On 24 Jan 2006 07:32:59 -0800, "Capt. Mike"
wrote:

I'm considering sailing outside, around Cape Lookout, North Carolina
and offshore to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, this summer. I am
aware that the channel at Ocracoke Inlet is subject to constant
shoaling and pretty strong tidal currents, though, and wondered if
anyone who has made this passage might have some thoughts on the
advisability of going this way rather than back up through the ICW and
across the sound into Big Slough channel. Thanks.

Capt. Mike,

I have made that trip twice and I draw 6 feet. As has been suggested
by another poster, anchor in Lookout Bight before your trip. It is a
delightful anchorage. Dinghy over to the Cape Lookout lighthouse.
There is a small museum, nice sand beaches on the Bight side and the
ocean side. Very popular, but plenty of room to anchor. I don't
recommend taking your cruiser in close to the lighthouse; anchor out
and dinghy in.

Diamond Shoals are the shallows off of Cape Hatteras, not the ones off
of Cape Lookout. You really do not have to go out very far. There is
a bouy to round. In normal weather these shoals are not dangerous as
long as you have a current chart and do not rely exclusively on GPS.

The trip up to Ocracoke is a straight shot without any unusual dangers
or problems. Of course you will want to go when the wind is anywhere
other than from the north.

Ocracoke Inlet is another story. First of all, it is critical that
you pass through it at slack tide. My first passage from ocean to
sound was attempted at night with the tide ebbing, and I was
singlehanding. The current was very strong. Most important, and
dangerous, the tide does NOT follow the channel. It often runs across
sandbars and cuts straight across the channels. I overlooked an
unlighted bouy and got too close to the edge of the channel and the
tidal current swept me right out of the channel and pinned me up
against a sandbar. I could not move the boat and the current was
pushing me more and more up on the bank. I eventually had to call
TowBOAT/US.

The second time I made the passage was also at night. But this time
was at slack tide and I had two crewmates. In addition, I now knew
that there was a mix of lighted and unlighted bouys. One crewman
stayed on the bow with a spotlight locating the bouys. The other
crewman helped me keep track of the depth while I concentrated on
steering. We took it VERY slowly. Sometimes we only had a few INCHES
of water below the keel. It took us about two hours to just get
through the inlet. The next day while we were walking around Ocracoke
two locals sitting on the country store front porch declared that we
were crazy for coming it at night.

The inlet is very serpentine. You go in, then turn, then turn back,
then head back out, etc. If you try it during daylight, at slack
tide, in settled weather, you should be able to do it. Just take it
very slowly and be ready to stop and back up and try a different path.

There are no charts that I am aware of since the channel changes often
during a storm. Also, talking to the locals is not very helpful
either because it is pretty hard to describe all the turns and twists.
Past knowing what I have just shared with you, you are going to have
to do it yourself. Would recommend that you get the BOAT/US or SEA
TOW unlimited towing coverage before you do, however. :-)

Ocracoke is a delightful island community and well worth the trip.
There are National Park Service docks to which you can tie up just as
you come into Silver Lake, the protected body of water that the town
partially surrounds. There are marinas; the Anchor Inn, a hotel, has
a nice marina facility for transients. And you can anchor in Silver
Lake. I have been there at the height of the vacation season and had
no problem finding room to anchor. The bottom is mud so use your best
mud anchor and good scope. There is an official dinghy dock on one
side of the NPS docks.

The trip through Pamlico Sound is not quite as challenging and you can
stop almost anywhere along the way, get out of the channel, and anchor
for the night. And, there are lots of coves and bays etc. to visit in
and around the Sound. I would recommend exploring the Sound after you
have visited Ocracoke rather than taking that route to Ocracoke.

Have fun and a safe trip.

Lee Huddleston
s/v Truelove
on the hard at Bock Marine
Beaufort, NC