Heading to SC for the Winter

If you can make 20 hour or greater runs...the outside route is the ticket 90% of the time...both the Delaware and Chesapeake bay are just as rough as the ocean when blowing North, Northwest or West...maybe even rougher because of opposing current.

Just know your limitations as far as fatigue...then plan accordingly. I would love to run outside to Norfolk every year but girlfriends family lives in Baltimore, I have friends in the area and her dog needs reasonable stops....so the inside route from Cape Mat to Norfolk is taken but not preferred by me unless you are taking time to enjoy and NOT trying to make time southbound.

Also for an inexpensive place to stay in the Myrtle Beach area..try Osprey Marina way at the southern reaches of Myrtle Beach..nice facility and inexpensive.

http://www.ospreymarina.com/

Ben said:

Alex -

Just some notes in random order for NC. I just did Oriental-Wrightsville 2 weeks ago.

Check active captain and cruisers.net for recent reports. There have historically been some reports about deadhead strikes in the Pungo.
I'd stop at Belhaven, they have recently remodeled their town docks and going full-court-press to attract cruisers.
Jarrett Bay, Morehead City Yacht Basin are good fuel stops - not because they are the absolute cheapest (Jarrett Bay may be) but because of the traffic they get, their fuel is the freshest.
New River Marina in Sneads Ferry is typically the cheapest and gets it's fair set of turns.
Look on Active Captain for a report of a sunken tank near Camp Lejeune. It's on the green side between #61 and #63. Go slow and stay red. I saw a barge stuck on it when I went by, observing it safely from the red.
Surf City Bridge - 12' clearance, opens only on the hour. It's a boring wait.
Wrightsville has some of the most expensive fuel. $0.50-$0.75 more than other locales.

Enjoy your trip!


Ben

Click to expand...

Ben,

Many thanks for the tips.

I actually read an article about 60'er sinking in 120 seconds after heatting a broken marker pole in Pungo. I guess, this is the area I'll be sure to go slow, if I hapen to go that route.

How do you get the reports from AC other than clicking on all the yellow icons?

psneeld said:

About half the trip there is really no tide...behind the Outer Banks everything is wind driven tide...past Beaufort, NC it's all shallow outside the channel but inside is fine for anything less than 5'. As Ben pointed out there's always the possibility of trash or new obstructions...pay attention to the live broadcasts the USCG makes every day and read up each day on a new cruising guide or Active Captain.

NJ ICW is wy shallower but still doable on the 3 hrs before and 3 hrs after high tide...at low tide there are spots a 4' draft vessel will drag...even in the middle.

Click to expand...

Great tips! Is there a way to subscribe to the email notifications from Active Captain and Cruisersnet.net? I've been using AC for years, but never saw a feature to subscribe for notifications.

I always have my VHF scanning 9, 13, 16 and 69. Are there more channels I should add for this trip?

Marlinmike said:

We have done the quick/delivery trip down from Long Island, Capemay, Norfolk, Coinjock and Beuford NC(sp?), then SC, then Florida. I will say the Capemay to Norfolk is a very long leg out in no mans land, if weather window is perfect for a day on either side very doable, if it turns there are not a lot of options, we went in July which affords better weather windows, if I was to do it now I would take the Chesepeake route down, just my gut feeling that's all.

Click to expand...

I was thinking that on my run between Cape May and Norfolk I'd be using Ocean City, MD as my shelter, in case if the weather turns bad. From there it's more of longer shot. However, when I was looking at the charts it looks like there are few options. Are any of these inlets should be avoided?

- Assawoman Inlet
- Gargathy Inlet
- Metompkin Inlet
- Wachapapreague Inlet
- Quinby Inlet

psneeld said:

Actually a lot of people don't realize you ca have small craft up to even storm warnings and make the run from New York to Norfolk just fine..the trick is after the beginning og Oct...much of the wind is from the West/Northwest/North.

You can run over 200 miles down the beach close to shore and never see much more than ripples other than when crossing the mouth of the Delaware and Chesapeake bays. If you can time those for outgoing tides...much of the chop is reduced...but it is still lumpy for those crossings. If you can time them for daybreak or after sunset...then often the wind has already started to die down...sure it's a gamble...a little bit..but more often than not a gamble that has paid off for me.

