News and Announcements

Velcro Beach? -- Among the cruisers congregating at Vero Beach waiting for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas are our Matthews Point friends Dale and Cori aboard their Pearson 424 Hi Flite.

Dismal Swamp Canal Closure -- Potential for a temporary closure due to work on the Deep Creek Bridge, January through February 2025. For more information, see Cruisers Net.

Looking for a Sailrite? -- There is an LSZ for sale on Craigslist in Winston-Salem (not mine). The listed price is not a whole lot less than a new one, but I suppose you might be able to talk him down. Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine W/ Power Pack Motor - $1,100 (Winston Salem). The same seller also has a listing for Sailrite clone Tuff Sew Sewing Machine - $350 (Winston Salem).

Coastal Storm Affecting Banks -- The morning of 11/15/24 - Island Free Press reports Highway 12 is closed between the Oregon Inlet Bridge and Rodanthe - Overwash in Buxton - All Ocracoke ferries suspended - Another house has collapsed into the ocean at Rodanthe.

Be Careful with those Internet Apps -- Roger Long at Loose Cannon calls out navigation app "Ditch" for routing southbound snowbirds wishing to visit Manteo out the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and in treacherous Oregon Inlet rather than running down the Albemarle & Chesapeake. In the same article he gives some salient advice on proper use of VHF on the ICW.

A Short Reprieve? -- The USCG Navigation Center, publisher of Local Notices to Mariners and Light Lists, has yanked their new app "to improve its accuracy based on your feedback", one day after its October 21st,2024 introduction.

Navigation -- The end of the world as we know it? A while back, NOAA announced that they were phasing out RNCs. As far as I can tell, only a few special case RNCs are still getting updated, so learn to love (or at least accept) ENCs. Also, traditional Local Notices to Mariners and Light Lists are being discontinued, replaced with what looks to be a graphical chart overlay. Truthfully, I haven't had time to look at it yet. In the meantime, the flood of LNMs that show up in my inbox each day are scheduled to dry up completely by October 31, 2024.

35th Annual -- Georgetown Wooden Boat Show the weekend of October 19-20, 2024. For information click here.

Alligator River Bridge Operational -- I confirmed with the bridge tender that as of 10/08/24 the bridge is fully operational for road and marine traffic.

Pirates Coming to Ocracoke -- The annual Blackbeard's Pirate Jamboree will take place November 1st and 2nd, 2024. For information, see this article at Island Free Press.

Alligator River Bridge is Closed -- to both road and water traffic due to a wreck. That is what CruisersNet is reporting the evening of 9/30/24. However, DriveNC.gov is not reporting a problem at that location. I called the Bridge Master and confirmed that the bridge is closed to marine traffic, the earliest opening will be the morning of October 1st, and it may be later. So I suggest that you call ahead before you commit to the Alligator-Pungo passage - 252-796-7261.

A Third House has Collapsed -- In less than a week, three beachfront homes in Rodanthe have collapsed into the ocean, reports Island Free Press. The latest was slated for destruction, but was weakened by a glancing blow from an earlier collapsed building, which left it vulnerable to the continuing northeasterlies and equinoctal high tides pummeling the Banks.

Possible System Off Southeast Coast -- The National Weather Service is warning on 9/11/24 that "An area of low pressure is expected to develop off the Southeast coast this weekend. This system could become tropical early next week, and possibly move towards the Carolinas".

Don't Let Your Guard Down -- As of 9/5/24, the NHC website shows five disturbances in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. None of them have much chance of development in the next seven days, but we are coming into the heart of the 2024 hurricane season and things could change quickly.

Two Late-Season Events -- September 13-14, 2024, Day At The Docks, "A Community Heritage Celebration" at Hatteras, and November 1-2, 2024, Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree at Ocracoke.

20 to 25 Inches of Rain -- Tropical Storm Debby will likely develop into a hurricane by the early morning of Monday, 8/5/24, make landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida, cross south Georgia and perhaps pop back out into the Atlantic near the Georgia-South Carolina border. There, the storm may get bottled up by high pressure to the north, and meander around the coast between Savannah and Charleston, dropping enormous amounts of rain - potentially, 20 to 25 inches. Ars Technica has a good article explaining the mechanics of this potentially disastrous situation. Eventually the storm will get back on the move northward. The Wilmington area may see 8 to 12 inches of rain, and points north, less, but still substantial.

