Cruisers' Net | Cruisers Helping Cruisers

Jul 31, 2013by: Claiborne Young No Comments
Important – Shoaling WORSENS on Southwestern End of the AICW/Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff Prolem Stretch (Statute Mile 517)
On 7/28/13 (a weekend no less), the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net received a telephone call from Captain Mike Verdolini, (Civil Engineering Technician, Navigation Branch, South Atlantic Charleston), at the Charleston, SC branch of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Captain Mike informed us that the Corps had just finished an official survey of the AICW from Charleston, SC to Beaufort. Two patches of severe shoaling had turned up, which he thought (quite rightly) should be brought to the IMMEDIATE ATTENTION of the cruising community.
By the way, before going further, let me just say how honored we are that the US Army Corps of Engineers turned to the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net as their FIRST MEANS to get this important information into the hands of cruising captains.
One patch of NEW shoaling appeared at the NORTHEASTERN tip of the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff, near marker #177. We have put up a separate posting/Navigational Alert, about these shallows at /?p=119918.
The other area of concern appeared on our old friend, the “AICW Problem Stretch,” at the southwestern tip of the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff (Statute Mile 517), between markers #180 and #185.
As you will see in the below graphic, supplied to the SSECN by the USACOE, low water depths on the southern-southeastern side of the channel, from the interior reaches of the Ashepoo – Coosaw Cutoff, to a point southwest of marker #185, run from 5.6 to as little as 2.6 feet. SOMEWHAT BETTER DEPTHS CAN BE MAINTAINED BY FAVORING THE NORTHERN AND NORTHWESTERN SIDES OF THE CHANNEL, but even with this plan of action, low water depths of as little as 4.7 feet are quite possible.
WE NOW STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT ALL CRUISERS WHO PILOT VESSELS DRAWING MORE THAN 3 FEET, TIME THEIR PASSAGE OF THE AICW/ASHEPOO COOSAW CUTOFF STRICTLY FOR TIMES OF MID TO (PREFERABLY) HIGH TIDE!
WE ASK THE HELP OF THE CRUISING COMMUNITY TO HELP US DISTRIBUTE THIS VITAL INFORMATION TO OUR FELLOW CRUISERS. If you belong to other nautical lists or forums, please direct members of such associations to this posting at /?p=120036. Both year round Palmetto State cruisers, and those cruising south on the AICW this fall, need to be well aware of this new hazard long before they actually arrive on these waters.
The entire Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net team promises to keep a very CLOSE EYE on this developing situation as we move into the fall, 2013 transient season. We will bring you fresh info just as soon as it is available. In the meantime, everyone take care on these waters, and, again, please let us hear about your experiences at #177!!!!

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Sir,
In response to your call for feedback from cruisers who recently traversed the Ashepoo Coosaw cutoff:On Monday, 24 June 2013, I traversed this area southbound at dead low tide. I encountered very shallow water, around 3.5 feet, all the way from marker 180 to 185. My sailboat with a wing keel is aground when my sounder reads 4.3 feet, but the bottom seemed to be soft mud and I was able to plow through it, although at severely reduced speed because of the viscosity. (I had increased the engine speed to maximum rpm.) My position was the “magenta line” which travels down the middle of the cut in this area. Having passed marker 185 and into the Coosaw River, the water deepened and I was out of trouble. The tide tables predicted water depths to be 1 foot below mean low tide on this day.
Peter Denoncourt
S/V Kite
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Jun 18, 2012by: Claiborne Young No Comments 32.5363,-80.59549999
Important – Foul Bottom on Wimbee Creek Anchorage, near AICW Statute Mile 523, 6/18/12

View In Chartview

After following the mostly sheltered waters of the AICW running south from Charleston, while cruising to Beaufort, South Carolina, cruisers might well be excused when they exit the southwesterly entrance of the Ashepoo – Coosaw Cutoff, for gasping just a bit at the wide swath of open waters which spread out before them. This mighty body of water is the Coosaw River, which the AICW follows mostly west to the northern entrance of Brickyard Creek (thence south to Beaufort).
