The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-11-29
Finish Atlantic Intracoastal i
Waterway Charts From Name
To SouthernmOSf Key West.
CoIorful Route Charted By
Coast And GeOdetic Sur
vey; Many Yachtsmen
Use Waterway

ent winter season. the y. y. COAST
and Geodetic Survey recently
completed the last of new series
of charts for the small boatmen
going south via the inside route,
more properly known today as
the Intracoastal Waterway. These
new charts show the results of
recent surveys by this Bureau,
dredging by the U. S. Engineers,
and navigation aids by the Blu
reau of Lighthouses.
They are published on a scale
of 100000 (about 1.8 inches to
the nautical mile), and are double
the scale of the series now with
drawn, permitting the inclusion
of additional important data. All
are % by "a inches in size and
printed on light paper, each with
three strip charts of desirable
lengths, designed for convenient
folding for use aboard small craft
with limited cockpits.
The Introcoastal Waterway is
shown with a red line, making
the main route easy to follow.
Water shoaler than s feet is tint
cd a light blue. A distinctive fea-
ture of the navigation aids, estab-
1ished by the Lighthouse Service
and shown on the charts, is the
use of a yellow border on all day
marks and yellow tops or tips on
the single pile beacon structures.
Historic Post
Ponce de Leon was the first
adventurer TO seek the Fountain
~ Eternal Youth IN Fioridas And
the germ of truth hidden in that
early superstition survives, for to-
day his successors, including you
and me, derive that renewed
vigor and strength from cruising
southern waters which at least
prolong, though they cannot per-
petuate, youth.
The route is made up. of sue
cession of waterways extending
along the Atlantic Coast from
New York City to Key West.
Separated from the ocean at
times by frail sand barrier sew
eral hundred yards wide, else
where penetrating far inland
today traversing the expanse of
Chesapeake Bay and tomorrow
the narrow. saffron-colored, wa
tiers of the Dismal Swamp Canal,
the route is everchanging.
At intervals are magnificent es-
tates. beautiful gardens. memoir
able landmarks of ancient houses,
and old ruins. Many opportunities
are afforded for fishing and hunt
ing. There is always the pleasant
anticipation of something UNI
usual. just beyond the next bend.
Seagulls change to pelicans. conf
fers to cocoanuts, mud to coral,
and winter to summer.
The highly significant thing
about this route is that ii is
sheltered. The trip is no more
ambitious, expensive, difficult or
dangerous, than many taken by
thousands of motorists who crowd
our great national highways
Thousands of jewellers along the
Atlantic seaboard between Long
Island Sound and Hampton Roads
who own motor and sail boats, |
follow the wild geese southwark
year after year in ever-increasing .
numbers.
The Waterway has long his !
tory dating back to 1868. when
George Washington made the /
first surveys of the Dismal Swamp !
Canal. constructed in 1928. In
1887 and 1875, surveys were made
between Norfolk and Charleston,
10 determine the feasibility of an
inland waterway, but II was not
until 1911 that a real canal Of 10
foot depth was constructed be-
tween the NeuSe River and Beau
fort Inlet. The protected route
was completed in 1896 with the
section between Little River and
Winyah Bay. S. c.
STA F. Depth
Supplementing the nautical
charts. the amateur yachtSnan
and naotor-boat enthusiast will
find full information for making
q trip from New York to south
ern waters in a handy little
volume prepared by the u. S.
Coast and Geodetic Survey as a
result of It's field Investigations.
known as the Intraeoastal Water ]
way Coast Pilot-New York to-
Key West selling for 50 cents. !
The Intracoastal Waterway is /.
operated and maintained today
by the u. S. Corps Of Engineers
without tolls II has = depth OF .
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