This post originally appeared on our sister site, Sail Magazine’s Sail Feed.
Here is what is in the D#5 Notice to Mariners.
The USCG is out on the waters. The NTM (Notice to Mariners) report many damaged and destroyed ATONS in the area affected by Florence. The changes are already too numerous to list here and will certainly grow. In the past two years we have been very impressed by the speed with which the USCG attended to the hurricane damaged ICW ATONs. There are ATON crews from the Great Lakes and from New England who have been transferred to this area to work through all the damaged ATONs. Be sure that you have most recent updated charts before you head out. NOTE: in my experience Navionics charts are often more up to date than NOAA charts. I recommend that if you are using any NOAA charts in your chartplotter or an app which uses NOAA Charts, you should also have the very easily updated Navionics app on a tablet.
I am posting all the changes in the Notice to Mariners regarding shoaling in this district. There are two important points.
First of all, there is a lot of confusion among cruisers who see a shoaling warning in an inlet along the ICW and interpret that to be a warning for the ICW inlet CROSSING. It is important to see exactly which buoys are identified. This will help avoid sending out false alarms on the inlet channels which are NOT the ICW channel.
Second point. All the shoal spots mentioned in the latest NTM (38-2018) are previously reported shoals. These are not new shoals caused by the hurricane. So do not think that for instance, since Shallotte Inlet ICW crossing is not mentioned then that crossing must be OK.
REPORTED SHOALING. All predate Florence:
- NC – BOGUE SOUND – PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SHOALING IN BOGUE SOUND Shoaling has been reported between Bogue Sound Daybeacon 10 (LLNR 38875) and Bogue Sound Daybeacon 14 (LLNR 38895), 10 yards into the channel to a depth of 1-2 feet MLW. Mariners are advised to use extreme caution while navigating this area. Chart 11541
- NC – ICW – NEW RIVER THIS IS THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SHOALING AT NEW RIVER ICW CROSSING. Shoaling to 3 feet has been reported in the vicinity of Bogue Sound – New River buoys 72A (LLNR 39300), 72B (LLNR 39303) and 74 (LLNR 39305). LNM 06-15 Chart 11541
- NC –THIS IS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SHOALING IN THE CAROLINA BEACH INLET NOT THE ICW CROSSING – SHOALING. Shoaling has been reported between Carolina Beach Inlet Buoys 4 and 5 across entire channel to a depth of 2 feet MLW. Mariners are advised to use extreme caution while navigating this area.
- NC BNM 292-18 Chart 11541 NC– AICWW – THIS IS THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SHOALING AT BROWNS INLET Shoaling has been reported in the AICWW near the intersection of Browns Inlet and the AICWW in the vicinity of New River – Cape Fear River Buoy 61A
- NC THIS IS THE NEW RIVER CHANNEL NOT THE ICW CROSSING– NEW RIVER INLET Shoaling has been reported to 2 feet in New River Inlet Channel. Chart 11542
- NC THIS IS THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SHOALING at MASON INLET An area of shoaling has been reported IVO of New River – Cape Fear River Buoy 121 (LLNR 39597) in the AICWW St M 280 near Mason Inlet Crossing. ACOE reported a depth of 2.2ft at MLW. Mariners are urged to use caution when transiting this area. Chart 11541
- NC – INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY – THIS IS THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SHOALING IN LOCKWOODS FOLLY ICW CROSSING Shoaling to 1 foot has been reported in the vicinity of Lockwoods Folly Inlet at Cape Fear River – Littler River Buoy 47 (LLNR 40225). Chart 11534
- NC – LOCKWOODS FOLLY INLET – SHOALING NOTE THIS IS THE INLET CHANNEL NOT THE ICW CROSSING**** Shoaling is reported across Lockwoods Folly Inlet, depths of 4 – 5 Feet MLW from Lockwoods Folly Inlet Lighted Buoy 1 (LLNR 31010) and Lockwoods Folly Inlet Lighted Buoy 2 (LLNR 31055) to Lockwoods Folly Inlet Buoy 6 (LLNR 31030) and Lockwoods Inlet Buoy 7 (LLNR 31035). Chart 11534
- NC – INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY – MYRTLE GROVE SOUND TO LITTLE RIVER NOTE THIS IS THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SHOALING IN SHALLOTTE INLET ICW CROSSING .Shoaling was found between Cape Fear River – Little River Buoy 80A (LLNR 40337) and Cape Fear River – Little River Buoy 82 (LLNR 40345). Depths as low as 3ft were observed in the ICW channel at MLW. Position 33-54’25.55″N, 078-23’4.41″W. Shoaling is across the entire channel.
