristic advection fog, formed by warm air over cool water, is most frequent from April through August. At this time visibilities drop below 2 miles 10 to 18 percent of the time; May, June and July are the worst and caution is advised, particularly near the numerous shoal areas in these waters. In addition to affecting visibility, fog also distorts sound so the direction of warning bells and horns may be difficult to discern accurately.

Thunderstorms can occur in any season but are most likely in spring and summer. Sometimes they appear as squall lines with strong, gusty winds preceding the rain. Occasionally winds can gust to 60 knots.

 Pilotage, Nantucket Sound

Pilotage is compulsory for foreign vessels of 350 gross tons or more, U.S. vessels under register of 350 gross tons or more and tank barge towing vessels carrying 6,000 barrels or more of petroleum cargoes. Pilotage is available from Northeast Marine Pilots, Inc., Newport, RI, 02840; telephone 401–847–9050 (24 hours), 800–274–1216; FAX 401–847–9052; email: dispatch@nemarinepilots.com.

Vessels requiring a tow usually take a tug from the port of their departure.

Monomoy Island, a National Wildlife Refuge on the northeastern side of Nantucket Sound, is a low, narrow spit covered with sand dunes. Vessels sometimes anchor off the east shore of the island in depths of 4 to 6 fathoms to await a favorable current for entering the sound. Off Monomoy Point, the south end of the island, shoals make off up to 5 miles eastward.

Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, a Marine Protected Area (MPA), extends 1 mile offshore from Monomoy and Morris Islands.

Tidal currents average about 2 knots at strength in the channel 0.2 mile west of Monomoy Point. The flood current sets 170°, and the ebb 346°.

The large bight formed by Monomoy Island and the north shore of Nantucket Sound, eastward of Point Gammon, has extensive shoals scattered throughout and bordering the shores. Not all of the shoals are marked by buoys.

 Chatham Roads to Davisville

Chatham Roads, at the northeast end of Nantucket Sound, is between the extensive shoals that extend northwestward from the northern end of Monomoy Island and the shoals extending 1.6 miles from the shore of Cape Cod at Harwich Port. The Roads is the approach to Stage Harbor and the prominent summer resort of on the hilly ground at the northeast shore of Nantucket Sound.

Stage Harbor Light (), 28 feet above the water, is shown from a modular tower on the northeast side of Chatham Roads on the north side of the entrance to Stage Harbor.

Among the conspicuous landmarks approaching Chatham Roads and Stage Harbor are the domes of the National Weather Service’s installation on the eastern side of Morris Island, a radio tower at South Chatham, church spires, Chatham Light and Stage Harbor Light.

A dredged channel, marked by lighted and unlighted buoys, leads from Chatham Roads into Stage Harbor. The entrance is in an area of shifting sandbars and is subject to shoaling. A narrow, natural channel continues northerly from Stage Harbor through Mitchell River to Mill Pond; the channel is marked by private buoys. A highway bridge crossing Mitchell River between Stage Harbor and Mill Pond has a bascule span with a horizontal clearance of 25 feet and a vertical clearance of 6 feet.

 Anchorages

Good anchorage for vessels up to 18-foot draft can be had in Chatham Roads in depths of 21 to 30 feet, good holding ground. This anchorage is insecure for small craft in heavy southwesterly gales. Small craft can find a well-sheltered anchorage in Stage Harbor.

 Routes

Vessels approaching Chatham Roads from the southward should pass westward of Handkerchief Shoal and the extensive shoals westward of Monomoy Island. Approaching from the westward, pass either side of Bishop and Clerks and thence southward of the seasonal lighted whistle buoy off Kill Pond Bar, a shoal covered 4 to 11 feet off the northwest entrance to Chatham Roads. When off the entrance to Chatham Roads, steer 063° with Stage Harbor and Chatham Lights in range. This course will lead about 500 yards southeastward of Chatham Roads Bell Buoy 3 and north of the buoy marking , the shoal on the eastern side of the roads, to the Stage Harbor approach buoy about 0.8 mile west-southwestward of Stage Harbor Light. An anchorage may be had northward of the approach buoy in depths of about 28 feet. Boats continuing to Stage Harbor will pick up the channel entrance buoys about 800 yards southwestward of Stage Harbor Light. The channel is well marked.

A 5 mph speed limit is enforced in the harbor.

The harbor is closed by ice for short periods each winter. Local fishermen will act as pilots for craft desiring one.

The commercial fish piers in Stage Harbor are on at the head of the dredged channel opposite and on the west bank of Oyster Pond River just above the first bend about 0.7 mile above the entrance to the river.

There are a marina and boatyard on the north side of Stage Harbor adjacent to the fish piers and a marina on just west of the bridge. The marine railway at the boatyard can haul out craft up to 50 feet for hull and engine repairs or dry open or covered storage. Storage is also available at the bridge. Gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, marine supplies and moorings are available at Stage Harbor and at the bridge. The marina at the bridge has a 10-ton lift; berthage in 6 feet of water, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, storage facilities, some marine supplies and a launching ramp are also available. A launching ramp is on .

Oyster Pond River extends from Stage Harbor for about 0.7 mile in a northwesterly direction, thence for 0.8 mile in a northeasterly direction into . Private seasonal aids mark the channel at the bend in the river. Shoaling to 2 feet was reported at the bend in 1981. On the west bank at the bend there are a town wharf, a launching ramp and a fish wharf. At 0.3 mile and 0.5 mile above the bend on the west bank are two boatyards and marinas. The largest marine railway at the yards can haul out craft up to 44 feet for hull and engine repairs or dry open or covered storage. Gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, marine supplies, launching ramps, berthage and moorings are available.

, 1.6 miles northwestward of Stage Harbor Light, is used only at high water by small local craft. The entrance between the jetties was reported to have 1½ feet in 1964. The tall radio tower of Chatham Radio Station WCC is prominent about 0.4 mile west of the jetties. Cockle Cove has been entered by small boats through one of the breakthroughs in the sandbar.

Saquatucket Harbor is entered about 3.5 miles westward of Stage Harbor Light. A dredged channel leads from Chatham Roads to an anchorage basin at the head of the harbor. The entrance is protected by jetties. Buoys mark the channel, and a light marks the outer end of the east jetty. A marina is on the north side of the anchorage basin. Berths, electricity, gasoline, water, ice, a pump-out station and a launching ramp are available.The marina monitors VHF-FM channel 68. The harbormaster here also supervises Wychmere Harbor, Allen Harbor, Herring River and Round Cove in Pleasant Bay. A 5 mph speed limit is enforced in these areas. The harbormaster can be contacted at 508–430–7532.

Wychmere Harbor, 3.7 miles westward of Stage Harbor Light, is a circular basin with a bulkheaded entrance protected by two jetties. The west jetty is hook shaped and marked on the end by a light. The east jetty is short. The harbor is used by fishing and pleasure craft. The village of Harwich Port is west of the harbor. A church spire about 0.5 mile westward of the harbor and a hotel on the west bank of the entrance are conspicuous.

