Monday, August 27, 2018

Shoaling in the ICW - Browns Inlet, Masonboro, Snows Cut


Browns Inlet is an active shoaling area. 
Although there has been lots of dredging this summer in the ICW, there are still areas that haven't been touched yet. One famous area is Browns Inlet. The path through for the deepest water is starting to look strange as of 8/20/2018. It's a giant "W" and it's getting more extreme. I've updated the GPX route for the area (see GPX Routes at left) and it's handy since you can't take a direct route through the buoys unless you're close to high tide. Full details are at Waterway Guide Browns Inlet complete with a download link for the GPX Route.


Here you see the Mason Inlet new route as of 8/3/2018. It's more of a swing than before. More detail is at the Waterway Guide page for the hazard. The GPX route for the passage has been revised too.


How's this for a zigzag course. You really need to load the GPX route for the best path, hard to eyeball although I try that in the WG page. This hazard is south of Mason Inlet by Masonboro G137. The entire stretch is shallow. 


Snows Cut is doable but you have to know to take the extreme green side route. Details on the WG page. 

All of these alerts will be available for both browser access and also on the Waterway Guide icons in Aqua Map which I will keep up to date as the season progresses. We know that Lockwoods Folly is due to be dredged in September, let's hope they get done by the time the crowd arrives. 

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