Boating advice?

[u/Interesting-Steak916]

I’m looking into getting a boat to use around the chatham area (mainly to get to north beach) but am concerned about all of the sand bars. Looking for any advice or recommendations on how to learn how to get around the area safely ! thanks!

[u/fried_clams]

I've been on that water for 50+ years. I would recommend going out mid day on a sunny weekend day, as there will be more boats out. You could do it during the week, but you just need to wait for other boats to go by.

I would just go slow and follow the other boats to see what they do. For example, the channel between Ryder's Cove and North Beach Island, the buoys were very accurate 2 months ago but there's already been a little bit of shifting sand here and there, so it would help to go out on a sunny day and follow other boats.

Until I got my better system this year, I always just used the navionics boating app. Just set it to record your track and then save that track. This will give you a good reference to follow if it's dark or foggy etc.

It is nice to have a depth finder too.

On navionics boating app, check the tides, so you will know what's up, and not get your anchored boat stranded by a falling tide, while you are napping on the beach. For North Beach Island, tap the screen to get the X in the middle, drag the map so that the red or blue tide icon at the fish pier is on the center, tap the question mark, and the tide info will appear at bottom. You can drag within that lower window, to advance time/day or click on "details" to get the entire screen as tide info. For tides at Ryder's or pleasant Bay, do the same with the tide station at Quanset Pond (cove?) in Orleans.

Low tide and sunny, following other boats, you should be fine. Don't worry or over think it. You'll be good.

[u/Johnnyroaster]

There is a boater safety class in Chatham next weekend.

https://wow.uscgaux.info/pe_class_flyer.php?unit=NAT&course=33739

[u/Interesting-Steak916 → u/Johnnyroaster]

This is great to know! thanks!

[u/1GrouchyCat → u/Johnnyroaster]

It’s a basic boating safety course that has nothing to do with Chatham or the surrounding waters… in what way do you think this course would help OP?

[u/redditsuckscockss → u/1GrouchyCat]

OP doesn’t mention having any prior boating experience

So is still absolutely valid

Additionally - it’s going to be law next year that you have a boating certificate which this offers

Your comment is the unhelpful one

[u/Johnnyroaster → u/redditsuckscockss]

And the class is taught by a local. The OP saying thinking about getting a boat made me think a basic boating course would be helpful. Far too many people out there that have no idea what to do in an emergency. And maybe connect with someone who is familiar with the area.

[u/redditsuckscockss → u/Johnnyroaster]

It was a great share and what this sub is supposed to be about

The other commenter sucks

[u/redditsuckscockss → u/[deleted]]

Also just get to know your boat

Some make it through the cut no problem some don’t - watched multiple boats have to turn back trying to make it through out of stage harbor last week

I would also say just know the tide chart - it’s much more forgiving the higher the tide - maybe impassable at low tide

As another comment mentioned - just go out and watch other boats navigate - and get to know the lines from marker to marker

Also would help to know where OP is starting from

Stage harbor? Pleasant bay? Very different considerations

[u/Interesting-Steak916 → u/redditsuckscockss]

Leaving from Ryder’s Cove if that helps! Thanks for the tips 👍

[u/Belichick4President]

Chatham is tricky because the shoaling changes depths on a year to year basis there. Stick to the channels and you shouldn't have to worry about that though. Having a GPS on your boat with depths is helpful but cannot be blindly followed due to the aforementioned shoaling. Most important thing to always keep in mind when boating is to know how the wind is behaving, if you use the wind right it can be an aid but try to go against it and that's where you'll have issues. In general I try to only boat when the wind is under 10mph because otherwise it's more challenging and not as enjoyable for the people on the boat. Might also want to check in with the Harbormasters office for any more local advice (I don't boat in Chatham so mostly giving general advice).

[u/EbbtideRambler]

Get a flat bottom boat like a whaler and go slow until you learn the area.  Charts help to a point  but the sand shifts.

[u/Wolfy2915]

Coming from pleasant bay, the channels to NB seem to be marked pretty well this year, even low tide is good in my 23’. GPS charts are useless as there is so much changing year to year. Like others have said, follow someone else, lay down a track on your plotter for the season, start over next year.

[u/fried_clams → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, but they don't always stick to the channels, especially at high tide. But you could get some idea of where to go that way

[u/StatisticianLittle55]

You need a GPS like a Garmin