Threatening -- As of the morning of 7/29/24, the National Hurricane Center is giving a disturbance in the Leeward Islands a 50% chance of becoming a tropical depression near the Greater Antilles or Bahamas later in the week.

Space is Tight -- I got a heads-up from David Swanson that the Hodges Street dock in Oriental is going to two-hour docking from August 1st through September 30th. The dock next to Oriental Harbor Marina remains available for 48-hour stays.

Stumpy Point Ferry -- The NC Ferry Division maintains an emergency route between Stumpy Point on the mainland and Rodanthe on the northern part of Hatteras Island that allows supplies and evacuations to happen in case of Highway 12 being broken north of Rodanthe. The route was last used in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and I wrote an article at this site about riding it in 2012. There are alternatives, but they involve many miles of driving on winding two-lane roads, or extremely long ferry routes. Currently, the Rodanthe Harbor Basin includes a shoaled stretch that prohibits entry by the State ferries. Island Free Press has a good article about the problem. The money quote? Ernie Foster, a member of the Dare County Waterways Commission, points out “Emergency operations right now do not exist and (it’s) hurricane season.”

Not Much Chance of Development -- but still worth watching, a low pressure system off the southeastern coast should move ashore by the weekend of 07/13-14. Watch the National Hurricane Center Website like a hawk from now through the middle of November.

Racing at Blackbeard -- The 2024 San Juan 21 Nationals will be held at Blackbeard Sailing Club near New Bern September 26th through 29th. The boat was developed in the early 1970s as a lightweight trailer-sailor suitable for day-sailing and weekend trips, but has since progressed into an active, exciting one-design racing class. The Nationals will feature working-sail and spinnaker classes. Racing will be held in the mouth of Upper Broad Creek on the Neuse River.

Something's Brewing -- It is the evening of Friday, 06/28/24, and far out in the Atlantic a storm is spinning up. Quoting from the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Depression Two Discussion Number 1, "a tropical depression has formed, and the initial intensity is set at 30 kt based on the latest Dvorak classifications. Development this far east in late June is unusual, in fact, there have only been a few storms in history that have formed over the central or eastern tropical Atlantic this early in the year...the official forecast calls for strengthening and shows the depression becoming a tropical storm tonight or early Saturday and then a hurricane before it reaches the Windward Islands. It should be noted that some of the model guidance is quite aggressive and a fair amount are higher than the official forecast. For example, the hurricane regional models show the system becoming a major hurricane and the GFS model shows the system deepening below 970 mb prior to reaching the Windward Islands." Watch the National Hurricane Center for more news.

First Named Storm of the Season -- Alberto approaches the Mexican coast just south of the Texas border as a 50 mph tropical storm. A disturbance north of the Bahamas may intensify as it heads for the Florida/Georgia coast. Watch the National Hurricane Center for more news.

More New Pictures -- Rusty sent more photographs of his sail north, including waiting for wind in Delaware Bay and seeing the sights of New York Harbor.

A Response -- Cautionary Tale IV hit a nerve with one reader, who sent me the following anecdote -
Paul -
Many, many years ago when I sailed out of Wrightsville Beach, some friends bought a new power cruiser. They took 3 of us including one with a Master's license (not sure which one) down to Southport for dinner, and there was a lot of drinking. The wife and I did not drink. This was pre-GPS era. Coming back up the Cape Fear River in the dark they were steering between the red & green lights. About the time they figured out that the lights were moving we got the 5 blast danger signal from the out-bound container ship. If it had hailed us on VHF we didn't hear it over the music. Things got a lot slower and more cautious after that.
Be safe.

Preparing for Offshore -- Apollonia is anchored at Beaufort as Rusty makes last preparations for heading offshore - whether north or south, he didn't say. He sent a few pictures which are posted at the Photographs section. I promised him I would ask everyone to remember his awareness-raising environmental group, Blue Mama.

