# Kachemak written-exam program Word-timed transcription; common name-recognition errors normalized. Source clarifications appear separately in the player; the audio is unchanged. [00:00] Okay, we are ready to go. [00:01] So, this program is for a first-class pilot, or FCP, exam candidates preparing Kachemak [00:07] Bay and Homer local knowledge and route description. [00:10] Let's just move instantly into Section 1, Geography and Landmarks. Sounds good. Let's build that mental map. Right. [00:16] So, we need to orient ourselves in Eastern Cook Inlet. [00:19] Basically, Kachemak Bay is bounded by Anchor Point, which marks the northern boundary, [00:24] and Seldovia Point, which marks the southern boundary. Okay, so Anchor Point North, Seldovia Point South. [00:29] Exactly. And inside that, you have Homer Spit. You need to know its specific characteristics. [00:35] It's a very low gravel and shingle spit. Oh, so not like a big rocky peninsula. [00:40] No, not at all. And the measurements are highly specific. [00:43] It is 4.5 miles long, and its width varies from just 100 to 500 yards wide. [00:49] Wow, that is narrow. Yeah, it really is. [00:51] And just as a quick, like, 15-second history aside, the name Homer actually commemorates Homer Pennock. [00:57] He was this 1890s gold mining promoter, and the spit was just named for the town that [01:02] was formerly situated right there. Oh, that makes sense. Right. [01:06] Now, moving down the spit, Coal Point is the outer end of it, and this is marked by Homer Spit Light 3. [01:12] Okay. Light 3. What do we need to know about it? You need to know it is a green light. [01:17] It's a flashing green light, flashing every six seconds, and it's 34 feet high. [01:22] People sometimes think it's white because of the background lights, but it's definitely green. Got it. [01:26] Flashing green, six seconds, 34 feet. Yeah. And just northeast of the spit, you have Coal Bay. [01:33] Now, contrasting with the low gravel spit, you also need to know Bluff Point, which rises [01:38] prominently to 750 feet. So that's a much better visual landmark. Exactly. [01:43] But you have to distinguish between visual landmarks and actual navigational aids. What do you mean? [01:48] Like things you shouldn't use to steer? Precisely. [01:51] You have the Homer Airport Lights, but those only operate when needed by aircraft. [01:56] You also have the Deepwater Dock Loading Tower and Eight Harbor Light Towers. [02:01] These are all prominent visual landmarks, but they are not approach guides. So do not steer by the airport lights. [02:07] Please don't. And lastly for this section, the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve Boundary lies east of [02:13] a line connecting Anchor Point directly down to Point Pogibshi. Okay. [02:17] Let me give you my compact recall sentence for Section 1. [02:20] Kachemak Bay is bounded by Anchor Point in the north and Seldovia Point in the south, [02:25] featuring the low gravel and shingle Homer spit that is 4.5 miles long and 100 to 500 [02:32] yards wide. That is perfect. Moving right along to Section 2, Approaches. [02:37] We're going to detail the southern approach first as a coherent progression. Okay. So coming up from the south. [02:43] Right. You need to pass two to five nautical miles west of Point Adam and Flat Island. [02:48] Two to five nautical miles west. Got it. Then you pass 1.5 to three nautical miles off Point Pogibshi. Okay. [02:54] And then what about when we actually get close to Homer? [02:56] For your berths or anchorage at Homer, you approach about one nautical mile south of Homer Spit Light 3. Right. [03:02] So that's the southern route. What if we are coming down from the north? The northern approach requires a lot more room. [03:08] You need to keep three nautical miles off Bluff Point, and you must keep five nautical miles off Anchor Point. Wait. [03:14] Five nautical miles off Anchor Point. Why do the distances matter so much on that northern approach? [03:20] It's because the north shore is littered with hazards. [03:23] You have to clear shoals, extensive kelp beds, and a ton of fixed fishing gear. [03:28] Plus, you need to allow a significant buffer for current and weather pushing you toward the shore. Oh, right. [03:34] So you want plenty of sea room. Exactly. And you must always be using the largest scale chart available. [03:40] Also, as you get near the spit, you have to give Archimandritof Shoals, which are west [03:44] of the spit, a very wide berth. Good to know. Archimandritof Shoals gets a wide berth. Yeah. [03:49] And I'll reiterate the warning from