NC Anchorages – Crotoan, Roanoke and Pamlico Sounds (off the AICW)
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Crotoan, Roanoke and Pamlico Sound Anchorages Below Are Listed in Rough Geographic Format, Moving North to South
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Crotoan, Roanoke and Pamlico Sound Anchorages Below Are Listed in Rough Geographic Format, Moving North to South
Manteo/Doughs Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 54.537 North/075 40.070 West
Location: east of cottage/screw pile lighthouse monument, and well northwest of Shallowbag Bay Channel marker #10
Depth: 5 to 6 feet
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Fair, open to southern and southeastern winds
Dinghy Dock Access: you can easily dinghy ashore at the free, “gazebo city dock” just north of this anchorage
Nearby Provisioning: “The Stockade” well stocked convenience store within walking distance of the free city dock; local taxi service necessary to access supermarkets on Highway 64
Pet Friendly: pets can be taken ashore and walked on a narrow strip of grass behind and upstream of the free dock, and stretching to Manteo Waterfront Marina
Rating:
Claiborne’s Review: Click Here For Claiborne’s Review of this Anchorage
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
Ocracoke/Silver Lake Harbor Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 06.774 North/075 59.056 West
Location: in the heart of Ocracoke Island’s Silver Lake Harbor, east of markers #7 and #8
Depth: 8 feet
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Excellent, good harbor for any weather short of a hurricane
Dinghy Dock Access: the long popular dinghy dock at the National Park Service docks was destroyed by a hurricane and has not been replaced. Agile crews can climb up from their dinghy via an “emergency ladder.” It’s better to tray and find a spot to temporarily tie up your dink at the nearby (now closed) Community Store, or one of the lightly used inn docks
Nearby Provisioning: sadly, nearby historic Ocracoke “Community Store” is now closed, fresh seafood can be purchased within walking distance at the Ocracoke Seafood co-op store located on the harbor’s stores
Pet Friendly: the only way to gets pets ashore now is being lucky enough to find a spot to tie up your dinghy at the old Community Store or one of the inn docks. Once ashore, there are plenty of places to walk your pooch or “meow.”
Rating:
Claiborne’s Review: Click Here For Claiborne’s Review of this Anchorage
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
Just thought I’d update this. The park service has a very nice floating dock right by the ferry terminal, but if you stay more than three hours you have to pay. They call it their small boat dock rather than a dinghy dock.
There is a labeled dinghy dock in front of the grocery store in the square, but there is only one small cleat on it and it is used to secure the bow line of a powerboat in the slip next door. In front of the visitors’ room in the Square, however, there is a very narrow, small dock wedged in next to the fishermen’s exhibit that is in very shallow water. Two kayaks are on a stand in front of it. I’ve asked around and no one knows who it belongs to; and I have parked my dinghy there for two days in the shallow part with a note displayed asking anyone concerned to call me if I am required to move. No calls yet so I think this is probably a pretty good place to park a dink.
Have been advised that the dinghy dock is back in operation at the Park Service docks, between those docks and the ferries in its old location. Great news!
We made our annual trip to Ocracoke this past weekend and anchored in Silver Lake. Silver Lake has great holding, 10-foot depths and can hold a good 20 boats. The water is a good clarity enough so I could clean the hull and running gear, but still gets some sediment from the ferry traffic.
Last year, you could get free wifi in Silver Lake, but this year no longer. There is a “Silver Lake Harbor” site broadcasting, but it is password-protected, with no opportunity to access – free, paid, or otherwise. This was disappointing, but that’s life. 3G still works. Someone is missing the boat (pun intended) by not having a free log-on through an ad-sponsored portal.
Ben Matthews
Have been here several times. Most recently the Saturday after Hurricane Earl. Silver Lake is very nice and relaxing. Nice to just bring the boat in and tinker. Cannot beat the view. Ocracoke is in a whole other pace and time zone. Very slow and nice. It’s especially nice after high season is done.
