Watch Hill (Fire Island)

Is the $6 a foot for Watch Hill?

I don't think so...
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I think you are looking at Watch Hill RI -not Fire Island.

-Kevin
 
So I just went to watch hill late Sunday and they have a special that I didnt know about spend $25 at the food truck and you can stay for free for a few hours
 
So I just went to watch hill late Sunday and they have a special that I didnt know about spend $25 at the food truck and you can stay for free for a few hours
We are heading to Watch Hill next week and will be there for 2 nights and usually bring food to either cook on the boat or barbeque. How is the food from the food truck?
 
Came in to Watch Hill today a little after noon and hit bottom between bouy’s 5 and 6 dead center of the channel Floated through SLOWLY and kicked up sand til just before 7 and 8. So much for driedging! But it was low tide.
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Garmin was taking me east and then back but I thought I was smarter than them and took the channel - see screenshot with Garmins route and my track.

I spoke to a Park Ranger and he said the ferry hit bottom also. Any advise on exiting safely on Friday? I’m going to speak to a few others here but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Came in to Watch Hill today a little after noon and hit bottom between bouy’s 5 and 6 dead center of the channel Floated through SLOWLY and kicked up sand til just before 7 and 8. So much for driedging! But it was low tide.View attachment 130819

Garmin was taking me east and then back but I thought I was smarter than them and took the channel - see screenshot with Garmins route and my track.

I spoke to a Park Ranger and he said the ferry hit bottom also. Any advise on exiting safely on Friday? I’m going to speak to a few others here but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.
First, that Garmin route is entirely wrong (as you surmised). Buoy 36 is a mid-bay east-west marker, not an entrance to WH. If you followed it you would run aground somewhere between 100-300 yards before you got back to the channel. There's only 12-24" of water through there. I do take that route with my center console, with the outboard trimmed up and on plane, all the way until I get back to the channel. Do you have your draft properly set in your chartplotter? I would check it because Garmin, and Raymarine, auto routes are usually pretty reliable, but very dependent on accurate inputs.

It's not unusual for a boat of your size to hit bottom at low tide, even after dredging. IIRC, between buoys 5 and 7 the water is a little deeper on the north side of the channel, but I haven't been through there since the dredging was done. My 58 draws 54" so I always would leave within an hour of high tide. That's a scheduling pain but a necessity.
 
Thanks bmac.

I’m pretty sure I have my settings set properly but I’ll double check later. I zoomed in on my track this morning and I did drift just to the left of the channel before scraping bottom. My first time at Watch Hill but I now realize how narrow that approach is. I appreciate your reply!
 
Thanks bmac.

I’m pretty sure I have my settings set properly but I’ll double check later. I zoomed in on my track this morning and I did drift just to the left of the channel before scraping bottom. My first time at Watch Hill but I now realize how narrow that approach is. I appreciate your reply!
Good luck with it. When I come in to Watch Hill I run on plane all the way to the last buoy (yes, past the 5 mph sign). The 58 settles by over a foot when coming off plane so the added foot of clearance helps. It can be a nail biter the last 100 yards and hitting bottom at 20 knots would do some serious damage but that has always worked. On the way out I idle all the way to the next to last buoy. The 58 seriously squats in the water when getting on plane.
 
Good luck with it. When I come in to Watch Hill I run on plane all the way to the last buoy (yes, past the 5 mph sign). The 58 settles by over a foot when coming off plane so the added foot of clearance helps. It can be a nail biter the last 100 yards and hitting bottom at 20 knots would do some serious damage but that has always worked. On the way out I idle all the way to the next to last buoy. The 58 seriously squats in the water when getting on plane.
Thanks Brian
 
Thanks Brian
Just a quick follow up. We left Watch Hill this morning about 2 hours after high tide. Spoke to the dock master yesterday and he said you need to stay on the north side as you enter the channel and then stay center channel. All good but still kicked up sand just outside the marina.
 
Just a quick follow up. We left Watch Hill this morning about 2 hours after high tide. Spoke to the dock master yesterday and he said you need to stay on the north side as you enter the channel and then stay center channel. All good but still kicked up sand just outside the marina.
I don't think they dredged the entire channel between all the buoys. I think they dredged the entrance to the marina itself. The channel with the buoys is the same as last year as I see 3 feet under the boat.
 
I don't think they dredged the entire channel between all the buoys. I think they dredged the entrance to the marina itself. The channel with the buoys is the same as last year as I see 3 feet under the boat.
Definitely seems like you are right!
 

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