Thank you Bob and Ann Sherer, authors of 2017 ICW Cruising Guide, for sharing a survey from their popular blog, http://fleetwing.blogspot.com/. Last dredged in November of 2016, Browns Inlet is a perennial Problem Stretch and it is wise to follow the advice Cruisers’ Net has been giving for some time: follow the markers and do NOT follow the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW! See an April 2017 report.

You guys probably already know this but a new survey of Brown’s Inlet came out 10/3 showing that you can’t just follow the ICW channel anymore through Browns Inlet. We’ll be doing some form of the “S” curve soon!

I wouldn’t say that Brown’s Inlet is no problem. There’s a new survey as of Oct 3 that shows a lot of shoaling in the same pattern as previously.

Looks like we have to do a “dip” away from the ocean, just like two years ago. At any rate, just following the ICW channel is not the best option. Look at G61A, that buoy will get you into trouble!

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW/Browns Inlet Intersection

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

Thanks to Mike Camarata for this good news for this Problem Spot which was last dredged in November of 2016. However, it is still wise to follow the advice SSECN has been giving for some time: follow the markers and do NOT follow the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW!

Went through the Browns Inlet [AICW intersection], Onslow Beach, NC area today. 3 April at 0800 low tide. DM63 is gone. There are now two cans and one nun. The channel is very straight, wide and deep. Saw 12-14 ft. Again, low tide.
mikevcam
Mike Camarata

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW/Browns Inlet Intersection

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

Assuming David is talking about the AICW intersection, this is good news for this Problem Spot. However, it is definitely wise to follow the advice David gives below and SSECN has been giving for some time: follow the markers and do NOT follow the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW!

Sail catamaran JilliQ Lagoon 37. Went through Browns inlet on 7/28/16 at 12:00 noon. This was a half rising tide. Followed the buoys and saw a minimum of 8.5 feet.
David Hough
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW/Browns Inlet Intersection

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

With the reported groundings and marker confusion at this intersection (/?p=153195), it is definitely wise to follow the advice SSECN has been giving for some time: do not follow the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW!

I went through the intersection of the AICW and Brown’s inlet southbound on Monday 11/23/15 at approximately low tide. A sailboat that had gone aground was being assisted by TowBoatUS. I waited until the sailboat was towed off the shoal before attempting our way through following the instructions that were posted by previous boaters. Markers R60 and G61 are in a straight line and look as if they are out of place. G61 is fairly close to shore. However by leaving R60 to starboard and zig zagging around G61 leaving it to port we got through without a problem. I went past G61 by keeping the boat in the center between the shore and G61. There was about 9 ft of water. I have a Mainship390 Trawler with a 4 ft draft.
Capt Bill Favro
EASTNOR
Mainship390

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW/Browns Inlet Intersection

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

With the reported groundings and marker confusion at this intersection (/?p=144468), it is definitely wise to follow the advice given below by Skipper Bob and others. Do not follow the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW, as SSECN has advised by many months!

There’s a spot on the last stretch of ICW just before Onslow Beach swing bridge you should be aware of. Between red Marker 60 & green 61A it has shoaled up so bad that it ran five or more aground (according to Seatow which has a boat standing by in the area) just yesterday. There’s a floating green buoy there close to the north shore. It looks out of place but you need to stay far to the inside of it, about 20-30 feet from shore. The chart seems to show the ATONS, but it doesn’t make any sense when you look at it on the water; check the buoys with binocs and you’ll see a red followed by a green almost in line along the starboard bank when southbound. They were there when we transited northbound in June, so they have been there awhile.
Can’t believe that the Seatow boat hangs out in a nearby creek waiting to help rather than warning boats as they approach.
Bob

October 30
Multiple groundings occurred this week between buoys 60-63. One big reason- buoy 61A is not there! Tow Boat US advised us to pass 40-50 ft from W shore. We did so & saw 8.8 ft at high tide. Suspect we were a little too close to shore, trawler in front of us was more towards where 61A should of been and saw 12 ft.
Mike & Cathy Powers
S/V Second Flight

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW/Browns Inlet Intersection

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

With the reported groundings and marker confusion at this intersection (/?p=144468), it is definitely wise to follow the advice given below by Skipper Brass: “pay close attention to the charts and keep a watchful eye out for the markers ‘“ particularly the floating ones ‘“ instead of following the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW” - just as SSECN has advised by many months!