Preliminary Work -- Island Free Press reports that NCDOT contractors will soon start work at driving concrete piles into the bed of the Alligator River to test for environmental issues and determine the best way to build the new bridge.

Ocrafolk 2024 -- June 7th through 9th, more info here.

What's New -- Neuse River Sailor David Swanson sent a couple of amusing pictures that I posted over at the Photographs section.

Back in Service -- The Oriental Town Docks - old and new - are back in service as of March 30th, 2024. Towndock.com.

Dismal Swamp Canal Closed to Through Traffic -- Deep Creek Lock is undergoing maintenance, expected to reopen April 9th, 2024. Through traffic should use the Albemarle & Chesapeake. USCG MSIB 173-24.

Ready in Time -- Town Dock reports that work is proceeding apace at the Oriental town docks, and they both should be open for the In-Water Boat Show April 12-14.

That's Ugly... -- USCG BNM 0148-24 - "THE NCDOT HAS IDENTIFIED 3 BENTS OF CONCRETE PILES FRM THE OLD BONNER BRIDGE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF OREGON INLET THAT ARE NOW IN 8 TO 12 FT OF WATER ACCESSIBLE BY RECREATIONAL BOATS. THE TOP OF THE PILES ARE 2 TO 4 FT BELOW MHW." These bents, once buried in the sand along the edge of the inlet, are now submerged in 8 to 12 feet of water, waiting to stave in the bottom of a fisherman's boat. This particular incidence is probably not of great concern to most Neuse River sailors, but it does emphasize that "new" deep water, scoured out by storms or shifting currents, may contain uncharted dangers.

Upcoming Event -- The 2024 Oriental In-Water Boat Show is scheduled for April 12-14. Check out their website for details.

Not a Long-Term Solution -- With seawater slopping over Highway 12 on the north end of the island, NCDOT awards contract for Ocracoke sandbag replacement, Island Free Press reports on February 28th, 2024.

Just in Case You Were Wondering -- Some of us on the Washington Dock have been pondering on the little sloop that was berthed behind the Estuarium for a while and now is anchored out in the harbor. A long-time local finally clued me in - it is a Rhodes Ranger. Whether it is a Rhodes Ranger Seafarer 28 or a Rhodes Ranger 29, I still don't know. But one thing is for sure, it is not a Ranger 29 - that is a completely different boat, designed not by Philip Rhodes but by Gary Mull, and built not by De Visser in Holland, but by Ranger Yachts in the U.S. No relation to Ranger Tugs.

Devastation -- The winter weather system that blasted through northeastern North Carolina on February 13th flooded roads from Ocracoke to Pea Island. N.C. Highway 12 on northern Ocracoke Island closes due to flooding; Soundside flooding reported in multiple areas of Hatteras Island. See also Soundside flooding reported from Hatteras Village to Pea Island. A death in a car accident on a flooded section of Highway 12 - Ocracoke man dies in Tuesday morning accident on northern Ocracoke Island. Ferry service between Hatteras and Ocracoke is suspended - Ocracoke-mainland ferry operations resume; Ocracoke-Hatteras ferry service remains suspended. All stories from Island Free Press.

Dredging to Benefit Cape Lookout Ferry -- David brought to my attention this article at Carolina Coast Online regarding dredging of the channel from the Harker's Island Visitors Center to the ferry landing at the base of the Lighthouse at Cape Lookout. The article was not too clear on exactly what, if anything, will be dredged other than the ferry channel. I suppose the markers that were lifted in 2019 may be replaced. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Emily Winget is quoted as saying "Once dredging is complete, the channel will be open to commercial boats and deep draft vessels." That begs the question as to how the deep draft vessels will get to the ferry channel to begin with. Recent hydrographic surveys show the channel through the western reaches of Back Sound to be shoaled to 4 feet or less in many areas.

Up-to-Date Depths -- Here is a link to the Army Corp of Engineers hydrographic surveys for the Wilmington District that provide recent depths for many of the channels and inlets along the NC coast. They can be used in conjunction with nautical charts to "find the water" and navigate some of the channels that give sailors fits because of their changeability. For example, look at this survey of Bigfoot Slough and notice how shoal the water is directly around in front of Marker 10A, but there is adequate water across to the opposite side of the channel. Notice that this survey was taken January 17-18, 2024, so this is about as current as you are going to get.

