If you are still looking for a personalized gift for that special boater friend, try Cape Hatteras Marine
We just launched this Thanksgiving Sales Event. Sale ends Nov. 30 I enjoy receiving the Cruisers net updates. I thought maybe you would like to share this sale with your readers. Thank you and have a Happy Holiday Season.
David Dudgeon
Cape Hatteras Marine
Cruising Outpost Magazine
davidadudgeon@aol.com
949-574-4111 office
231-670-5076 cell
This question is unusual, not because of Skipper Aigeltinger’s concern for Waterway depths, but because of his vessel’s 7ft 3inch draft. Whether that draft is fin keel or full keel, that is a lot of draft with which to confront the shallow spots in North Carolina. He has access to our listing of NC Problem Stretches, but is asking for your input into his decision to attempt the ICW from Norfolk to Beaufort, NC, which, fortunately for him, is north of all the Inlet/ICW intersections further south.
I am considering delivering a 44 ft sailboat from the Chesapeake to Florida. Draft is 7 ft 3 in. Would like to know if anyone knows if it’s possible to get that from Norfolk to Beaufort in the ICW ? Or if anyone could direct me to a source for that info.
Thanks, Ed Aigeltinger
Note this praise for Argus:
The Argus soundings are really helpful. I followed ICW all the way from Norfolk to Beaufort, NC and it looks like the most questionable area is a few miles north of Beaufort. (That area just north of the Alligator River bridge where the channel takes a turn or two around some shoals has always been poorly marked. Have to be careful there but I think there’s plenty of water if you stay channel center.) The shallow area just north of Beaufort is at the south end of the Adams Creek Canal and as I recall that part is narrow and the markers are a little far apart making it a little difficult to stay in the channel. On the chart the Argus readings are shown to be out of the channel. So I wonder if the chart is wrong or if whoever did the Argus run missed the channel, hence the shallow readings there ?? Would appreciate any input from anyone re that. I plan to call Jarrett Bay Boatworks and Beaufort Docks and ask for some local knowledge. Would hate to run 199 miles from Norfolk and get 3-4 miles away only to not be able to get there. However, if the readings are right, the shallowest I see is just over 4 ft and the tidal range is about 3 ft so still might be able to skim through at high tide.
Thanks again for your help-Ed
Thanks to all for the info re the ICW depth from Norfolk to Beaufort, NC.
I also spoke with the dockmaster at Beaufort Docks and he assured me there was plenty of depth at Core Creek if one is careful to stay in the channel. It’s narrow there and the markers are a little far apart. Apparently the Argus boat was a little out of channel hence the readings down to 4 ft. Dockmaster also said he has a friend who comes down each year with 9 ft. He said to be careful to stay as close to center as possible in the Alligator River-Pungo River canal as his friend has hit some pretty hard stuff a little off center.
As you mention fixed bridge height is also a concern. Boat I may deliver is 62 ft to mast top and 65 ft to antenna top. (I brought a cat down once and rang almost every beam on the bridges with the antenna. A little nerve wracking.) So if anyone has or hears any local knowledge re bridge height problems I would certainly appreciate the info. I may try to do what I’ve done a few times in the past. Install a 4-5 ft long piece of 1×4 wood at the mast head going forward and then a vertical piece at the forward end that is about a foot higher than the highest solid part of the mast. One can then creep up to the first beam and if this ‘˜indicator’ goes under all is hopefully well. If not heavy reverse is in order.
Thanks again for the info and please keep me in mind if you hear anything else of importance.
Ed Aigeltinger
November 30:
Larry-
Thanks again for your help with ICW depth issue. I had no idea about the ARGUS ‘program’. Obviously with that kind of data in the laptop one could cruise the ICW from data point to data point. Really amazing stuff !
Thanks again,
Ed Aigeltinger
7’+ along the Coinjock or Virgina Cut route is certainly possible. Keep in mind that most of the route, save for Core Creek, near Beaufort, is not tidal, save for wind-driven tides. For that reason, you need to be certain that your air draft (masthead height) is no more than 63′. Not all “65′” bridges have the listed clearance, and there is no tide to help clearance.
