Cleveland Harbor, about 175 miles southwest of Buffalo and 95 miles east of Toledo, consists of an outer harbor formed by breakwaters and an inner harbor made up of the Cuyahoga River and the Old River that was the original outflow channel of the Cuyahoga River. The city of Cleveland, OH, is one of the major industrial centers on Lake Erie. The major commodities handled at the port are steel, heavy machinery, dry bulk and salt.
Vessels calling at Cleveland Harbor may obtain information on river traffic by contacting the Great Lakes Towing Co. dispatcher on VHF-FM channels 16 or 10 or by radiotelephone through a land station, telephone, 800–321–3663. An unmarked dumping ground with a least reported depth of 35 feet is about 9.3 miles north of the main entrance to Cleveland Harbor. (391.001) Heavy small pleasure-craft traffic during the boating season is in Old River and on the Cuyahoga River as far upstream as just below the railroad bridge at mile 2.42.
Prominent features:
The most prominent objects when approaching Cleveland Harbor are the Municipal Stadium 0.7 mile east of the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, the Federal Office Building and the Erieview Plaza Tower about 1.1 miles east of the mouth, the Terminal Tower 1 mile southeast of the mouth and the lighted W sign 3.3 miles west of the mouth on the lakefront.
Cleveland Waterworks Intake Crib Light (41°32’54″N., 81°45’00″W.), 55 feet above the water, is a private aid shown from a square house on a cylindrical crib about 3.3 miles northwest of the harbor entrance; a sound signal is at the light.
Cleveland Harbor East Entrance Light 2 (41°32’35″N., 81°39’05″W.), 59 feet above the water, is shown from a white cylindrical tower with a red band at the end of the outer harbor breakwater.
Cleveland Harbor Main Entrance Light (41°30’32″N., 81°43’04″W.), 63 feet above the water, is shown from a white conical tower with attached building on the west side of the main entrance to Cleveland Harbor. A mariner-radio-activated sound signal is at the light, initiated by keying the microphone five times on VHF-FM channel 83A.
Channels:
Cleveland outer harbor is formed by a series of breakwaters paralleling the shore for about 1 mile west and 4 miles east of the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. Lights mark the ends of each of the breakwaters. The main entrance from Lake Erie is through a dredged approach channel opposite the mouth of the river. The harbor may also be entered at the east end, and small craft may enter at the west end. The anchorage in the outer harbor has a mud and sand bottom. In the inner harbor, dredged channels lead upstream for about 5.6 miles in the Cuyahoga River and for about 1 mile in Old River, which branches west from Cuyahoga River 0.4 mile above the mouth. Lighted and unlighted buoys mark the limits of the dredged areas in the outer harbor. The piers at the mouth of the river are marked on the outer ends by lights.
The federal project depths are 29 feet in the approach channel from deep water in the lake, thence 28 feet through the entrance channel to the mouth of the river and in West Basin, 28-27 feet in East Basin, and 25 feet in Airport Range. In the inner harbor, project depths are 27 feet in the Cuyahoga River from the mouth to the junction with Old River, thence 23 feet to the upstream limit of the project, and 27 feet in Old River. For detailed channel information and minimum depths as reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), use NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts. Surveys and channel condition reports are available through the USACE hydrographic survey website listed in Appendix A.
Anchorages:
Deep-draft vessels normally anchor about 2 miles southwest or 3 miles east of Cleveland Waterworks Intake Crib Light in about 40 to 48 feet of water, clay and gravel bottom. The holding ground at these locations is reported to be good. Avoid anchoring over the potable water intake, the outer end of which is marked by a lighted buoy 0.7 mile west of Cleveland Waterworks Intake Crib Light. General anchorages are in the northwest part of West Basin and south of the dredged channel in the east part of East Basin. An explosives anchorage is on the northwest side of the east breakwater. In 1977, it was reported that the East Basin general anchorage and the explosives anchorage had not been used for about 10 years. The West Basin anchorage has a sand and mud bottom and is used only occasionally. The harbormaster, who has control of the waters for all three anchorages, generally orders vessels to anchor outside the harbor. Vessels are prohibited from anchoring within 2,000 feet west of the main entrance channel.
