Key West - Update of GPX files

Look at how narrow the channel is at Shallotte. How are you going to
eyeball that passage? (unless you use USACE's recommended route)
which is the dotted line (also the GPX route)

Due to all the shoaling on the ICW, I thought it was time for a massive update to "GPX Routes", one of the choices at left in this blog. Shoaling has been massive over the winter months with Shallotte Inlet being especially hard hit. The path through is so narrow that there's really no leeway for drifting. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been busy surveying the trouble spots and has helpfully supplied waypoints for the deepest water through the shallow areas. I took those waypoints and formed a route for Shallotte, Lockwoods Folly, and Browns Inlet. The updated GPX files are now posted in "GPX Routes" at left ready for downloading. I also updated the instructions on how to get the GPX files with the routes into a navigation program. The easiest way remains a direct download into an iPad navigation app. You must use Safari on the iPad for everything to work but once you open my blog with Safari and go over to GPX Routes, just tap on a route and you will have a choice of apps to use. You select one of the choices and then the new route is automatically loaded into your app, easy.

Just watching the world go by - hard work

Once loaded, now you can steer your boat to follow the route for the best water per the USACE. The route is especially useful for Shallotte where the channel is less than 40 ft wide and the depth is down to 4 MLW. If you miss the channel, you are aground! The downloaded route helps a lot.

Evening is coming, cool colors

Other than working on that, we took another run to the grocery store. With the town busses, we're able to leave at 11:00 and be back on the boat by 12:20 at a cost of $2.00 for the round trip for the both of us. It's sure cheaper than renting a car and you don't have to worry about parking.

I plan on more updates Thursday on other items at the left to bring it all up to date with the latest changes in software and apps, stay tuned.