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SCHEDULED/NC – CAMP LEJEUNE/ATON/SEC SNC BNM 0205-26
NC – CAMP LEJEUNE MILOPS WEEK OF 08 – 14 JUN 26 BT
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WW: blat (34.55428) , blon (-77.35170) , bWWid (5) , bMM (245.9) , bDOffWW (0.0) , bAbbrev (AIWW) , bWWName (Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.gpx)
UPDATE/BOGUE SOUND – NC/ATON/SEC SNC BNM 0204-26 UPDATE-1
1. BOGUE SOUND LIGHT 9 (LLNR 38850) FOUND DESTROYED AS RPTD. UNIT PLACED TRLB IN POSN 34-43.734N 076-48.530W (34°43.7340N / 076°48.5300W, 34.728900 / -76.808833) BT
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Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes. This email was sent to curtis.hoff@CruisersNet.net
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WW: blat (34.72246), blon (-76.80263), bWWid (5), bMM (210.5), bDOffWW (0.0), bAbbrev (AIWW), bWWName (Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.gpx)
SAFETY/BOGUE SOUND – NC/ATON/SEC SNC BNM 0204-26
1. BOGUE SOUND LIGHT 9 (LLNR 38850) AID REPORTED DESTROYED. BT
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SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes. This email was sent to curtis.hoff@CruisersNet.net
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WW: blat (34.72246) , blon (-76.80263) , bWWid (5) , bMM (210.5) , bDOffWW (0.0) , bAbbrev (AIWW) , bWWName (Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.gpx)
Stephanie on Love & Luck provides this update on the Onslow bridge opening as of May 7, 2025
Just passed onslow going north. The bridge opens on demand between 12pm/1pm May 7th @ 12.30pm
Browns Island is the area north of Browns Inlet on the east side of the AICW.
Click here for Tourists won’t stay away from this deadly Marine Corps island
Task and Purpose
The military has been a boon to North Carolina’s economy. It has brought in millions in government spending, thousands of jobs, and generations of families eager to live and retire where they used to serve.
Sneads Ferry, Newport shaped by Marine Corps neighbors
CoastalReview.org
David Cecelski found this group of photographs at the State Archives of North Carolina in Raleigh. They were taken in Salter Path, a fishing village on the North Carolina coast, probably in 1938 or 1939.
Map of the western end of Bogue Banks and Bogue Sound around 1900. From Kay Holt Robert Stephens 1984 work, “Judgment Land: The Story of Salter Path,” vol. 1.”
Our Coast’s history: The early days of Bogue Banks
CoastalReview.org
Swan Point Marina guards the Waterway’s western banks, immediately south of the AICW/New River Inlet Problem Stretch intersection. Blades Robinson’s recent critique of Swan Point Marina, which is still suffering the aftermath of Hurricane Florence of August 2018, does not compare with these pre-Florence comments as posted by Skipper Schucker on AGLCA’s Forum. Cruisers Net hopes that Swan Point Marina can soon get back to being a safe and enjoyable marina. Swan Point Marina is not the only business or residence that is still waiting for promised financial aide or insurance following the 2018 hurricanes in North and South Carolina.
Swan Point Marina – July 2019 / SM 246.8
Cruising News
I have been born and raised in the South and my mother taught me the phase “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.” So following her advice, my “review” of the Swan Point Marina would stop after this … For the sake of other travelers though, I must continue. The good: -The dock master Jim provided excellent information on how to enter the marina and cross past the shoal that set off our shallow water alarms (at dead night tide). -We were placed on a (OLD/wooden) floating dock. -There was electric at the pedestal when we arrived. -The floating dock was afloat -The on-site washer and drier looked to be reasonably new. -I have not had any of the dock boards break as I stepped on them, though due to their flex, it is apparent that they need to be replaced. The bad: We have had multiple power fluctuations that result in our onboard inverter taking over and having to manually restart some of the onboard electronics that shut down when the dock voltage drops. One of the sunken sailboats in the marina was removed this evening using a tractor. This is either a graveyard for old boats or at the very least, an “assisted living facility” for boats. My opinion is that at $1.50 per foot for transient dockage, Swan Point Marina is charging too much. On my return trip this will be a facility that I will likely bypass unless there is significant rehabilitation. Assuming that a good rehab is forthcoming, I will anxiously support the owner and and update the Cruisers Net. Note: The website for Swans Point Marina was not active when I went online today. That may be a sign of the financial woes affecting the facility.
