Our thanks to Skipper Schick whose links below augment Bob Sherer’s recent article on water levels and their effect on navigation in the ICW. See /?p=151098.

This is good information [Sherer’s article]. Two easy ways to see what’s available:

(1) http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stations.html?type=Water+Levels which nicely shows MHW levels (which seems to have been cropped out of the images in the original post)

and

(2) http://tidesonline.noaa.gov/geographic.html and use their graphic selection tool. This site (depending on location chosen) gives additional information such as wind direction and speed.

Larry Schick

Robert Sherer is author of 2015 ICW Cruising Guide: A guide to navigating the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. See /?p=150181. SSECN is grateful for Captain Sherer’s willingness to share his knowledge and experience with our readers.

Heading down the ICW, everyone pays close attention to the tides when navigating through the shallow spots but few pay attention to the effects of wind on the level of the water. Most everyone knows that an east wind will raise water and perhaps cause flooding and a west wind will push water out and make the shallow spots even more difficult. Who hasn’t looked at a posting on depth and then patted themselves on the back when they found deeper water (what a great navigator I am…) or been surprised when the opposite happened (the poster obviously was out to lunch…)

Have you ever wondered the basis for NOAA’s warnings on coastal flooding? Well, NOAA has particular buoys outfitted with water level monitors that give a reading of water height vs the predicted height from tide tables. If you know how to access the data, you too can benefit. For example, you may have 3 extra feet of depth in passing through the shallows south of Fernandina (or three feet less!) You have to know which buoys have the data you want and then how to access it, it’s not a one click operation. I’ve compiled a list of buoys reporting water heights that would be useful for negotiating the ICW but first an example. We were in Hampton, VA when Joaquin came through off shore and produced 25 to 35 kt east winds for two days which you would expect to push water levels higher than normal. We were on floating docks so we had some concern about just how high the surge would be so we watched a NOAA water level buoy site for that information. Here’s a typical plot:

The line of interest is the purple plot showing the delta between the predicted tide height (blue line) and the actual water height (red line). You can see that on 10/4/2015 the water was 3.5 ft higher than predicted by the tide tables!

This information is available all along the ICW from selected weather buoys and can be helpful when passing through areas where you really need to know the real depth accurately. That purple line above can be minus too in a strong west wind! One more example:

I have a 55.3 ft mast and I like to use the Cape May canal to reach Delaware Bay. I need to know the actual water height before going through since from past experience in normal weather the height boards read 58 ft at 0.0 predicted tide. In my fall of 2015 trip down, we had a strong east wind and the height board only read 56.5 ft at low tide! The low tide can actually be 3 ft higher than the tide tables! Now 56.5 ft is enough for my 55.3 ft mast but may not be enough for others. So here’s the list of stations I find useful with links:

Cape May Canal
Hampton
Charleston
Savannah
Fernandina Beach

You can click on “Show Data Listing” for the numbers in addition to the plots. I’ve noticed that when accessed on my iPad I get all three plots but when looked at on my laptop I only get the red and blue lines but I always use my iPad anyway. When planning your next passage, it never hurts to check on the predicted tide height vs actual, it only takes a minute and it could save you a lot of grief.

Robert Sherer (aka Bob423)
Author of “2015 ICW Cruising Guide” available on Amazon.com
You can follow our adventures down the ICW at fleetwing.blogspot.com

Well, here’s something to take your mind off the wind and the rain! And you thought jet skis were an annoyance!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2150iFXF5Vc?rel=0

Since this report does not specify a homeport or area of activity for the new survey boat delivered to the eastern Gulf of Mexico, it will be up to you to send us reports of sightings along the coast. Obviously, No Wake is the order in the vicinity of these small boats. Please do click the link connection below for very interesting graphics related to these surveys.

New small survey boats for hard working navigation response teams

To a marine pilot looking forward to a long-awaited nautical chart update, a white NOAA survey ship “mowing the lawn” of the approaches to a port is a gorgeous site. The ship slowly moving back and forth, collecting hydrographic data from the ocean floor, is easily recognizable.

This new survey boat was recently delivered to the navigation response team collecting data in northern California.

Less well known are Coast Survey’s smaller survey vessels, operated by navigation response teams (NRTs) situated strategically along the U.S. coasts. These vessels are hard worked by two- or three-member teams of physical scientists and technicians who must know everything about the vessel, the specialized survey equipment, and the science of collecting and processing data. On top of all that, they must be expert sailors.

This new survey boat was recently delivered to the navigation response team collecting data in northern California.

Recognizing the value that these teams and vessels bring to our survey and charting responsibilities – not to mention their essential work in locating underwater debris after hurricanes – NOAA is “recapitalizing” the NRT fleet, building new small boats specifically designed for hydrographic surveying. The first two boats, built by Lake Assault Boats of Superior, Wisconsin, were delivered last week to navigation response teams surveying ports in California and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

CLICK HERE for more.