north carolina outer banks

[jumpjets]

I took this picture while flying around the central North Carolina coastline, near Cherry Point.

It's a break in the outer banks. It looks like a convenient way to get from the ICW to the ocean, but the sandy stuff nearby made me curious. This also looks like it could be a nasty trap in disguise for an inexperienced boater like myself.

Would you guys take your boat through something like that, or find another way?

 

[Outsider]

Re: north carolina outer banks

That looks like Drum Inlet. Does not get frequent use due to location, but the biggest problem is getting to the inlet, not through it. GoogleMap it and you'll see a couple of boats transiting from seaward, but you're right. It's not for the casual boater ...

 

[veritas honus]

Re: north carolina outer banks

That's a beautiful photo you took. When I drive to New York with my family, we like to spend a couple days on the Outer Banks, on our way home. We like to stay at the Hilton on Kitty Hawk. You can get some really good deals there. How big of a boat do you have? Have you looked at charts yet? Can't tell much from a photo, and I wouldn't do it wthout charting it first, anyway, but it doesn't appear too scary for a 20'er.

 

[RICHARD5]

Re: north carolina outer banks

If you can fly, you can navigate. I would go through that and probably did years ago. Just slow ahead. A tip is to follow the contour of the sand bar. As you become more experienced with the inlet you could try point to point nav although I think that's just getting cocky.

Semper Fi

 

[R Socey]

Re: north carolina outer banks

A foward looking sonar would come in handy. I love that place.

 

[1fishbone]

Re: north carolina outer banks

I'll be boating in this area for the first time this year!

These areas are almost un-chart able because they change so often.

I hear radio chatter about this often...a sand bar encroaches into the channel, the cans are wrong, CG moves the cans and a month later the sand bar disappears.

Or they dredge a channel and in a couple of weeks (or a couple storms) the channel is only 15' wide.

Luckily there aren't very many rocks, but oyster beds are as hard as gravel roads.

I'm both excited and apprehensive!!
I see many damaged props in my future!
I also see numerous new species of fish to catch!!

Possibly some cool relics from diving too!!

 

[pine island fred]

Re: north carolina outer banks

Am a bit familiar with that area. Thats RODBOLTS neck of the woods. If you stay around NAGS HEAD, can recommend you splashing the boat just north of OREGON INLET. Very nice state ramps and facilities. Be careful if you go out into the ocean. Have never seen the inlet calm and the wind never stops. Believe there is a dreg stationed there permainetely. FRED