Looking for Local Knowledge -- Anybody navigate Ocracoke Inlet lately, between the Pamlico and the Atlantic? I have been asked regarding a 52 foot boat with 6 foot draft and mast too tall to fit under the bridges that would like to get into the Pamlico Sound for a visit. My impression is that the waters between the town of Ocracoke and the ocean are challenging, to say the least. If you have done that passage please contact me, paul@neuseriversailors.com.

What's New -- In the Articles section - Apollonia - a beautiful custom-built wooden boat.

Hodges Street Dock Closed -- Neuse River Sailor David Swanson sent me notice that the Oriental Town Dock on Hodges Street - in front of the Bean - is closed due to structural issues.

Winterize or Worry About It -- The winter of 2023-2024 is shaping up as an uncommonly hard one, with fronts blasting through one after another. The latest one has pulled in frigid arctic air in its passing. Here in Little Washington, the prediction is that temperatures will fall to well below 20 degrees in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday and Monday, January 21st-22nd. So if you keep a boat in the water anywhere along the NC coast, make sure it is winterized, or spend the weekend worrying about it.

Again -- As of Wednesday, 1/10/24, Ocracoke is cut off, with Highway 12 on the north part of the island flooded and all ferry service cancelled. NCDOT hopes to have the road open Thursday so that Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service can resume. Sound ferries are suspended for Wednesday but my guess is that they also will resume Thursday. Highway 12 from Hatteras north is open but sketchy. See Island Free Press for more. Another storm bringing rain, wind and coastal flooding is expected Friday night and Saturday.

A Sight to See -- and aboard a boat on the Neuse River will give you a front row seat. The Blue Angels will be at Cherry Point MCAS May 11th and 12th, 2024. For their complete 2024 schedule, click here.

A Young Sailor -- sent me this link, A Nautical Glossary of Yachting and Sailing Terms. Thanks, Brandon!

Hard to Find -- Bronze bolts are not something you are going to find at Home Depot, Lowe's, or your corner hardware store. West Marine has a very limited selection. I suppose there are suppliers in the big port cities - Norfolk, Wilmington, or the like - but for me they are a mail-order item. Most online sources want you to buy in bulk and pay for Fedex or UPS shipping, but Bolt Depot will sell small quantities and ship economy USPS. I ordered from them recently and was pleased with the quality, selection, price and quick fullfilment. If you need a handful of specialty bolts, or a case for that matter, check them out.

Winter Storm -- A fast-moving winter storm walloped the NC Coast December 18th and 19th. In Washington, we saw water over the docks and into the street and parking lot, torrential rain and winds gusting to around 35 knots. No reports of damage to boats, though a woman preparing her trawler ahead of the storm fell off the dock and got scraped up. A sailor reported from Beaufort that they saw gusts over 50 knots and widespread power outages. Ferry service to Ocracoke was suspended and Highway 12 closed in several locations. As the storm headed northeast, it drew in windy, clear and frigid conditions that should moderate around mid-week. I hope friends on the lower Pamlico and Neuse Rivers came through ok.

Even Longer -- Island Free Press reports that Hatteras-Ocracoke ferries to adopt longer route starting Dec. 7. Barney Slough, itself a longer alternative to the completely shoaled channel straight across the mouth of Hatteras Inlet, has itself now shoaled to the point that it is not navigable by the ferries. They will now follow a route out Rollinson Channel which will add approximately twenty minutes to the trip. Fortunately it is not high tourist season so the boats should be able to handle the traffic, even if they can't meet all the departures on the schedule. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to begin emergency dredging efforts in an effort to re-establish depth in Barney Slough.

Documentation -- Renew your documentation at the U.S. Coast Guard's National Vessel Documentation Center. You may have gotten come-ons from private companies that will do this for you for a fee, but you can do it yourself.

Whittaker Creek Update -- The vital channel into the boatyards and marinas of Oriental has long been prone to shoaling. Three years after a major dredging project, it still poses a tricky bit of piloting. Towndock.net recently published a letter from Friends of Whittaker Creek, the organization coordinating dredging efforts. They propose a slight realignment of the channel and additional dredging to alleviate some of the problems.

