Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Homer Smith Docks at Beaufort, NC - at a dock

That's Browns Inlet. We are leaving the green buoy to port going north. The Coast
Guard has not moved the buoys yet to mark the dredged channel
Today we had the fun of going through New River, Browns Inlet, and the shallows by Spooner Creek. The least we saw was actually by Spooner Creek at 7.8 MLLW. However, you had to especially be careful at New River that you stayed in the deep water per the USACE chart as displayed in Aqua Map Master. Just following the buoys was a recipe for disaster, at least at low tide like we had today. There are too many sudden turns you have to make and needles to thread between shoals. With a USACE chart shown on your iPad or another tablet, it was easy.

Most disheartening was Browns Inlet. It has been dredged and the dredged route has 12 MLLW but it's not marked with buoys! In fact, the buoys still mark the old route which continues to shoal in. Just follow the dredged channel as shown on your USACE chart in Aqua Map, and you'll be fine.

The new docks are nice with the full length fingers with ipe wood
We wound up at Homer Smith around 3:00 and had a slip at their new docks which are beautiful. They had full length fingers finished with ipe wood, a great non-slip surface. throw in OnSpotWiFi and free laundry with a courtesy car, it's a great stop.

We had friends over for dinner and had a great time - just what you're supposed to do when cruising!

0 comments: