pwelch

My wife and I do our boating in coastal North Carolina, so when we took the ferry across Delaware Bay last summer, we were venturing into uncharted territory. I was intrigued by references we heard to "the rockpile" and also wondered if someone could fill me in on the history behind the stone jetties located in what seemed like the middle of the bay. Are they what the rock pile is all about? Thanks for any local knowledge you can share.
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Pursuit 2460 Denali

us42449

Those stone jetties are basically dykes to keep the tidal flow from filling the shipping channel with silt, sand, etc. The channel is protected by a number of them, including several that are entirely under water. Not a place to get off course--you can get "behind" a dyke and try coming back out to what looks like good water, and really spoil your day!

While the navigation is typically easy, the Bay is prone to bad weather and adverse currents. Becasue of these and other navigational hazards, it can be one of the most dangerous bodies of water to navigate. I've gone thru there a bunch of times, and I'm always respectful.

An aquaintance was killed delivering a blow-boat in Dec several years ago--they hit one of these things and sank.

Where in NC do you do your boating?

pwelch

Thanks for the information. When we made our crossing last July on the MV New Jersey, it was a beautiful calm day. The ship's bartender assured us that there is a much meaner side to Delaware Bay than what was being shown to us on our trip.

Our home waters are the Outer Banks of North Carolina, primarily the sounds surronding Roanoke Island. One of these days, time and weather permitting, we will venture offshore, but it hasn't happened yet.

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Pursuit 2460 Denali

adavefish2

I know this is late, but they are also referred to as ICEBREAKERS to protect Roosevelt Inlet at Lewes (pronounced loo-is, not lou's). Excellent fish haven. Stripers, tog, etc.

Scorpio

The rockpiles or icebreakers were built in the early 1900s in conjunction with the large stone breakwater (outer wall) to form a manmade harbor (the National Harbor of Refuge). The harbor provided shelter for ships laying at anchor waiting their turn for a berth up river in Wilmington or Philadelphia. The rockpiles were place there across the current flow of the river in order to break up ice sheets coming down river before they could do damage to ships. As vessel size has increased, they are now too large to go inside the breakwater, today the outer wall serves as a shelter for the lower part of the bay and holds many fishing opportunities for flounder, tog, croaker and striper.

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