In 1994, the reported controlling depth across the bar was 8 feet. Inside the jetties, the channel has a depth of 6 feet to the harbor. The channel is subject to shoaling. The outer anchorage basin, known locally as Harwich Port Harbor, has a depth of about 8 feet with good holding ground.

There is a large summer club-hotel and wharf on the west side of the jettied entrance. A town wharf is on the east side. A boatyard is at the inner end of the channel. Berthage, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, a pump-out facility, marine supplies and storage facilities are available; hull and engine repairs can be made. A patrol boat enforces a speed limit of 5 mph; the patrol boat monitors VHF-FM channels 16, 22 and 68. The harbormaster who supervises Wychmere Harbor has his office at Saquatucket Harbor. He can be reached at 508–430–7532 for advice on moorings or local conditions.

Allen Harbor, about 4.8 miles west of Stage Harbor Light, has a narrow entrance between two jetties into Doanes Creek. Allen Harbor is at the head of the creek. The west jetty is marked by a private seasonal light. An elevated water tank north of the harbor is a good landmark.

In 1979, the controlling depth in the entrance channel was 5 feet. Private seasonal buoys mark the channel. The harbor affords good shelter for small craft.

A town landing and launching ramp at the west end of the bridge were reported to have about 6 feet alongside. A marina and boatyard on the west side at the head of the harbor has a 7-ton forklift and a hydraulic trailer that can handle craft up to 34 feet for hull, engine and electronic repairs. Open and covered storage, electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, a pump-out station, marine supplies and a launching ramp are available. In 2008, the reported alongside depth was 5 feet. The harbormaster who supervises Allen Harbor has his office at Saquatucket Harbor. He can be reached at 508–430–7532 for local information.

Herring River, 6 miles west of Stage Harbor Light, has a large prominent hotel on the west side and windmill on the east side of the entrance. The entrance, between two small jetties, is subject to shoaling. The approach is marked by private seasonal buoys, and the outer end of the west jetty is marked by a private seasonal light. A basin dredged in the river just below the bridge has moorings for craft drawing up to 3 feet. The fixed bridge, about 0.3 mile above the mouth, has a 14-foot fixed span with a clearance of 10 feet. State Route 28 highway bridge about 0.8 mile above the mouth has a 20-foot fixed span with a clearance of 7 feet. Limited supplies may be obtained at Dennis Port about 0.7 mile westward of the river.

Swan Pond River, about 1.9 miles west of Herring River, is a narrow shallow creek bordered by marsh, which drains Swan Pond. Fishermen and pleasure craft enter at high water. Fish wharves are on the east bank just above the bridge about 0.3 mile above the mouth.

Bass River, 9.6 miles westward of Stage Harbor Light, is entered between two jetties. A light is on the west jetty. A seasonal lighted buoy, 1.1 miles southward of the jetty light, marks the approach. A channel marked by private seasonal buoys leads over the bar from about 0.4 mile southward of the jetty light through the jetties to an anchorage basin in the lower part of the river, and thence to the highway bridge at South Dennis, 3.1 miles above the mouth. The bridge has a 25-foot fixed span with a clearance of 10 feet. The entrance to the anchorage basin and the channel over the bar are subject to shoaling. In 2001, the dredged entrance channel had a reported controlling depth of 4.6 feet to the river mouth, just inside the jetties; thence in 1981, the river channel had a reported depth of 5 feet to South Yarmouth, thence 2 feet to the bridge at South Dennis. In 1992, severe shoaling was reported across the mouth of the river. Private seasonal buoys mark the channel to Follins Pond, about 6.1 miles above the mouth.

State Route 28 highway bridge crossing the river between West Dennis and South Yarmouth, about 1.5 miles above the mouth, has a 30-foot fixed span with a clearance of 15 feet.

A 5 mph speed limit is enforced on the river.

About 0.8 mile above the mouth, a channel leads eastward to a lagoon; a dredged depth of 10 feet was reported in the channel and lagoon. West Dennis Yacht Club is at the head of the lagoon.

A marina and boatyard, about 0.4 mile below the first highway bridge, has a lift that can haul out craft up to 45 feet for hull and engine repairs or dry open and covered storage. Electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, marine supplies, a pump-out station and a launching ramp are available. In 2008, 6 feet was reported alongside the dock. The marina monitors VHF-FM channel 16. Town landings and launching ramps are on both sides of the river at and below the bridge.

Rental boats, gasoline, bait and tackle can be obtained at a fishing pier just north of the east end of the bridge. A marina, above the pier, has berths, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, a pump-out station, a 35-ton lift and storage facilities; hull and engine repairs can be made.

Two fixed bridges, railroad and highway, cross the river about 0.7 mile above the highway bridge at South Dennis. Least clearances are: 25 feet horizontal and 8 feet vertical.

In 1981, it was reported that about 4 feet could be carried at high water to a marina and boatyard on Kellys Bay, about 0.3 mile above the railroad and highway bridges. A mobile lift at the yard can haul out craft to 28 feet for hull and engine repairs or dry open or covered storage. Gasoline, water, moorings and berths are available. In 1981, depths of 5 to 6 feet were reported at the boatyard.

Dogfish Bar, an extensive shoal area off Bass River entrance, is covered 1 to 6 feet. A small breakwater, formerly used as a shelter for small craft, is on the easterly end of the bar, about 1 mile southeastward of Bass River West Jetty Light 11. The area around the breakwater and northeasterly of it has shoaled. Rocks awash at low water are about 0.4 mile northwestward of the breakwater. These rocks are marked by a private seasonal buoy. A fish haven, marked by a private buoy, is about 2 miles south of the breakwater, and a fishtrap marked by a private seasonal light is 1.8 miles southwest of the breakwater.

Parkers River, about 1.2 miles west of Bass River, is entered between two jetties and extends 1.3 miles northward to Seine Pond. A motel on the east side of the entrance is prominent. Local knowledge should be obtained before entering the river. In 2000, the entrance channel had a reported controlling depth of 4.1 feet. The entrance is reported to shoal quickly after dredging. A fixed highway bridge crosses the river about 1 mile above the entrance.

Local fishermen and pleasure craft enter and moor in dredged slips on the east side of the river. An unnamed creek, about 0.2 mile above the mouth, leads westward 0.5 mile to . Small craft can enter the creek only at high water. Small craft may enter the pond but there are no moorings or services available. A marina is on the east side of the river just below the highway bridge; berths are available.

