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Here is our report as we transited both Narrows on Saturday 6/4/11. First our boat draft is spec'd. at 4'10'' but in reality it's around 5' 3" +/- with full fuel and water and all the wife's 'stuff'... We approached Knapps Narrows from the Choptank side-no issues. On the west side..that's a different story..we hit bottom just short of the first red day mark.. Shoaling defiantly was filling in from our starboard side where our chart plotter said we where in the channel. There is a 6mph float to our port side so we moved closer to that and found deeper water. The channel between the (2) red day marks and the last green day mark is not very wide and shoaling was encroaching from our starboard side.
We knew we where back in the land of power boats as we approached Eastern Bay where the ratio of power to sail is much greater than what we experienced during our year and half on the Choptank..I guess we kinda got spoiled... On the south side of Kent Narrows-no issues. On the North side..again a different matter..stay to starboard as there is definitely shoaling, encroaching from our port side, beginning just before day mark 4 and the last day marks. My recommendation is to transit both Kent and Knapps Narrows at a rising tide as close as possible to high tide..gather as much local knowledge and go slow while transiting. I was very surprised that there where no USCG 'Local Notices to Mariners' had been issued nor any temp bouage had been placed..I guess the area businesses are happy with the situation at hand..
I have a 5'7" draft and have the same the issues with the north Kent Narrows channel. I went out the north at high tide on 6/1 and stayed on the edge of the channel to the far right, on the line with the green markers. I had 8'0" at the #3 marker, I mean really, right next to it and then the depth went to 7'0"
at the mid point between #1 and #3. So the message is stay on the green side of the channel - a big problem for those headed into the Narrows from the north on a busy Red Eyes day.
I did see a sailboat aground in the middle of the channel the previous day as the tide was going out. A sport fish was attempting to help and I assume was finally successful. It's going to be a long summer with sailboats getting stuck in the channel and causing a navigation hazard. Not to mention a serious bummer for easy recreating.
The south channel I can't say is significantly better, but yet no one has reported bumping along. I came in about an hour before high tide on 6/30 and had 6'6" or so. It's just in the one spot where the chart indicates it will be.
Finally noted in 1st week of June's 'Notices to Mariners'
MD – UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY – KENT ISLAND NARROWS NORTH – AIDS TO NAVIGATION CHANGE
Due to shoaling the following changes will take place in kent Island Narrows on or about 30 June, 2011:
A. Kent Island Narrows North Approach Lighted Buoy 3 (LLNR 26417) will be established in approximate position 38-59-02.021N, 076-14-35.164W,
FL G 4s.
B. Kent Island Narrows North Approach Light 3 (LLNR 26420) will be changed to Light 4, Fl R 4s.
C. Kent Island Narrows North Approach Light 4 (LLNR 26425) will be changed to Warning Daybeacon A worded “DANGER SHOAL”.
Chart : 12272
I was out the north channel of Kent Island Narrows 2 days ago and there was no change to the markers. Plus the weekly newspaper issued yesterday had an article about how the markers were changed a few weeks back.
Finally noted in 1st week of June's 'Notices to Mariners'
MD - UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY - KENT ISLAND NARROWS NORTH - AIDS TO NAVIGATION CHANGE
Due to shoaling the following changes will take place in kent Island Narrows on or about 30 June, 2011:
A. Kent Island Narrows North Approach Lighted Buoy 3 (LLNR 26417) will be established in approximate position 38-59-02.021N, 076-14-35.164W,
FL G 4s.
B. Kent Island Narrows North Approach Light 3 (LLNR 26420) will be changed to Light 4, Fl R 4s.
C. Kent Island Narrows North Approach Light 4 (LLNR 26425) will be changed to Warning Daybeacon A worded "DANGER SHOAL".
Chart : 12272
I came through Knapps Narrows successfully twice over the weekend, both times at about mid-tide I think. Our boat also draws 4'10", but a realistic 5' or 5'1". Last year we grounded on the west side coming out, so I hug that red marker and go real slow. Very little room to the north.
I'd like to see some more small can markers on both sides, east and west, to make the channel more obvious.
Nope, no change to the north channel at Kent Narrows still as of 7/30. I've been through on my 21' Zodiac at night at low tide and gone back and forth to see just how bad it really is and I can tell you that there's about 4' on the red marker side. While this might be fine for smaller power boats, it's absolutely unacceptable otherwise. I am probably going to take the plunge and move over to the western shore.
I keep hearing about the markers being moved as well, etc., but I am not holding my breath.
Thanks Calax for the update. Anyway to sound the outside the green side of the channelat various time of the tidal change? I remember several years there where temp. green markers placed before they dredged. Also Joe Palmeranz, general manager of Piney Narrows, is also a good source for local knowledge as he usually posts temp(unofficial charts) of the affected area at the marina.
Thanks again,
Clay
s/v 'Tango
Lankford Bay Marina
Chester River,Md.
Good news on the Kent Narrows shoaling problem! While a new marker setup was finally installed in August or so, I was recently copied on a letter from the Corps regarding the preparation of an environmental document for a project that will dredge the north channel. This maintenance dredging is to remove materials to a depth of 7' MLLW plus one or two feet of allowable overdepth. The material will be placed behind "pre-constructed" breakwaters to create tidal wetlands on the spit of land to the west of the channel - it's part of the Ferry Point Habitat Restoration Project designed by local sponsors of which Queen Anne's County Parks/DPW is the lead. No dates in the letter, but it's good news and progress.
I believe a few of the area businesses in particular Piney Narrows Marina led by Joe Palmerantz(sp?) may be leading the charge with this..as he is a good source as to the current conditions in the Narrows.
From 'Local Notices to Mariners' - District 5 - May 22/12
MD - CHESAPEAKE BAY - CHESTER RIVER - KENT ISLAND NARROWS NORTHERN APPROACH - SHOALING
Shoaling to a depth of less than 5.0 ft MLW has been reported in the center of the channel in the vicinity of Kent Island Narrows Northern
Approach Lighted Buoy 3 (LLNR 26417). Chart: 12272.
I draw 5 feet and touched bottom on the west side of Knapps Narrows earlier this season. Keep away from those marshes north of the channel as you get into the narrows themselves. On the outside I stuck very close to the channel and was OK.
Reports and survey are correct. ( if you draw more than 5 feet and its at or close to low tide) going north approaching the green buoy #3 stay just to the east of the channel line, and between #3 and #1 it looks like its deepest also just to the east of the line between #3 and #1. Caution is advised.
Thanks Clayton for the update even though we're taking the boat south soon and don't expect to use that channel again. Besides the tides be careful about the wind direction since we went aground between 3 and 5 on the green side over a year ago at mid tide with the wind out of the north. We draw close to 5'10" with the boat fully loaded.
We transited Knapps Narrows on 7/1 about mid tide and had no problem. We hugged the R4 on the Bay side and found at least 6.0' of water. The River side had some areas in the upper 5' range. Since we draw 5' we were nervous but we never bumped. We managed to transit the River side 2 more times as we went back to Knapps Narrows to stay at the marina for 2 days to avoid the sweltering heat and went through ok.
We transited Kent Narrows Friday 7/20/12 heading South at low tide. Approaching from the North, the second set of channel markers have been altered by blanking out the former Red and converting the former Green marker to Red. A new temporary green is moored to the East of the new Red (former Green). At that location the channel is narrowed to approximately 1/2 its normal width. We had a reading of 5.2 feet depth at the point where the channel is altered. We draw 5 feet, so it was a bit dicey. We returned the other direction on Sunday, 7/22/12 at high tide and never saw less than 6.8 feet depth.
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