the first section. Do not steer toward the town or harbor lights as an approach guide. Okay. [03:55] My compact recall sentence for Section 2. [03:59] For the approaches, you pass two to five nautical miles west of Point Adam in Flat Island, and [04:04] 1.5 to 3 off Point Pogibshi from the south, while keeping three nautical miles off Bluff [04:09] Point and five nautical miles off Anchor Point from the north to clear shoals, kelp, [04:15] and fixed gear. Spot on. So that brings us to Section 3, traffic and broadcasts. [04:21] You need to understand who is out there with you. Right. The traffic patterns. Yeah. [04:25] So year-round, you have operations involving large ships and tug and barge units. [04:29] But in the summer, you get a massive seasonal increase. Suppression boats and tourists. Exactly. [04:34] Small craft, commercial fishing, ferries, and tour boats all crowd the bay in the summer. [04:39] Because of this, Securité broadcasts are required. Who has to make those? [04:43] They're required for large ships and tugs with barges, and you have highly specific triggers for when to make them. [04:49] Where are the triggers? You must broadcast when you are abeam Flat Island, when you are abeam Anchor Point, and [04:54] any time you are leaving an anchorage, a berth, or a pilot station. [04:57] So abeam the major points, and whenever you start moving, what needs to go in the broadcast? [05:03] The broadcast details must include your vessel name, speed, course, destination, and your [05:08] position. And what channel are we doing this on? [05:10] You transmit this on VHF channel 16, and you must complete the message within 60 seconds. [05:16] You can't just tie up the channel. Right. Keep it brief. What about listening? [05:20] You must monitor bridge-to-bridge communications on VHF 13, and monitor the tugs on VHF 10. [05:27] Okay, my compact recall sentence for Section 3. [05:31] Large ships and tugs with barges must make Securité broadcasts abeam Flat Island, abeam [05:37] Anchor Point, and when leaving an anchorage, berth, or pilot station, stating their name, [05:42] speed, course, destination, and position on VHF channel 16 within 60 seconds. Perfect. [05:47] Let's move to Section 4, Tides and Currents. This is critical. [05:51] We have to explicitly differentiate between two distinct tidal measurements so you don't get confused on the exam. [05:57] Okay, what are the two measurements? First is the mean range, which is roughly 16 feet. [06:01] If you want the exact number, it's exactly 15.94 feet. All right. And the second one? [06:07] The second is the great diurnal range, which is roughly 18 feet, or exactly 18.43 feet. [06:13] How does that actually affect the vessel in practice? Why the two numbers? [06:17] It has a severe impact on your changing decks and your swinging room when anchored. [06:21] If you plan for a 16-foot mean drop, but you get an 18.5-foot great diurnal drop, you could [06:28] literally put the ship on the mud. Oh, wow. Yeah, that extra 2.5 feet is a big deal. What about the currents? [06:34] The flood current sets northeast at one to two knots. The ebb sets southwest to west. [06:40] But you have to be careful because reported currents can actually reach up to four knots in the bay. [06:45] Four knots is moving pretty fast for a big ship to fight. It is. [06:49] And at the mouth of the bay, the set of the current is described as uncertain. So it's very unpredictable there. [06:54] Okay, uncertain at the mouth. Are there any weird localized currents? [06:59] Yes, specifically around the spit. Eddies occur immediately east of Homer's spit. [07:05] And here's the trick they happen on both the flood and the ebb tides. Wait, on both? That's unusual. [07:10] Yeah, the water just swirls there constantly. Okay, my compact recall sentence for Section 4. [07:16] The mean tidal range is exactly 15.94 feet, while the great diurnal range is exactly 18.43 [07:24] feet. [07:25] And the bay features an uncertain set at the mouth with dangerous eddies immediately east [07:31] of Homer's spit on both tides. Now for Section 5, weather and ice. [07:37] We organize the weather patterns by season to make it manageable. Makes sense. Let's start with the wind. [07:42] From late fall to early spring, northeast winds prevail. [07:46] For all the remaining seasons, southwest winds prevail. [07:49] Okay, so northeast in the winter, southwest the rest of the year. When is it the worst? [07:53] The strongest winds actually occur in late summer and early fall. [07:57] But winter storms are particularly bad because they can quickly raise seas to six