, 12 miles west-northwestward of Monomoy Point, is the eastern entrance point to Hyannis Harbor. The point, prominent and wooded, is marked by an abandoned lighthouse tower. A reef, partly bare at low water, extends about 0.3 mile south of the point. Extensive flats with rocks awash at low water extend 1 mile northwestward of the point. Gazelle Rock, covered 5 feet and marked by a seasonal lighted buoy, is about 0.5 mile south-southeastward of the point. , covered 11 feet and unmarked, is about 1 mile southeastward of the point. , covered 17 feet, is about 1 mile south of the point and another rock, covered 13 feet, is about 1.2 miles south-southeast of the point in the vicinity of Hallets Rock. There are several submerged rocks in this area, which extends in a general line running northwest and southeast between Hallets Rock and Gazelle Rock to a private seasonal light 0.5 mile west of the point; the light marks a fishtrap. In 1990, a sunken wreck was reported about 0.2 mile southward of Hallets Rock in about

, about 2.2 miles southward of Point Gammon, is an extensive shoal area. The center of the shoal is marked by a light. Several rocks awash at low water are on the arm of the shoal that extends about 0.9 mile south of the light. A rock, covered 5 feet, is 0.7 mile south-southeastward of the light. The rest of the shoal is covered 8 to 18 feet. A lighted gong buoy, about 1.15 miles southward; an unlighted buoy, about 0.75 mile westward; and a lighted bell buoy, about 0.7 mile northeastward of the light, mark the limits of the shoal area. Caution should be exercised when in the vicinity of this shoal.

, a shoal area westward of the south end of Bishop and Clerks, has depths of 14 to 18 feet. West Southwest Ledge, 1.6 miles southwest of Point Gammon and northwest of Bishop and Clerks, has depths of 15 to 18 feet. A lighted bell buoy is northward of the ledge and marks the approach to Hyannis Harbor. A group of dangerous rocks and obstructions are on the edge of the flat that extends northwestward from Point Gammon and into the approach to Hyannis Harbor. A rock, covered 11 feet in about , is the westernmost and marked close West by Hyannis Harbor Lighted Buoy 4.

, protected by a breakwater, is used as a harbor of refuge by coasting vessels and pleasure craft of less than 14-foot draft. A light is on the end of the breakwater. The harbor is the approach to Hyannis Port, on the west side of the harbor, Lewis Bay, and Hyannis at the head of the northwest arm of Lewis Bay.

The most prominent objects when approaching the harbor are the daybeacon on , two red and white checkered standpipes, a light blue tank, the breakwater light, the abandoned lighthouse tower on Point Gammon and the square gray stone church belfry on the hill overlooking Hyannis Port to the westward.

 Routes

Vessels approaching Hyannis Harbor from the eastward should shape a course to pass about 1,000 yards south of Hallets Rock, exercising caution to avoid the reported wreck mentioned earlier, thence about 317° to a point about 0.6 mile southwestward of Great Rock Daybeacon 4A, and thence about 012° to pass about 100 yards or more eastward of the breakwater light. Vessels may anchor inside the breakwater on the east edge of the mooring area in depths of 15 to 20 feet, soft bottom. Small craft can anchor in the northern portion of the harbor in depths of 4 to 8 feet, but care must be taken to keep clear of a charted, submerged wreck, marked by a buoy.

Approaching from the westward, from a position about midway between Horseshoe Shoal Buoy 7 and Wreck Shoal Bell Buoy 8, steer about 054° to pass about 1400 yards east of Hodges Rock Buoy 2, and thence about 012° to pass about 100 yards eastward of the breakwater light in entering the harbor.

Ice seldom interferes with the movement of vessels in Hyannis Harbor during normal winters; the prevailing northerly winds keep the harbor clear. However, during severe winters or persistent southwesterly winds, the harbor may be temporarily closed to navigation. During particularly severe winters, the harbor has been closed by ice for up to 3 months.

is a summer resort with many prominent homes. A privately dredged channel, with reported depths of 6 feet in 2005, leads to the Hyannis Port Yacht Club landing on the west shore of the harbor.

, with depths of 2 to 12 feet, extends northeastward from Hyannis Harbor. In the northwest corner of the bay is the channel to the summer resort of . The town has a hospital. Hyannis Yacht Club is on the west of the bay. A channel, marked by private seasonal buoys, leads westward to Hyannis Yacht Club. The club can accommodate craft to 140 feet; a reported dockside depth of 8 feet is available.

A dredged channel leads from Hyannis Harbor into Lewis Bay, thence to an anchorage basin north of Harbor Bluff, thence to the town wharf at Hyannis, at the westernmost end. The channel is well marked but is subject to shoaling, especially in the vicinity of Lewis Bay Approach Channel Buoy 9. Vessels entering Lewis Bay must be guided by the buoys marking the dredged channel and by the color of the water, deepest where it is darkest. Heavy vessel traffic should be expected during summer months. A riprap jetty extends 1,000 feet southerly from Dunbar Point.

 Anchorages

Vessels with drafts up to 13 feet may anchor in the anchorage northeast of Hyannis Breakwater. Small craft can anchor in Lewis Bay west of the channel, off Hyannis Yacht Club and north of Dunbar Point. Limited anchorage is reported available in the basin north of Harbor Bluff.

 Small-craft facilities

Several small-craft facilities and launching ramps are along the northwestern arm of Lewis Bay northward of Harbor Bluff. Limited berths are also available at the town marina on the west side at the head of the arm. A dockmaster is usually in attendance at this marina and can be reached at 508–790–6327 or VHF-FM channel 16.

For local information on moorings and berthings, the harbormaster can be contacted at 508–790–6273, through the Barnstable police department at 508–775–0387, or VHF-FM channels 16 and 9. A police boat from the town of Barnstable and a Yarmouth Harbor Patrol boat patrol Hyannis Harbor during the summer. A 6 mph speed limit is enforced in Lewis Bay north of Harbor Bluff and in Hyannis Harbor in the channel leading to the yacht club.

Ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard berth in the harbor at Hyannis. Barnstable Municipal Airport is just north of the town.

Westward of Hyannis Harbor breakwater the water is shoal with numerous rocks extending well offshore. Eddie Woods Rock, covered 4 feet and unmarked, is 0.6 mile southwestward of the breakwater light. A fishtrap marked by a private light is about 0.4 mile south of the rock.

Halls Island, 1 mile westward of Hyannis Harbor Breakwater Light H, is marked by a tower. Hyannis Point, the southerly tip of the island, is on the eastern side of Centerville Harbor.

Southward of Hyannis Point and Centerville Harbor are numerous shoals and rocks. Southwest Ground, the area about 1.5 miles south of Hyannis Point, has numerous rocks and shoal spots necessitating extreme caution for vessels navigating the area. Southwest Rock, about 1.1 miles south of Hyannis Point, is marked by a lighted buoy. Unmarked rocks, some awash at low water and others covered 2 to 6 feet, are between the buoy and Hyannis Point.