Our very good friends, Captains Mark and Diana Doyle, have obviously explored these waters themselves over the past couple of decades while researching their superb “Managing the Waterway” series of guide books.
As you will read below, one stream where they had dropped the hook before was Wimbee Creek. This stream cuts off from the Bull River, which itself makes into the Coosaw’s northern flank near Statute Mile 521 (see chart to the above right). HOWEVER A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE GREETED OUR EXPERIENCED CRUISING DUO ON THIS OCCASION!
As you will read below, Diana and Mark discovered the hard way that a portion of Wimbee Creek has a very foul bottom. Farther upstream (see below), it’s apparently safe (or at least “safer”) to drop the hook, but the creek’s waters, southeast of charted “Chisolm,” where chart 11518 shows a sounding of “11” feet, are definitely off limits!
The SSECN is declaring a Navigational Alert for these waters!
Hi Claiborne,
On June 10, 2012, we anchored in Wimbee Creek, a popular anchorage off Bull River, running north of the Coosaw River in South Carolina. In 13 feet (MLLW) we deployed a Bruce anchor with 120′ of chain, compensating for the expected additional 7 feet of tide in this area. Like nearly all our surveyed anchorages in Georgia and southern South Carolina, we anticipated high current.
Unfortunately, within a few hours our ground tackle started behaving abnormally. At first we attributed it to opposing wind and current, but it was soon apparent something more serious and unusual was occurring.
The wind continued to climb and thunderstorms could be seen advancing so we decided to retrieve the anchor and re-set. We were stopped short at about 60 feet of chain’”in 13 feet of water’”stuck on something so large that any attempts by the windlass or by “running over” the anchor merely pulled our bow down!
We were stuck, short-scoped, with strong thunderstorm activity predicted throughout the night, but with no choice but to wait for TowboatU.S. to bring a diver the next morning.
We payed back out the recovered 60 feet of chain and spent an uncomfortable night.
Roy Stegall, a cruiser on s/v Gideon who works part-time for TowboatU.S. Port Royal, and Gene Clark, an experienced diver, arrived on the scene at 0745 hrs. the next morning. It took Gene a couple of hours of blind handwork in the tannic, murky high current to get control of the situation.
His report from down-under: A wide area of huge “rocks”‘”which we later determined were likely dumped construction debris from an old foundation’”covered the mud bottom. Some of the chunks were half the size of the TowBoatU.S. vessel! As the strong winds and currents continuously shifted, our chain had actually been pulled UNDER one of these huge boulders, requiring a rolling hitch and hard horizontal yank using the TowBoatU.S. vessel to pop it free.
This was no ordinary anchor-fouling. The anchor was free and about 20 feet from the boulder. This was a chain-fouling!
A resident yelled out from his dock that a nearby trawler, anchored further up the creek on what looked like a back-up nylon rode, had just lost its anchor and chain in the same area and was waiting to try to locate it.
So this area is a serious hazard and has claimed at least two boats.
The problem site is south of the center of Wimbee Creek, off the second residential dock. Do not anchor anywhere near the first through third docks. Instead, proceed further up the creek, and stay well off the shore.
The chartlet below shows our new anchored position, the fouled area, and the depths (and tides) we read thoughout this anchorage.
Our heartfelt thanks to the excellent team at TowBoatU.S. Port Royal for safely turning around what could have been an even worse situation!
Best and see you On the Water,
Captains Mark & Diana Doyle
http://www.OnTheWaterChartGuides.com
Not To Be Used For Navigation

Did I luck out! Two years ago, I anchored in that exact same spot (well, obviously, not exactly the same; I’d still be there).
