Captain Shick has proposed an alternate route to the Ashepoo Cutoff into the Coosaw River to avoid the shoaling at that intersection. We invite your experience and opinions on this alternate route.
Please note that the SSECN does NOT advocate this alternate route, as we have yet had the opportunity to sound it for ourselves.

Why not take the Ashepoo River instead of the cutoff? Yes, it takes an additional 4-5 miles, but if it avoids all this…?
Captain Larry Shick

Yes, you can do the Alternate route at Marker 184 you are talking about, but the shoals do shift some, so just be careful. I can not see why you would want to avoid the Cutoff unless it is dead low tide and you are a deep draft boat or want to anchor. We went thru there this summer with no problem.
Name Not Provided

Further on this: We went through the Ashepoo River – St Helena Sound – Coosaw River route this morning. The one surprise was that Combahee Bank (32-28N/80-26W) is rather larger than charted in my 11/2009 S57 chart. We saw 8′ (at +3′ tide, so 5′ MLW) in an area charted for 15′-20′. So swing a little wide, and watch your depth sounder if you choose to go this way. Otherwise, no problems.
Captain Larry Shick

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Section” Listing For Ashepoo/Coosaw Cutoff