Hodges Rock, covered 5 feet and marked by a buoy, is 1 mile southward of Southwest Rock lighted buoy. An unmarked rock covered 8 feet is 300 yards east of Hodges Rock. Bearse Rock, covered 5 feet and marked by a buoy, is 0.5 mile southwestward of Southwest Rock lighted buoy. Channel Rock, covered 5 feet and marked by a buoy, is 0.4 mile west of Bearse Rock. Gallatin Rock, covered 4 feet and marked by a buoy, is 0.4 mile southwestward of Bearse Rock. Collier Ledge, 1.5 miles west-southwestward of Southwest Rock lighted buoy, is awash at low water. It is marked by a buoy.

Gannet Ledge, covered 5 feet and marked by a buoy, is 1.1 miles southwest of Hyannis Point. Gannet Rocks, 0.3 mile north of Gannet Ledge, include two unmarked rocks 7 and 3 feet high and a rock covered 4 feet. Spindle Rock, awash at low water and marked by a buoy, is near the head of Centerville Harbor. A rock awash at low water and a rock covered 2 feet are 200 yards north of the buoy. Two unmarked rocks covered 6 feet are 1.7 miles southwestward of Hyannis Point.

Centerville Harbor is a bight 2 miles wide in the north shore of Nantucket Sound westward of Hyannis Point. A church spire and an elevated tank in Centerville, the village inland from the head of the harbor, are used as guides for entering the harbor. Craigville Beach, on the north side of the harbor, is a popular bathing beach. The approach to Centerville Harbor is obstructed by the previously mentioned rocks and shoals. The natural channel with depths of 9 to 10 feet leads to the anchorage. Anchorage with good holding ground may be had in depths of 14 to 20 feet; however, vessels seldom anchor here for shelter as the harbor is exposed to southerly winds. The shoals off the entrance somewhat break the force of the seas from southward, but not sufficiently to make it a safe anchorage. Strangers should not enter except in the daytime with clear weather. Ice may close the harbor in the winter.

East Bay, on the west side of Centerville Harbor, has depths of 1 to 4 feet. Small pleasure boats enter the bay en route to Centerville River. The entrance to East Bay, protected by a jetty on the southwestern side, had a reported controlling depth of about 5 feet in 1981 but is subject to shoaling. A private light marks the end of the jetty. Centerville River, which enters the northeast side of the bay, has been privately dredged for a width of 30 feet to the head of navigation. In 2005, a reported depth of about 3 feet could be taken over the bar into Centerville River. Small boats moor in the river off Centerville or tie up to private piers. A 6 mph speed limit is enforced in East Bay and Centerville River.

A conspicuous stone tower with a mushroom-shaped top is on the north side of the river. A town landing is on the north side just above the tower. A launching ramp is on the west shore of East Bay. A conspicuous wooden tower with a balcony on top is 0.3 mile southwestward of the jetty.

Cotuit Anchorage, 6.5 miles west of Point Gammon, is an anchorage for small craft between the shoals that make off the shore. The anchorage is exposed to southerly winds and is seldom used except by local craft. The channel to the anchorage is marked by buoys, and vessels of less than 6-foot draft should experience no difficulty in keeping in the best water. , covered 4 feet and marked by a buoy, is near the southern side of the anchorage. A long shoal, covered 4 feet and marked by a buoy at its southeast end, is 0.5 mile northeastward of Lone Rock and about 0.7 mile south of the entrance to West Bay.

, on the north side of Cotuit Anchorage and 19 miles west of Stage Harbor, has a jettied entrance about 150 feet wide and is the approach to the village of , on the east side of the bay. A private light marks the end of the east jetty. A seasonal lighted bell buoy about 1 mile southeastward of the entrance marks the approach. Private seasonal buoys mark the channel through West Bay. In 1981–2001, a depth of 2.9 feet was available in the entrance channel, thence 6 feet to the highway bridge. The channel is subject to shoaling, and strangers should obtain local information before entering the bay.

Ice closes the bay for about 2 months each year. The wharves at Osterville have reported depths of 6 feet alongside.

 Small-craft facilities

Small-craft facilities are on either side of the channel north of the highway bridge. Berths, moorings, electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, marine supplies, a pump-out station and storage facilities are available. Marine railway to 40 feet, lifts to 70 tons, and hull and motor repairs are available on the east side of the river with an approach depth of 7 feet and alongside depth of 13 feet reported in 2009. Lifts to 75 tons and hull, engine and electronic repairs are available on the west side with an approach depth of 5 feet and alongside depth of 6 feet reported in 2009.

, about 1 mile northward of the entrance to West Bay, separates West Bay from North Bay to the northward. In 1981, a reported depth of 5 feet was available in the narrow channel eastward of Little Island into North Bay. Strangers should obtain local information before navigating in North Bay, which has depths of about 6 to 17 feet. The harbormaster can be contacted for local information on moorings and berthings, telephone 508–790–6273. A 6 mph speed limit is enforced in Cotuit, North and West Bays by the Barnstable harbormaster and police.

The highway bridge across the channel between Osterville and Little Island has a 31-foot bascule span with a clearance of 15 feet. (See 33 CFR 117.1 through 117.49 and 117.622, chapter 2, for drawbridge regulations.) Advance arrangements for bridge openings can be made through the Department of Public Works.

Cotuit Bay, northwestward of Cotuit Anchorage, is separated from West Bay by . Cotuit is a village on the west side of the bay. A church spire and two elevated water tanks are prominent. A town wharf, with a depth of about 5 feet at its face, and a small-craft launching ramp are at the village. In 1981–2001, a privately dredged channel, with a reported controlling depth of 4 feet, leads from Cotuit Anchorage to off Cotuit Highlands; thence in 2001, a winding channel, with a depth of 6 feet, curves between Sampsons Island and Bluff Point into Cotuit Bay. The channels into Cotuit Bay and North Bay are marked by private seasonal buoys. A reported depth of about 6 feet was in the channel from Cotuit Bay to North Bay in 2005. Seapuit River, south of Osterville Grand Island, connects Cotuit Bay and West Bay. The privately dredged channel in the river had a reported controlling depth of 6 feet in 2004. Cotuit Bay is usually closed by ice each winter.

Popponesset Bay, west of Cotuit Anchorage, is shoal with depths of 1 to 4 feet in the greater part of the bay.

A small marina is on Daniels Island near the bridge to . A launching ramp, a pump-out station, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, some marine supplies and some services are available. A privately marked channel with a reported depth of about 3 feet leads to a marina on . Gasoline, water and engine repairs are available. A flatbed trailer at the marina can haul out craft to 30 feet.

Wreck Shoal, about 3 miles south of Cotuit Anchorage, is about 1.4 miles long in an east-west direction and about 0.3 mile wide. Depths on the shoal range from 4 to 13 feet. A lighted bell buoy marks the east end of the shoal and another lighted bell buoy southwestward of the shoal marks the channel between Wreck Shoal and Eldridge Shoal. An unmarked shoal covered 8 to 15 feet is about 1.5 miles northeast of Wreck Shoal and southward of Cotuit Anchorage approach. Broken ground with a least known depth of 13 feet is between this shoal and Wreck Shoal.