I provide photos that support my honest critique. While the dock master was very helpful he is not in a position to make costly improvements and the owner is likely struggling to get money from an insurance company, assuming they had insurance. The attached photographs should help tell the story and allow you to “connect the dots.”
This is the dock masters sailboat. Bert far from Bristol condition, the dock master stated he plans to leave shortly and relocate to another location further north. i.e, he is leaving this marina
This sunken sailboat has been there for a period of time. To the marinas credit it was removed by a salv0r in exchange for the lead keel ballast.
You may notice the list at the end of the floating dock and this inoperable electric pedestal. Also note the far right piling showing that old fire hose is what secured the floating dock to the piling. Most of the dock was secured to pilings with pieces of fire hose. Regretfully, the left corner of the dock that is most susceptible to being grazed by a boat uses a steel hoop that can easily gouge a fiberglass vessel. Also note the steel barge in the background that partially obstructs the entry channel. Because of the cross current, several vessels have reportedly gone aground trying to avoid the barge.
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Swan Point Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Swan Point Marina
This is an Waterway eastern shore on which you do NOT want to walk your dog! Because of the official restrictions, there are obviously no anchorages recommended in the area. Browns Island is immediately north of Browns Inlet.
Hurricane Florence erosion exposed explosives buried on NC island, Marine base warns
Once again experienced cruiser, Tom Hale, shares his observations from his recent navigation of this Problem Stretch. As recently as January, Local Notices report shoaling and relocation of ICW buoys in the constantly shifting sands of this intersection.
Click here for New River inlet crossing
Click Here To View the Cruisers Net AICW Problem Stretch Listing For New River/New River Inlet
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New River Inlet
Experienced cruisers, Jim and Peg Healy, continue to generously share their observations and advice as they make their way south for the winter, in this case surveys of two Problem Stretches as posted on AGLCA’s Forum.. Thank you Jim and Peg! Regarding Jim’s observations at the New River Inlet/AICW intersection, see LNM: AICW Buoy 70 Off-Station.
In these screen shots, the Lime Green line is the USACE Route provided by Bib Sherer and Tim Hale. The Blue highlighted track is what we did yesterday.
BROWN’S INLET:
NEW RIVER INLET:
One more detail about New River. Just now looking at NOAA charts on Coastal Explorer and Aqua Maps on iOS, I note that the most recent charts DO NOT show R72A where it actually is today. And as you can see, it also obsoletes the USACE Lime Green route. R72A TODAY is on a straight line extended from connecting G71 and R72. Why in G-d’s name the USCG did that is beyond me. It’s EXTREMELY CONFUSING when you come up on it to see red-green-red all in a line like that.
Jim and Peg Healy
Monk 36 Hull #132
MMSI #367042570
AGLCA #3767
MTOA #3436
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New River Inlet
Experienced cruisers, Jim and Peg Healy, continue to generously share their observations and advice as they make their way south for the winter. Thank you Jim and Peg! Regarding Jim’s observations at the New River Inlet/AICW intersection, see LNM: AICW Buoy 70 Off-Station.
Today is Friday, 10/19/2018. Sanctuary and crew traveled from Morehead City to Wrightsville Beach. The section from Morehead City to Swansboro is unremarkable. No significant changes.
I have updated all of my routes to incorporate the data made available from the USACE, so I mean no criticism of anyone. Following are just my observations, as I had a couple of surprises.
