Traveling from Ocean City to Norfolk

J

jmicklov

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Not sure if this is the right place to post this item, but would appreciate some feedback about running from Ocean City to Norfolk this time of year.
Looking at Chincoteague Bay at Ocean City and running inside with a 50' power boat down to Chincoteague Inlet.

Any thoughts on navigation issues, aids, markers, water depths, weather patterns for the Bay?

What about from Chincoteague to Norfolk? Inside/Outside?

Thanks.
Jack
 
On the inside from OC to Chincoteague the channel had charted depths of as little as 3 feet and width of 150 feet and there is a fixed bridge with 35 clearance. The more open areas where there is not a dredged channel show 4 to 6 feet on the chart and since the chart depths may not be accurate due to the constant shifting bars etc you could be vry close to the bottom. Another thing to remember is that with water that shallow you would have difficulty getting the boat on plane due to the interference from the bottom and you would have a good chance of ripping the running gear out as the boat goes down at the stern due the the drag.

If you draw 4 feet or more with the 50 footer I would not try inside to Chincoteague or anywhere south to Norfolk. Since the tidal range can be less than one foot, if you go aground there will not be much help from the tide.

South of Chinoteague the water inside can be very skinny and the channel difficult to find even though it is supposed to exist. I do not think that the channels have been dredged any time recently. On more checking some parts of the channel south of Chincoteague are marked as having depths of 1 foot from a survey in 2006. They are probably no deeper now.
 
Why not just go on the outside???

It's not that far of a trip, just pick a good day.

Jonathan
 
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