del., md., va. inside question..

Did you mean 4 1/2 foot draft?

I plotted it out years ago as a backup plan in case the ocean kicked up while in Ocean City, but never had the need to go there. Also never heard of any transporters doing it, but for us it's all about time. According to my charts there's a few places with 4'-6' depth, but you should be able to make it. Unless it's your destination though, I can't imagine why you'd go that way. It's definitely the slow way to go, plenty of chances to meet the bottom, limited services, and not the most picturesque or interesting. 4'6" draft tells me your probably over 45'. I'd check marina's along there to see if any can accomodate you, and get some local knowledge, before trying it. I don't think any cruising guides cover it, but the chart kits do.

I've never done it, but if you plan on doing it, it sounds risky. I would attempt it at near high tide and rising if I HAD to do it.

Well I'm sure a lot has changed since the 60's.....

By "inside" you mean NOT up the Delaware Bay, across the canal, and then down the Chesapeake? IOW, some combination of Chincoteague Bay, etc.?

-Chris

Yes. That is what it sounds like.

As said, in all these years I've never had the need, although I've always been prepared. I'd rather wait out the weather in O.C. or better still head up to the C&D if there's ay question about weather. If it's blowing hard enough to get me thinking of the inside there, I'd be concerned about it blowing the water off the shoals or push me onto them inside.

I've never heard of anybody doing it in anything bigger than a 20' boat (Jet ski, kayak, etc). I'm not 100% sure they made it the whole way either. Might have hauled out at a ramp near the end. I suppose you could do it in a larger boat but you'd need a boat that can run aground and sit on the sand while waiting for the tide to change.

Basically not passable. Some areas bare at low tide, many with controlling depth <3ft. CG has been considering officially discontinuing the Virginia Inside Passage and has stopped maintaining the ATONs, so many are missing, broken or off station. Dredging only takes place at major inlets, such as Chincoteague.

You're welcome, however a lot of the same info is available on the charts, Coast Pilot and the Local Notices To Mariners, enough to pretty much have come to the same conclusion without the additional local knowledge. I'm curious, did you try calling the CG at Chincoteague and Ocean City?

Welcome to dealing with the military. lol. It's all in the book. Independent thinking not encouraged....liability, responsibility. What they say has to be right. If you want local knowledge, call the local Sea Tow franchise or charter boats in the area.

What does the chart say for depth???

Good move. When you have the chance take a look at the date of your chart. Odds are it's from the 1980's. The Notices to Mariners should be up to the date of your publication, but even that's not really accurate. Nothing beats local knowledge. In areas prone to shoaling, they tend to change with every good storm and certainly with each change of season. Such are the sand bottoms on the east coast. Up here on Moriches Bay, there's a bunch of us who get several phone calls each summer from people wanting to know this year's conditions. Some years you'll pass the inlet with a 6' draft, others you'll dig bottom with 3'. Some years the channel is over here, and some it's over there. Sea Tow keeps busy.

True. But I try to avoid those inlets such as Oregon inlet. I generally utilize ones with ship channels that always stay the same if I can, or ones that are natural deep river outlets that don't shift......