At Brown’s Inlet, the USACE routes are the correct shape, but displaced a bit to the north. In other words, heading south, if I had let the autopilot drive the route, I would have overshot the turns. The waypoints did not quite coincide with the markers in the water, and I had to make manual corrections. The good news is, there are floating Red and Green markers at Brown’s Inlet that accurately guide boaters through the area.
I planned perfectly to arrive at the New River Inlet at dead low tide. (Listening for applause…. Hearing none, I continue…) Southbound past Mile Hammock Bay approaching the New River Inlet ICW Crossing, three markers are prominently visible; they are prodigiously confusing. To the visual left, there is I think floating R72A; it is not more than about 30 ft off the shoreline; to it’s visual right, there is a now obsolete Green, and to it’s right, a second probably obsolete Red. So, left to right, red, green, red… What to do, what to do? ALL STOP!
A boat before us had gone between the Green and rightmost Red marker; the original ICW markers… and promptly ran aground. OK, that’s what I had expected from the description of the shoaling in that area, but the leftmost Red floater is so close to the shoreline that one doubts it is correctly positioned. I called the grounded boat, and the captain said he had watched boats honor that leftmost Red successfully. So I proceeded at idle speed (never approach anything faster than you’d want to hit it), but I can tell you, that routeline puts the boat very close to shore; more so than the preplan USACE route. And, water depths are prodigiously shallow; no more than 4.5″ at MLW. The USACE route’s shape is right on, but I again found the actual waypoints did not coincide with the physical placement of markers… the route needed manual intervention. Then as I approached the south end of the Inlet, there is a lone Red marker on a post. The USACE route does not honor that marker; it holds the marker to STBD. I was confused, and decided to honor the marker. My track went well wide of the preplan route, and again, I saw no more than 4.5′ – 5′ of water.
Finally, similar observation about the Mason Inlet Crossing. There are Red and Green floating markers that correctly identify the route through the area, but the route waypoints do not quite coincide with the markers in the water. They are close and the shape is correct, but manual corrections are needed.
So anyway, the route guidance is very good, but does need onsite adjustment. It’s not always possible to time tides, but to the extent one has a choice, low tide is not the best time to transit New River Inlet.
Just my observations…
Jim and Peg Healy
Monk 36 Hull #132
MMSI #367042570
AGLCA #3767
MTOA #3436
Shoaling and groundings are always possible in the constantly shifting sands of the New River Inlet/AICW Intersection area and our thanks to Hank Pomeranz of Carolina Yacht Care, a partner of Southport Marina, A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, for this Problem Stretch notice. For another recent report from this AICW intersection, see https://cruisersnet.net/171321
This reported to me this morning along with attached photo. Please help get the word out.
Report from Skipper Tim Burr, M/V Bella
R72 has dragged way off charted location. Now way too close to shore and considerably northeast of chart location. Ignore, stay center…”
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New River Inlet
Thanks
Hank
With a shallow draft vessel drawing only 30 inches, Douglas asks for advice on navigating Browns Inlet – the inlet proper, not the Problem Stretch AICW intersection.
What is last date anybody has used Browns inlet? I am new to area. Looking for a safe inlet to use. Thanks
Douglas Benz
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Browns Inlet
Shoaling and groundings are always possible in the constantly shifting sands of the New River Inlet/AICW Intersection area and our thanks to Tom Hale for this Problem Stretch advice. For a recent grounding report from this AICW intersection, see https://cruisersnet.net/168114.
Click Here for Tom’s Article: https://www.sailfeed.com/2018/04/new-river-inlet-crossing-stm-247/
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New River Inlet
Our thanks to Kevin and Debbie Stone for this Problem Stretch report. Last dredged in November of 2016, Browns Inlet is a perennial shoaling threat and it is wise to follow the advice Cruisers’ Net has been giving for some time: follow the markers and do NOT follow the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW! See an Oct ’17 survey.
