The AICW is shoaling badly along its southern and southeastern flank between the Ben Sawyer and Isle of Palms Bridges. MLW depths of as little as 2 feet have been noted by an official November, 2012 US Army Corps of Engineers survey.

I came through this stretch at exactly low tide on June 2, 2013. I stayed to the preferred north side, but bumped bottom and plowed mud almost continuously from G119 to just before Isle of Palms bridge. I draw 5.5′ and made it, but don’t recommend it.
Bill Raynor

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For North of Ben Sawyer

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

From earlier reports and as Captain Mullins confirms, the water gets thin between AICW markers #111 and #119, north of the Waterway’s entrance into Charleston Harbor. These waters have been designated an SSECN Problem Stretch and caution should be exercised through the AICW channel past the Ben Sawyer Bridge and the Isle of Palms.

AICW abeam of Breech Inlet:
I’ve written about this area before but I am noticing an increasing number of sailboats aground during low tide. It is in the area where 3 creeks wash from Breach Inlet into the AICW. There are 2 green day marks north of the Ben Sawyer bridge and this bad stretch is shoaling between them. You can make it in a 5 ft. draft boat, but you must weave and bob a little to get through.
Philip W. Mullins (Phil)
S/V Katash

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW North of Ben Sawyer Bridge to Isle of Palms Bridge

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

From earlier reports and as Captain Bell confirms, the water gets thin between AICW markers #111 and #119, north of the Waterway’s entrance into Charleston Harbor. While not yet designated an SSECN Problem Stretch, we have established a Navigation Alert for these waters and caution should be exercised through the AICW channel past the Isle of Palms.

Three days ago we had to wait for one hour past low water, which was “0″ tide, to pass between 117A and 119. Our sailboat has a five foot draft. We made two slow attempts to pass but ran aground mid channel and west or land side of mid channel. NOTE: while we waited for an hour past low tide we made an attempt to bypass the low spot by going around the Atlantic side loop. The chart shows deep water, which there is until you are 100 yards from 119, then there is a shoal that is less than four feet. So back to 117A you go.
David Bell

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW North of Ben Sawyer Bridge to Isle of Palms Bridge

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

As Palmetto Moon reported last week, the water gets thin between AICW markers #111 and #119, north of the Waterway’s entrance into Charleston Harbor. While not yet designated an SSECN Problem Stretch, we have established a Navigation Alert for these waters and caution should be exercised through Isle of Palms.

Hi Claiborne,
Sanctuary and crew transited southbound through Isle of Palms, SC, at 08h30 this am (Thursday, 11/3/2011). It was low tide, and our chart plotter reported the current datum at +0.91 ft.
That stretch of 4 – 5 miles has some very shallow spots, with some depths in mid-channel as low as 5 ft. We heard others talking about what they were seeing, so I pursued a route slightly favoring the red side of the channel. We found no less than 6.9 feet. Here’s the detail:
At R’118′ – 7′ mid-channel, 9′ red side
At G’117A’ – 40′ – 50′ off the marker, 7.5′
At the un-named creek 1/2 mile north of inlet creek – 6.9′
At G’119′ – 7.5′ red side of channel (There are crab pots in this area on both sides of the channel. Some extend into the channel. To favor the red, we passed some of the crab pots on the red quarter to our port side. Found favorable water depths there today. Of course, the crabber will move the pots, so the advice remains, favor red.
At G ’121′ – 8.5′ red side of channel
With lower datum or celestial lows, this stretch would definitely be a problem for most cruising boats.
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary
Currently at St. John’s Harbour Marina, Charleston, SC
Monk 36 Hull #132

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW North of Ben Sawyer Bridge to Isle of Palms Bridge

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch