Newburyport
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(The ebb combines with a surface river current that, in total, can sometimes reach 4-5kts in the deep channel next to the North jetty, and 2kts in the main body of the river. The flood will easily give you a 1-1.5kts boost in up-river speed-over-ground.) | (The ebb combines with a surface river current that, in total, can sometimes reach 4-5kts in the deep channel next to the North jetty, and 2kts in the main body of the river. The flood will easily give you a 1-1.5kts boost in up-river speed-over-ground.) | ||
| - | From the red-white striped seabuoy ("safe water buoy") labeled "MR" (Merrimac River) the green cans and red nuns leading out from the ends of the stone jetties defining the entrance channel will be easily visible in most conditions. | + | The entrance lies between Plum Island to the South and Salisbury Beach to the North. |
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| + | From the red-white striped seabuoy ("safe water buoy") at 42N48.55, 070W47.09 labeled "MR" (Merrimac River) the green cans and red nuns leading out from the ends of the stone jetties defining the entrance channel will be easily visible in most conditions. | ||
(For European visitors: All buoyage follows the IALA-B "red-right-returning" rule, so keep red even-numbered "nuns" to starboard and green odd-numbered "cans" to port.) | (For European visitors: All buoyage follows the IALA-B "red-right-returning" rule, so keep red even-numbered "nuns" to starboard and green odd-numbered "cans" to port.) | ||
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After a sharp turn to port around "7" you'll head for red nun "10." There you'll make a turn to starboard and head on 285M(agnetic) past can "11" to can "13," where you'll turn to port aiming for the wind turbine behind all the houses and church steeples of Newburyport on 260M, until you reach can "15" and nun "16." Depths at "16" during extreme low tides can be under 10ft, but I've never seen less than 8. | After a sharp turn to port around "7" you'll head for red nun "10." There you'll make a turn to starboard and head on 285M(agnetic) past can "11" to can "13," where you'll turn to port aiming for the wind turbine behind all the houses and church steeples of Newburyport on 260M, until you reach can "15" and nun "16." Depths at "16" during extreme low tides can be under 10ft, but I've never seen less than 8. | ||
| - | There you'll turn to starboard to pass between daymark "18" and can "17", each of which mark hazards close outside the channel. The rest of the channel up to the US Route 1 highway bascule bridge (as far as you'll probably be interested in going) is well marked and very straighforward. | + | There you'll turn to starboard to pass between daymark tower "18" and can "17", each of which mark hazards close outside the channel. The rest of the channel up to the US Route 1 highway bascule bridge (as far as you'll probably be interested in going) is well marked and very straighforward. |
Newburyport will be on the South side of the river, to your port. You will pass the American Yacht Club with moorings in front and "AYC" on its roof, and then Newburyport Harbor Marina, which usually has transient slips and has a fuel dock. The walk form ther to the central tourist area is less than 1/4 mile. | Newburyport will be on the South side of the river, to your port. You will pass the American Yacht Club with moorings in front and "AYC" on its roof, and then Newburyport Harbor Marina, which usually has transient slips and has a fuel dock. The walk form ther to the central tourist area is less than 1/4 mile. | ||
Revision as of 17:38, 20 November 2009
Newburyport
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The justifiably high-rated historic/tourist part of Newburyport is 3nm up the Merrimac River, and to approach it one must cross the Merrimac River entrance bar.
There is a US Coast Guard station, which is rated as a "surf station" and equipped with a 47ft self-righting motor lifeboat. The bar - while nothing like the Columbia river bar in Oregon where USCG surfmen train with such boats - is considered the most dangerous bar on the East coast of the US.
Having said all that, except in the event of Easterly swells against a strong ebb current, your impression crossing the bar will be "What's the problem? Seems like a non-event to me." Monitor VHF channel 16 for notices of a "safety marine information broadcast concerning conditions on the Merrimac River bar" to be given on channel 22A.
Unless you hear such warning (or see the 47-footer bobbing around in breakers near the entrance), conditions will be quite benign. (4-6ft Easterly swells become 8-10ft breakers against a strong ebb over the shallow bar.)
To be certain of (usual) benign conditions, timing your approach for a flood tide will also save you time going up to the town docks and marinas.
(The ebb combines with a surface river current that, in total, can sometimes reach 4-5kts in the deep channel next to the North jetty, and 2kts in the main body of the river. The flood will easily give you a 1-1.5kts boost in up-river speed-over-ground.)
The entrance lies between Plum Island to the South and Salisbury Beach to the North.
From the red-white striped seabuoy ("safe water buoy") at 42N48.55, 070W47.09 labeled "MR" (Merrimac River) the green cans and red nuns leading out from the ends of the stone jetties defining the entrance channel will be easily visible in most conditions.
(For European visitors: All buoyage follows the IALA-B "red-right-returning" rule, so keep red even-numbered "nuns" to starboard and green odd-numbered "cans" to port.)
You will have to handle strong river currents in the deep channel leading along the North jetty to green can "7," which can be almost under water in strong ebb conditions.
After a sharp turn to port around "7" you'll head for red nun "10." There you'll make a turn to starboard and head on 285M(agnetic) past can "11" to can "13," where you'll turn to port aiming for the wind turbine behind all the houses and church steeples of Newburyport on 260M, until you reach can "15" and nun "16." Depths at "16" during extreme low tides can be under 10ft, but I've never seen less than 8.
There you'll turn to starboard to pass between daymark tower "18" and can "17", each of which mark hazards close outside the channel. The rest of the channel up to the US Route 1 highway bascule bridge (as far as you'll probably be interested in going) is well marked and very straighforward.
Newburyport will be on the South side of the river, to your port. You will pass the American Yacht Club with moorings in front and "AYC" on its roof, and then Newburyport Harbor Marina, which usually has transient slips and has a fuel dock. The walk form ther to the central tourist area is less than 1/4 mile.
Farther up river are the Town Docks (floating, due to the 9-10ft tides) alongside the town boardwalk fronting a very nice park. Side-to docking and power is usually available, cheap and convenient for very short walks to most of the tourist area and restaurants.
The marinas above the town docks are directly in front of some of the better restaurants, but seldom have transient slips available. (The strong oblique river currents can make slip-docking here tricky, anyway.) Windward Yacht Yard extends out form McKay's wharf - as in Donald McKay who built his first clipper ships here.
The US Coast Guard was founded here (its first revenue cutter being the US government's first contract cost/schedule overrun scandel.) The granite Custom House museum shows much about its early life-saving service, which grew out of the privately-funded Massachusetts Life-saving Service.
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