[C320-list] Heart-Miller Island Cut

[Warren Updike]

Slipping on nearby Middle River, we know the H-M cut well.  In the past there was a lot of shoaling.  A few years ago, the state reinforced the perimeter of Pleasure Is. with stone to reduce the problem of storms, tides, and currents washing silt into the cut. Since then there has been no trouble for a wing keel 320. We use it often.  You should find no less than 6 ft. at low tide and for most of its length will be 8 to 9.  The one low area you'll find is around Red #4. Still, check your chart and keep an eye on depth when transiting.  
Boats with 6 ft. keels should avoid the cut at low tide.

Warren & Pattie Updike
1994 C320 #62 "Warr De Mar"

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Thompson [mailto:surprise at thompson87.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2013 9:50 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Heart-Miller Island Cut

Bruce, if you get the answer some other way, please let the rest of us Chesapeake sailors know. I've wondered about that cut for some time and have never tried it, except on my parent's boat in the 1980's. But Hart-Miller was much smaller then before they started dumping dredge spoils there, and my parent's boat only drew 3.5 feet with the board up and had no instruments to measure the actual depth. My chart suggests it can't be done today, but perhaps that is wrong.

On a related note, have any Chesapeake sailors taken their boat through Kent Narrows this year? I've wondered if it is still possible given all of the shoaling in the north channel recently. Running aground with the wing keel and a lot of powerboat traffic is no fun.

Scott Thompson
Surprise, #653

On 7/1/2013 6:41 AM, Bruce wrote:
> To any of you sailors familiar with the area...Can a 320 navigate through the cut? We anchored at HMI Saturday night but we went around the North side and came down. With hull #719 and a wing keel I believe our draft is 4'10" I've even though there hundreds of times on other boats but I know how that channel can fill in, I don't want to find out the hard way.
>
> Bruce Hunter
> Nauti Time #719