We’ve traveled with a boat drawing close to 7′ 6″ who, last time I saw her, had made it as far south as at least the Waccamaw River. We draw 6′ and, with attention to tides, made it to St. Simons Sound before going outside to Fernandina Beach, where we are at the moment.
This can be done. Take the Virginia Route. Be very careful just north of Allligator River Bridge, and go when it is not low water there. Just south of Core Creek Bridge, in Adams Creek, go at mid-tide or higher and stay carefully in the channel. Then head towards Morehead City harbor and double back to get into Beaufort.
I am of the belief that you should not have much trouble with th 7 03″ draft as far as Beaufort, NC I have travelled that portion of the icw with 8ft 2″ of draft from 2000 thru 2004 with a 456 B. Farther south you would have a lot of problems. I now travel that area with 411 B but only draw 5 ft. Best of luck.
Here is an interesting article on red tide which had a recent bloom in the Big Bend region of the Gulf, see /?p=144423.
FWC, partners unlock some mysteries behind red tide in 5-year study
Last month, researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) published new findings on Florida’s red tide organism, Karenia brevis, in a special issue of the scientific journal Harmful Algae. This publication is the culmination of an unprecedented collaboration on red tide research in the Gulf of Mexico led by the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) and funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
For more on this study, go to:
http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLFFWCC/bulletins/dbfa20
Our good friend, Mike Ahart, Editor of Waterway Guide, has written an excellent article on the wonderful practice of a number of marinas along the Intracoastal who offer a Thanksgiving dinner for weary cruisers. Mike has graciously allowed us to share that story with you:
A tradition since the first landing – Cruiser’s Thanksgiving
Thanks Mike!
This reminder comes to us from Skipper Rohrkemper who relates a bridge incident in which the bridge tender incorrectly stated that the clearance boards were reading the vertical clearance at the center of the span. USCG Officer Rousseau’s response is quite clear: clearance boards give the least vertical clearance available, normally found at the outer edge of the span, and charts indicate the maximum vertical clearance above MHHW at the center of the span. With a closed vertical clearance of 20ft, the Wrightsville Beach Bascule Bridge crosses the AICW at Statute Mile 283, southwest of marker #125.
Approaching the Wrightsville Beach/ S.R. 74 bridge southbound on 10/30/2014, at high tide at Masonboro Inlet, the clearance signboard read 14′. The bridge tender confirmed that the signboard was measuring clearance at the center of the span and not at the lower shoulders. A December, 2013 version of Chart 11541 lists the clearance as 20′ (at center). Was the bridge tender wrong? Tide was high but not 6′ above MHHW.
Paul Rohrkemper
Larry,
I have looked into the Wrightsville Beach question. The clearance boards are most likely reading correctly. The gauges show the vertical clearance of the bridge at the lowest point across the channel 13.5 feet at MHW (outer edges of channel). The Chart shows the clearance of the bridge at the center of the spans. We normally do not mark this clearance on the chart. It is normally what the clearance is at the lowest part of the bridge across the channel 13.5 feet at MHW. Probably at some point in the past it was requested to mark the center and highest point (This point would only be in that exact spot of the bridge). Legally the bridge owner still needs to show the clearance gauges for the lowest clearance across the channel. NCDOT is going to check to make sure the boards are reading correctly. Hope this clears up this question.
Regards,
Jim Rousseau
Bridge Program Manager
United States Coast Guard District 5
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Bridge Directory Listing For SR 74 Bridge
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of SR 74 Bridge
Ah, but when the water level cuts through the center of the digits, is it indicating 13′ or 12’6″? Some clearance boards have large index marks at the center of the digits, leading one to interpret mid-digit water level as the even-foot clearance. Some only have tiles with numbers: if I need 64 feet (for example), do I need the water to be at the bottom of the 64 tile, or at its center? Or does it vary?
Sorry if this is a duplicate–flakey connection.
Patricia Bennett, President of Bennett Brothers Yachts, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, has been honored in this article by Ellen Honey in Marina Life Magazine.