Click to expand...

I totally agree as I've used this approach for years.

Tom.B said:

May I ask... Why Myrtle Beach? We are in New Bern, NC where there is less of a Las Vegas/touristy feel, the slips are much cheaper than in MB, there is a TON more boating to do via anchorages and lovely places to visit, and you don't have to winterize here either.

Just a pitch.

Click to expand...

Great question. In short, we originally were thinking Charleston, but wanted to see where else can we go to be closer to North to cut on driving and still have good boating and vacation spot in general. We happened to drive by and stopped at few places in MB area. We like when saw a strip of all kinds of family fun activities. Thinking that it's not always nice and warm, we at least would be able to use all the other things in the tourists area. It's also puts us about 80-100 miles closer to home and cuts 1-1.5hrs of driving. BTW, the marina prices were very attractive, which is of course one of the primary criterias.

Other than that I'm new to the area and open for any suggestions.

I'll look at New Bern, NC. Do you have any marinas you can suggest? If you don't want to advertise them on the open forum, can you PM me?

Alex-I lived in that area for a lot of years. if your intent is to just use the boat as a condo for time in MB, you will be fine. But if you want to do any cruising, there is not much that much available. The ICW is a ditch from NMB to the Waccamaw River. About 25+miles. Of course, once you hit the Waccamaw, the trip down to Georgetown is beautiful.

Going north, there is not much in terms of places to cruise until you get to Southport/Wilmington.

For active winter cruising, I would make the extra 100 miles to Charleston (warmer) or back up to somewhere between Oriental, Beaufort and Wilmington (colder).

THD said:

Alex-I lived in that area for a lot of years. if your intent is to just use the boat as a condo for time in MB, you will be fine. But if you want to do any cruising, there is not much that much available. The ICW is a ditch from NMB to the Waccamaw River. About 25+miles. Of course, once you hit the Waccamaw, the trip down to Georgetown is beautiful.

Going north, there is not much in terms of places to cruise until you get to Southport/Wilmington.

For active winter cruising, I would make the extra 100 miles to Charleston (warmer) or back up to somewhere between Oriental, Beaufort and Wilmington (colder).

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips. I guess I should reconsider different area. Probably this time I would consider closer to North vs. going further South. Realistically I don't think we can qualify for active winter cruisers. We have both kids in school and have to go by their schedule, which limits our cruising a lot. We might get few long weekends and the longest time off slots are the X-mass and spring breaks. I understand that Jan/Feb won't be cruising months at all due to the weather.

I'll have to research Southport/Wilmington area, but if you have any details it would be great.

When we talked to dockmasters in the few marinas in MB they advised the following destinations:

-Whities Island and Birds Island
-Georgetown ~60NM
-Boldhead ~60NM
-Charleston ~125NM
-Hilton Head ~130NM

Alex F said:

When we talked to dockmasters in the few marinas in MB they advised the following destinations:

-Whities Island and Birds Island
-Georgetown ~60NM
-Boldhead ~60NM
-Charleston ~125NM
-Hilton Head ~130NM

Click to expand...

First of all the ICW is marked in statute miles.
Second, with the fire on the Georgetown waterfront, it will probably be a long while before it is restored to its former quality cruising stop.
Hilton Head is about 90 miles south of Charleston at about mile 575.

Have you checked out Southport or Wilmington?

Moonstruck said:

First of all the ICW is marked in statute miles.
Second, with the fire on the Georgetown waterfront, it will probably be a long while before it is restored to its former quality cruising stop.
Hilton Head is about 90 miles south of Charleston at about mile 575.

Have you checked out Southport or Wilmington?

Click to expand...

The numbers I had were very approximate just to give me a rough idea. I just got an email notification from cruising guide on Georgetown (didn't have a chance to read it though).

I'm currently looking at New Bern, Southport and Wilmington. I have never been in any of those places. If you guys have any more info that would be great. I hope my "Chesapeake Bay to Florida" Embassy Cruising Guide has some good info on those ports. Otherwise, it's web searching....