Will it Still Be Tammy? -- It's 10/27/23. The remnants of hurricane Tammy have a better than 60% chance of reforming into a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. If if does, will it still be Tammy, or will it be Vince? Or, for that matter, maybe Whitney?

One More? -- As Tammy curves out toward the central Atlantic, as of 10/23/23 another disturbance with potential to develop into a tropical storm has popped up in the southwestern Caribbean. As always, monitor the National Hurricane Center Website.

Watch Out for Swimmers -- USCG BNM 0469-23 states "Mariners are advised that the swimming portion of the Ironman Triathlon will be held on October 21, 2023 from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM. Approximately 2500 swimmers will compete in a 1.2 mile swim race within Banks Channel and Motts Channel in Wrightsville Beach, NC" and adds that the Wrightsville Beach bridge will be closed from 5:15 AM to 10:00 AM that day. The Isabel S. Holmes bridge in Wilmington will be closed 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM, I'm guessing to accomodate runners. For my readers, "closed" means the bridge won't swing or lift to allow marine traffic. I don't know what the situation will be for automotive traffic. For boats transiting the area on 10/21/23, you should read the notice linked to above in order to understand all the restrictions.

It's Not Over Yet -- A low pressure system well out in the Atlantic will likely become tropical storm Tammy in the next few days. As always, monitor the National Hurricane Center Website.

What's New? -- Section for the Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 in Know Your Boats.

Potter's? -- David reports from Potter's Marine on North Creek near Bath - "No real damage... The parking lot flooded, that was about it. Most of the boats were still prepped from the near miss a few weeks before, that may have helped".

Wind and High Water -- We got steady 30 knot winds and a few gusts close to 50 from Ophelia at the dock in downtown Washington, NC. The water came in with a rush Saturday morning, covering the docks and adjacent streets and parking lots, and just as quickly flowed back out as the storm center passed 8 miles to the west at 11:00AM. No boats on the town docks suffered any damage worth mentioning. The docks lost a few deck boards and received other minor damage. No reports of damage at McCotters or the other marinas. We drove down through Bath to Belhaven two days later, no damage evident at either location. The yardmaster at TJ's reported that the yard didn't flood but all the land around it did, and they were cut off for a few hours. Taylor reports that the water came up about 18 inches in Edenton but caused no problems. Click here for a photographs taken from aboard Terry Ann after the water had come down a couple of feet.

Don't Let Down Your Guard -- It's 9/5/23, and another storm with the potential to become a major hurricane is brewing in the central Atlantic. National Hurricane Center is issuing a tropical weather outlook for Tropical Depression 13, which they predict will become a full-fledged major hurricane by the weekend.

Wind and Rain -- As of 8/28/23, the National Hurricane Center predicts that tropical storm Idalia will pass 30-40nm southeast of Cape Lookout Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Potential for tropical storm force winds and six to ten inches of rain along the coast. The forecast is still far enough out that there could be a lot of variation, so anywhere along the sounds and coast should prepare for wind and rain.

Something's Brewing -- It's been a quiet few weeks, but as of 8/14/23 the National Hurricane Center has an eye on a disturbance far out in the Atlantic, southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Great Bridge Lock Closure -- The lock will be closed 24 hours a day from July 24th through July 28th, 2023, then from 0700 to 1700 Monday through Friday July 31st through August 18th. The Coast Guard is encouraging vessels that draw six feet or less to use the Dismal Swamp Canal. Expect congestion at the Elizabeth City docks, the locks, and the Visitors Center docks.

Windex Count -- In 2017 I walked the docks at Matthews Point, counting the Windexes at the tops of the masts. I found that, out of the 65 sailboats, 54 had Windexes and 11 did not. Now it's July 2023, and my Windex count in TJ's boatyard shows, of 39 sailboats, 12 have just Windexes, 9 have just electrical gauges, 10 have both, and 8 have neither.

The First Real Threat -- The afternoon of June 18th the National Hurricane Center/reports "...a broad area of low pressure located several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development, and a tropical depression or tropical storm is expected to form over the next day or so."

