We’ve received a number of reliable reports of shoaling in the N. Edisto/Dawho Rivers intersection and now Larry Shick provides us with a specific location of his grounding near White Point (See Chart View link below). Slow and easy is the caution for this section.

The intersection of N Edisto River and the Dawho River (SM 497) in SC has been a problem in the past. E.g. there is a note in my copy of Skipper Bob (10th edition) about shoaling to the effect that “the bottom no longer resembles the chart!” I can vouch for that. We’re aground at 32-37.556N 080-16.750W (32°37.5560N / 080°16.7500W, 32.625933 / -80.279167) where my chart shows we should have had over 12′ at the time we ran aground at about +1′ tide.Captain Larry Shick aboard Moira, a Valiant 42Click Here To View An Earlier Post on N Edisto/ Dawho River IntersectionClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Intersection of N Edisto and Dawho Rivers

If MY Charmer drawing 6 1/4 feet can get through this area, we all can!

I went thru the Dawhoo river near high tide and it looks like shoaling on the northern end has not gotten worst. On the ICW line, the shallowest spots were 8′ MLW in the bend between R116 and R112 and a number of 7 1/2’s MLW between G111 and R110, again on the magenta line.
Captain Pascal aboard MY Charmer, 70′ Johnson, 6 1/4 draft

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of The Dawho River Section of the AICW Described Above

I used to recommend the anchorages on Rock Creek (on the AICW’s path between the Ashepoo and Coosaw Rivers) right and left. Then, about a year ago, we had a series of postings here on the Net, to the effect that a shoal had pretty much cut off easy access to the upstream havens I used to recommend. In Captain Jean’s superb report below, it looks as if she has found the way to avoid these shallows. and drop the hook safely on Rock Creek. That’s good news indeed, because if you are a cruiser who cherishes the feeling that every turn of the screw or puff of wind carries you a bit farther from the maddening crowd, the Rock Creek anchorages are for you. Just be SURE to follow Captain Jean’s navigational advice below when accessing these havens!

We anchored here 4-12-10 and remembered we had been here previously when the water suddenly got thin near the turn to the northeast (the last time we spent time on that shoal waiting for the tide to turn.) This time a quick turn to the west got us into 17 feet of water and once around the corner had no problem getting to where the creek turns north west and anchored there. Had a quiet night and no problem getting out in the morning. Just have to stay on the correct side of the creek!
Jean Thomason
(DOVEKIE)

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s South Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Rock Creek

Captain Lipton is responding below to an earlier report here on the Net, which described marker #186 as “missing.” Clearly, that problem has now been corrected, and it looks as if, at least so far, the 2009 dredging is holding depths on this perinneal “problem section” of the South Carolina AICW.

I came through here yesterday. Depths were around 8 ft. about 2 hours before low tide. Of course, we’ve had a lot of rain lately. Also the 186 marker is CLEARLY there. Mounted nice and high on a pole. You can’t miss it now!
Lois Lipton

The South Edisto River/Alligator Creek anchorage, described below, is a bit open. You can not actually cruise into the creek, due to shallow depths, but rather, cruisers should drop the off its mouth (in the river). On the other hand, if the weather cooperates, this can be a great place to spend an evening.

Dropped the hook off Alligator Creek on an ebbing tide, and glad I anchored off. There was no water in the creek at dead low tide. Watch your depth finder and guage how much water will be there at low tide before you drop the hook. Having said there, there is still a great deal room for boats that need 8 – 10 feet of water. Just don’t try the creek. Superb views, good mud bottom. My CQR held great in the currents. Just use the proper scope. Coming out the next morning, I decided to `eyeball’ Fields Cut before entering, and was very glad I did. Two tugboats entered the cut, one pulling a dredge, the other a quarter mile of pipe. There was a sailboat at anchor at the edge of the ICW, and he got many blasts from the horn of the lead tug. The anchorage designated in the illustration is very clear, and is a great spot.
HB Koerner

Stayed here the night of 5-3-10. We entered from the southern end at low tide lowest we saw was 5.5 ft/ Holding was good and had plenty of swing room for our 55′ fdmy. The dolphins kept us company in the evening and in the morning there was a bald eagle standing on the shoreline. We would anchor here again.
Captains Ron and Audrey aboard Lucky Girl

Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For Alligator Creek

The intersection of the Dawho, plus the eastern 1/3 of the AICW’s passage through the Dawho, has been infamous for shoaling, ever since I began researching the South Carolina poriton of the AICW, back in the 1980’s. There was some dredging done here in late 2008, and that is why these waters are not currently part of our “ICW Problem Stretches” list. That may have to change as this fall cruising progresses. Everyone please take maximum caution as you transit from the North Edisto to the Dawho, and everyone PLEASE send us more postings concerning the sounding you observe on these waters!

