Great Machipongo Inlet Delmarva Coast

[Snboard976]

Does anyone have local knowledge of the Great Machipongo Inlet on the Delmarva Coast? I am about 2.5 hours away and thinking of breaking a trip to Ocean City in half by stopping there tonight.

I guess if no one responds I will be the one with local knowledge.

[pdqaltair]

If you're north bound, Chincoteague is a better bet, particular at high tide. However, after dark, it would not be fun, as some of the markers may not be lit. Call Chincoteague CG.757-336-2874

OC should be easy to find, even after dark, because of the amusement park. DO NOT cut the corner short on the south side; there are sand bars and a low jetty.

Yes, I have been there many times. Check my blog, below.

[Snboard976]

Thanks, we went with Chincoteague after dark. Like you said, it was not fun. The first green is unlit and slightly further south than the chart shows. The next red is also not lit. After that there are three greens in a row that are well and guide you the rest of the way in. The shallowest point was 6ft MLW at the second buoy. I felt okay going in because there was a huge full moon, completely flat water and it was slack water at high tide. Still though, it was scary to be in a channel that was 65 feet deep and have a sand bar with breakers 100 feet away.

Today we went in the Chincoteague with day light. The channel was wide and deep, although it is no where near its marked location on the GPS. Shallowest we saw was 10 MLW until we were well inside the inlet.

[pdqaltair]

Originally Posted by Snboard976

Thanks, we went with Chincoteague after dark. Like you said, it was not fun. The first green is unlit and slightly further south than the chart shows. The next red is also not lit. After that there are three greens in a row that are well and guide you the rest of the way in. The shallowest point was 6ft MLW at the second buoy. I felt okay going in because there was a huge full moon, completely flat water and it was slack water at high tide. Still though, it was scary to be in a channel that was 65 feet deep and have a sand bar with breakers 100 feet away.

Today we went in the Chincoteague with day light. The channel was wide and deep, although it is no where near its marked location on the GPS. Shallowest we saw was 10 MLW until we were well inside the inlet.

Yes, it is what they call a changeable inlet. Most likely the marker locations you have reported will be out of date within a month! However, during a trip we made in 2009 (Sail Delmarva: Trip Report - 2009 Delmarva Circumnavigation.) Chincoteage was the ONLY inlet on the Delmarva coast that was not breaking; there was an 8- to 10-foot on-shore swell causing huge breakers on each side, and 2 markers had been blasted off station by the passage of a hurricane, but the ride in the entrance was pretty smooth. I believe it is the safest all-weather inlet on the Delmarva, but it is best in daylight and a call to the CG for local conditions is not out of order.

I have written a guide to this stretch (Sail Delmarva: "Circumnavigation the Delmarva Pensinsula" book summary) as the information in other guides is sorely lacking in detail. It is up-dated several times each year, when ever I get new information.