New Bern is a great location. The big 4 marinas are:

New Bern Grand ~$7.00/ft. (RIGHT in downtown)
Bridgeton Marina (price unknown) Located across the river
Bridge Point Marina $6.50/ft (set to reopen in two weeks) Just across from downtown
Northwest Creek Marina ~$6.50/ft (just outside of town)

It's a very historic town. Small enough to feel quaint, but big enough for lots of "big city" things like West Marine, Wal Mart, Lowe's, etc.. Tons of great places to eat and drink.

Cruisable locations at hull speed are: Oriental (3 hours), Morehead City (6 hours), Beaufort (6.5 hours), Belhaven (9 hours), Ocracoke (2 days - best to jump off from Oriental), Manteo (3 days-ish away) and tons of great side creeks and rivers to drop the hook for the night. And a good destination marina at places like River Dunes too.

You could also send your kids to Camp Seagull or Seafarer located in Minnesott/Arapahoe, NC.

Tom.B said:

New Bern is a great location. The big 4 marinas are:

New Bern Grand ~$7.00/ft. (RIGHT in downtown)
Bridgeton Marina (price unknown) Located across the river
Bridge Point Marina $6.50/ft (set to reopen in two weeks) Just across from downtown
Northwest Creek Marina ~$6.50/ft (just outside of town)

It's a very historic town. Small enough to feel quaint, but big enough for lots of "big city" things like West Marine, Wal Mart, Lowe's, etc.. Tons of great places to eat and drink.

Cruisable locations at hull speed are: Oriental (3 hours), Morehead City (6 hours), Beaufort (6.5 hours), Belhaven (9 hours), Ocracoke (2 days - best to jump off from Oriental), Manteo (3 days-ish away) and tons of great side creeks and rivers to drop the hook for the night. And a good destination marina at places like River Dunes too.

You could also send your kids to Camp Seagull or Seafarer located in Minnesott/Arapahoe, NC.

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot, Tom. That's some great info. The prices are cheapest I've seen and it looks like plenty of cruising close by.

How's the weather down there? Usually, base on my observation, an approx 100 miles distance equals to 3-5 degrees difference. I assume that since New Bern is about 185 miles North of Myrtle Beach the weather is 5-7deg colder. Does it mean that the boats are exposed more to the freezing temps? Do you winterize any of the components?

I have never winterized. Water never gets below freezing. Even the winter of 2010 that was SERIOUSLY cold here, we were fine. Normally, we can boat well into December and pick up again in early to mid March. I can't comment on the difference in temps between the locations. I have never cared enough to take in the data. Besides, will three or four degrees matter when it's 30 degrees outside? Brrrrrrrr........

Where do you guys get latest alerts from cruisersnet? I'm looking at the site's Nav.Alerts Section. The VA to NC Nav Alerts page is blank. The NC page has latest post from 4/15/2013.

Am I missing something?

Daddyo said:

I would stay in the Pamlico vs Belhaven. Distance is nearly identical and it's wide open kicked back cruising. I like Manteo a lot and skinny water is a non issue as the Elizabeth II replica ship draws over 10'. Frankly 4' of draft means skinny water is a non issue for you. On the leg your describing Beaufort would be my must stop. Frying Pan Shoals has a marked cut through much closer to shore then folks realize. Zoom in on the charts and you will see it. At your speeds I would stay outside and pop in at Ocean City and/or Ocracoke and/or Beaufort and skip the rest. Norfolk and it's bridges and distance inside is going to add nearly a day to your trip. Offshore is much easier when short handed as you can set the AP and use the head etc. Offshore you can run 24/7 with 20 cat naps if you slow to displacement speeds for the nap.

Click to expand...

Daddyo, our resident king of single handed offshore cruising, would know about Frying Pan Shoals. Personally, I gave up short cutting shoals when low on fuel I took a marked "channel" across Cape Lookout Shoals. Last fishing spot was the Atlas Tanker NE of the shoals. After the props buzzing the sand in the troughs I never tried it again

BTW I didn't know at the time that my sister-in-law's father went down on the Atlas when it was torpedoed. Many ships went down in the same fashion along out coasts.

