Skip, A great trip report!  That is a very thinly populated area.  I did a cruise about 30 miles south of there a few years ago and it was well worth the trip.  Some great sailing 3 hours on both sides of the top of the tide but outside of that window there is no water. I wish I could have been there. My depth sounder is the old fashioned piece of lead on a rope.  It is very reliable and never needs batteries :-) Thanks Doug Kelch M15G "Seas the Day" --- On Tue, 7/21/09, wcampion@aol.com <wcampion@aol.com> wrote: From: wcampion@aol.com <wcampion@aol.com> Subject: M_Boats: Chincoteague Bay/Newport Bay Cruise To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 9:15 PM I just spent the last 3 days sailing the Chincoteague Bay and Newport Bay.? I left from South Point across from Assategue and headed south to Virginia..? The bay is wide, but very shallow.? You needed to hug the western shoreline to find enough water.? The wind was great and the weather was even better!!? The mornings started out with a light breeze which continued to build throughout the day.? By mid-day the wind had picked up enough that I had to put in a reef.?? I know a lot of you don't get excited until?the winds begin to blow 20kts, but I prefer 10kts.? The storm clouds began to build so I headed for shelter.? I spent the rest of the day tied up to a small dock and met a few of the locals swimming at the hot spot.? The rain eventually came but was light and eventually ended by dinner time.? The next morning my son and I headed north to explore Newport Bay.? The winds were blowing from the?southwest so the ride back was quick and easy.? We sailed as far north in the bay as possible exploring the marshy areas.? Eventually the water became to shallow and we had to head back to find deeper water.? We found a quite cove with some private piers.? The building lots were never sold and developed so I tired?up and spent the night.? I made a mesh hatch cover for this trip which came in?very handy at night.? When the tide was out and the marsh mud shores were exposed the bugs come out!!!? Wow, you haven't lived until you wake up in the morning to the aroma of swamp mud.? I was affraid to make coffee in the morning for fear the whole cove would explode!!!? The next morning we finished exploring the coves and wildlife and then eventually headed back to South Point?to pull out and head home.? It was a great sail. I do have a?question for all you experience sailors.? I had installed a depth finder in my boat in preparation for this trip.? I placed the transponder in the forward hatch just forward of the ballast bump.? I read on the MSOG website that another boat owner located their transponder there and it worked well.? Well, I must have a cheap unit, because the transponder will not shoot through the hull, even though the manufacturer claims it will.??I ended up having to?rig a quick external mount?and place the transponder in the water just below the bow to get a reading.? Here's my questions.? What units do others have that actually will work as a thru hull unit.? Has anyone rigged a removable bracket so that they can mount the unit off the bow when in use and removed when on the trailer?? Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks, Skip Campion "Wild Guppy" M-15 1982 #201?????????? _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!