Albemarle Plantation Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! is located off the AICW, on the northern shores of Albemarle Sound, on Yeopim River/Creek. Good reports from boaters like Skipper Evans and descriptions of this facility make a side trip up the Albemarle Sound very inviting!
Buddy Lawrence PGA, CMAA Albemarle Plantation Interim General Manager (252) 426-4653, Ext. 115 (252) 339-4216 Cell Buddy.Lawrence@AlbemarlePlantation.com
What a fine tribute to the men and women who serve in the US Coast Guard out of Elizabeth City, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR. Long noted as the friendliest-to-boaters community on the Waterway, Elizabeth City is located on the Pasquotank River off the northeast corner of Albemarle Sound and at the southern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal Route.
Boatswains among birds — the secret salts of Elizabeth City
Feature Release March 24, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic Contact: 5th District Public Affairs Office: (757) 398-6272 After Hours: (757) 434-7712
Seaman Nina Bowen and Chief Bert, the Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, mascot, pose for a portrait in front of the station Feb. 14, 2017. Bowen is one of Bert’s primary caretakers at the station. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Calvin Hernandez, a boatswain’s mate and coxswain at Station Elizabeth City in North Carolina, rides aboard a 29-foot Response Boat-Small near the station, Feb. 14, 2016. Calvin and other boat crew members at the station routinely work with aviators from Air Station Elizabeth City. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn)
Perhaps the best kept boat station secret in the Mid-Atlantic region lies nestled within the largest Coast Guard facility in the country, at Base Elizabeth City in Eastern North Carolina.
A view of Building 53 at Base Elizabeth City, North Carolina, March 10, 2017 – the location of Station Elizabeth City. Building 53 is shared by crew members from both the boat and air stations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn)
Station Elizabeth City is easy to pass without realizing it’s there, located in an unassuming off-white building that looks like part of the neighboring air station complex. The boathouse on the nearby Pasquotank River is almost a hundred yards away. A view of Building 53 at Base Elizabeth City, North Carolina, March 10, 2017 – the location of Station Elizabeth City. Building 53 is shared by crew members from both the boat and air stations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn)
The crew at the boat station is accustomed to the surrounding flurry of aviation activity — the base is also home to Air Station Elizabeth City and the Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC), where all enlisted Coast Guard aviation personnel are trained in their chosen professions. Consequently, the vast majority of people coming and going from the base each day are connected to Coast Guard aviation in some way.
“Being stationed here is fun,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Calvin Hernandez, a boatswain’s mate and coxswain at the station. “Throughout the Coast Guard, boat and helicopter crews must work together to complete missions. A lot of the time though, crews talk to one another over the radio during training or on a case, but never actually meet in person. Here, we see aviation people every day.”
Hernandez acknowledged there’s an age-old rivalry between air and boat crews, but explained how he thinks it makes the service stronger.
“Our boat crews have about a 30 minute head start when we’re notified of a case since helicopter crews typically take about that long to launch,” he said. “We always strive to safely arrive on scene before the helicopter. We’re on the same team with the goal of saving lives, but working to get there first helps us all keep focused on the mission.”
Hernandez admitted there are times when it’s frustrating to respond on the water.
“Sometimes for search and rescue cases, we have to trailer our boats by vehicle an hour or more away, launch from a remote location, then spend 45 minutes traveling on the water before arriving on scene,” he said. “A helicopter crew taking off from here can be to the same place in 15 minutes once they launch. Sometimes after a case, we’ll get back to the station after long hours on the water and find that the aircrew we were working with bought us a meal and beat us back to the station with it. It’s always nice to come back to find food waiting and to feel appreciated.”
Of course, anytime they want to be appreciated, crew members at Station Elizabeth City can always turn to their station dog, Chief Bert, for his unconditional affection.“
The crew adopted Bert, a German Shepherd and former explosive detection dog who worked for six years with the Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team in Galveston, Texas. He’s arguably the most popular guy on base.
“Bert makes me feel like I’m home when I’m here,” said Bowen. “I look forward to coming here and seeing him. I think he brings a light-heartedness to the station and even the entire base that people are drawn to.”
