On Sun, 5 Oct 2008 19:05:53 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

One would never wish to go aground
on the Cape Fear shoals. It could cost you your boat. Not that they are hard
or rocky or anything like that but there's currents and tides thunder storms
and not much civilization or assistance around.

That's all true but the channel is well marked with a couple of large
buoys that are exactly where the chart shows them to be. We've been
through there twice at night and had no problem. Adverse current
inside is about half that of going around the end, it's about 20 miles
shorter, and they've got nearly perfect weather tonight. Winds are
aft from the NE at 10 to 12 and seas are less than 3 ft, about as good
as it gets.

I'd definitely go outside in high winds or adverse visibility however.