Women in Boating
INTERVIEWS OF WOMEN IN THE MARINE INDUSTRY
Written by Ellen Honey
Once a rarity in the marine industry, women now often play a central role, whether that’s at the wheelhouse, in the galley, or at the helm of the entire operation. Some arrived at their position via family, others through serendipity or determination, but they are all passionate about their boating careers.
PATRICIA BENNETT
President, Bennett Brothers Yachts
Patricia assumed full responsibility at Bennett Brothers Yachts and Cape Fear Marina in Wilmington, North Carolina, when her husband and partner, Paul Bennett, passed away in 2007.
Tricia is used to preparing for hurricanes, but nothing could have prepared her for the recession that swept the industry in 2008. Conservative by nature, she was able to survive and grow, and is optimistic about the current uptick in the marine industry. Customers aren’t just doing necessary mechanical repairs but are now redoing their hulls. Recent projects include repainting a 72-foot Marlow Explorer and the Wilmington Fire Department fireboat.
Tricia has no plans to slow down. She labels herself a `demanding leader’ who expects 110 percent from employees because, `I give 110 percent every day.’ Two of her four children are interested in helping her further develop and enhance the marina and boatyard, located in one of the fastest growing areas in the country. No doubt, this energetic woman will keep pace with the growth of her surroundings.
For more on this story, go to: http://www.marinalife.com/magazine/403-women-in-boating
Because of its shifting channel and the required frequent dredging, Green Only markers in the St. Augustine Inlet have sometimes been a source of confusion. This new lighted red marker will be a big improvement. Our thanks to Commissioner Jay Bliss for his Port Meeting report and to Chuck Baier and Susan Landry for the article below by Stuart Korfhage in the St. Augustine Record.
Selected proceedings at yesterday’s Oct 14 2014 Port meeting: USCG Chief Bosun Mike Tomasi reported our USCG has finally been able to allocate a Large LIGHTED RED channel marker #6 for the StAugustine Inlet channel. Until last Thursday, mariners entering our inlet at night had no red lighted markers, only green ones. Thus a few unintentional landings on Porpoise point over the years’¦.
Jay Bliss
New illuminated marker should make for safer boating in St. Augustine Inlet
Posted: November 5, 2014 – 10:54pm
By STUART KORFHAGE
stuart.korfhage@staugustine.com
Master mariners might still use the stars to chart their course, but boaters slipping through the St. Augustine Inlet at night now have an even better aid.
Last month, at the urging of the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District, the U.S. Coast Guard added a lighted red buoy (No. 6) to keep boaters from accidentally running aground at Porpoise Point.
There are already reflective red markers and lighted green markers that show boaters the safest way to enter the Inlet. But without the illuminated red marker, night trips by those unfamiliar with the area have led to costly failures to navigate the Inlet.
`The Inlet is not a good inlet to go in and out of without local knowledge, and it’s more challenging at night,’ said Sam Adukiewicz, harbormaster at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. `The new marker will definitely make it better.’
Commissioner Jay Bliss of the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District said one of the dangers of the old setup was that captains would sometimes line up between the green markers of the Inlet and illuminated marker No. 60.
The problem with red No. 60 is that it’s actually in the Intracoastal Waterway, not the Inlet. And lining up with the Inlet greens and the ICW No. 60 will put a boat right into the sand.
`You see green on the left, and on the right side you don’t see squat at night,’ Bliss said of entering the Inlet before the new marker. `A lot of people have wound up landing at Porpoise Point, and it’s been a pretty tricky maneuver.’
For more of the article, see: http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2014-11-05/new-illuminated-marker-should-make-safer-boating-st-augustine-inlet#.VFvT_vnF9Ko
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of St. Augustine Inlet
This report from Peg and Jim Healy confirms other recent reports of shallow water through this perennial Problem Stretch (/?p=145005). SSECN’s recommendation of a mid to high tide passage is still valid!
Sanctuary and crew came southbound through McClellanville, SC between 11h45 – 12h15 yesterday, Monday, November 3, 2014. Our Garmin Tide Almanac and Tides and Currents Android app showed us at +1′ on the rising tide.
Based on what we saw, there could be areas less than 4′ at MLLW, and certainly during periods of celestial (spring) lows. Cruiser’s must be attentive through this area.
