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We've gone offshore more this trip than at any time in the past. Of
course we were in the Hawk Channel going up the Keys, and we went from
Indian Key up to Miami in one shot (we are a very slow boat and it
took us 13 hours) and anchored after dark off Key Biscayne. We
usually take a couple of days to do this trip, but the weather was
going to be really nasty (and WAS really nasty) and it wouldn't have
made any difference going up the bay side - would still have been
nasty. The difference with the Hawk Channel side is there's no place
for us to go with 5' draft and 58.5' mast. We just have to anchor and
take it.

Then after we visited daughter SIL and grandchildren we went Miami to
Ft. Pierce, and again from the St. Mary's River to Charleston. This
took 27 hours and went OK but we arrived in dense fog.

After we visit son, DIL and grandchildren there, we went from
Charleston to the Cape Fear River. This avoids the Rockpile, and
Lockwood's Folly both plus the Sunset Beach bridge which is aground at
low tide. We were going to arrive at 3 am so we had to tack a bit to
slow down so that someone would be at the marina when we got there,
and this took us 23 hours.

We are considering offshore from Masonboro (where we are now - Saw 8.3
ft at Carolina Beach when the tide was almost high - 3.7 feet) to
Morehead City, but probably will not.


(muskrat) wrote:

Hi, Captain Rick,

Six feet on the ICW is always a risk, as you know, but I think you can
make it if you watch the tides.

Was last through Lockwoods in September while fleeing Hurricane
Isabelle and didn't have a problem. Granted I'm shallow draft, but I
don't recall any alarms going off. Shoaling there as well as at little
inlets from Sneads Ferry to Swansboro is definitely occurring, but the
tows and big shrimpers are passing by regularly and no doubt kicking
up the sand.

The secret will be to keep to the land side. In other words, go to
port at the first sign of trouble while heading north - especially
when traversing inlets - and even if this means getting uncomfortably
close to the west bank, and the coming spring tides should definitely
be an asset, as you already know.

The good news is that recent dredging projects just north of Camp
Lejeune, just south of Swansboro, and just south of Morehead have
removed problems there. My biggest worry would be, as always, the
stinking rock ledges between Barefoot Landing and Doc Holidays at
North Myrtle Beach.

Hope this helps, good sailing, and keep in touch.

Muskrat

grandma Rosalie