'Tis the Season -- It's time to start checking in daily with the National Hurricane Center website. Hmmm, it's June 2nd and we're already on Tropical Depression 2.

Splash -- Taylor's Hunter Never Enough goes back into the water after bottom work, new mast step, new running rigging, engine work, and other things to get her ready for 2023.

Heavy Weather -- It's shaping up to being a rough Memorial Day weekend. Northeast winds gusting to around 40 mph are forecast, along with rain and thunderstorms. Some coastal flooding can be expected, along with ferry cancellations. Keep an eye on the National Weather Service for updates. If your weekend involves a ferry ride, the NC Ferry Website can keep you updated.

Mighty Sparrow -- In TJ's Boatyard in early May 2023 I found Westsail 32 Mighty Sparrow. The owner Jerome Rand did a single-handed circumnavigation in this boat in 2017-2018 and has since parlayed it into a podcast, writing and motivational speaking career.

Progress -- Terry Ann has most of the caprails replaced, topside cleaned and bottom painted in this recent picture from TJ's Boatyard.

Gam with Charlie -- My friend Charlie Langworthy passed through Belhaven on his way home to Vermont from his latest trip to the Bahamas and rowed in for a gam.

Big Forest Fire in Croatan National Forest -- As of the evening of 4/1/23 35,000 acres have burned and the fire is only 10 percent contained. See the ABC New Bern affiliate WCTI News story.

Rodanthe in the News -- A story at the Washington Post looks at the collapse of several houses along the oceanfront, including one that was purchased for $550,000 in August 2021 and fell into the ocean nine month later.

Not Today -- Rocket Lab launch scheduled for this evening (3/11/23) scrubbed due to weather.

Watch for It! -- NASA's facility at Wallop's Island on the Eastern Penninsula, VA, will facilitate the launch of a Rocket Lab rocket this evening (3/11/23), weather permitting. The timing will be between 6:00 and 8:00 in the evening, and it should be visible over much of the eastern U.S. Of course, the closer you are to the launch point, the better the view. I saw the January 2023 launch from Edenton and it was spectacular! For more information, check out the article at this articleIsland Free Press.

Rough Weather -- Gale warning for the Pamlico Sound tonight and tomorrow, March 10-11, 2023. Small Craft Advisory on the Albemarle Sound and Alligator River. Northbound Island Girl and her tow are waiting it out under the U.S. 264 bridge at the south end of the Alligator-Pungo Canal.

New Article -- Read here about how a sailor in the boatyard saved a boat from sinking.

Diesel Fuel Fill Pads -- Take a large oil-absorbent pad and cut it in quarters. Then fold each quarter in quarters and cut off the folded corners. Now you have four small pads with the centers cut out. These can be placed over the fuel filler neck to soak up any splashes and small spills while refueling.

A Bit Unnerving -- 6:45 in the evening of February 17th, the front just came through with a 40 knot gust, and the rain poured. According to the NWS, it will all happen fast, and then it will settle down and get cold. That's ok with me, the way the boat is moving around on its stands is a bit unnerving.

In Belhaven -- It's February 17th, 2023, and I am in TJ's Boatyard. The last few days have been breezy and warm, good weather for laying up fiberglass, and I have one unnecessary through-hull glassed over and curing. I'm eyeing another - the one that holds the spinner for the Raymarine speedometer. These things only work for a short while after a haul-out before barnacles jam them, and at this point everyone, even me, has a chart plotter with gps that shows the boat speed, so who needs it? If you want to be traditional, stream a log. If anyone has a lead on a good salvage yard where I could get a set of aluminum spreaders, let me know.

I Should Have Called Them -- Finally, February 8th, 2023, the USCG has issued the notice on the destroyed Marker 1AS (LLNR 31485) that we noted as we sailed from Edenton to the upper Alligator River on January 28th. They also issued LNMs last week on Alligator River Lights 12 and 24 reported missing.

Jamestown -- I kid you not, I placed an order for bottom paint, fiberglass cloth and mat, and resin on February 6th and received it on February 8th! No special shipping, just standard UPS ground built into the prices - and the prices were good. Jamestown Distributors, Inc.

What's New -- This article about Bruce Mierke's rebuild of a Cape Dory Typhoon as an open-decked daysailor. Coming soon - Terry Ann to Belhaven in January.