Dangers:
During flood stages of the Cuyahoga River, debris may be encountered in the river and in the outer harbor.
Regulated navigation areas:
Safety zones have been established in the vicinity of river bends along Cuyahoga and Old Rivers. Mooring, standing or anchoring is prohibited in these areas—see 33 CFR 165.1 through 165.7, 165.20 through 165.23, and 165.903, Chapter 2, for limits and regulations.) A security zone surrounds the entirety of Burke Lakefront Airport and includes parts of East Basin, continuing out into Lake Erie. Restricted areas are in the vicinity of Lakeside Yacht Club near the northeast end of Burke Lakefront Airport.
Towage:
Tugs to 2,000 and 1,200 hp are available from Great Lakes Towing Company (800–321–3663) or Gaelic Tugboat Company (216–566–0400), respectively. Arrangements for tugs are made through the companies’ dispatchers at the telephone numbers listed or they may be contacted on VHF-FM channel 16—at least 3 hours advance notice is requested. Vessels carrying 1,200 tons or more of gasoline, oil, explosives or other dangerous material, and all vessels carrying 3,000 tons or more of cargo of any kind, must have the assistance of a tug or tugs while navigating the Cuyahoga River south of Superior Avenue.
Quarantine, customs, immigration and agricultural quarantine
Quarantine is enforced in accordance with the regulations of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Cleveland is a customs port of entry.
Coast Guard:
A Marine Safety Unit and the headquarters of the Ninth Coast Guard District are at Cleveland. Cleveland Coast Guard Station is on the south side of the outer harbor just west of Burke Lakefront Airport.
Harbor Regulations:
Federal regulations specify a speed limit of 6 mph (5.2 knots) in the harbor except in the outer harbor where the speed limit is 10 mph (8.7 knots). However, the city of Cleveland has adopted a lesser speed limit of no wake, 4 mph (3.5 knots), in the Cuyahoga River and Old River. During fog or when a blue light or flag is shown from any pier, wharf, bridge or other place where person or property may be endangered, a speed limit of 2 mph (1.7 knots) is enforced. Local harbor regulations are established by the city of Cleveland and enforced by the harbormaster who can be contacted at Water Control Laboratory, New West Pier, Whiskey Island, c/o Water Control Laboratory, 1201 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114. Copies of the regulations can be obtained from the Office of the City Clerk, Room 216, City Hall, 601 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114.
Wharves:
There are extensive waterfront facilities in Cleveland outer harbor and along both banks of Cuyahoga River and Old River. Only the deep-draft facilities are listed in the table. The alongside depths for the facilities in the table are reported depths; for information on the latest depths, contact the operator. All the facilities described have highway connections and many have railway, water and electrical shore-power connections. Many of the piers, wharves and docks are available for winter mooring of vessels during the closed navigation season.
Supplies:
All types of marine supplies and provisions are available at Cleveland. Vessels normally receive bunker and diesel fuels at their berths from self-propelled vessels.
Repairs:
The Halvorsen Boiler and Engineering Company maintains portable equipment for making repairs to vessels at their berths and a machine shop capable of producing shafts 16 feet by 14 inches. G & W Industries, Inc. has a berth on the south side of the river above the Carter Road bridge with a 60-ton crane and floating cranes to 35 tons. They produce shafts up to 12 feet by 36 inches. The above repair companies are on the Cuyahoga River and provide all types of above-the-waterline repairs to vessels in Cleveland harbor.
Great Lakes Towing Company’s facility is in Old River and has a 250-ton floating drydock, a heavy lift crane and complete machinery facilities for above- and below-waterline repairs of all types.
Small-craft facilities:
There are several marinas in West Basin and in East Basin northeast of the airport. The marinas can provide transient berths, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, electricity, some marine supplies, pump-out facilities and dry winter storage. Marine lifts to 75 tons are available for full repairs. A boatyard at the upper end of Old River has a travellift and crane with capacities to 20 tons, and can make small-craft repairs of all kinds. Marine supplies and provisions are available in the city and at several marine supply companies on the Cuyahoga River. Numerous marinas are along the banks of Old River and Cuyahoga River.
Information from Coast Pilot: https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/coast-pilot/files/cp6/CPB6_WEB.pdf. Chart reference: 14839
