Standing along the coast between Portland and Cape Cod.The lighthouses and other aids to navigation are sufficiently numerous to enable a stranger to run either at night or the daytime in clear weather. There are numerous anchorages where a vessel with good ground tackle can ride out any gale. (See p. 3.) Of these, Provincetown Harbor is the harbor of refuge most frequently used by vessels approaching Massachusetts Bay from seaward. The navigator, when crossing the banks and when approaching the coast, should not neglect to take soundings at frequent intervals, and vessels equipped with radio should make use of the radiocompass stations and obtain frequent fixes by radio bearings. (See p. 16.) Vessels equipped with radio direction finders can obtain bearings of the Boston and Portland Lightships both of which send out radio signals in thick weather. (See p. 14.)

Wrecks.-South of Portland the wrecks have occurred most frequently on the prominent headlands or the shoals off them, viz, Cape Elizabeth, Cape Ann, and the north side of Cape Cod, with less frequent wrecks on the less prominent headlands. Numerous wrecks have also occurred on the dangers in the approaches to Boston Harbor, more frequently on the south side, from Scituate to Point Allerton. Most of the wrecks have occurred during thick weather.

Between Portland and Boston the most dangerous points for coasting vessels are the dangers off Cape Elizabeth, Boon Island, Isles of Shoals, Cape Ann, and the dangers in the entrance of Boston Harbor. Vessels must depend upon making the fog signals or the whistling and bell buoys, and when approaching them should proceed slowly, using the lead, and if necessary stop until the lookedfor aid is found and recognized before continuing for the next aid. The soundings in the vicinity of Cape Ann are very irregular and can not be depended upon to locate even approximately the vessel's position.

The numerous strandings on the north end of Cape Cod, between Cape Cod Lighthouse and Race Point Lighthouse, have usually occurred to vessels approaching Massachusetts Bay or Cape Cod Bay from southward or eastward in thick weather. Keeping in a greater depth than 20 fathoms (37 m.) will insure giving the eastern side of Cape Cod a berth of 211⁄2 miles, and if this depth is followed will lead to Peaked Hill Bar gas, whistling, and submarine bell buoys, northward of the end of the cape.

The precautions to be taken in approaching Boston Harbor from Cape Cod or Cape Ann are given on page 269.

DIRECTIONS, CAPE COD TO EAST QUODDY HEAD

The following tables give the courses followed (each way) by the large vessels and the large tows between Cape Cod and Eastport, Me. Alternate courses are given, so that the navigator has the choice of several different routes.

DIRECTIONS, INSIDE PASSAGES, WEST QUODDY HEAD TO PORTLAND Small craft.-Small craft of 6-foot (1.8 m.) or less draft, running along this section of the coast in the daytime, in clear weather, can find a partially protected route throughout most of the distance from West Quoddy Head to Portland. The route is fringed with numerous dangers, and extreme caution and close attention to the charts are necessary.

The most frequently used route for boats of this class leads close along the coast from West Quoddy Head to Cross Island, through Cross Island Narrows, across the mouth of Machias Bay, through Foster Channel, Brothers Passage, Moosabec Reach, and Tabbott Narrows, across Petit Manan Bar close to the perpendicular striped buoy (navigable only with a smooth sea), through the buoyed channel northward of Schoodic Island, through Western Way, across Bass Harbor Bar, through Casco Passage, Deer Island Thorofare, Fox Islands Thorofare, Owlshead Bay, and Muscle Ridge Channel, and thence by the route used by vessels of 12-foot (3.7 m.) or less draft, described following.

Directions through Cross Island Narrows, Foster Channel, and Petit Manan Bar are given under their descriptions. Directions through most of the other passages are given following. Strangers in small craft can follow the directions given following for vessels of 12-foot (3.7 m.) or less draft if desired.