From a January 19 Navigation Alert:

On Saturday January 17, we experienced a hard grounding with bent shafts (2) and destroyed props (2) at this location. Knew about previous reports but marks were not where the deep water was. Strong current must have moved them. We are now on the hard waiting for shafts and props.Shame that this continuing problem is not addressed Our current bill is $26,000 to be removed back from the bar, and about $80,000 for shaft abd prop repairs! Navigation marks are not maintained!Douglas JemalJust happens that I may have been the next boat to pass the location of this grounding. At 10:20 AM on 17 January, I was delivering a boat to Charleston and came up on a large powerboat stopped in the middle of the ICW at 34-35.847N, 077-14.568W (34°35.8470N / 077°14.5680W, 34.597450 / -77.242800) . The stopped boat had passed us a few miles further North, headed southbound at around 20 knots.As I approached the spot, SeaTow came up and began setting up to unground the boat. It seemed to me that the boat had been on course directly from R60 to G63, which are the prominent daymarks before and after the inlet, and from the appearance of things the boat had been traveling pretty fast.This is a traditional problem area in the ICW, and both my Active Captain software and the Garmin plotter on the boat I was delivering sounded alarms for the hazard.Floating marks G61A and R62 were both in the location shown on my chart software, which is well over to the north side of the waterway (Starboard if you are heading south) and only about 75-100 feet from the shore. Made me quite nervous as we went by, but we saw 8 to 9 feet of depth in the channel at about an hour before local low tide.Object lesson is: pay close attention to the charts and keep a watchful eye out for the markers ‘“ particularly the floating ones ‘“ instead of following the Magenta Line in this stretch of the ICW.Rick BrassClick Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW/Browns Inlet IntersectionClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

Skipper Halls relates his jarring experience with a shoal and the rudeness of a passing vessel. The intersection of the Waterway and Browns Inlet, a Problem Stretch south of Swansboro, has been the site of shoaling for some time, as well as a mysterious underwater hazard as reported in /?p=141557.

8/12/2014, ran aground at this spot. Letting crew steer for just a few minutes, I was down below when the gut wrenching bloop of grounding was felt. Very difficult to see the plan (markers) until almost on top when headed southbound. We had a following current and crew didn’t reduce power till I came rushing up. Had to call TowboatUS. I MIGHT have avoided if I was steering, but maybe not, quite confusing, VERY narrow channel remains. And a special thanks to the Aussie couple in a 50ish DeFever who went by as we were trying to be towed off, for waking us so hard the keel ( 4.8 draft ) slammed the shoal 3 times VERY hard !!
Randy Hall

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW/Browns Inlet Intersection

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch

Skipper Matthews sends a fresh report on a Problem Stretch south of Swansboro. The intersection of the Waterway and Browns Inlet has been the site of shoaling for some time, as well as a mysterious underwater hazard.

Prop-Eater.
Came through here on May 25, 2014 at 745am. This one spot is mentioned here as a problem. Most advice says `stay to the red side’ which I have during 4 passages without incident. However this last Sunday, going southbound, I passed a trawler going northbound a few miles south of this spot. Later on channel 16, I heard his call to USCG and his tow service with the words `engine runs but prop not turning’. As USCG was contacting him and asking him to verify his position, he did. N34,36.41, W077,13.84. The same spot.
There are multiple references which mention bent shafts and struts, and damaged props. Most shoaling reports merely mention that someone got stuck or kicked up some mud. This is one of the few that consistently mentions damaged hardware.
On a prior visit, I photoed a tug stuck here:

Notice the prop wash to the side. I hailed him but no answer. Saw him later heading south, obviously freed.

Ben Matthews

Came through that spot (Browns Inlet) at low tide with no problem. Draft 5 feet. May 30, 2014.
Raymond W. Smith – The `Firer Dog’

We went through the Brown Inlet area (marker 63) May 23 at near low tide with 10 ft at low tide. Just follow the marks. The problem is the temporary red and green are way off the normal channel and look like the are for a side channel. They are also in a straight line but they are for the intracoastal waterway marks.
Henry Booke

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For the AICW/Browns Inlet Intersection

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch