Captain of the Port sets waterway restrictions on upper Chesapeake Bay due to ice

No Admittance - Safety  ZoneBALTIMORE — Recreational boat traffic is temporarily restricted in part of the upper Chesapeake Bay Friday due to dangers associated with icing conditions.

Transit through the restricted area is open only to boats with steel hulls. The restrictions are designed to prevent mishaps during periods of heavy icing conditions.

Steel-hulled ships may transit through the upper Chesapeake Bay within an area bounded on the north from Hylands Point, eastward to Old Town Point Wharf, bounded on the west from North Point, southward to Bodkin Point, and bounded on the south by the north span of the William P. Lane Jr. memorial bridges. All other boat types may travel anywhere outside the restricted area.

The status and extent of these temporary restrictions are continuously evaluated as ice condition reports are received and assessed.

“As the weather throughout the Chesapeake Bay has improved over the past week, restrictions have gradually lessened, and once waterway conditions improve, restrictions will be completely lifted,” said Coast Guard Cmdr. Stephanie Morrison, chief of Waterways Management at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore.

Ice-related restrictions are announced via Coast Guard broadcast notice to mariners, five times daily at 3 a.m., 7:05 a.m., 11:30 a.m, 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. local time on marine band radio VHF-FM channel 22A.

The status for local waterways can also be obtained at http://www.uscg.mil/d5/ICE_REPORT/.


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