Donovan
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position on Wimbee Creek, Southeast of Chisolm
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Jan 23, 2012by: Larry Dorminy No Comments
More on Shoaling in AICW – Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff Problem Stretch (Statute Mile 515)
With his 6.25 ft draft, Capt. Pascal keeps a very sharp eye on the Waterway’s trouble spots and we can rely on the accuracy of his reports and the depths recorded here coincide with earlier reports of 5.8 feet at dead low in this perennial “AICW Problem Stretch” south of Charleston, SC. Penny’s report of Jan 23 suggests that the channel is shifting with the renewed shoaling.
I found shoaling to have worsened significantly over the summer in the southern section between the Coosaw and Rock creek. I follow the exact same path and found depths to be almost 2 ft shallower than back in May. I had planned to arrive with 3′ of tides remaining and ended up squeaking by with just a ft under the wheels (6.25 draft). This is definitely a play-the-tide stretch for most and close to Lil Mud River level.
Everything else so far is pretty much unchanged since spring.
Here are my notes:
MM516 Ashepoo Coosaw Southern section, 6′ to 7′ MLW most of the way but some 4.5 to 5′ MLW spots just north of R184. This is down almost 2′ from this spring on the same line. Make sure you come in or exit the southern end of the cut at an angle as shown on the charts (by R184/G195).
A new can G177 has been added by the FL G 177 to mark the shoal.
Note that the northern section of the cut off bet R166 and R172 is no problem, over 12′ MLW.
Capt. Pascal Gademer
Cruising News:
Claiborne
Just came through the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff roughly two hours after high tide, +5.8′, and the lowest depth readings were 10.8′, suggesting there would be only 5′ at low. Looks like severe shoaling; suggest transiting with this in mind.
So far, in our transit south this year from Sandy Hook to Delray Beach, this is the first serious shoaling we encountered.
Mike Horowitz aboard ALTAIR
Just came through the Ashepoo Coosaw cutoff 3 times in the last 6 weeks. At the southern end near the Coosaw river, I saw 6 ft. at dead low tide. Favour the red side going south.
The other two times I came through at mid tide rising and had no trouble. My vessel draws 5 ft. Hope this helps.
Phil Mullins
Just cleared the Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff 1 hour after high tide with a 5 ft draft. Lowest water reported was 12 ft. near red 184. The new green can 177A is off station. Currently in the grass about 100 feet south of green day marker 177.
Dick White aboard M/V Emerald Lady
These updated reports are pretty accurate except showing even more shoaling as green markers 169 and 177 are standing in grass with 20-30 feet of sand/mud on the bank at just before low tide. Depth sounder went off more times than I care to count. stay exactly between R 184 and G 185 then hug south bank to avoid extending shoal just after before heading to R 186. Favoring red as mentioned in another report put us in the mud for a quick thrill.
Penny aboard Penelope
Click Here To View Another Recent Report from This Trouble Spot.
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For Ashepoo/Coosaw Cutoff
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
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Oct 27, 2011by: Larry Dorminy No Comments
Log of the Palmetto Moon: Isle of Palms to Port Royal
Palmetto Moon with Jim, Su and Lazy Cat Alex have just traveled from Georgetown, SC To Brunswick, Ga. Palmetto Moon cruises at 8.5 MPH and draws 4.5 ft. Here are the issues and observations of their travels:
2-Isle of Palms (MM-456.9) to Port Royal Landing (MM-539.5) We left 2.5 hours before low tide.
In the White Point area (MM-495-500) at low tide
Between R-110 and G-121 center of channel;
At G-111 – G-113 we saw 4 feet under us
At G-115 – G-117 we saw 3.5 feet under us
Running at just above Idle Speed stirred up a lot of mud/sand through most of the area from G-111 G-119
This info is what we experienced in our travels. As always you are the captain of your vessel and should use this as info only. Safe travels.
Palmetto Moon
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Apr 23, 2010by: Larry Dorminy No Comments
Bass Creek Anchorage (Statute Mile 521)
15 miles north of Beaufort and just to the east off the AICW via well-marked Parrot Creek, Bass Creek offers 8-13 feet depths for secure holding and the peace and quiet of South Carolina’s many marsh anchorages.
