Wrecks

One of the least pleasant things that can happen to you while sailing is to have your keel, rudder, propeller and shaft, etc. find a wreck.  If you are able to avoid damaging your boat, you will be lucky.  At the very least, you will have a real fright.

Another of the least pleasant things that can happen is to anchor your boat on top of a wreck.  The anchor will surely get entangled.  And, unless the wreck is fairly close to the surface (you can dive down and retrieve the anchor – a potentially dangerous activity in itself), you will probably lose the anchor, it’s chain, and some of the anchor rope.

Both of these are bad enough if you are on your own boat.  They are doubly bad if you are on a bareboat charter.

Fortunately, NOAA in the book known as Chart 1 has included a whole list of symbols that represent wrecks that you might see on one of the NOAA nautical charts.  Below is a photo of that page from Chart 1.  As you look over the symbols, notice that there are several very different ways to portray a wreck.  “WK” is often seen next to the symbol… but not always.  If you have ever used NOAA Chart 18421 - - the chart we usually use while sailing in the San Juan Islands - - you might have seen in the Drayton Harbor enlargement (upper right part of the chart) that there is a symbol showing about half a sailboat at about 48 degrees 58 minutes north latitude and 122 degrees 46.5 minutes west longitude.  There is another half sailboat wreck symbol just a little SW from Blaine.  Those symbols certainly is marking a wreck showing a portion of the hull above chart datum.

As you look over the symbols, notice that several of the symbols are for “large scale charts”.  Large scale charts are typically for use in harbors and bays where greater detail is called for.  These large scale charts generally have a scale of 1:5,000 or greater.  Also notice that there is a difference in the symbol of a wreck showing a portion of the hull above the chart datum and a wreck showing only the masts above chart datum.  I’d say that lines 26, 27, and 28 are the most dangerous wrecks.

Make sure that you know how the depth (soundings) is measured.  There is a huge difference between 5 feet and 5 fathoms…… AND, know how much water your boat draws.  Determine the safe depth in different wave conditions.

All depths indicated on nautical charts are reckoned from a selected level of the water called the sounding datum (sometimes referred to as the reference plane).  

So, rocks, reefs and other obstructions are to be avoided… So too should wrecks be avoided.  Check your chart while you are planning your routes.  Check your chart while underway.  Fetching up on a wreck will surely ruin your day.

barnaclebillholcomb@gmail.com