Eldridge Shoal, about 0.9 mile south of Wreck Shoal, is about 1 mile long in a northeasterly direction and about 0.2 mile wide. Depths on the shoal range from 5 to 14 feet. A buoy marks the northern side. A channel between Eldridge and Wreck Shoals has depths of 23 to 41 feet. A channel between Eldridge and Horseshoe Shoals has depths of 21 feet or more.

extends about 2.4 miles westward from Wreck Shoal to the shoal area off the shore southwestward of Succonnesset Point. Depths of 1 to 5 feet are on the shoal. A lighted buoy is off the west end. Between Succonnesset and Wreck Shoals is a narrow unmarked channel. Between Succonnesset and L’Hommedieu Shoals, a shoal area with a least depth of 9 feet is marked by a buoy.

, 5 miles southwestward of Cotuit Anchorage, has depths of 1 to 8 feet. The entrance, about 250 feet wide, is between two stone jetties. A private seasonal light marks the end of each jetty. In 1971, the controlling depth in the entrance channel was reported to be 4 feet. A seasonal lighted bell buoy, about 0.6 mile west-southwestward of the jetties, marks the approach, and buoys mark a 5-foot channel for about 0.8 mile through the bay. The Waquoit Yacht Club is on the west side at the head of the bay.

The Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, a Marine Protected Area (MPA), includes Waquoit Bay and associated waters and protected wetlands.

 Small-craft facility

Great River and empty into the southeasterly side of Waquoit Bay. A marina is on the west side of Little River, about 0.5 mile above its junction with Great River. Gasoline, water, ice, a launching ramp, limited marine supplies and storage facilities are available. Hull, engine, and electrical repairs can be made; lift to 11 tons. A reported depth of about 3 feet can be carried to the marina.

Between Waquoit Bay and Falmouth Inner Harbor about 3.6 miles to the westward are several ponds formed by the barrier beach, some of which have outlets. Many jetties or groins are built out from the shore for beach erosion control.

, about 0.8 mile westward of the entrance to Waquoit Bay, is entered through a narrow jettied entrance. A private seasonal light on the west jetty and a midchannel buoy about 500 yards southeastward of the light mark the approach. The privately marked channel into the pond had a reported controlling depth of 5.1 feet in 2000. The channel is subject to shoaling; extreme caution and local knowledge is advised.

A boatyard is on the west side of the northeasterly arm of Eel Pond at the mouth of . In 2009, a reported approach depth of 4 feet was available. Berths, electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, marine supplies, pump-out station, launching ramp, 40-foot marine railway, 50-ton marine lift and storage facilities are available at the boatyard; hull and engine repairs can be made.

, about 0.8 mile southward of the mouth of Childs River, connects the northeasterly arm of Eel Pond with the upper part of Waquoit Bay. A reported depth of about 3 feet can be carried in Seapit River. The river is marked by private seasonal buoys.

is a summer resort on the west side of Eel Pond and the east side of . Menauhant Yacht Club is on the west side of Eel Pond. A bridge, crossing the entrance to Bournes Pond, has a 45-foot fixed span with a clearance 5 feet.

, about 1 mile westward of Eel Pond and 4.2 miles eastward of Nobska Point, has a narrow jettied entrance. The entrance is reported to shoal rapidly after dredging; local knowledge is advised. A private seasonal light marks the west jetty. A seasonal lighted buoy marks the approach, and private seasonal buoys mark the channel above the jetties.

The village of , on the east side of Green Pond, and the village of , on the west side of the pond, are principally summer resorts.

Menauhant Road highway bridge crossing Green Pond about 0.3 mile inside the entrance has a 33-foot span with a clearance of 6 feet. In 2002, a reported depth of 3 feet was in the approach to and inside the marina on the west side of Green Pond just north of the bridge. Berths, diesel fuel, water, ice, repairs and marine supplies are available at this facility.

Chapter 5 describes other ports on the south side of Cape Cod westward of Green Pond.

 Nantucket Island to Madaket Harbor

, on the southeast side of Nantucket Sound, is about 13 miles long, hilly, partly wooded, and covered with vegetation that flourishes in sandy soil. The highest part of the island, about 100 feet high, is in the eastern part; the eastern and southern sides have steep and sand bluffs. The northern shore is fringed with shoals for a distance of about 1 mile. The island was for more than a century a principal seat of the whaling industry and since has become a famous summer resort.

, the northeastern end of Nantucket Island, is a long, low, sandy point marked by Nantucket (Great Point) Light (), 71 feet above the water and shown from a white tower.

is a shoal extending 3.8 miles east-northeastward of Great Point. For 2 miles from the point, the shoal has little water over it; farther eastward the depths range from 12 to 18 feet. Buoys mark the northeasterly and easterly sides of the shoal. Shoal water with depths of 16 to 22 feet extends about 1 mile northward from these buoys; a lighted bell buoy marks the northern side of the shoal water. A rock, covered 11 feet, is 2.2 miles southeastward of Nantucket Light.

Squam Head is a summer resort on the east side of Nantucket Island, about 5 miles south of Great Point. Several large houses show prominently from seaward.

Sesachacha Pond, 6.3 miles southeastward of Great Point, has a nonnavigable cut into it through the shore. From seaward, breakers mark the cut. In the winter the entrance fills in, and each spring it is cut through for drainage purposes.

(), 158 feet above the water, is shown from a 70-foot white tower, with a red band in the middle, on a high bluff on the east side of the island.

, a village on the southeast end of the island, is marked by a prominent standpipe. The village has seasonal bus service with Nantucket.

The south shore of Nantucket Island has no harbors and is frequented only by local fishermen. A LORAN tower about 0.6 mile southward of Siasconset and a tank and several towers along the south coast are prominent from offshore.

The thorofare between the western point of Esther Island and Tuckernuck Island is full of shifting unmarked shoals. The passage is used only by small fishing vessels and a few pleasure craft. Private seasonal aids mark the channel.

, and are low sandy islands extending westward from Nantucket Island. They are separated by sandbars, some bare at low water, which are constantly shifting.

and , immediately to the southward, are on the western side of Nantucket Island. Madaket Harbor is shoal with depths of 2 to 10 feet. The channel that leads southward from over the bar in Nantucket Sound is marked by private seasonal buoys, floats and markers. With local knowledge, a depth of about 3½ feet can be carried over the bar and channel to Hither Creek. Local knowledge is also required to enter the harbor from the southwest. A public boat landing and a boatyard are in Hither Creek. Gasoline, berths, a 10-ton mobile hoist, a pump-out station, storage facilities, ice, provisions, water and marine supplies are available at the boatyard; hull and engine repairs can be made.

 North Atlantic right whales

Endangered North Atlantic right whales have been reported off the southern coast of Nantucket Island (peak season: November through April). The Northeast Marine Pilots distribute educational material to mariners in an effort to reduce right whale ship strikes. (See North Atlantic right whales, indexed as such, in chapter 3 for more information on right whales and recommended measures to avoid collisions.)