Currently anchored here with one other boat and it’s delightful. Being Chesapeake sailors, we initially found these open marsh anchorages less than desirable and then they began to grow on us. Not for nasty weather, but usually a nice breeze and the sounds of the marsh birds make for wonderful relaxation.
s/v MicMac
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Bass Creek Anchorage
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Nov 14, 2009by: Claiborne Young No Comments
Factory Creek Anchorage (Statute Mile 536.5)
The entrance to Factory Creek lies immediately north of the Ladys Island Swing Bridge in Beaufort, SC. This stream is also home to Ladys Island Marina. The anchorage is located upstream of this facility.
Be careful as you cruise from the AICW/Beaufort River into Factory Creek. Captain Emerson’s comments below and earlier reports here on the Cruisers’ Net indicate the channel is narrowing.
We got in on half tide without a problem but didn’t do quite so well leaving close to low tide. We draw 6′ and dragged a bit coming out, although it’s likely we were closer to G `1’³ than we should have been. Once past this area, however, there’s plenty of depth. The anchorage area is strung out along a moderately narrow channel that curves around over 90 deg. along its length. The current in the creek is significant but manageable. The real challenge the creek’s width. On one side are docks (private or marina) and on the other side is marsh. With roughly 15′ depths, a short scope isn’t likely, but over-doing can be a problem, too. We saw some boats riding to a Bahamian mooring (to limit swinging in current) and some (ourselves included) riding to one anchor. The bottom held well enough to allow riding on chain and a CQR in breezy conditions; the hook was hard to break out when it came time to leave. The trip from Factory Creek to the `day dock’ ramp area is long enough to make part of the trip on plane (but NOT in the No Wake areas!).
As mentioned, there are some derelict boats in the creek. We saw one, a motor boat, clearly on its way down. We called Ladys Island Marina to see if they knew about it. `Oh, that happens about twice a month. We worry if we don’t get called twice a month!’
Rick Emerson
Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Factory Creek
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Aug 7, 2009by: Claiborne Young No Comments
St. Helena Sound Inlet Channel (north of Beaufort, SC)
I must confess that after more than 30 years of cruising the South Carolina coastline, I’ve actually only traversed St. Helena Sound’s inlet on two occasions. And, my most recent passage is at least five years old. So, I’m glad Captains Bob and Janet chimed in with the very newsy and useful message below.
St. Helena Sound stretaches seaward from the AICW’s run through the Coosaw River. Often, I’ve seen shrimping trawlers working these waters, and they can be a very angelic sight while cruising along! Clearly, these commecial craft make use of the sound’s inlet, so, with the info below, perhaps cruisers can run this channel as well.
Hi, Claiborne
We never received a reply to our inquiry about the inlet channel through St. Helena Sound (just north of Beaufort, SC, at the mouth of the Coosaw River), but we’re happy to report that we had a very successful cruise through there last month on a several-day excursion from our home port in Beaufort to Charleston. The channel is well marked and was charted accurately on both our ICW chart book and our C-Map NT+ electronic chart of the area, with good water throughout — anywhere from around 12 to 25 feet at more or less mid-tide. The channel does have some tight bends in a couple of spots, so you have to pay attention, or you could find the bottom quickly, even a couple of miles offshore. The only downside to taking this route instead of the ICW route up to Charleston is that, surprisingly to us, running “outside” was longer for us in both distance and time than staying “inside” on the ICW (which we did on our return trip back to Beaufort). This is because you have to go at least 5 or 6 miles offshore to stay clear of shoals, whereas in the ICW, with the dredging that’s been done recently, you can now make very good time without the fear of going aground in mid-channel. We found the recent posts about shoaling to the south side of the intersection of the Dawho and North Edisto Rivers very helpful, and had no problems either there or at the junction of the Coosaw River and Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff, which had been a real problem as recently as last year. Hope this helps! Happy cruising.
Bob and Janet S.
M/V Harmony
Beaufort, SC
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