This is the first we’ve heard about Waterway shoaling a the three way intersection of the AICW, Little River Inlet and Calabash Creek. Even though Captain Garrus’ note below refers to “transiting inlet,” the markers he mentions make clear that the he is really speaking about the AICW channel. Follow the link below for a look at this juncture of waters on chart 11534!

Subject: Little River Inlet [AICW Intersection]
Cruising News: Transited inlet northbound on 4/6/10 approx 40 min before low tide. R2-G119-G117. Stay middle to R2 then favor green quarter at G119-G117. . Lowest waters seen were 9′. Be aware of mud flats on north side of G117/G119.
Jim Garrus

Claiborne,
We found the following on April 8, 2010 at approximately 10:40 AM EDT:
With 0.8 above MLW at six minutes before low tide the lowest we found was 7.2 feet near Red 2. Depths were mostly in the 9 foot and better. We did favor green side so can’t provide soundings for mid channel.
Jane Tigar

Subject: ICW at Little River Inlet Intersection
Cruising News: We were heading S. on the ICW on 3/26/2010. Around 12:15, we arrived at marker 119, the north side of the intersection. Upon heading to ICW marker red 2 w/yellow triangle, we contacted the ground. As we had little way, we simply eased off and tried to find a path through, but, could not. A marine officer happened by and said we should have no problem. We eased in behind him at minimum way and grounded in rock. While this is not the point of the posting, he did not lend any assistance. In fact, after he cleared the shallow area we were following him through, he hit full throttle. Nice. The actual point is why in the world could we not pass? I am not a new captain and our boat drafts 39″. No one reported any issues. It is my understanding shrimpers, etc. go through there without issue. Had I been traveling at speed….Please provide insight as this has me troubled.
Robert McCoy

We attempted to enter the Calabash Creek anchorage in the fall of ’09. Only room for one or two boats. Unable to be comfortable with our 4 1/2′ draft anywhere outside the channel.
Nils Pearson aboard Fairwinds

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Section of the AICW/Little River Inlet/Calabash Creek Intersection

Due to persistent shoaling, in early 2011 we designated the Waterway south of McClellanville to Awendaw Creek, as an “ACW Problem Stretch.” Capt. Long gives us even more specifics. As before, we recommend passage at mid or high tide.

Yesterday we traveled from Charleston to Georgetown on the ICW. At GREEN 43 we were dead on the magenta line when the depth under our props went to 0.2 feet. We draft only 39 inches so this is really a problem for most boats.
We put out a securite call on the VHF and saved a couple of boats from going aground. I later heard chatter from a couple of sailboats we had passed earlier that they were having to wait for high tide to traverse this section. It was only a bar and lasted a few seconds as we cleared it but it gave us a start. Today I heard locals in Georgetown talking about trouble in the same place. Be careful out there.
Rusty and Jan Carlisle

I too experienced the shallow water following the magenta line on my Garmin 4210 in this area. I have found that Mr Garmin has put my “boat cursor” in the marsh while in the waters of Georgia and S. Carolina. I have find deeper water by going off the magenta at slow speed usually toward the inside of turns. I poke around a bit and find the “real channel”. With all this said, I still love my Garmin electronics. Most of the time the magenta is right on.
Rick, Sun Gypsy

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Marker #43

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 Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Isle of Palms

Even the latest chartplotters cannot keep up with buoys added to mark shoaling and it can be confusing to approach a marker that often just does not make sense when looking at the chart. Thanks to Capt. Long for bringing this uncharted marker to our attention!

This marker is when you start to look for the bridge fendering and line up for it. It looks like a straight shot to the bridge but it isn’t.
Roger Long

Stono River Mile 480.1 just south of John F. Limehouse Bridge
Between G 39 and G 41
N32 46.824 W80 07.162
Red to mark apparent shoaling

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Mile 480

Even the latest chartplotters cannot keep up with buoys added to mark shoaling and it can be confusing to approach a marker that often just does not make sense when looking at the chart. Thanks to Capt. Long for bringing these three uncharted markers to our attention!

An uncharted buoy to keep an eye out for.
Roger Long

Dawho River entrance into North Edisto River about Mile 496.25
Opposite Fl R 110
N32 37.563 W80 16.679 (PA)
Green to mark apparent encroaching shoal shown on chart

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Mile 496

How often have we read in a cruising guide that “whenever possible, obtain local knowledge” before attempting a tricky passageway. Well, Captain Zach provided exactly that in dealing with a stretch that has plagued more than one of us. Thank you Zach! Click on the Chart View below to see exactly the Rhumb Line he advises.