to eight feet. [08:02] And you mentioned Anchor Point was exposed earlier. Yes, Anchor Point is especially exposed to these heavier winds and seas. [08:08] What about visibility issues like fog? Summer fog is persistent. [08:11] It'll just hang over the open water even after the harbors have cleared. [08:15] And those prevailing southwest winds actually physically hold this fog against the eastern shore. [08:21] Oh, so it just traps it there. What about winter hazards? Ice. [08:24] From January to March, those strong northeast winds we talk about drive ice from the head [08:30] of the bay directly onto the Homer facilities. Like big icebergs. [08:33] No, it's slush and pan ice, but it can extend up to 500 yards offshore. [08:38] And in severe cold, the harbor entrance can freeze solid with four to six inches of ice, [08:44] which completely impedes smaller vessels. Yeah, a small boat isn't pushing through six inches of ice. [08:51] My compact recall sentence for Section 5. [08:54] Northeast winds prevail late fall to early spring, driving winter ice onto Homer facilities [08:58] where slush can extend 500 yards offshore and severe cold can freeze the harbor entrance [09:03] with four to six inches of ice. Let's get into Section 6, pilotage and port services. [09:08] So pilotage here is compulsory unless your vessel is exempt. Okay. And who provides the pilots? [09:14] The Southwest Alaska Pilots Association, or SWAPA. They have very strict dispatch rules. [09:19] You must give them 36 hours of notice. 36 hours. Okay. [09:23] And dispatch occurs exactly 90 minutes before arriving at the station. [09:28] You're required to contact the pilot boat when you are 30 minutes out using VHF channel 10 or 16. [09:34] Got it. Now what about the pilot tracks? You mentioned earlier not to confuse the distances. [09:39] This is a crucial distinction. The coast pilot mentions several different distances and you cannot collapse them into [09:45] one universal track. Okay. Let's break them down then. Okay. Where is the published station? [09:50] The published pilot station is exactly one nautical mile south of Homer Spit. Okay. [09:55] But where do they actually get on the ship? [09:57] The actual boarding track is 0.75 nautical miles south of Homer Spit Light 3. [10:03] Oh, okay. Right. And when on that boarding track, you must maintain 8 to 10 knots with a starboard ladder [10:09] rigged exactly one meter above the water. And wasn't there a half mile reference too? How do I reconcile all these? [10:14] The route paragraph separately mentions 0.5 nautical miles as a pickup reference versus [10:21] the one nautical mile for a standard berths and anchorage approach. [10:25] Do not try to invent a way to reconcile them into a single line. [10:29] They are distinct descriptions for different stages. Oh, I see. So you just have to coordinate with the pilot. Exactly. [10:34] The final track must always be agreed upon with the pilot boat on the radio. What about other port services? [10:40] You need to arrange tugs in advance. The port director and harbormaster monitor VHF 16 and 10. [10:46] And if you need customs or immigration, that has to be arranged via anchorage. [10:51] My compact recall sentence for section six. [10:54] For pilotage, SWAPA requires 36 hours of notice and dispatch 90 minutes prior, and [10:59] the master must distinctly agree on the boarding track with the pilot boat rather than confusing [11:04] the published one nautical mile station, the three quarter nautical mile boarding track, [11:08] or the half mile pickup reference. That is exactly right. Moving into section seven, anchorages. [11:14] For medium and large vessels, you anchor at least one nautical mile northeast of Homer Spit Light 3. Okay. [11:20] One nautical mile northeast. How deep is it there? [11:24] It's 10 to 23 fathoms and has a soft bottom, which is great for holding. [11:28] But for the absolute largest vessels, there is a specific reference anchorage. Where is that one located? [11:34] The large vessel reference anchorage is located exactly one nautical mile northeast of Coal [11:40] Point in 22 fathoms of water. Okay. One nautical mile north northeast. [11:45] Is there a visual reference? Yes. The alignment is 60 foot rock in line with Coal Point. [11:51] So does that mean any point on that visual line is safe to drop the anchor? No, absolutely not. [11:57] The alignment simply marks that specific reference location when combined with the distance. [12:01] And just as a maximum 15 second history aside, 60 foot rock is just the historical name. [12:07] The actual navigational light on