Subject: shoaling
Cruising News: Just an alert that at red marker 110 in SC going from Edisto into the Dawho River where the chart says 17ft of water on the SE side of the inlet near low tide there is NO water. We “discovered land” there and had to wait for tide to come back in….which we would have expected at low tide but did not expect in what was reported as 17 ft on the charts. It is also very shallow for a few miles south of that marker even inside the channel.
Sami and Barry Shreve

White Point (Dahwo/Edisto) MM497
Some spots at 6 1/2 MLW between R110 and the two green cans G 111 and G113. Since we had plenty of tide, i tried looking on either side of centerline but didn’t find anything better than that. same between G115 and R116, following the ICW line towards G115.
Pascal
Miami, fl

On 9/1/09, as part of a “South Carolina Wish List,” I posed the following question:

33. Has anyone encountered depth problems on the Dawho River portion of the AICW between markers #111 and #119? The Waterway uses the Dawho as a connector between the North and South Edisto Rivers. This stretch was dredged a few months ago, but shoals are sure to begin reappearing soon!

Responses follow:

Subject: North Edisto / Dawho River
Cruising News: South bound we essentially followed our magenta line and had good depths throughout. The magenta favored the red side of the channel. We passed 10 yards off 112, 50 yards of 111 and 113, turned a little early before 115 and favored the red side with 20 yards off 116. Good water all the way.
FL G 121 has southbound “12” sign missing. Easy to confuse until the green light is visible.
Dave on GB 46 At Last

Hi,
Came thru S.C. area today [10/13/09] between buoys 110 – 120 at dead low water and never saw less than 7 feet. This should relax followers.
Ed

On 9/1/09, as part of a “South Carolina Wish List,” I posed the following question:

38. Has anyone anchored on the waters of Rock Creek, north of the ICW’s leaving of this stream via the southern half of the Ashepoo – Coosaw Cutoff? Did you find these waters as beautiful and idyllic as this writer?

Responses follow:

We anchored there Nov 2008 in company with two other cruisers and had a beautiful evening.
James Lea
S/V Estelle

Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For Rock Creek

Personally, I have never tied up at the B&B Seafood dock overnight, but I certainly have purchased some EXCELLENT seafood there, and then anchored farther upstream on Mosquito Creek for the night.
There is a sunken shrimp trawler in Mosquito Creek between B&B, and the upstream anchorage, but I have always been able to carry at least 5 feet over the derelict.  Once, one of the locals told me not to worry about the sunken trawler, as it was marked by a float. When I checked out the creek's waters for myself, there were at least a hundred floats marking crab pots and fish traps. There was NO way to tell which marked the sunken vessel.

B & B Seafood House MM 513.5 ($1.25 a foot)
I stayed here a couple years ago and I talked to the Owner last week in case I had to stop there.  Some people, like me, tend to stay in a marina or at a dock in SC due to the tidal differences and the fact that single handing makes anchoring a little more  difficult if the weather is bad or the tides are running strong.  B&B is handy for those like me because it is halfway between Charleston and Beaufort.  Unfortunately they don't always answer their phone so many people pass this spot by.  This is a small floating dock, made up of several different size dock sections.  B&B has their own shrimp boat up forward on a fixed dock and they have a boat ramp forward of their shrimp boat.  At most they have room for 2 30 footers, if they share nicely.  If you are on your own in a 40 or so you will fit fine if no one else is there.  They have a little general store for the local area on site (Bennetts Point SC) which also sells locally caught seafood, usually shrimp, off season it is frozen.  This isn't your upscale marina it is a small working seafood dock in rural SC but please don't pass it bye just because it isn't fancy.  Keep to center when entering Mosquito Creek.  I would advise calling ahead several days ahead and the day of arrival just to make sure.  I had dockside power for my battery charge, 2 100 foot extensions cords!  Don't expect an attentive dockhand.  Current tends to push you onto the dock and definitely dock bow to the current it is swift.  When I docked there I docked like a tug to a moving ship: Power to the dock and cut power as I jumped on to secure a spring line!  Overnight or weather stays only not a destination you know.
Pat Banyas
Marguerite