Table of distances between certain ports in Mexico and Central America and on the Pacific Ocean San Francisco. 3,245 2,831 Los Angeles. 2, 913 2,499 2,613 San Diego.. Guaymas 2,843 2,429 2,211 1, 136 939 1,490 1, 158 452 93 0 2,370 1,956 1,738 1,559 1,520 1,260 Mazatlan. 2,006 1,584 1,364 0 1,088 1, 196 1, 149 388 939 Manzanillo 1,718 1,300 080 Acapulco.. 1,426 1,011 Salina Cruz. San Jose.. CHAPTER II OUTLYING ISLANDS AND SHOALS OFF THE WEST COASTS OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA Tanner Bank, the northwestern end of which lies 27 miles southeastward of the eastern end of San Nicholas Island, is 13 miles long in a west-northwesterly and east-southeasterly direction and 6 miles wide within the 100-fathom curve. There is a least charted depth of 12 fathoms on the central part of the bank. Cortes Bank, lying southward of and parallel to Tanner Bank, is about 20 miles long and 2 to 4 miles wide within the 50-fathom curve. The least depth, 21⁄2 fathoms, is over Bishop Rock, but 5 miles northwestward of that rock there is a 10-fathom patch and 1 mile east-southeastward of the rock is a 414-fathom patch. Other banks with depths of 30 to 100 fathoms over them lie within a radius of 80 miles southeastward to northwestward of Bishop Rock. Bishop Rock (32°27′ N., 119°08′ W., C. S. Chart 5101), located on Cortes Bank about 7 miles from its southeastern end, with only 22 fathoms of water over it, is the shoalest and most dangerous part of the bank. It is the outermost danger along this part of the coast. Buoys. A whistle buoy and a station buoy consisting of an iron spar are moored close southeastward of Bishop Rock. GUADALUPE ISLAND1 (North Point, 29°11′ N., 118°17′ W., H. O. Chart 1681), lying about 140 miles off the coast of Lower California, has a length of 20 miles north and south and a maximum 1 "The best anchorage is [in a cove on the east side of the island 14 miles southward of North Point]. We examined the bottom in this cove with the water glass and found it to consist of gravel without any weed. This cove, which was used by us for 3 days, is clear of all sunken rocks, and one can go within 200 feet of the beach and find 4 fathoms of water. Here, close under the cliffs, the 'falling wind', coming down the gully where the barracks are, does not strike the vessel. The best way to anchor here when staying for a considerable time is to drop the anchor in about 6 fathoms of water, then take a stern line and secure it to boulders on the shore, and then pay out on the anchor chain and haul in on the stern line until the vessel is close inshore. * "We landed on a black lava beach south of Elephant Rock. Somewhat north of this beach there is a reef running out to sea parallel to the coast line. We noticed the high swell running in and breaking heavily on this uncharted reef. * [On the second visit to this island] I kept a very good lookout for this reef when coming from the north, but could not see it; only when going in with a small boat did I see the rollers breaking heavily. * * * "West Anchorage apparently does not extend as far inland as shown on the chart, but is, instead. only a slight indentation. We came inside the charted position of the 'sunken rock' but, although we kept a man in the rigging and a very heavy swell was rolling in from the northwest, we did not see any signs of it. Anchorage on the west side of the island is not to be recommended, as the heavy northwesterly swell runs in here. "The passage between Inner Island and Guadalupe does not seem to be correctly charted. This passage is deep and clear of sunken rocks. * * [In traversing this channel] head south until the passage is well open and then steer straight for it, keeping as close as possible to Inner Island. Small yachts frequently have trouble steering 42 width of nearly 7 miles. It is of volcanic origin and is traversed throughout its length by a chain of mountains, the highest of which, near the northern end, has an elevation of 4,500 feet. The shores are bold rocky bluffs with detached rocks close-to, but outside a distance of 4 mile offshore there are no known dangers to navigation except a sunken rock, the existence of which is doubtful, on the west side about 4 miles northward of the south point and 34 mile offshore. A rock charted close off a point on the northwestern side of the island 44 miles southwestward of North Point has been reported to lie about 14 miles northwestward of the former point. Discolored water has been reported to extend for a considerable distance off North Point. Very deep water surrounds the island, and between it and the mainland there are depths of more than 2,000 fathoms; in Pilot Rock North Point, Guadalupe Island, from northeast. 1929, however, a bank over which there is a least depth of 47 fathoms was reported to lie about 60 miles east-northeastward of North Point. The island can be seen in clear weather at a distance of about 60 miles, and, when bearing eastward or westward, appears lower at the southern than at the northern end. Sailing vessels from San Francisco bound for the Gulf of California generally sight Guadalupe; these vessels usually pass westward of the island in order to take advantage of the stronger northwesterly winds on that side. through this passage, as at times there is a strong tidal current running and their speed in relation to that of the current is not great. In February we found a strong * tidal current setting through this charnel toward the west. "The anchorage in Melpomene Cove is good, but it is exposed to the 'falling winds' at night. The southern part of the island is far more barren than the northern. Trees are found only in the northern part of the island. On the spit at the southwestern enti of the main island the stone walls of about 8 houses which were used by sealers between 1800 and 1830 can still be seen. "On the shore of the cove 14 miles southward of North Point, near the abandoned barracks, there is a cannery for preserving goat meat. Some people who work the cannery live in this vicinity. was told that a small motor boat calls at irregular intervals to bring stores to the island and to take back products of the cannery to the ports of Mexico." From reports of Captain Frank Jansen, Instructor in navigation at the University of Southern California, dated Mar. 13, and Oct. 2, 1930. The southern part of the island is very barren, but the northern part has several fertile valleys and some vegetation on the mountains. Brackish water may be obtained from a well on the beach of & small cove near the northeastern end of the island. In 1930 there was a goat-meat cannery near the abandoned barracks on the shore of this cove, and some employees of the cannery were living there. Passage between Guadalupe Island and Inner Islet from eastward. Off the south end of the island there are two rocky islets. Inner Islet, 744 feet high, is separated from some rocks lying off the island by a narrow passage; two detached rocks lie 1/4 mile from its southwestern side. Outer Islet, 677 feet high, is separated from Inner Islet by a deep channel about 1,700 feet wide. In November 1936 the U. S. S. Kanawha made a running survey of Guadalupe Island which showed that the island is improperly located on the chart now issued (H. O. Chart 1681, 6th ed., 1918). The entire island is charted eastward of its true position; this error varies from more than 1/4 mile at North Point to nearly 3 miles at the southern end of the island. Furthermore, every point on the west side of the island is charted south as well as east of its true position; therefore, the true position of the south end of the island and of the islets off that end is more than 3 miles northwestward of the position shown on the chart referred to above. Melpomene Cove, at the south end of Guadalupe Island, affords anchorage in 9 fathoms, sheltered from all but southerly winds. In 1892 a British naval vessel anchored in a depth of 14 fathoms with the southeast point of the island bearing 98° and the southern extremity of Inner Islet bearing 234°. (NOTE.-Although these bearings do not intersect when plotted on the H. O. chart that is now (1936) issued, their correctness has been verified by the running survey referred to above.) Inner Islet must be well open of the southeast point of the island before the cove can be seen. The best landing is found in the northwest corner of the cove. The water in this cove is not smooth during fairly strong westerly or northwesterly winds, and at times there is a considerable ground swell in the |