More Shallow Water Reported at Hell Gate, AICW Problem Stretch, Statute Mile 602
The AICW follows the short and narrow, man-made canal known as Hell Gate between the Vernon and Ogeechee Rivers. These waters have been an “AICW Problem Stretch” for years and mid to high tide is recommended for vessels drawing 5ft or more.
SSECN is glad to hear that Skipper Dammeyer and our friends, the Salemnos, stopped at Sunbury Crab Company Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! which lies along the western shores of the Medway River, on the charted Sunbury Channel, north of Dickinson Creek
Larry,
We passed through Hell Gate this morning about 2 1/2 hours after low. Favoring green 89 by about a boat length we saw 6 1/2 to 7′ for just a few yards and then the water deepened again. On the way in I tried to cut behind the shoal at the Northern approach as marked on the chart, but the water went to 8′ and less, so I turned around,
went back to the river and made the turn just before the north green in plenty of water. This seemed to be consistent
with what boats in front of me were reporting.
Rick
PS we just tied up with Carmen and Cathy at Sunbury Crab.
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For Hell Gate
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Comments from Cruisers (1)
Sanctuary and crew came through Hell Gate yesterday, 11/6/2014, at 06h30. The chart plotter almanac said we were at +8.4 ft on a +9.1 ft tide. The tidal range was a celestial range around the full moon.
On both sides of G”89” in the cut, we saw depths of 11.4 ft. At MLLW, that would be 3.0 ft. Yesterday with negative spring tide, it would have been only 2 ft.
We did not do the Little Mud complex as we would have arrived there at low tide. Instead, we went out at St. Catherine’s Sound and came back in at St. Simons Sound. To avoid the shoaling on the shelf, we ran about 6 miles offshore in acceptable seas of 2’ – 3’. It was a good alternative of 64 StM, and put us in Brunswick at 15h30. Fuel at Ocean Petroleum is $3.04 per gallon, including tax.
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, southbound at Brunswick, GA
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