Shallow Water Report from Lockwoods Folly, AICW Statute Mile 321
Despite dredging last November, the intersection of the Waterway and Lockwoods Folly, which has been a Problem Stretch for years, remains a shoaling area and a recommended mid-high tide zone. Our thanks to experienced cruisers, Roger long, for this report. His report also shows that even with local knowledge, TowBoatUS in this case, you must GO SLOW AND EASY!
I’ve made these passages several times and always found plenty of water. Circumstances required us to transit northbound with .2 feet of water in Shallotte and Lockwoods at dead low. I called TowboatUS for their opinion with our 3’ – 9” draft. He said it shouldn’t be a problem if I knew the route and Lockwoods had just been dredged so should be easy.
Lockwoods was a different matter. Just past the first red, we bumped over a hump and then another. The sounder didn’t show less than six feet. Our transducer is about 4 feet to port so there is a steep slope to these humps. We were about as far to port as we could go so there is probably less water on the green side.
We got up around the corner and encountered a tugboat stuck between R 36 and G 33 bulling its way through on the tide just starting to rise. We got around and into his wake and then were stopped hard just before the green. The sounder showed properly here and we were able to back off. It took two tries to push through but we left a long trench. I don’t think this stretch is doable at dead low with much more than 2 1/2 feet of draft.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Comments from Cruisers (2)
Sorry, I forgot to send this on to you earlier. I got it the day after you posted my Lockwoods report but we’ve been busy and distracted by our generator replacement. I think Jonathan went through a day or two later but haven’t been able to reach him for clarification. When we went through, it looked like the dredge was about to start work or getting ready to move on. It’s quite possible the channel was there but the buoys hadn’t been moved into it. That would explain why TowboatUS said it had just been dredged. Perhaps you can check with the USCG.
I would not though that there was not sign of dredging where we actually stuck. If there was a channel there, the tugboat we saw pushing through the mud didn’t know about it.
Roger Long [Dredging began at Lockwoods Folly on Feb 22 and will end Apr 1]
Bad luck for you I think — if you had gone straight in Lockwoods Folly you would have had 12 feet depth; the dredge just did that spot but the marks have not been moved. There’s a report today it is working in Shalotte Inlet.
Jonathon Welch