I am local to the area and transit [the N. Edisto/Dawho intersection] quite often. Most recently about a month ago I came through at an extreme dead low tide and 7′ was the lowest sounding. The problem area is between #110 and the daymarks South. The mistake so often made is boaters tend naturally to head more east because the shore is more distant placing you more toward the middle of the river which is actually more shallow. You should run west of a rhumb line between 110 and the nearest green daymark [#111].
Captain Zach Carney

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at the AICW/N. Edisto/Dawho Intersection

Below, Captain Bell tells us about shallow water he encountered near the eastern end of the AICW’s traversal of South Carolina’s Dawho River, between the North and South Edisto Rivers. This piece of news is not surprising, as we established a “Navigation Alert” for the waters just east of this position this past spring, courtesy of a posting from Captain Zach Carney. Check out:

http://www.CruisersNet.net/local-advice-on-avoiding-grounding-at-the-n-edistodawhoaicw-intersection-statute-mile-497

Now. thanks to Captain Bell, we have even more confirmation that shoaling is a real problem along this section of the Waterway. Proceed with maximum caution

Shoaling between Pair of markers 116/117 and 112/113 provides only 5 1/2′ of water at MLW. I checked this at the end of June and again mid Sept 2010.
Dave Bell

This is not something new although not an issue for most cruisers with 5′ or less draft. I always time this stretch (incl. Ashepo Coosaw) with some tide. Again today, I found as little as 7′ MLW in numerous spots between R116 all the way to G113. I passed fairly close to G109, G111 and G113 (about 75′) and had 7′ MLW. I tried looking further to the red side with no improvement.
Note that south of the bridge, and north of R132, there is an 8′ MLW hump. Not a real issue but worth noting.
Also, some folks dont’ notice that R132 and G133 are pretty far to the sides of the channel and while there is about 10′ MLW on centerline, i’ve seen some cutting the corners there and quickly coming back to center.
Pascal aboard MY Charmer, 70′ 6+ draft

I came through here 8/24/11 at dead low tide and had 7.5 feet of water off Marker 115.
Skipper Carl

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position on the AICW/Dawho River

A dead-head is a log or stump which is semi-permanently stuck to the bottom, the top of which protrudes above the waterline. While the hazard may stay in place or move away with a high tide current, caution is called for until it has cleared the channel. Watts Cut is a straight, narrow Waterway channel that connects the South Edisto River with the Dawho River south of Charleston.

We hit a dead head which just below the surface at 2 hours before low tide in Walls Cut. We were on the magenta line between day markers 139 & 138. Saw a very small ripple in the water just before we hit it.
Skipper Bob Hermans

My wife and I were down at our boat (in Beaufort, SC) this past weekend, and when I opened our ICW Chartbook to make a note of this hazard, I found that I’d already noted a previous (but unfortunately undated) posting from Cruisers Net warning of “a submerged palm tree on the red side of the channel between markers 138 and 139″. I’d guess that the deadhead reported now is the same palm tree, probably minus a few branches by now.
Bob Schwerzel, M/V Harmony

Large tree between marker 139 & 138 in Watts Cut 1:50 est time.
Skipper Tracy Hellman

I can confirm that this “dead head” still exists. Its top was about 18″ above the water at MLW this morning.
Capt. Larry Shick

I can confirm the deadhead is still there. Traversed the area 5-20-11 heading South and noticed it in the red side of the channel, not in mid channel. It may be moving around with the tides, but it’s still there.
Skipper Rick Kenyon

Came through here at dead low tide on 8/24 with mirror-smooth water and saw no turbulence to suggest a deadhead. There were two pairs of crab trap markers not directly in the channel between markers between 138 and 139. Whether they were errant crab traps, or placed to mark a deadhead was not apparent. However with minimal tide and otherwise smooth water, one would suspect some turbulence from a deadhead. Anyway, the middle of the channel was clear.
Carl

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Watts Cut

Even the latest chartplotters cannot keep up with buoys added to mark shoaling and it can be confusing to approach a marker that often just does not make sense when looking at the chart. Thanks to Capt. Long for bringing this uncharted marker to our attention!

This is easy to miss because, even when you are looking at it and the chart, it’s hard to believe you have to go way over there. The charted depths inside it look generous.
Roger Long

Ashepoo River about Mile 512
Between G 165 and R 166
N32 31.898 W80 26.125
Red to mark apparent shoaling

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at