Charleston Harbor Narrative

In 1770, Charleston was near, if not the, richest port in the British colonies.

Charleston Harbor sits on a peninsula, coming to a point at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers.  South and to the east of the city, the harbor is bounded by James Island, then a barrier island, Morris Island.  To the north and east, the harbor is bounded by the mainland, then a barrier island, Sullivan's Island.

A little less than six miles from the eastern most tip of Charleston city lay the Charleston bar -- the submerged sand bar guarding the entrance to the harbor.  It invisibly divided the harbor from the Atlantic ocean.

There were several narrow channels over the bar, most very shallow at low tide, such as Five Foot Channel and Eight Foot Channel.  Due west of the Morris Island Light House was the Ship Channel used by most merchant ships. At low tide, it was 15 feet, or 2 1/2 fathoms, deep.  The daily tide in Charleston Harbor rose to an additional 8 feet at high tide.   Thus Charleston harbor could easily accommodate medium sized merchant ships.

And looking to the east from Oyster Point at the tip of Charleston, one would see a vast expanse of water spreading out over an 8 square mile area in the harbor, broken only by Shute's Folly Island and Hog Island to the north.  It gave the impression of calmness ,safety and ease of access.  That was a false and dangerous impression.

Much of the harbor was too shallow for ships.  And even in the deeper water. several rocky shoals rose up to a few feet below the waterline.  Currents varied with the tides and at times conflicted as they navigated the shoals and islands.  And the winds and weather could combine to drive sailing ships out of the safety of the shipping channel.

That is why every merchant ship, before crossing the bar, had to have aboard a local pilot to guide the ships from the ocean to the docks, most of which sat on the Cooper River.  A ship entering at the Shipping Channel would have to make a series of turns in the shape S to make it successfully to those docks.

It began when the pilot boarded the ship just outside of the bar.  When conditions were right, the pilot would direct the ship west, over the narrow bar, then have the ship turn north, running parallel to Morris Island and the bar for a bit over 4 miles. There the pilot would pick up shipping channel - Rebellion Road as it was called,  Lined on both sides with shoals and at least one major shoal in the middle of the channel, Rebellion Road complete the "S."  Depending on the winds and the currents, the whole process could take several days.

See also

Charleston Harbor Defenses In The Colonial Era
Ships, Shipyards & Shipwrights
Morris Island Lighthouse
Charleston Harbor and Tidal Range
Rebuilding of the Ship Fair American 1771
Shipyards & Repair