Bowen said that after Bert, what she likes most about Station Elizabeth City is the opportunity to see all the Coast Guard jobs conducted around her.
“I’m lucky here,” she said. “In addition to the variety of jobs I get to explore at my station, I’m also exposed to the aviation jobs being performed right outside our door. We provide a lot of support for helicopter training flights for the air station and the training center. It’s neat I get to be around all that stuff and be a part of it.”
“The boat station crew allows us here at the rescue swimmer training school to offer our graduating aviation survival technicians a pre-graduation flight where they complete a free fall into the Pasquotank River,” said Chief Petty Officer Claude Morrissey, an instructor at ATTC. The boat crew provides a platform to pick up our swimmers from the water, and is there to respond in case any emergency should arise.”
Even while they assist with helicopter training missions, Station Elizabeth City crews are responsible for responding to emergencies in an area of responsibility that spans 1,700 square miles, includes 10 rivers and three sounds as well as the Intracoastal Waterway and Dismal Swamp Canal.
“We operate inshore and in areas that are very difficult to navigate due to shallow waters and multiple hazards to navigation,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua Talys, executive petty officer at Station Elizabeth City. “Unlike most Coast Guard Stations which normally have a search and rescue season in the summer months, we have a transit season, which equates to periods of heavy vessel traffic moving up and down the Intracoastal Waterway in the months preceding summer and winter. Our job is to ensure these boaters are safe and in compliance with federal laws and regulations.”
“Since we have such a large area of responsibility and none of it is open ocean, we operate in a wide range of environments,” said Hernandez. “There are swampy areas, areas where people like to wakeboard and areas popular for fishing. I think all the different nooks and crannies we have to be familiar with is what keeps it interesting here.”
Hernandez said they do their best to cross train in each other’s jobs at the station. “Lots of people here can do almost any job required at the station,” he said. “We have seamen and machinery technicians that want to become coxswains, and we have boatswain’s mates who work with our engineers if they need help with a project.”
When they aren’t actively working, Coast Guardsmen on the base engage in sports, often competing with teams from different units. The station crew says they enjoy heated ultimate frisbee showdowns with the rescue swimmer shop, and basketball games against the MH-60 Jayhawk team from the air station. That recreational competition keeps the healthy rivalry alive and thriving in a service of the same status.
A student at the Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, plunges from an Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter into the Pasquotank River, Feb. 14, 2017. Four aviation survival technician (AST) A school students at ATTC graduated and became ASTs Feb. 17, 2017. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn)
“This station is very unique to the Coast Guard,” said Talys. “Being co-located with Air Station Elizabeth City gives us direct insight into all the hard work and training the flight crews conduct every day.”
Seaman Nina Bowen shows some love to Chief Bert, Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina’s mascot, near the boathouse at the station Feb. 17, 2017. Chief Bert is a retired explosive detection dog who worked for six years with the Maritime Safety and Security Team in Gavelston, Texas. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn)
The intersection of Shallotte Inlet and the Waterway has been an infamous Problem Stretch for years, but this report from experienced cruiser, Roger Long, holds promise for a safe Spring Migration.
I’ve made these passages [Shallotte and Lockwoods Folly] 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.
We went through Shallotte and never saw less than 5 feet by nearly leaving paint on the first red buoy, R 82. It might have been more difficult with another foot of tide as we wouldn’t have had the bare sandbanks for an additional guide.
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.
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
SSECN is proud to be an associate of Brad Pickle as well as a supporting member of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association whose efforts toward improving navigation conditions in the Waterway are invaluable.