All vessels 65 feet or greater in length overall (LOA) and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States are restricted to speeds of 10 knots or less in the Block Island Sound Seasonal Management Area between November 1 and April 30. The area is defined as the waters bounded by:

;

; thence back to starting point. (See 50 CFR 224.105 in chapter 2 for regulations, limitations and exceptions.)

 Nantucket Harbor

Nantucket Harbor is near the middle of the north shore of Nantucket Island. A shallow lagoon about 5 miles long extends northeastward from the harbor. The harbor is the approach to the town of on the western shore. The principal industry is fishing. Small coastal tankers carry fuel to Nantucket. Year-round passenger, vehicle and cargo ferry service is maintained between Nantucket and the mainland, to either Woods Hole or Hyannis. A passenger ferry also operates from Falmouth and Oak Bluffs during the summer.

Prominent from offshore are a radio tower about 1.2 miles east of Madaket Harbor; a standpipe about 1.5 miles west of Nantucket; a gilded cupola atop a church clock tower, and a church belfry about 500 yards northwestward of it; the spire of a large white church in the town; and the navigational lights at the entrance to Nantucket Harbor.

(), 26 feet above the water, is shown from a white cylindrical tower connected to the shore by a footbridge on the west side of the entrance near to the harbor. A sound signal at the light is operated by keying the microphone five times consecutively on VHF-FM channel 83A. Brant Point Coast Guard Station is on the point.

 Channels

A dredged channel leads from Nantucket Sound between two submerged breakwaters to deep water in Nantucket Harbor off Brant Point. (See Notice to Mariners and latest editions of charts for controlling depths.) Shallow water extends about 1 mile offshore on both sides of the channel. A lighted bell buoy marks the approach and the channel is marked by lighted and unlighted buoys and a 161.9° lighted range. A light and sound signal mark the outer end of the east jetty, and a buoy marks the outer end of the west jetty. A 6 mph speed limit is enforced in the harbor.

 Anchorages

Anchorage in Nantucket Harbor may be had in depths of 6 to 17 feet off the south and southwest sides of Brant Point or in depths of 12 to 17 feet in the general anchorage south of Brant Point. (See 33 CFR 110.1 and 110.142, chapter 2, for limits and regulations.) In general, the bottom is sticky. Although shelter is afforded to vessels it is advisable for small craft to use heavy tackle as the harbor becomes choppy with easterly winds. Caution should be exercised to avoid anchoring in the fairway and maneuvering area to the ferry wharf or the cable area northeast of Brant Point.

The long sweep of strong northeast winds down the harbor makes anchorage for small craft off the wharves dangerous and uncomfortable. Small craft may find more sheltered anchorage under these conditions in Head of the Harbor or, with local knowledge, in Polpis Harbor.

Launch service is available to craft at moorings or at anchor in the harbor.

 Routes

Vessels approaching Nantucket Harbor from Pollock Rip Channel can set a direct course from Handkerchief Shoal Buoy 14 () to the lighted bell buoy off the entrance. Approaching from the channel northward of Cross Rip Lighted Gong Buoy 21 (), pass to the eastward of Tuckernuck Shoal Lighted Bell Buoy 1, and then head for the lighted bell buoy off the entrance to Nantucket Harbor.

 Current

The tidal current off the Nantucket Harbor entrance has a velocity of 0.3 knot; the flood setting eastward and the ebb westward. The tidal current in the entrance channel sets into the harbor at a velocity of 1.2 knots and outward on the ebb at a velocity of 1.5 knots.

 Weather, Nantucket and vicinity

The climate of Nantucket is influenced directly by the proximity of the ocean and is characterized by cool summers and comparatively mild winters. Extremes of either maximum or minimum temperatures are very rare. The mild temperatures of the winter season are neutralized to a degree by sustained periods of high wind. The summers, though cool, are very humid. Heavy fogs are frequent, particularly during the spring and summer. There is a marked lag in the seasons as compared with inland areas.

July and August are relatively cool with average maximum temperatures around 75 °F and average minimums about 61 °F. The average temperature for the island is about 50 °F. January and February are the coldest months, having normal mean temperatures near freezing that is, average maximum of 38 °F and average minimum of 25 °F. The extreme maximum temperature for Nantucket is 100 °F recorded in August 1975 while the extreme minimum is -3 °F recorded in December 1962. An average year sees 100 days with temperatures below 32 °F and only one day with a temperature below 5 °F. Seldom do temperatures exceed 90 °F, a fact that has occurred only during June, July and August.

The average wind velocity is about 11 knots with the highest monthly averages during December through April. Gales have occurred during every month except June and July. Coast storms are frequent during the winter with winds of 40 knots or more. Hurricanes, during the late summer and fall, may cause high winds. Since 1871, forty tropical storms or hurricanes have passed within 50 nautical miles of Nantucket. There have been ten direct hits. The latest was tropical storm Esther in 1961. Esther had been a 125-knot hurricane earlier but was dissipating at the time it crossed the island.

Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year averaging about 41 inches (1,041 mm) in any given year. An average of 180 days each year records precipitation with 28 days having greater than 0.50 inches (13 mm). The wettest month is December averaging 4.35 inches (111 mm) and the driest month is June averaging only 2.2 inches (56 mm). Total snowfall for the winter season averages about 30 inches (762 mm); however, melting is usually rapid and snow cover rarely lasts more than a few days. The greatest snowfall in a 24-hour period was 14.9 inches (397) in February 1952. February is the snowiest month averaging nearly nine inches (229 mm). Snow is absent from May through September. An average five days each year record greater than 1.5 inches (38 mm) of snowfall. An average of 18 thunderstorms affect the island in a given year with the greatest frequency occurring during July and August. Fog is present about 200 days each year.

Except in severe winter, the harbor is seldom closed by local formation of ice. However, the harbor is frequently closed by drift ice from the sound that packs and remains across the entrance during northerly winds.

Nantucket Boat Basin, on the west side of Nantucket Harbor, is entered about 0.4 mile south-southwestward of Brant Point Light. The basin is enclosed on the north and south sides by Straight Wharf and Commercial Wharf, respectively, and its entrance is protected by two long bulkheads on the east and southeast sides. Depths in the basin range from 3 to 10 feet. About 180 slips are available in the basin, and yachts 100 feet long and larger can be accommodated. The outer end of the north side of Straight Wharf is used by excursion boats. A private seasonal light is shown off the end of the wharf and is operated only when tour boats are approaching the wharf in fog. Gasoline, diesel fuel and ice can be obtained on the south side of Commercial Wharf. Water and electricity are available at each slip. The basin’s dockmaster has his office on the outer end of Commercial Wharf. The dockmaster can be contacted on VHF-FM channel 16.