Mile 236, Browns Inlet, NC
Green floating markers may not be accurately marking recent shoaling.
Today about 1 hour prior to low tide, a catamaran was aground mid-channel.
Our 4.5′ draft successfully transited close to floating Red 60.
Kevin and Debbie Stone
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Shoaling and groundings are always possible in the constantly shifting sands of the New River Inlet/AICW Intersection area and our thanks to Joe Heinrich for this Problem Stretch report. For a recent survey of this AICW intersection, see /167813.
Big trawler grounded in center 10/30/17 at 2 hours after low tide. Trawler Sanctuary [Editor: not Jim Healy’s Sanctuary] in front of us tried to go to the 3 floating reds after dayboard red 72 but had to reverse away from shallow and warned us. We went toward green side (no buoys) and stayed away from all the reds until after dayboard 74. Actually, it followed Fleetwing’s waypoints he set on view he submitted. It was shallow but we didn’t bump needing 4 ft
Joe Heinrich
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New River Inlet
As Robert Sherer reminds us, shoaling and groundings are always possible in the constantly shifting sands of the New River Inlet/AICW Intersection area. See /165669 for a July report from this Problem Stretch. Thank you, Bob, for sharing your expertise.
The “Dip Route” for New River to avoid shoaling on the ICW in the spring is no longer valid. Shoaling has occurred on that route too. See survey below:
A GPX route is available at BNewRiver10202017
I took the old “Dip Route” today and ran into the shoaling pictured above near R74. I got into 5 ft of water at low tide so I can attest to it being there. I only draw 4 ‘ 9” so I was okay.
Bob Sherer
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New River Inlet
New River Inlet Crossing – Heading south, probably the first navigational challenge you will meet is at New River. There is a shoal which has grown into the ICW at R72A. Two days ago (October,26), we were the tail end of a long line of boats who cleared Onslow Bridge at the 1:00 opening and headed NW after rounding Craig Point. In the leading pack of boats were a few motor yachts and trawlers. I mention this as a warning. This whole pack headed straight down the ICW as shown on the charts, passing to the east of a 38-foot sailboat hard aground in the ICW near R72A. This shoal is not new, having been a real headache for many boats on the northbound trip last spring. At half tide or more you can pass through here on the old channel. The preferred channel is a dip to the southwest as you get to R72. See attached picture. As luck would have it we were all passing through here at about high tide. At low tide this could have been a problem. There are several Active Captain commenters who have described this transit and provided waypoints.
We led two sailboats who did not know about this problem area in advance.
Let me clarify, the first half of the dip route when heading south is fine. It’s the last waypoint that had a problem where it ended in an area now shoaled to 5 ft MLW. The referenced GPX route just follows the ACOE waypoints from the new survey.
Thank you Bob and Ann Sherer, authors of 2017 ICW Cruising Guide, for sharing a survey from their popular blog, http://fleetwing.blogspot.com/. Last dredged in November of 2016, Browns Inlet is a perennial Problem Stretch and it is wise to follow the advice Cruisers’ Net has been giving for some time: follow the markers and do NOT follow the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW! See an April 2017 report.
You guys probably already know this but a new survey of Brown’s Inlet came out 10/3 showing that you can’t just follow the ICW channel anymore through Browns Inlet. We’ll be doing some form of the “S” curve soon!
I wouldn’t say that Brown’s Inlet is no problem. There’s a new survey as of Oct 3 that shows a lot of shoaling in the same pattern as previously.
Looks like we have to do a “dip” away from the ocean, just like two years ago. At any rate, just following the ICW channel is not the best option. Look at G61A, that buoy will get you into trouble!
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
My wife, Pat, and I passed by Browns Inlet on the ICW on 10/10/2017, 2 1/2 hours after low water. Traveling down the middle of the marked channel, we found no less than 10 feet of water throughout the area.
Captain George
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