NEWS From BoatUS Boat Owners Association of The United States 880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria VA 22304
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
(L to R) Brad Pickle, Executive Director, AIWA; David Kennedy, Manager, BoatUS Government Affairs; Mark Crosley, Chairman of the Board, AIWA, and Executive Director, Florida Inland Navigation District
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association Campaigns for the 1100-Mile Waterway on Capitol Hill
Hazardous shoaling reduces depth to less than 5 feet in several sections
WASHINGTON, DC, March 13, 2017 – The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the famed 1100-plus mile coastal waterway stretching from Norfolk, Virginia to Miami, Florida, is getting “thin.” Shoaling has created hazardous conditions in some areas with depths reported less than 5 feet – which reflects a remarkable 7 feet of water depth lost in the waterway’s authorized minimum depth of 12 feet. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association (AIWA), a waterways interest group, recently gathered in Washington, DC, to ensure the Department of Transportation-designated marine highway M-95 is a top priority for Congress and the Trump Administration.
AIWA members are requesting legislators allocate $50 million for additional dredging needs to come from within the US Army Corps of Engineers operating and maintenance budget. AIWA members also pressed the case for continued allocations for operations and maintenance of navigation projects.
An estimated 13,000 recreational boaters, or “snowbirds,” make the annual boating migration from the Northeast to Florida each year, averaging $300 per day in spending supporting small-business jobs along the way. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), a charter member of the AIWA, has concerns about boaters potentially forced to take more hazardous offshore routes due to ICW shoaling. BoatUS’s on-water TowBoatUS towing responders in South Carolina and Georgia report shoaling to be an on-going issue in some locations.
“The waterway is critical US infrastructure and important to recreational boaters,” said David Kennedy, Manager of BoatUS Government Affairs. “We vigorously support efforts to improve navigation and waterway access.”
Brad Pickel, executive director of AIWA, said, “We appreciate the high level of support by the Congressional delegation along the entire waterway. We look forward to ongoing investments in Marine Highway 95 as part of the infrastructure and jobs focus in the new administration.”
Additional AIWA members include the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association, Florida Inland Navigation District, Waterways Journal, and the National Marine Manufacturers Association, as well as state and local agencies, marinas and commercial shipping businesses, tourism groups, publications, associations, dredging companies and tug and maritime businesses. For more information about the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association visit atlanticintracoastal.org.
This report of shoaling at Marker #162A in Snow’s Cut comes from Robert Sherer’s Cruising Down the ICW 2017 blog, March 12, 2017. Snows Cut is a 1.5 mile cut connecting Cape Fear River with the east coast Waterway at Carolina Beach.
Our thanks to David Grimes for this warning via WWAY TV3. Our most recent Nav Alert on the perennial shoaling at Mason Inlet is from July of 2016, see /158529.
Dozens of boats running aground near Mason’s Inlet. David Grimes
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, hoists a man from a sinking boat 140 miles from Wilmington, North Ca
Editors’ Note: Click on image to view the video.
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Coast Guard rescued a 52-year-old man from a sinking boat 140 miles from Wilmington Saturday.
Fifth Coast Guard District watchstanders were alerted at 6:32 p.m. that the man had used his SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger to notify the International Emergency Response Center that his 32-foot Pearson sailboat Great Peace was taking on water and sinking.
An HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, launched to assist. Upon arriving on scene, the Jayhawk crew hoisted the man from the sailboat, then transported him back to Air Station Elizabeth City.
“The more prepared boaters are, the easier our job becomes when they need our assistance,” said Coast Guard Lt. Daniel Reilly, pilot of the Jayhawk helicopter crew. “Because this individual was well-prepared and utilized his satellite GPS messenger right away, we were able to get to him in time.”
Despite good charted depths in the eastern waters of the inlet, the constant channel shifting and shoaling in the western portion make Ocracoke Inlet very dangerous without very specific local knowledge. This article should serve as a warning to prudent navigators!
COAST GUARD RESCUES 3 OFF YACHT IN OCRACOKE INLET, NC ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — The Coast Guard hoisted two men and one woman Thursday from a motor yacht in the Ocracoke Inlet.
In the book (not the movie) The Hunt for Red October a Soviet nuclear submarine enters Pamlico Sound through Okracoke Inlet. I guess literary license was used!
This 84 mile stretch of the North Carolina Waterway is regularly at risk of shoaling. All of the locations listed in this report by the USCG are designated as SSECN Problem Stretches or as Navigation Alerts. The chartview for Browns Inlet is shown and the remaining three chartviews may be opened by entering the specific mile in the St.M.Lat/Lon Widget found in the blue tool bar of our Homepage.
