Evening star., 1938-05-08
CHANNELS, BUOYS
IMPROVED BY j. s.
Danger of Grounding Craft
Is Greatly Lessened by
Government Markers.

10 vi CdJy ICooCIiCu Ny
Government Markers.
BY MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.
There will be little excuse for run.
ming aground when summer cruises
begin on the Potomac and Chesapeake
Bay next month.
At least the boat equipped with
the latest charts and wide awake
pilot stands good chance of going
the whole summer without the an
noyance Of piling up on some shoal
or mud bank. All through the win
ter and spring the Lighthouse Ser
ice of the Department of Commerce
has been busy replacing old buoys
and putting in new ones, while the
United States Engineers have dredged
new channels for the convenience Of
yachtsmen.
Fortunately for all concerned the
past winter has been kind to Gov
ernment markers, only few suffering
ravages of wind and weather A boon
to busy buoy tenders, it has meant
more time to concentrate on the
work Of replacing old spars.
BY way of explanation, the Govern
ment, in long-term project is elini-
mating wooden spars and replacing
them with the more practical cans
and nuns. In time the amateur
navigator no longer will have the
worry of picking out a half-submerged
spar that might either be red or black
until right on top Of it, There is
no mistaking can or a nun buoy;
you know exactly on what side to
pass them.
New Charts Prepared.
That is one of the reasons why a
visit to Room 1923 in the Commerce
Building for new set of charts, the
majority of which cost less than
dollar apiece, will pay big dividends
before the season closes next fall.
Capt. K. T. Adams is now in charge
q the chart division of the Coast
and Geodetic Survey, taking the post
formerly held by Rear Admiral Leo
Colbert. who recently was appointed
chief of the Coast Survey.
Capt. Adams and the writer spent
an afternoon this week going over
piles of charts ranging from George
town to Point Lookout for the Poto-
mac River and from Chesapeake City
to Norfolk on the bay.
Right here in Washington a number
Of new bouys have been established
as aids to the growing traffic on the
Potomac. A black third-class spar,
known as Anacostia River Buoy l, has
been placed off the Army War College.
Ninty yards above Hams Point bell
buoy, a second-class spar painted in
red and black horizontal bands was
put in position recently, while to the
northwestward black spar to be
known as Georgetown Channel buoy
3 has been established.
Lights Are Help.
In case you have been wondering
about the rapid-flre blinking OF the
green light on Hams Point bell buoy,
it's another innovation Of the service.
Increasing number of important lights
approaching large harbors are being
equipped with quick flashing blinkers.
Against a city background of neon
signs and automobile headlights,
skippers have been going slightly batty
attempting to pilot their craft to port.
On down to Gunston Cove a nun
and can have been placed at the
southern end of the popular week end
anchorage to guide boats through that
elusive channel. 1t ought to be a
cinch even for the inveterate shoal-
grounders.
Maryland Point Channel buoys "a
and 40 have been placed in new posi-
tions and buoy 36 has been discon-
tinued. A new light graces the old
Popes Greek wharf above Morgan
town, Md On white box structure
1t is an unmatched light showing red
Dash every seconds. Characteristics
Of Lower Cedar Point dredged channel
range lights leading into Morgantown
have been changed. The front light
shows q red flash and the rear light,
Q white flash.
Too numerous to mention here,
spars from Cornfield Harbor inside
Point Lookout to Greenleaf Point
shoal in Anacostia River have been
replaced by second and third class
nuns and cans
West River Newly Marked.
1t Is significant that the West River
over on the bay has come in for
number Of Improvements to naviga-
ton aids. An ideal summer base, the
rfeer has become increasingly popular
with local yachtsmen. In addition
to two lights and two day beacons
established last fall in Parish Greek,
leading to Shady Side, new buoy
known as West River Inner Light 4
has been placed in the west side of
the river.
In Miles River over on the Eastern
Shore. Gibson Point Shoal buoy II
and Long Point Shoal buoy 13 have
been replaced to better mark the chan
mel. It should mean less running
aground when the st. Micheals regatta
draws the large fleets.
Late this month a new chart of the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and
its approaches. No. $40. will be pub
nshed. Heretofore there was moth
ing printed on the canal New ed
itions of Coast and Geodetic charts
since last year are No. 492 of the York
River area, No. 1926 for the north Sec