it flashes white every four seconds at a height of 79 feet. Okay. Good to know. [12:13] It's not actually 60 feet high. Where do the smaller vessels anchor? [12:17] Smaller vessels can anchor northeast of the spit in much shallower water, about 2 to 10 fathoms with a mud bottom. [12:23] Are there any limitations or things to avoid in these anchorages? Yes. [12:26] You must keep clear of shoal water, the charted cable areas, and the coal bay wreck. Okay. [12:32] Compact recall sentence for Section 7. [12:34] The large vessel reference anchorage is one nautical mile northeast of Coal Point in 22 [12:41] fathoms where 60 foot rock aligns with Coal Point, while all vessels must avoid shoals, [12:47] charted cable areas, and the coal bay wreck. Perfect. [12:50] That leads us right into Section 8, Anchor Watch and Heavy Weather. The general watch requirement is strict. [12:57] You must maintain a continuous 24-hour bridge watch by an English-speaking deck officer. Right. [13:02] So someone is always awake and watching. Exactly. And if you start dragging anchor, you must report it promptly to Sector Anchorage or [13:08] Marine Safety Detachment Homer, known as MSD Homer. Okay. What happens when the wind picks up? [13:13] We have two specific triggers. [13:15] The first is the gale trigger, which activates when forecast or actual winds are exceeding 34 knots. [13:22] Exceeding 34 knots. What are the mandatory actions? Three things. Propulsion must be immediately available. [13:27] You have to check your position and under keel clearance at least every 15 minutes. [13:31] And you must have the second anchor ready to let go. Got it. Engine's hot. [13:36] Check position every 15 minutes. Backup anchor ready. What's the second trigger? The storm trigger. [13:41] This activates when forecasts or actual winds are exceeding 48 knots. Wow. Okay. Over 48. [13:47] What do we do then? At this point, it becomes a strategic discussion. [13:51] You must discuss deploying more scope on the chain, calling for suitable standby tugs, [13:55] taking a pilot, and the possible departure to sea. Who are we discussing this with? [13:59] You discuss this with the Coast Guard, SWAPA, and the Vessels Agent. [14:04] Compact recall sentence for Section 8. [14:06] For heavy weather, winds exceeding 34 knots strictly require immediate propulsion, a second [14:12] anchor ready, and position checks every 15 minutes, while winds exceeding 48 knots trigger [14:18] mandatory discussions regarding more scope, standby tugs, pilots, and possible departure to sea. [14:24] Spot on. So now let's talk about actually tying up in Section 9, docks. [14:28] We have three main ones, Pioneer, Deepwater, and Fish Dock. Okay, let's take them one at a time. [14:35] Pioneer Dock first. [14:36] The Pioneer Dock has an outer face of 469 feet, but its dolphins allow it to handle [14:43] ships up to 750 feet. How deep is the water there? [14:47] 40 feet reported alongside, and the deck height is 32 feet. Now the most important thing here is the current. [14:53] An eddy sets east, which is parallel to the face, on both the flood and the ebb tides. [14:58] Wait, it pushes east regardless of the tide? Yes, though it is stronger on the ebb. [15:03] As for lighting, you have fixed red lights on the south and north docks at 32 feet. [15:08] The dolphins south, middle, and north all have flashing red lights every four seconds, also at 32 feet. [15:13] Okay, fixed reds on the dock, flashing reds on the dolphins. What about the Deepwater Dock? [15:18] The Deepwater Dock has a 324-foot east face, plus 450 feet of mooring facilities. [15:25] What's the depth and deck height? [15:27] It also has 40 feet reported alongside, but a lower deck height of 28 feet. [15:33] The currents here are different, though. [15:35] The flood sets vessels onto the dock, and the ebb sets vessels off. Pushing you away. [15:40] Which one is stronger? The ebb is stronger, because of this, portside-to is recommended. Are there any exceptions to that? [15:46] Yes, there's a major exception for large vessels conducting certain loading operations [15:51] with the loading tower. They might need to orient differently. Got it. [15:56] And the lights for the Deepwater Dock? Fixed red lights on the dock at 30 feet. But the dolphins differ. [16:02] The south dolphin flashes red every six seconds at 12 feet high, while the north dolphin flashes [16:08] red every four seconds at 30 feet high. Plus, the mooring buoys flash white every six seconds. [16:14] Okay, that's a lot of different rhythms to recognize. What's the last dock? The Fish Dock. [16:18] It has a 