According to the chart I wouldn't consider any other short cuts than the Flying Pan Shoals Slue between markers R N"2" and G C"1".

I totally agree with Daddyo that heading offshore would be more relaxed cruise, but I'm not sure I would enjoy it being alone for several days, especially if I wish to go slow when time and weather allows. I'm thinking that I'll use the offshore option up until Norfolk, but then I'll jump in and go through the cut. Pango River is what I'm not crazy about after getting more alerts on the underwater debris, but who says that there are none in the ocean?

Another question, since it's a long leg from Cape May to Norfolk, what's the closes marina, mooring or anchorage you guys take? I'm looking at the charts and Bay Point Marina seems like one of the options. Would this be a good place to fuel up as well?

psneeld said:

yes your run as a delivery sounds just fine....you may be able to adjust around Norfolk and skip Manteo and press on to Oriental if you can get past Norfolk a bit further and make locks/bridges earlier.

way to much to type...I have made the trip many times as a deliver capt at around 20-23 knots....if you have pre-departure questions or even during the trip...call me at 609-780-2728..especially around happy hour 5-6pm as I'm "happy" to discuss it...

Click to expand...

Thanks

Me too. I'll be leaving Rhode Island around Oct. 23rd. But at 7 knots, my days will be longer. I will also have another crew member with me, so it will be easier than coming up alone in the spring.
the weather, so I'll just plan on making hay when the sun shine

Also, I do like running off shore when I can, as it is much less stressful, in fact it sure puts you to sleep but for only short periods. (Thanks Daddyo).

In reading the below posts, I may try to avoid Norfolk too, unless the weather is so bad that I may as well kill time at 5 knots.

Richard

Tom and I share marinas occasionally in the Neuse River. I've never winterized while in the water, only on the hard. No issues so far. Water temps worst case might make it to the lower 40s. Have temp on my depth finder. Never seen the 30s, even if air temp was 20s. Pleasant town to town cruising if cold, because the towns are still nice.

Alex F said:

I totally agree with Daddyo that heading offshore would be more relaxed cruise, but I'm not sure I would enjoy it being alone for several days, especially if I wish to go slow when time and weather allows. I'm thinking that I'll use the offshore option up until Norfolk, but then I'll jump in and go through the cut. Pango River is what I'm not crazy about after getting more alerts on the underwater debris, but who says that there are none in the ocean?

Click to expand...

Since you have a fast boat, like Daddyo, I think his advice is even more applicable. When I was single handing it coming north, it turned out to be far more stressful and unpleasant being alone and having to pay attention every minute for an 10 to 12 hour day.

When are you leaving?


Ricahrd

In my case going offshore all the time creates an issue with lack of cell connection. As I understand following the NC shoreline is where you have to go out much further to get in to deeper water.

How do you offshore guys manage your cell connection?

I'm sure I had good connections unless i was further than 8 miles off shore, but honestly i don't remember. Though if i didn't have a connection I didn't miss it. I could read my book in peace. On the other hand, i do know that I almost ran a ground just texting in the ICW.

cel phone is usually no problem out to about 5 NM ( maybe a bit further depending)offshore populated areas...once south of Chincoteague ...all bets are off..then the next area of poor reception wa the Alligator Pungo river canal...but Verizon seemed to be available about 95% of that canal last spring...

Wxx3 said:

Since you have a fast boat, like Daddyo, I think his advice is even more applicable. When I was single handing it coming north, it turned out to be far more stressful and unpleasant being alone and having to pay attention every minute for an 10 to 12 hour day.

When are you leaving?


Ricahrd

Click to expand...

Rich,

Even though my boat is fast, I'm not planning to go fast all the time. If the weather allows I'm planning to do at least 50/50 (slow/fast). My hull speed is 7.4kts and I've done a lot of cruising at that speed. She's fine until it gets nasty out there, especially the beam seas. When wind picks up the planing haul needs to plane, then the ride is totally different.

I'm scheduled to head down South either Nov 1st or 2nd, depending on the weather and few other things.