Coast Guard notifies mariners of AICW shoaling in NC WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard is notifying mariners Saturday about several areas on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) in North Carolina where shoaling poses a hazard to navigation. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REPORT
This is sad news for cruisers hoping to navigate this historic and beautiful canal next year. It is also bad news for the community of SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Elizabeth City, whose citizens have always gone the extra mile to make transient canal cruisers welcome. Affected, too, will be Dismal Swamp State Park Welcome Center whose staff has welcomed boaters from around the world as they transited the canal. Our thanks to Donna Stewart, Director of the Welcome Center, for keeping us all updated on conditions in the canal during this post-Matthew time. PLEASE NOTE that the Dismal Swamp State Park, also a SSECN SPONSOR, is still open to the public and easily accessible by car. See /161350.
NORFOLK, Va. — Officials at the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have announced that the Dismal Swamp Canal will be closed indefinitely. The canal, which was closed due to extensive damage from Hurricane Matthew in October, requires dredging, debris and tree removal, and an investigation into reports of shoaling at various locations in the canal.
The Norfolk District derrick boat Elizabeth has been working since October to clear debris from the waterway. The canal must be clear for engineers to perform a survey and assess the shoaling.
The storm also damaged Lake Drummond Reservation facilities, which are also closed and need repairs.
District officials have requested federal funds to assist with storm-related work.
Previously scheduled work to refurbish the Deep Creek Lock river gates will begin in the first week of January and will last approximately 75 days. The gate work is regularly scheduled maintenance and occurs about every 15 years. During gate refurbishment, the crew of the Elizabeth will continue to remove debris from the canal.
Vessels transiting the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway during the closure may use the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal. The controlling depth of the canal is 12 feet. The lock and bridge have operating staff on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The North Landing Bridge on the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal opens every hour and half-hour, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. On-demand openings are provided for commercial traffic as needed, and for private vessels after 7 p.m. North Landing Bridge operators can be reached at 757-482-3081, and will monitor marine radio channel 13.
The Dismal Swamp Canal was completed in 1805 and is the oldest continually operating, hand-dug waterway in the United States. It is part of the Intracoastal Waterway connecting the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia with the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina.
Kerry L. Solan Public Affairs Norfolk District, USACE Desk 757-201-7258 kerry.l.solan@usace.army.mil http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/
Is there anything that cruisers can do to help with the canal re-opening. Letters, petitions, donations. I have transited the canal 25 to 30 times, this would be a terrible loss. Put information ou t on all cruiser nets a nd active captain.
Elizabeth City, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, located at the southern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal Route, and the friendliest-to-boaters community on the Waterway, continues its calendar of exciting events! And we hope that soon, the flood waters from Matthew will have receded and the canal will be re-opened.
Experience Southern Hospitality On The Holiday Home Tour
Even with government warnings like this Local Notice from earlier this year, /156571, groundings are very possible in the constantly shoaling New River Inlet.
WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard rescued four men from a boat in New River Inlet, North Carolina, Sunday. Sector North Carolina watchstanders in Wilmington were notified that a 27-foot boat ran aground and was taking on water near New River Inlet, at around 5 p.m. An MH-60 helicopter crew launched and arrived on scene at approximately 7 p.m. It was reported one passenger experienced chest pains while Coast Guard air crews were en route. The four men were hoisted and transferred to Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina where they were met by awaiting EMS.
During Hurricane Matthew, the Dismal Swamp Canal and Locks sustained significant damage in the form of shoaling, fallen trees and other submerged debris leaving the Canal closed to navigation. While the Canal is still closed, the Dismal Swamp State Park is managing to maintain a schedule of public activities, see /161350. Our thanks to William Spaur for this photo of shoaling in the Canal.
One of many deposits left by the floods. William Spaur
The Waterway south of St. James Plantation Marina is a long narrow channel leading into the Lockwoods Folly Problem Stretch that requires keeping an eye on your depth finder. Our thanks to Michael Levy for this report.