Details: from G’35’ all the way through, and 1/2 mile south of, R’40’, we saw depths of 6′ or less, and we saw two spots of less than 5′. I do not have a recommended path through the area. We proceeded slowly, and slightly drifted back and forth across the centerline of the channel looking for best depths, but we didn’t find anything that would be helpful to pass along. It seems to be a lumpy, mud bottom.
At low tide, this area will be difficult for deep draft boats. I would say this is very much like the Little Mud River as a significant trouble spot on the A-ICW, except it’s longer than the Little Mud River (or seemed so).
We also saw a sailboat aground at Dewees Creek, but that was a nav error, as he was definitely out of the channel.
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary
http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com
Monk 36 Hull #132
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
We came through this area in mid July, 2014 and found very shallow water as well. Of course it was dead low tide so that would make a difference. We anchored for the night in Awendaw Creek (a great anchorage) and had more water the next morning. We only draw 3 1/2 feet so we didn’t hit bottom still, it’s a bit stressful hearing the alarm sounding every few minutes.
Our thanks to the Skippers Healy for their report from this Problem Stretch. The 2.5ft depths referred to came to us in September of 2013 from Mark and Diana Doyle (/?p=122644), so it is possible that shoals have shifted since that time. However, as recent as May of this year, there have been groundings reported at Marker #117 (/?p=141177). No dredging has been done through this section. If you draw 5ft or less, Skipper Healy’s depth readings are good news, but slow and cautious is still a good recommendation.
Sanctuary and crew came through Mt. Pleasant southbound (Isle of Palms to the Ben Sawyer Bridge) between 13h15 – 13h40 yesterday, Monday, November 3, 2014. Our Garmin Tide Almanac and our “Tides and Currents” Android app reported +2.8 ft at 13h15.
Summary: Slightly favor red, control depth at +2.8 ft was about 8 ft, so no worse than 5.2 ft at MLLW.
Details: (Southbound)
G’117’ – 18′ mid channel
Mt. Pleasant Bridge – 12.1′ mid span
R’118’ – 11.6′ mid channel
Swinton Creek – 8.1′ mid channel
G’117A’ – 9.7′ mid channel
Coneh Creek – 8.4′ favor red
G’119’/Inlet Creek – 8.2′ favor red
G’121’ – 10′ favor red
It seems to me I have seen reports of 2.5′ at MLLW, but on the path we followed, that would not have been the case.
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, southbound at Charleston, SC
http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com
Monk 36 Hull #132
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
A common problem along this stretch is the side currents, especially at Inlet Creek. The current can quickly set the boat out of the deeper water without notice if someone isn’t looking both ahead and astern to be sure the boat is still in the channel. Looking only ahead will give the impression that you are still in the channel when in actuality, the boat has been pushed into shallow water. Chuck and Susan, Trawler Beach House
My family has been vacationing in Fernandina for more than 50 years and it gets better every year, as Skipper Dammeyer confirms with his discovery of a great bakery. And a berth at Fernandina Harbor Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, puts you right in the heart of the wonderful things to do and see in this special port.
Larry,
Just made a great find. The favorite bakery of passing cruisers up Center Street closed a couple of years ago, but a new one just opened 4th of July in Fernandina. Nana Teresa’s Bake Shop had lots of treats and sweets. Open from 10-7, and located at the corner of 5th and Ash, one block South of Center street, around the corner from the court house. The crew at Timoti’s Fish Shop sent us over there for desert. Cruisers with a sweet tooth stopping at Fernandina will find it worth the walk from the marina.
Best,
Rick Dammeyer
Promise
Catalina 445
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Fernandina Harbor Marina
This is a great town served by a great marina and staff. We always stay at Fernandina Beach Marina when traveling the AICW. It is the Annapolis of Florida and the Beaufort SC of Florida too. LOVE IT and glad to have another reason to stop in and visit the new bakery.
Fernandina Beach is one of our favorites places to stop on the way south. Stayed one year for five months. Will look for the bakery shop. My favorite place in Fernandina — O’Kanes Irish Pub — closed down last year. Best Irish bar anywhere.
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