This underwater power cable replacement project will take place north of Georgetown between Brookgreen Creek and AICW marker #67.

SOUTH CAROLINA-ATLANTIC INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY-SANDY ISLAND-WACCAMAW RIVER: Cable Replacement.
Santee Cooper Co. will be replacing the underwater power line cables feeding Sandy Island on or about February 13, 2012. The crossings are at Brookgreen Creek and the Waccamaw River near Little River-Winyah Bay Light 67 (LLNR 33950). The work should take approximately 3 days working off a barge with the crossings. Equipment will be moved to and from Sandy Island. The barge and work boats will monitor VHF channels 16 mariners are advised to call for passing arrangements as the waterway may be restricted. Mariners are advised to use extreme caution while transiting the area. Further information contact Area Operation Supervisor, Mr. Robert Singleton 843-651-1589 x3815. Chart 11534

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Marker #67, Waccamaw River

Calabash Creek lies to the north off the Waterway just south of the SC/NC state line. This anchorage can get very crowded during the busy season, but if you can find a spot, there are two fine seafood restaurants are just upstream by dinghy.
Please note the Navigation Alert linked below indicating the possibility of shoaling at the intersection of the Waterway and Calabash Creek. Also, we have personally sounded, and other cruisers have reported, as little as 4 feet entering Calabash Creek to anchor, during MLW, but Captain Bill must have found a channel we missed.

I anchored at Calabash Creek on July 5, 2011, without any problem. I arrived at exactly low tide, and watched a large sportfisher and two large drift fishing boats go through and decided to give it a try. They were coming from [Little] River inlet and crossing the ICW. They hugged the ICW R2, leaving it to port, then stayed well of the Calabash Creek R2, leaving it to starboard. I draw 5.5 feet, and saw 6.5 feet passing ICW R2. I anchored in 9.5 feet between R2 and G3 just off the north shore. It was a nice anchorage once the stream of fishing boats and shrimpers finished the day. I would never have tried this on falling tide.
Skipper Bill Raynor

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Calabash Creek

Click Here To View A Navigation Alert for this Area.

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

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

Little River Swing Bridge crosses the AICW in Little River, SC, just south of the Hwy 17 fixed bridge. The vertical clearance of the closed swing bridge is 7ft.

LOCAL NOTICE TO MARINERS: Week 26/11
This announces the publication of MSIB (37-11) Sector Charleston Marine Events on Homeport at http://homeport.uscg.mil/charleston.
R.L. Morrison and Sons, Inc. will begin repairing the fender system on the HWY 17 North, Little River Swing Bridge (Intracoastal Waterway Mile Marker 247.2) in Little River, SC on or about Monday, July 18, 2011. Operations with the crane barge “CAPT HARRINGTON” will be located at position 33° 51′ 11.56″ N 79° 39′ 14.70″W. The barge and tug will be working in the draw, taking up no more than half the channel Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. thru 5:00 p.m. until approximately Saturday, August 19, 2011. Vessels requiring the full of width of the channel must provide one (1) hour advance notice. The one-hour notification may be made directly to either the Tug ELIZA LUCAS OR AMAZONAS on VHF Channels 13 or 16. Mariners should maintain safe speeds and exercise caution while transiting the area.
For on-scene communications Tug ELIZA LUCAS and AMAZONAS will be monitoring VHF 13 and16. For more information please contact R.L. Morrison and Sons, Inc. at (843) 887-3261 or (843) 296-3654. For Coast Guard related issues, please contact Sector Charleston Waterways Management Division at (843) 740-3188 or Sector Charleston Command Center Line at (843) 720-7050.
Michael Lieberum
Seventh Coast Guard District
Bridge Branch
Chief of Operations Section

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

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Bridge Directory Listing For Little River Swing Bridge

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Little River Swing Bridge

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

The Highway 802, Beaufort River, McTeer Bridge crosses the ICW at Statute Mile 540.

A new high rise fixed bridge is being constructed adjacent to the existing fixed bridge on the Beaufort River between Port Royal and Lady’s Island in South Carolina, ICW mile 539. The work barges and tugs are frequently moved about and/or blocking the span between the fenders. However, despite attempts to contact “Sea Dozer 2″, the tug performing operations, there is not much, if any, communication with vessels attempting to transit the bridge. We were fortunate to overhear communication achieved by another northbound sailboat that was ahead of us the day we transited. (Our mast height is 49′, draft 5′, and we had no issues transiting the span to the east of the fenders.) However, in the last few days since we have been docked at Port Royal Landing Marina, there have been many others hailing the vessels working on the bridge construction, with no response. The great folks at the marina are trying to help as much as they can, often responding to the vessels hailing. We have observed that the construction seems to be taking place only during normal weekday business hours.
Keven and Debbie Stone

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Bridge Directory Listing For McTeer Bridge

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