The Woods Hole-Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority Wharf is about 0.1 mile northward of the boat basin. A private light is shown from the roof of a shed on the northeast end of the wharf and is operated only when Authority vessels are approaching the wharf in fog. The submerged ruins of a pier that uncover at low water are between the boat basin and the Steamship Authority Wharf. A buoy marks the ruins. Unpainted pile dolphins mark the former pierhead. Mariners are advised to exercise caution in this area.

A boatyard, about 0.2 mile southward of Nantucket Boat Basin, has moorings, gasoline, a 23-ton mobile hoist, storage facilities, water and marine supplies; hull and engine repairs can be made. The channel leading to the boatyard, marked by private seasonal buoys, had a reported controlling depth of 6 feet in 1981.

Nantucket maintains ferry service with the mainland and daily airline service with New York and Boston. Seasonal bus and taxi service is also available.

 Head of the Harbor

A narrow unmarked channel leads through the lagoon northeast of Nantucket Harbor to . In 1981, a reported depth of about 3 feet could be carried with local knowledge as far as the village of on the southeast shore of Head of the Harbor. Unmarked shoals and foul areas extend off the several points.

is at the east end of the harbor just south of Head of the Harbor. The entrance channel, marked by private seasonal buoys, had a reported controlling depth of 6 feet in 1994.

 Muskeget Channel

is an opening 6 miles wide on the south side of Nantucket Sound between Muskeget and Chappaquiddick Islands. The channel is subject to numerous shifting shoals. Although this channel is partly buoyed, strangers should never attempt it as tidal currents with velocities of 2 to 5 knots make navigation dangerous. The currents through the channel are strong, having a velocity of 3.8 knots on the flood and 3.3 knots on the ebb about 1.5 miles east of Wasque Point. The flood sets north-northeastward and ebbs south-southwestward.

extends southward of , the southeastern extremity of Chappaquiddick Island. The shoal, which dries about 2 miles south of Wasque Point, rises abruptly from the deep water of Muskeget Channel.

, 0.6 mile east of Wasque Shoal, has a least depth of 5 feet and is marked on its southwestern side by a lighted bell buoy. The best water in Muskeget Channel is between Mutton and Wasque Shoals. Eastward of Mutton Shoal are numerous shoals covered 2 to 6 feet.

Between Muskeget Channel and the main channel north of Cross Rip Shoal are numerous shoals, some of which are separated by unmarked channels. , northeast of Muskeget Channel, has a least depth of 2 feet; it is marked on the northeastern end by a lighted bell buoy and a buoy on the northern side. Shovelful Shoal, westward of Tuckernuck Shoal, is covered 3 to 17 feet. Long Shoal, northwestward of Shovelful Shoal, is covered 3 to 16 feet. , south of Cross Rip Shoal, has a least known depth of 10 feet. Norton Shoal, southwestward of Cross Rip Shoal and covered 8 feet, is marked by a buoy on its north side. Hawes Shoal, westward of Norton Shoal, has a least depth of 1 foot; buoys mark its northwestern and southwestern ends.

 Martha’s Vineyard and Chappaquiddick Island

Martha’s Vineyard and have a combined length of 18 miles; the two islands are separated by Edgartown Harbor, Katama Bay and the narrow slough connecting them. The northern extremity of Martha’s Vineyard is about 3 miles southeastward of the western end of Cape Cod. Martha’s Vineyard is well settled, especially along its northern shore, and is popular as a summer resort. Along the northern shore the island presents a generally rugged appearance. The southern shore is low and fringed with ponds, none of which has navigable outlets to the sea. Approaching from the south, the principal landmarks are a standpipe at Edgartown, an aerolight near the center of the island, a church spire near in the western part, a tall radar tower north of Chilmark and Gay Head on the west side.

Communication with the mainland is by ferry, airline, cable and telephone. The principal towns are Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven.

, the northeastern point of Chappaquiddick Island, is a bare, bluff, precipitous head, which may appear from a distance to be a small island. Cape Poge Light (), 65 feet above the water, is shown from a white conical tower on the cape.

, extending about 1.5 miles northeastward from Cape Poge, are marked at the northeast end by a bell buoy. The southerly edge of the white sector of West Chop Light is about 0.9 mile north of the buoy. Shoal water extends about 0.4 mile offshore westward and northwestward of Cape Poge. A buoy, 1 mile west-northwestward of Cape Poge Light, marks the western side of the shoal water.

, a lagoon of considerable size in the northern part of Chappaquiddick Island, is entered from Edgartown Harbor. The unmarked entrance is used mostly by local pleasure and fishing craft. In 1981, it was reported that 4 feet could be carried through the entrance channel with local knowledge.

Edgartown Harbor, on the eastern side of Martha’s Vineyard and westward of Cape Poge, is divided into an outer and an inner harbor. The outer harbor is used principally as a harbor of refuge in southerly and easterly winds and as a night anchorage. At the head of the outer harbor, a narrow arm makes southward into Katama Bay, forming the inner harbor. The inner harbor affords good anchorage and is the approach to Edgartown, a fishing and resort town on the western shore. Many yachts and pleasure craft use the harbor during the summer.

Katama Bay, used by local fishermen and small pleasure craft, is large and shallow. Extensive shoaling has been reported in the southerly end of the bay. A 4 mph speed limit is enforced in the bay.

 Prominent features

Edgartown Harbor Light (), 45 feet above the water, is shown from a white conical tower on the west side of the head of Edgartown outer harbor. Also prominent are a church belfry in the town, a microwave tower 1 mile to the west-southwestward of the light, a standpipe about 1 mile southwestward of the light and the numerous beach cabanas on Chappaquiddick Point.

 Channels

The buoyed channel through the outer harbor has depths of 20 to 36 feet until nearly to Edgartown Harbor Light. Near the light, the channel narrows and makes a sharp bend westward, leading to the wharves at the town. Abreast the town, the channel narrows and curves southward to Katama Bay, bordered on the eastern side by Middle Ground. Katama Bay is subject to frequent changes, as is the shoreline between the bay and the ocean.

 Anchorages

Anchorage with good shelter from easterly gales is found westward of Cape Poge on the eastern side of the outer harbor. In westerly and southerly gales vessels find shelter in the southern end of the outer harbor about 0.4 mile eastward or east-southeastward from Edgartown Harbor Light. In northerly or northeasterly gales vessels usually go to Woods Hole or Tarpaulin Cove for sheltered anchorage. Vessels should not anchor in the channel abreast the town where the bottom is hard sand, the channel narrow and tidal currents strong. Southeast of the town, anchorage may be found south of Middle Ground, muddy bottom.

Small craft usually anchor in the special anchorage in the vicinity of Middle Ground. (See 33 CFR 110.1 and 110.38, chapter 2, for limits and regulations.)

