Pamlico River Anchorages (off the AICW)
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Pamlico River Anchorages Below Are Listed in Rough Geographic Format, Moving East to West
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Pamlico River Anchorages Below Are Listed in Rough Geographic Format, Moving East to West
Bond Creek/South Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 20.471 North/076 41.748 West
Location: anchorage is located southwest of South Creek’s marker #3; South Creek breaks off from Pamlico River east of Indian Island
Minimum Depth: 6 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 38 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Good, but open to northern and northeasterly winds
Rating:
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South Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 20.445 North/076 44.105 West
Location: lies southwest of South Creek’s marker #9; South Creek pierces the southern shore of Pamlico River east of Indian Island
Minimum Depth: 7 feet
Special Note: be sure to anchor well north of the charted, submerged pilings
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Fair to good, but open to northeastern, northern and northwestern winds
Rating:
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East Fork Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 25.448 North/076 39.597 West
Location: anchorage lies northeast of marker #4; East Fort guards the northern shores of Pamlico River west of Pungo River
Minimum Depth: 5 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 38 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Good, but somewhat open to fresh northeasterly breezes
Rating:
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North Creek – East Fork Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 25.537 North/076 39.956 West
Location: northwest of East Fork’s marker #4; East Fork cuts into the northern shores of Pamlico River, east of Pungo River
Minimum Depth: 4 to 4 1/2 feet
Special Note: Do not attempt to use this anchorage if your vessel draws more than 3 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Very good, but wide open to southern winds
Rating:
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Northern Durham Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 23.451 North/076 49.104 West
Location: anchorage lies south of Garrison Point, directly between the two charted, but unnamed points of land to the east and west; Durham Creek is found southwest of Pamlico River’s marker #4
Minimum Depth: 6 feet (SEE SPECIAL NOTE BELOW)
Special Note: Durham Creek has a very difficult, mostly unmarked entrance – Use of a GPS chartplotter is MANDATORY to safely enter and leave this stream
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Good, except wide open to northern winds
Rating:
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Southern Durham Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 23.174 North/076 49.096 West
Location: anchorage lies north of Horse Point; Durham Creek is found southwest of Pamlico River’s marker #4
Minimum Depth: 6 feet (SEE SPECIAL NOTE BELOW)
Special Note: Durham Creek has a very difficult, mostly unmarked entrance – Use of a GPS chartplotter is MANDATORY to safely enter and leave this stream
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Good, except wide open to northern winds
Rating:
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Back Creek – Bath Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 28.056 North/076 48.608 West
Location: on the centerline of Back Creek, east of Bath Creek’s marker #3; Bath Creek breaks Pamlico River’s northern shore north, northeast of marker #5
Minimum Depth: 6 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 36 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Very good, only strong western and northwestern winds might be a problem
Rating:
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Bath Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 28.478 North/076 49.030 West
Location: on the centerline of Bath Creek, north of marker #4 and south of the the fixed, 13-foot Bath Creek Bridge
Minimum Depth: 7 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Fair, but wide open to southern, and, to a slightly less extent, northern winds
Rating:
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I was told that there is a town ordinance prohibiting anchoring longer than one week in Bath Creek. I left my boat on the hook there for two weeks and was threatened with a “violation” by some town official. Paul Minor at Bath Creek Marina was nice enough to come out and warn me.
Blounts Bay Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 26.355 North/076 57.857 West
Location: lies north of marker #2
Minimum Depth: 6 to 7 feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: Poor, fair weather anchorage only, particularly open to northern and northeastern winds
Rating:
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Blounts Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 26.038 North/076 58.261 West
Location: south of Blounts Bay and marker #2, and north of the charted 15 foot fixed bridge
Minimum Depth: 8 feet (see special note below)
Special Note: the entrance to Blounts Creek from Blounts Bay is extremely tricky and inadequately marked. The use of a GPS chartplotter is mandatory, and, even then it’s possible to find the bottom. This anchorage should only be entered by adventurous skippers piloting craft that draw 4 feet or less
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 36 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Superb, as good as it gets
Rating:
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Washington Waterfront Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 35 32.407 North/077 03.396 West
Location: anchorage lies southwest of the Washington City Docks, between the railway and Highway 17 bridges
Minimum Depth: 5 to 6 feet
Special Note: the city of Washington, NC is developing a mooring field on the waters southwest of this anchorage; when complete, it is likely that this anchorage will be displaced
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Fair, but open to southeastern and northwesterly winds
Rating:
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Comments from Cruisers (1)
We spent a windy night here in July 2013. Excellent holding in mud and great protection from all but northerlies. No apparent landing.