Caution -- We passed from Edenton to Belhaven January 28-29 and found Marker 1AS at the corner of the danger zone along the south shore of Albemarle Sound broken off a few feet above the water. Anyone following a gps course through here at night should be cautious not to run onto this dangerous stub. On the Alligator River, Marker 37 at the south end of the spoil area is gone and has been replaced with a floating marker. It flashes, but not as bright as a standard marker, and is easily confused with a background light.

Batten Down the Hatches -- It's January 24th, 2023 and the weather in Edenton is fine. The sun is shining, it's 50 degrees, and a light wind is blowing. But tomorrow a fast-moving front is forecast to pass through eastern NC, bring a gale warning and 40 knot winds to the Pamlico Sound and rainy, gusty conditions to Edenton. By Thursday, it will all be past, and things will settle down for a pleasant few days.

Tropical Storm in January? -- The National Hurricane Center is tracking a disturbance off the Virginia coast but giving it a near zero chance of development.

Rogue Wave -- Watch this simulation created from data recorded by a buoy off Vancouver Island in 2020 of a 58 foot rogue wave.

New Channel? -- On January 5th, 2023, Island Free Press is reporting "New navigational channel now open in Oregon Inlet" but I have not been able to find the ATON and in fact the latest ATONs refering to the inlet suggest severe shoaling and several markers off station or missing. So perhaps the new channel has been established and now it needs to be dredged?

New Alligator River Bridge? -- The sometimes balky swing-span has been a headache for sailors and motorists alike. As part of the bipartisan infrastructure law, supported by NC Senator Tillis and signed by President Biden, $110 million has been set aside to help pay for a new high-level bridge that will be aligned close to the existing bridge. Construction is expected to start in 2025. For more information - Island Free Press.

Deal With It -- Outer Banks drivers are getting used to driving on submerged roads. The next stage in their education is learning to deal with black ice and slush. It's all part of life during the climate change end days, as the barrier islands come apart at the seams and vanish Atlantis-like beneath the sea. Won't it be strange when the only features separating the Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean are the two new bridges to nowhere, the Basnight over Oregon Inlet and the Jug Handle at Mirlo Beach, jutting up out of the open sea?

It's 12/23/22 -- and all NC Ferry routes are suspended due to weather.

Anybody Use Discord? -- If you want to join me in trying to get a Neuse River Sailors Discord server going, email me.

Cherry Point Marker -- is reported "destroyed" USCG ATON 12/13/22 and "extinguished" in USCG ATON 12/15/22. This is the Neuse River channel marker "9" at the mouth of the ferry channel at Cherry Point. Mariners use caution. Thanks, David, for bringing this to our attention.

Heat Exchanger Zinc -- I completed a 100 hour service and winterization of the Beta on Terry Ann a few days ago and replaced this zinc that protects the heat exchanger core.

New Ferry Coming to the Neuse River -- The latest addition to the NC Ferry fleet, M.V. Salvo, will start her service on the Cherry Point-Minnesott crossing, in a few weeks. Story at Island Free Press.

Time to Winterize -- Parts of the NC coast have already seen several nights of temperatures well down into the 20s.

Ferry Suspensions -- Ocracoke has been cut off most of the day of 11/8/22 with all ferry routes suspended due to rough weather on the sound. Tomorrow doesn't look much better. Knotts Island, Aurora and Cherry Point ferries are also suspended. For the latest information, go to the NC Ferry System website.

Possible Threat -- As of 11/6/22 a low pressure system located approximately 200 miles north of Puerto Rico is generating gale warnings. That far north and east, the first inclination is to discount the chances that it would affect the southeast coast, but the NHC predicts that it may take a westerly or even southwesterly course. The NHC is giving this system over a 60% chance of becoming a tropical or subtropical storm in the next few days. Per the NHC Tropical Weather Discussion of 11/7/22 0005 UTC, "...there is an increasing risk of coastal flooding, tropical-storm-force winds, heavy rainfall, rough surf, and beach erosion along much of the southeastern United States coast, the Florida east coast, and portions of the central and northwestern Bahamas beginning in the early to middle part of this week".

