Dynamite Hole – Click for Chartview

Dynamite Hole is a marked channel opening in the south jetty, at the ocean side entrance to Charleston Harbor. The shoaling location is described below by Captain Mullins.
Local mariners often use this route as a short cut, particularly when entering Charleston Harbor from the south. ALL captains who contemplate taking this passage should read the message below with the greatest care!

May 1, 2013
There is a large shoal that has grown on the seaward side of Ft.Sumter adjacent to the Dynamite Hole area. We found it and spent 6 hours high and dry and had to be pulled off by Tow Boat US. There has always been a shoal about half way out from the ship channel while trying to go through Dynamite Hole, but it has been about half way between the green side of the channel and the cut itself. Now, this shoal has extended to about 100 ft. to starboard of the green channel marker while making passage offshore. We were not trying to go through Dynamite Hole when we hit, but were just to starboard of the green channel marker.
We hit it under full sail and hit 4 times before we stopped on a falling tide.
It is not marked by any buoys or signs and is not shown as a danger area on my GPS charts.
The prudent sailor should stay in the shipping channel until at lease half way through the jetties going to sea.
Philip W. Mullins (Phil)
S/V Katash
Isle of Palms, SC

Hi, how close in time were you to low tide? I’ve gone thru Dynamite Hole a couple of times. Are you suggesting not using it any more or to go past the marker (as you head out to sea) marker on starboard and then turn south and head thru the cut in the jetties. Looks like that would avoid the shoaling.
Skip Hardin.
S/V Platypus

Cruising News:
Re the question “how close to low tide did you go aground” It was about 2.5 hrs before dead low tide. You can still go out Dynamite Hole, but I would pass Green “21” to seaward then turn south to Dynamite Hole, keeping the cut well to your west as you progress to the cut.
Phil Mullins

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