 Dangers

On the western side of the outer harbor is a shoal area extending 2.8 miles northward of Edgartown Harbor Light. A bell buoy marks the northern edge of the shoal; vessels entering or leaving the harbor pass eastward of this buoy. The depths over the remainder of the shoal are irregular, and there are a rock awash and several rocks covered 3 to 5 feet. Strangers should never attempt to pass across this shoal. The channel into Edgartown Harbor is marked by a lighted buoy and unlighted buoys. An obstruction, covered 19 feet, is at

, covered 2 to 18 feet, extend about 600 yards off the southeastern shore of the outer harbor between the narrow entrance to Cape Poge Bay and the entrance to the inner harbor.

A sandbar is making off eastward from Edgartown Harbor Light. A buoy is on the eastern end of the shoal. Except for this shoal, the entrance to the inner harbor is not difficult to navigate. Middle Ground, in the inner harbor south of the town, has a least depth of 10 feet.

 Routes to Martha’s Vineyard

Vessels approaching Edgartown Harbor from the eastward, from a position about 400 yards north of Cross Rip Lighted Gong Buoy 21, can steer 267°, heading for the standpipe on Martha’s Vineyard southward of Oak Bluffs, passing northward of Nantucket Sound Channel Lighted Bell Buoy 21A. When Cape Poge Light bears 155°, head south-southwestward into the harbor.

Vessels approaching from the westward and passing northward of Squash Meadow can head on a 180° course from a position about 0.5 mile southward of Hedge Fence Lighted Gong Buoy 22 to enter the harbor. In the daytime, the channel southward of Squash Meadow is sometimes used. Strangers in sailing vessels seldom enter the inner harbor, as a fair wind is necessary to keep in the channel.

 Current

The tidal current in the narrow part of the channel inside Edgartown Harbor Light and off the town has a double flood and a double ebb and in general follows the direction of the channel. Near the middle of each flood or ebb period there is an approximate slack preceded and followed by maximum of velocity. The average velocity is about 1 knot. See the Tidal Current prediction service at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov for specific information about times, directions, and velocities of the current at numerous locations throughout the area. Links to a user guide for this service can be found in chapter 1 of this book. In 2007, it was reported that a breach had occurred on South Beach just southward of Katama Bay. The breach has affected the published tide and tidal current predictions so that mariners are cautioned about the accuracy of the information.

Fogs are prevalent during the summer and at times appear without warning. Drift ice from the sound, driven into the entrance by the wind, obstructs the entrance to sailing vessels during a part of the winter. It is reported that the harbor is normally closed by ice during January and February. The Chappaquiddick ferry channel is usually kept open. The tidal currents keep the inner harbor open except for a few days at a time during severe winters.

There are no pilots for Edgartown Harbor. Tugs are seldom used and none are available. Fishing craft or the harbormaster’s vessel will act as tugs in an emergency.

 Harbormaster

The harbormaster has control of the anchorage of vessels in the harbor. He will usually be found at the Edgartown Yacht Club and can be contacted on VHF-FM channel 16 or at 508–627–4746. Copies of harbor regulations may be obtained from the harbormaster.

The depth at the Town Wharf is 25 feet. Depths at the other wharves are about 11 feet. A marina, boatyard and a yacht club are at Edgartown. The boatyard has a marine lift that can handle craft to 9 tons for hull and engine repairs and dry open or covered storage. Gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, marine supplies and moorings are available. Launch service to moored craft is available.

A small ferry operates between Edgartown and Chappaquiddick Island. No schedule is maintained, but the ferry runs on call. There is seasonal bus service to Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven and other island points. Ferries connect Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven with Woods Hole, Falmouth, Hyannis and Nantucket.

Sengekontacket Pond, about midway between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, has two entrances that are subject to shoaling. The southerly entrance is the main entrance and had a reported controlling depth of 10 feet in 1981. There are no public landings in the pond and it is used by local and fishing craft only. The south entrance is crossed by a fixed highway bridge with a vertical clearance of 6 feet. The fixed highway bridge over the north entrance has a vertical clearance of 5 feet.

Squash Meadow is a shoal south of the main channel through Nantucket Sound and about 4 miles northwest of Cape Poge. The hard sand shoal has depths of 13 to 18 feet and is marked on its southeastern end by a bell buoy and on its western end by a buoy.

is a small pond northward of Sengekontacket Pond. The entrance is through a privately dredged channel between two short jetties. In 2000, a depth of 4 feet was reported in the entrance. The pond has depths of 2 to 6 feet. There are no services or landings in the pond.

Lone Rock, covered 4 feet, is 350 yards offshore about 750 yards southeastward of Oak Bluffs wharf.

Rhode Island Rock, covered 14 feet, is about 700 yards northward of the breakwater light.

Oak Bluffs Harbor, 4.8 miles northwestward of Edgartown Harbor Light, is a landlocked basin frequented by pleasure craft and some fishing vessels. The entrance is protected by two breakwaters. A light is on the end of the north breakwater. Oak Bluffs is a summer resort and fishing village on the harbor. Prominent are a church dome and a cupola in the village and the bluff north of the entrance.

Numerous submerged rocks, covered 10 to 14 feet, are in the harbor approach, in an area within 0.4 mile of shore bounded on the north by a line extending northeasterly from the breakwaters and on the south by Lone Rock. The chart is the best guide for approaching the harbor; however, it is advised that mariners transiting the area exercise extreme caution as other uncharted rocks may exist.

East Chop Yacht Club is on the north side of the harbor, and several private piers are on the west side. The town wharf extends along the bulkhead on the south and east sides of the harbor. The town maintains berths with electricity, a launching ramp, a pump-out station, and guest moorings. Gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice and some marine supplies are available; hull and engine repairs can be made.

Martha’s Vineyard hospital is on the beach road close westward of the town. The harbormaster monitors VHF-FM channel 71; telephone 508–693–4355.

A no-wake speed limit is enforced in the harbor.

Oak Bluffs Wharf, about 0.2 mile southward of the breakwater light, is reported to have a depth of 13 feet at the head. Several obstructions with lesser depths have been reported about 400 yards northeast of the wharf face. A private seasonal light and sound signal are operated from the seaward end of the wharf when ferry vessels are approaching the wharf in fog. There is seasonal ferry service from the wharf to Woods Hole and Nantucket. Seasonal ferry service is also maintained between Falmouth, Hyannis and New Bedford. Seasonal fast ferry service is maintained from Quonset, RI, and year-round fast ferry passenger service is maintained from New Bedford. Oak Bluffs is a port of call for cruise ships. The Vineyard Transit Authority provides island-wide transit service year-round. There is air service from Martha’s Vineyard Airport about 4.5 miles southwestward of the town.

A 530-foot groin, marked at its outer end by a daybeacon and partially submerged at high water, is about 650 yards south of the ferry wharf; caution is advised.

Other ports on the north side of Martha’s Vineyard, westward of Oak Bluffs Harbor, are described in chapter 5.

For planning, not navigation. Verify current information before departure.