Wxx3 said:

Since you have a fast boat, like Daddyo, I think his advice is even more applicable. When I was single handing it coming north, it turned out to be far more stressful and unpleasant being alone and having to pay attention every minute for an 10 to 12 hour day.

When are you leaving?


Ricahrd

Click to expand...

I know she looks fast but trust me 6.8knts isn't fast

Alex F said:

Rich,

Even though my boat is fast, I'm not planning to go fast all the time. If the weather allows I'm planning to do at least 50/50 (slow/fast). My hull speed is 7.4kts and I've done a lot of cruising at that speed. She's fine until it gets nasty out there, especially the beam seas. When wind picks up the planing haul needs to plane, then the ride is totally different.

I'm scheduled to head down South either Nov 1st or 2nd, depending on the weather and few other things.

Click to expand...

We might be in your neck of the woods at the same time. Leaving Maine around the 8th and doing a bit of sightseeing before making the turn at Sandy Hook in late Oct early Nov.

Daddyo said:

We might be in your neck of the woods at the same time. Leaving Maine around the 8th and doing a bit of sightseeing before making the turn at Sandy Hook in late Oct early Nov.

Click to expand...

Sounds great. If we keep the thread alive until our departure it will help us coordinate. We might end up with a caravan of snowbirds heading South at the same time. I'm planning to do around 250 miles (BI to Norfolk with the overnight stop in Cape May) on the open ocean leaving out of Barnegat Inlet. From there I'll see how it goes and what the weather brings.

In Norfolk we stayed in Tidewater Marina, nice place, diesel and a pool:
www.tyamarina.com

Alex F said:

Sounds great. If we keep the thread alive until our departure it will help us coordinate. We might end up with a caravan of snowbirds heading South at the same time. I'm planning to do around 250 miles (BI to Norfolk with the overnight stop in Cape May) on the open ocean leaving out of Barnegat Inlet. From there I'll see how it goes and what the weather brings.

Click to expand...

Yes, let's.

I may have to stop in Barnegat Bay again, but hesitate to do so, as I came close to losing the boat on the exit the next morning.

Not sure about tempting fate again. Probably safer for me to stay out all night.

Wxx3 said:

Yes, let's.

I may have to stop in Barnegat Bay again, but hesitate to do so, as I came close to losing the boat on the exit the next morning.

Not sure about tempting fate again. Probably safer for me to stay out all night.

Click to expand...

High Bar Harbor is a perfect spot to spend a night on the hook. I've done it 100s of times. It's very easy access to the inlet. Fueling is a bit of an issue unless you want to pull up to the fishing docks.

What's your next port after passing BI?

It's the inlet I am afraid of.

We'll see. Me keeping top the North side of the Inlet is what almost did me in.

Wxx3 said:

It's the inlet I am afraid of.

We'll see. Me keeping top the North side of the Inlet is what almost did me in.

Click to expand...

Hmm, interesting. I'm using BI all the time, but I've heard few stories. One was a trawler flipping on it's side. I guess the biggest difference is that I'm approaching the inlets while staying on plane and in more controlled fashion. I go off plane as soon as I'm between the jetties. Approaching the inlets at displacement speed definitely has it's challenges. The one of main things to keep in mind, once inside, is the make sharp turn to port (near the CG station) and follow the channel avoiding the big sandbar right at the mouth of the harbor. But, I guess you can clearly see it on the chart.

Marlinmike said:

In Norfolk we stayed in Tidewater Marina, nice place, diesel and a pool:
www.tyamarina.com

Click to expand...

Thanks Mike, the marina looks pretty nice.

Have anyone stayed at Ocean Marine Yacht Center? I've heard it's pretty good too and offers fuel discount.

I guess I just got an answer to one of my questions on Oregon Inlet:

NC: Oregon Inlet, shoaling


Reported By: Ted Stehle (WG Staff)

Shoaling to a depth of 2.8 ft MLW has been reported in the vicinity of the center span of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge and Oregon Inlet Buoy 14
(LLNR 28029). Chart: 12204.


Waterway Cruising Guide | Navigation Updates