383-foot face. [16:20] It's much shallower, with 20 feet reported alongside, and a deck height of 31 feet. Simple enough. [16:26] And a quick 15-second history note here. [16:29] Coal Point and Coal Bay, near these docks, are actually English translations adopted [16:35] in 1881 from Russian names on Tebenkoff's chart. [16:39] Mailuv Ugalnoy, meaning Coal Cape, and Zaliv Ugalnoy, meaning Coal Bay. Oh, that's a cool memory hook. [16:45] Okay, compact recall sentence for Section 9. [16:48] The Pioneer Dock has a 469-foot face, with an eastward-setting eddy that is stronger [16:54] on the ebb, while the Deepwater Dock has a 324-foot face, where the flood sets on and [17:00] the stronger ebb sets off. Excellent. We are at our final section, Section 10, Hazards and Chart Cautions. [17:06] The hidden dangers. What do we need to watch out for? First, that Coal Bay wreck we mentioned. [17:11] You need to know it is covered by exactly three feet of water. It's very dangerous. [17:14] Also, Archimandritof Shoals, lying west of the Spit, which we give a wide berth. Right. [17:19] Avoid those shoals. Is there a specific chart note for them? Yes. There is a 1996 shoal report. [17:26] I want to emphasize the exact phrasing. [17:28] The report states, least depths are two fathoms less than charted, about one nautical mile [17:34] west to northwest of Archimandritof's shoal-lighted buoy 1. [17:38] So wait, does that mean it's just a uniform depth of two fathoms over there? No, absolutely not. [17:42] It is a relative subtraction from whatever the chart says. [17:46] Do not upgrade old reported survey data into a newly verified uniform sounding. Got it. [17:52] Two fathoms less than charted. Any other cautions? Yes. The North Shore. [17:55] If you go inside the 10-fathom curve, you'll find irregular depths and detached boulders that weren't caught on early surveys. [18:01] So stay outside that curve, if possible. Exactly. [18:04] And watch out for the heavy fishing traffic, their fixed gear, and the charted cable areas we talked about. Okay. [18:10] My final compact recall sentence for Section 10. You must avoid the coal bay wreck covered three feet. [18:16] Irregular depths and detached boulders inside the North Shore 10-fathom curve. [18:20] And remember, the 1996 report states depths are two fathoms less than charted, not a uniform [18:25] two fathoms. That is exactly right. [18:28] So just to give a really short practical recap, before we sign off when you're reviewing this, [18:33] do not confuse the specific pilot pickup tracks with the general one nautical mile anchorage [18:39] approach. Keep the boarding maneuvers separate from the parking maneuvers. Exactly. [18:44] And mathematically, you absolutely must keep the mean tidal ranges distinct from the great [18:49] diurnal ranges, or you will completely miscalculate your depths. Well, that wraps up the 10 sections. It does. [18:54] I wish all the candidates well on their route description exam. Thanks for listening, and study hard. ## Source clarifications [04:37] Source wording: ¶1207 describes the broadcast practice for large ships and tugs with barges. The hosts use “required” more strongly than this paragraph does. [06:17] Tidal clarification: mean and great diurnal ranges are averages, not a predicted fall on a particular tide. Use predicted tide heights and the chart datum for depth; 18.43 ft is not a maximum. [09:22] Coast Pilot ¶1399: CONTACT pilot dispatch 90 minutes before arrival. It does not say that the pilot is dispatched exactly 90 minutes before arrival. [09:50] Coast Pilot ¶1399 calls the ¾-mile track common practice, weather permitting. Keep its qualifications and agree boarding arrangements with the pilot boat. [11:34] Use NORTH-NORTHEAST: the large-vessel reference is 1 NM NNE of Coal Point, in 22 fathoms. The hosts occasionally shorten this incorrectly to northeast. [12:00] 79 ft is the Light List elevation of the light. Do not infer the rock’s physical height from the light’s focal height or its historical name. [12:32] Recall correction: 1 NM NORTH-NORTHEAST of Coal Point, in 22 fathoms. Keep the distance and direction with the Sixty Foot Rock–Coal Point alignment. [17:09] “Covered 3 ft” is the source’s depth description; the actual water above the wreck varies with the tide. [17:54] Coast Pilot ¶1432 says there is a POSSIBILITY of detached boulders not found by the survey. Do not treat every possible boulder as a confirmed surveyed hazard. [18:44] Mean 15.94 ft; great diurnal 18.43 ft: two average range measures, not substitutes for tide predictions or an under-keel-clearance calculation.