Waterway Guide Western Gulf Coast

CHAPTER 21 OFFSHORE PASSES Matagorda Ship Channel

FREEPORT TO BROWNSVILLE, TX Offshore or along the GIWW, there are no major Located at N 28°24.920' W 096°18.930'. The inlet is
metropolitan areas on the southeast Texas coast. Even 4.5 nm from GIWW Mile 471 WHL. The next navigable
so, this stretch of the Texas coast has six navigable inlet is Aransas Pass at a distance of 60 nm.
inlets a cruising boat can transit to and from the Gulf
of Mexico. Navigation sections for each offshore route Matagorda Bay is a large body of water separated
are included within the chapter. For convenience and from the Gulf of Mexico by the Matagorda Peninsula.
clarity they are summarized below from east to west. The Ship Channel is a 22-mile-long deep water channel
through a land cut to Matagorda Bay, Lavaca Bay and
The rhumb line from Freeport to Brazos Santiago is ending at a public terminal at Point Comfort. This is not
200 nm. If you follow the curve of the coast it is a major shipping channel, but it is large and deep. There
220 nm. From Freeport to Matagorda the coast follows are very few facilities for cruising boats in this area.
a southwest by west direction for 60 nm. From
Matagorda it follows a southwest course for the next Aransas Pass Channel
100 nm then trends south and turns to the southeast
for the next 60 nm to the Rio Grande River. The entire Located at N 27°49.848' W 097°01.973'. The inlet is
coast is a chain of shallow bays separated from the Gulf 8.8 NM from GIWW Mile 540 WHL. The next navigable
by long narrow islands and peninsulas. inlet is Port Mansfield Cut at a distance of 78 nm.

Freeport Harbor Channel The large shipping channel of Aransas Pass is
154 nm from Galveston and 113 nm from the Rio
Located at N 28°55.773' W 095°17.380'. The entrance to Grande. It is the principal approach from the Gulf of
the inlet is 1.2 nm to the GIWW at Mile 395 WHL. The Mexico to Aransas Bay and Corpus Christi Bay. It is a
next navigable inlet is the Colorado River at a distance busy large ship inlet.
of 42 nm.
Port Mansfield Cut
Freeport Harbor is 40 nm southwest of the Galveston
Inlet. It is a large shipping port. It is named for the Located at N 26°33.837' W97°16.166'. The inlet is
City of Freeport located west of the GIWW on the old 7.2 nm from GIWW Mile 630 WHL. The next navigable
Brazos River Channel. Locally the area is referred to as inlet is Brazos Santiago Pass at a distance of 31 nm.
Brazosport. The area is dominated by chemical plants.
Other industry is oil, natural gas, sulfur, and shrimp. This is a short channel used exclusively by local
fishing boats, but is accessible to cruising boats. There
Colorado River Channel are no facilities.

Located at N 28°35.469' W095°58.903'. The inlet is Brazos Santiago Pass
6 nm from the intersection with the GIWW at Mile
443 WHL. The next navigable inlet is Matagorda Ship Located at N 26°03.693' W 097°08.693'. The inlet is
Channel at a distance of 21 nm. 3.2 nm from GIWW Mile 668 WHL.

The channel is used exclusively by local fishing This is the approach to South Padre Island, Port Isabel
boats. It is not a commercial shipping inlet. Depths are and Port Brownsville. It is relatively narrow, but is also a
reported to be 12 feet and the channel can be used by large ship inlet. It is 6 nm north of the mouth of the Rio
cruising boats. There are no services in the river, but you Grande River, making it the last inlet in the U.S. From
should be able to find an anchorage. this point south all accessible ports are in Mexico.

754 WATERWAY GUIDE 2018