When coming out of Snows Cut going up the river to downtown, is the northern cut open or closed? Do you have to go south out of the cut to the river to turn north to go to downtown?
Any advice on once in the river to go north?
Never have gone north and need some pointers.
Thanks.
I would run the channel towards Sunny point before turning north in the river channel. I don’t think the channel markers that used to mark the channel that ran north when you first leave the cut are there anymore.
I always run to the main channel and go up these days. That shortcut can be tough water to read if you don't know it (and I don't).
The north channel markers have been removed. Use the south channel
The Northern extension is navigable, but like said above the markers have been removed for awhile so if you have never been that way, take the extra time and use the Southern extension to go around. Keep it between the markers going from Snows Cut to the River, I see boats every single day run up on the sand bars in there because they're on the wrong side of the markers. Once you get to the River, going North, red is still on your right. Coming back down the River, red will be on your left. The good news is most (not all) of the upper River is deeper so if you do wander out of the channel you won't hit shallow water right away like you might would in the lower River. Watch for floating trash/logs and rogue crab pot buoys.
As others have said, go south to the shipping channel. Once in the channel, it is cake to get to Wilmington. Call the dockmaster ahead of time to reserve a spot. It's $5 (or at least it was last time I went up there).
As others have said, go south to the shipping channel. Once in the channel, it is cake to get to Wilmington. Call the dockmaster ahead of time to reserve a spot. It's $5 (or at least it was last time I went up there).
I think it's still the same. I keep https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/home/showdocument?id=868 this on my phone. We used to go up there a bit... haven't in a while, but may need to change that.
Crossing the bar going North is super skinny on a full tide. We have it marked pretty good in our chart plotter and there is a channel in there. Its getting to it from the snows cut side that will leave you very high and dry.
run it all the time only two issues
1 there's only a couple feet of depth at dead low across the bar that is right at the point when you first turn out of the cut. Either go at any other time other than dead low or idle across till you see 6+ feet then get back on plane
2 the crabbers love that area so you'll have to watch out for pots and buoys as they pretty much run right against the deepest water. As long as its not pitch black dark they are easy to spot.
Maybe a dumb question, but is there a map or something that defines the north vs the south channel?
https://www.charts.noaa.gov/PDFs/11537.pdf
Zoom into Snows Cut and you'll see the 2 splits to get to the River channel.