Duckweed Inconvenience -- Charlie reports recent southbounders say the duckweed horror is broken up, so back to normal levels of inconvenience.

Hurricane Ian Effects? -- Recent ATONs: 10/5/22 BARNEY SLOUGH CHANNEL LIGHTED WRECK BUOY 8 (LLNR 28722.5) AID RPTD MISSING. 10/6/22 BAY RIVER LIGHT 3 (LLNR 33405) RPTD EXT. 10/6/22 HARKERS ISLAND STRAITS LT 17 (LLNR 29386) IS EXT. 10/8/22 NAVY AIR COMBAT MANEUVERING RANGE TOWER LIGHT C (LLNR 580) RPTD EXT.10/13/22 BOGUE SOUND LT 21 (LLNR 38925) RPTD DESTROYED. 10/14/22 CAPE LOOKOUT LT (LLNR 670) RPTD EXT. (That last one is the Cape Lookout Light). Thanks David for bringing this to my attention.

Duckweed Horror -- My friend Charlie Langworthy passed through the Dismal Swamp Canal in early October and ran into a real duckweed horror show at South Mills Lock. All snowbirds considering the Dismal Swamp route should read, and consider, Charlie's post at his blog site, The Horror at South Mills Lock. Everyone else, read the post for the sheer shock value of a 2-foot thick layer of duckweed, or, in Charlie's words, "a literal wall, a sort of miasma...a stinking, fetid mass, of duckweed, pine needles, branches, and trash".

Suspended -- As of 8:00 AM 9/30/22 all NC Ferry routes are suspended as hurricane Ian approaches the South Carolina coast.

Intrepid Mariners -- intent on exploring Juniper Bay on the north shore of Pamlico Sound - note this USCG Notice to Mariners dated 9/23/22 - JUNIPER BAY LT 2 (LLNR 32445), TRLB MARKED "WR2" WITH 5NFR, 30' OF 1/2" CHAIN AND A 135LB DOR-MOR 10 YARDS CHANNELWARD OF WRECKAGE. My interpretation - flashing red "2" at the mouth of Juniper bay is destroyed and has been temporarily replaced by (TRLB) a 5NFR-type buoy 10 yards channelward of the wreckage of the old marker.

Keep a Weather Eye -- on tropical depression nine.

Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree -- will be held October 28th and 29th in Ocracoke.

Georgetown Wooden Boat Show -- is coming up the weekend of October 15th and 16th, 2022. For more information, click here.

Earl is Spooling Up -- but will probably recurve toward, or east of, Bermuda and follow Danielle for the coasts of Europe. Here is the National Hurricane Center track prediction as of September 3rd, 2022. Just a reminder to keep an eye on things.

Celebrating 82 Years -- The USCG Station in Elizabeth City was opened in August of 1940 and now is the largest employer in northeastern North Carolina. Coastal Review has a nice article looking back at the history of the facility.

Incoming! US Coast Guard warns "SAFETY/NC – CHERRY POINT OPERATING AREA (CPOA) – HAZOPS - FIREX WEEK OF 18 – 24 JUL 22, CHANGE FOUR/HAZ OPS/CCGD5 BNM 0367-22. FIRING EXERCISES HAZARDOUS TO SURFACE VESSELS WILL BE CONDUCTED DURING THE FOLLOWING TIMES AND LOCATIONS IN THE CPOA". Rather than try to interpret Coast Guard lingo, I'll just refer you to this link.

Pop-Up Storm. As of the morning of 7/2/22 the National Hurricane Center is warning of tropical storm Colin proceeding up the South Carolina coast, potentially crossing the Pamlico sound by late this afternoon. NHC home page.

Looking Good for Now. The NC Ferry Division reports that Bigfoot Slough has been restored to adequate depth for the large Sound ferries to transit. So, as of 7/21/22, the full cross-sound summer schedules have been resumed. See the NCDOT press release: Pamlico Sound Ferry Routes to Resume Full Summer Schedules.

Time to Get Back in the Habit of checking the National Hurricane Center site every day. The current five day outlook shows a disturbance far out in the Atlantic, heading for the Windward Islands, with a 40-60% chance of development.

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