Near St James Marina (STM 315-319) – again low tide – I stayed mid channel and had 10’+ 200 yards west of St James – I stayed close to G29, did the wide term between R46A and R46B, kept away from G47 and stayed close to R48…again 10’+ minimum through here. Michael Levy
Oriental is home to two SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSORS, Oriental Marina and Nautical Wheelers! and the Christmas Flotilla is the perfect start for the Holiday Season.
Christmas Flotilla in Oriental There will be a Christmas flotilla as part of the 2016 annual Oriental Spirit of Christmas festivities. Boats will rendezvous at Oriental marker “1” at 1645 on Saturday, December 10th and proceed on a prescribed route. Those participating and desiring a reserved slip at the free town dock will be provided one on a first to register basis. This dock will be reserved from Friday noon until Sunday noon. A limited amount of electricity will be provided at this dock for lighting only. We will also have free overflow slips available throughout Oriental for participating out of area or out of town boaters. Please contact Joe Valinoti via email at joesail1@gmail.com for the entry form and flotilla instructions including slip assignments. Joe Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Oriental Marina
Intracoastal Yacht Sales, a long-time SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, offers full service brokerage representation from three locations, Wrightsville Beach, NC, Little River, SC and Charleston, SC. You will want to see these new offerings!
Wind and tide play havoc with air clearances during flooding, so it is difficult to determine current heights at any fixed bridge between Virginia and FLorida. The Socastee Bridge at Mile 372 is improving, slowly returning to its full charted 64ft.
If you encounter less-than-charted heights, let us relay that information to your fellow tall-masted cruisers!
Bridge Clearances at high tide from Nixons Crossing through the cut in Myrtle Beach Cruising News. We have had bridge clearance issues all the way down to Southport, with clearances at 63- at high tide in most places. Hoping this does not continue… Can we get a report on this stretch from others who have gone through today or tomorrow morning? Thanks! Brad Geddes
These photos are from a recent food festival enjoyed at SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Port City Marina. All proceeds went to Food Bank. There is also a photo of ROCKIT, a 200ft Fed Ship recently docked at Port City Marina, located along the eastern banks of the Cape Fear River, in the heart of downtown Wilmington, NC.
Once again Carolina Yacht Service, Zimmerman Marine and Southport Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, are teaming up to offer FREE weather and navigation daily briefings for the Fall Migration. A big thank you to these hard-working folks!
Weather and Navigation Briefs at the Southport Marina Dock for Fall 2016 Announcement Back by popular demand! Celebrating our third year offering this free, one of a kind service. Headed south through Southport, NC this fall? The two things we hear most in discussions amongst cruisers are concerns for coastal weather, winds and seas and navigation issues on the ICW. Well Southport Marina, in historic Southport NC, decided to do something about it. Teaming with Carolina Yacht Care (cYc) and Zimmerman Marine, Southport Marina invites you to join them during the Fall 2016 transient season for daily “Weather and Navigation Briefs on the Dock” – geared towards transiting boaters. These informal discussions are an opportunity for you to join fellow cruisers at the end of the day for a presentation and interactive discussion on weather and navigation issues for the next leg of your journey. Retired US Navy meteorologist, cruising sailor and owner of Carolina Yacht Care – Hank Pomeranz, hosts the daily discussions. Hank will review the current National Weather Service advisories, watches and warnings, analyses and forecast charts and discuss the resultant forecasts for winds and seas, precipitation, temperatures, fog and severe weather potential for the Carolina coast north of Southport. On the ICW navigation side, Hank will draw from the US Army Corps of Engineers surveys, USCG Notices to Mariners, recent fellow cruiser postings in cooperation with Salty Southeast Cruiser’s Net, The Waterway Guide, ActiveCaptain and local knowledge. And, you won’t have to memorize everything presented. They’ll have handouts you can take back to your boat and review at your leisure. Briefings will be held daily at 6PM through 15 December 2016 at the marina docks. Daily “Weather and Navigation Briefs at the Dock”: yet another great reason to stop and stay with us at Southport Marina.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Mason Inlet.
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