Volume 4 Number 2

Maryland Bay pilots climb aboard nearly every large, non-military ship bound into or out of Maryland waters. Standing in wheelhouses among mostly foreign crews, they guide deep-draft ships through a long, shallow estuary. Their skills are similar to a ship captain's: piloting, navigating and shiphandling for vessels of any size. But they bring to the boat something the incoming captains don't have: detailed local knowledge of all the Chesapeake Bay's trenches, shoals and dredged-out channels. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writers, Erica Goldman and Jessica Smits. more . . . about Video Spotlights

There's an art to running a narrow channel with a wide ship. And a lot of science. A Bay pilot works with a feel for the ship, the water, the weather. He or she needs excellent depth perception, a sharp sense of relative motion, a good working relationship- with the helmsman and officers on the bridge of the ship. That's all part of the art of shiphandling. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Big Boats, Narrow Channels

For Bay ports, the first line of defense is profiling. Before a ship enters the Chesapeake, it now has to give 96-hour notice, time for the Coast Guard to run a computer analysis of its cargo, officer list, crew list and recent ports of call. Included in these profiles are reports from intelligence agencies in the U.S. and other countries, especially information on ports with sloppy security procedures. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Bad Dreams for Bay Pilots

Following the drowned river valley of the ancient Susquehanna, the Chesapeake's main ship channel brings large vessels to ports like Baltimore and Norfolk, but leaves them little room to maneuver. When crossing the ship channel, small boats should take great care, especially at night or in poor visibility. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Watch Out for Big Ships

Avis Bailey became in 1979 was a maritime pilot - the first African American state-licensed pilot in the country. In 1993 Alison Ross Schulte became the first state-licensed female pilot in the Chesapeake and the second in the country.Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Pioneering Bay Pilots

Every island tells a story, and now William Cronin, oceanographer and obvious island-lover, has compiled an anthology of those stories in a new book from Johns Hopkins University Press, The Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Book Review - The Bay's Vanishing Islands

TThe Maryland Sea Grant College Program will be reviewed by an external- Program Assessment Team on September 25-29, 2005. Jack Greer receives UMCES President's Award for Excellence. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Sea Grant Review and UMCES Award for Excellence