Juniper Bay/Pamlico Sound Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 22.727 North/076 15.282 West
Location: anchorage lies north, northwest of Juiniper Bay’s marker #6; Juniper Bay cuts the northern shores of southwestern Pamlico Sound east of Great Island Narrows, and north, northwest of marker #2
Depth: 5 feet if and only if you can keep to the sparsely marked channel
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 42 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Very Good, only strong southern or southwesterly winds might be a problem
Rating:
Claiborne’s Review: Click Here For Claiborne’s Review of this Anchorage
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
We spent a few days anchored here in May of 2010. It is pretty remote which we liked. Some crab pots to negotiate but good holding. Had no trouble at all navigating to the anchorage. A good jumping off place for a quick trip over to Ocracoke. Steve on S/V Cross Roads
Northern Rose Bay Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 26.933 North/076 24.997 West
Location: anchorage lies northeast of Rose Bay’s marker #6; Rose Bay indents the northern shores of southwestern Pamlico Sound, west of Swanquarter and Swanquarter Bay
Depth: 4 1/2 feet
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 36 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Good in all but strong southwesterly winds
Rating:
Claiborne’s Review: Click Here For Claiborne’s Review of this Anchorage
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
Southern Deep Bay Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 21.902 North/076 22.442 West
Location: anchorage is found along the southern shores of Deep Bay, southeast of marker #1; Deep Bay runs southeast from the southerly reaches of Rose Bay, which is itself west of Swanquarter and Swanquarter Bay
Depth: 6 feet (if entry from Rose Bay is used)
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Fair, well sheltered from southern, southwestern and southeastern winds, but wide open to northwesterly breezes and somewhat open to northern winds
Rating:
Claiborne’s Review: Click Here For Claiborne’s Review of this Anchorage
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
Eastern Deep Bay Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 21.946 North/076 21.999 West
Location: anchorage is found along the eastern shores of Deep Bay, south, southwest of marker #2; Deep Bay runs southeast from the southerly reaches of Rose Bay, which is itself west of Swanquarter and Swanquarter Bay
Depth: 6 feet (if entry from Rose Bay is used)
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Fair, well sheltered from southern, southwestern and southeastern winds, but wide open to northwesterly breezes and somewhat open to northern winds
Rating:
Claiborne’s Review: Click Here For Claiborne’s Review of this Anchorage
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
Long Bay – West Bay Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 34 57.629 North/076 26.975 West
Location: lies west of Long Bay’s marker #4; Long Bay runs southwest from West Bay; West Bay cuts the extreme southern shore of Pamlico Sound
Depth: 5 1/2 feet
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Poor, fair weather anchorage only
Rating:
Claiborne’s Review: Click Here For Claiborne’s Review of this Anchorage
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
West Thorofare Bay – West Bay Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 34 56.585 North/076 23.529 West
Location: west of marker West Thorofare Bay’s #11WB; West Thorofare Bay lies south of West Bay; West Bay cuts the extreme southern shore of Pamlico Sound
Depth: 6 feet
Navigation Detail: Click Here For Navigational Detail of this Anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 38 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Good, except wide open to northern winds
Rating:
Claiborne’s Review: Click Here For Claiborne’s Review of this Anchorage
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
First of all, shame on me for my poor chart reading. This anchorage is a long way off Pamlico Sound.
The route in is fairly easy with a chart plotter. Had plenty of water under the boat all the way in. There was 8 feet of water in the anchorage.
The winds were out of the West @ 21kts when I anchored and got settled in. The boat did a lot of swinging and turning. Not much bouncing though which was nice. Some time during the night I dragged the anchor a bit. When I hoisted the anchor this morning, it came up clean so I am unable to say what the bottom is like. Grass maybe??
This anchorage is in a marsh. There is no “land” nearby, so there is no stretching your legs or giving your pets a break.
I was in the anchorage by myself. Had one boat come by the next morning. Other than that it was peaceful.
The Air Force bombing range was active but too far away to see anything.
s/v Sheila B
Comments from Cruisers (1)
The Doughs Creek anchorage is a great spot for a NE blow. It blew 20-25 kts over the past two days and there is little fetch and holding is good. My Crealock 34 is riding to a 35 lb CQR and a 33 lb Bruce, but the Bruce is probably not necessary. The dock is a short ride in the dink and everything you could need is at your feet, including the outer banks. It is mid-June, and the beaches are closed to swimming, it is a heck of a nor’ easter for this time of year. Old House channel was a piece of cake but knowing the marking convention ahead of time, prevented confusion. I draw 4.5′ but have no depthsounder and regret I have no report on depths. Surprisingly few cruising vessels here, I guess it is well off the ICW. I’m really enjoying my stay here in Manteo before heading to the Chesapeake.
Chase