Boating Safely
on The Outer Banks
By Dan New
Home || Stormy Weather || Swimming Safely
Boating around the Outer Banks offers a variety of experiences.
There are the sounds, inlets, Intra-Coastal Waterway (the ICW or Ditch),
and extensive offshore areas available to the boater. Cruising and fishing
the area can provide challenging, at times dangerous, and 
rewarding
experiences. As 'the Graveyard of the Atlantic' the waters off the Outer
Banks should be treated with respect. The keys to a pleasant and safe day
on the water, as in other boating areas, are safety and common sense along
with a dose of local knowledge.
The Coast Guard abandoned the old station at the south end of the route 12 Bonner bridge at Oregon Inlet several years ago due to erosion and shoaling. The new Coast Guard station is located behind the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center at the north end of the bridge. The Coast Guard is your best source of information if you have specific questions. The Oregon Inlet station phone number is 252-441-1685.
The Hatteras Inlet Coast Guard Station can be reached at 252-986-2175. Both monitor VHF. Dialing 911 in an emergency can be your fastest link to the Coast Guard or other appropriate emergency assistance organizations.
Many places in the area are accessible by small craft (less than 20 feet in length). If there is a good chop on the sounds or ocean one is better off in a boat of 20 feet or more. During the winter and spring a chop of 3 - 4 feet is not uncommon on the sounds; 5 feet or more can be found on the ocean. The inlets can be unpassable at times with high waves and extremely dangerous breaking seas. Southwesterly winds during the summer can kick up a good chop on Pamlico Sound.
Equipment
A well built and equipped boat, with a reliable engine are mandatory for heading out. The following are a few of the pieces of equipment, navigation and safety items to have on board:
| - 12200 | Cape May to Cape Hatteras (offshore) |
| - 12205 | Cape Henry to Pamlico Sound (includes Currituck, Albemarle, Roanoke, Croatan and Pamlico Sounds and Oregon Inlet) |
| - 11555 | Cape Hatteras (Pamlico Sound , Hatteras Island and Inlet, Ocracoke) |
NC
Rules and Regulations
Coast Guard Auxiliary
Currents in and around the inlets are swift at times of
tidal flow. The currents can be treacherous especially if the tidal flow
is against the prevailing wind.
Many areas in the sounds are very shallow, interconnected with narrow channels. Hugging your marks, in many areas, is necessary to avoid running hard aground. Local knowledge is short lived on the waters surrounding the Outer Banks. Winter and spring storms bring high tides and winds that can swiftly relocate channels and aids to navigation. For this reason NOS charts may not reflect the current location of either. Your best source of current information may be to ask a local. If in doubt contact the Coast Guard.
Weather during the summer months is generally hot and dry. Winds are from the southerly quadrants and are generally mild. This time of year often brings severe thunderstorms with dangerous wind and lightning . The best source for long range weather forecasts is NOAA on your VHF. The local radio stations are most reliable for short range forecasts. The offshore charter fleets out of Pirate's Cove, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center and Hatteras Village are running full time.
Fall brings the best weather for fishing and boating. The temperature has moderated, the winds are gentle, and the crowds are gone. Good weather often lasts into late November or early December.
Winter is noted for its strong and long lived storms known
as Nor' Easters. These extra-tropical cyclones bring high sustained winds
topping out at hurricane force that can last for days. Heavy seas and surf
will accompany these weather events. Surf of 20 feet or more is common.
It was during one of these storms that a dredge anchored to the east of
the Bonner 
Bridge
at Oregon Inlet drug anchor and collided with the bridge. A large section
of the span was knocked out necessitating the emergency establishment of
a ferry service between Bodie and Pea Island.
During the fall and winter, good communications equipment becomes a must as boat traffic has decreased considerably. Expecting fast assistance from a nearby vessel is unwise. Assistance is not as easy to come by as it is during the summer months.
Spring brings strong easterly winds that make boating rather unpleasant. But on good days the fishing can be great. At this time of year the charter fleet starts heading out for Tuna. You can have a really great day or one that you can't stand up to hold a rod.
Towns and Marinas
The Cruising Guide to Coastal North Carolina by Claiborne S. Young is an excellent source of general knowledge regarding the towns and facilities in eastern North Carolina.
The following are several marinas. Some offer gas, supplies, slips and repairs. Others are more limited. For information contact them at:
Nags Head and Manteo
|
|
(252-473-3906) (252-473-3320) (252-473-3405) |
Hatteras
|
|
(252-986-2166) (252-986-2460) (252-986-2522) (252-986-2208) |
Oregon Inlet
|
|
(252-473-4500) (252-335-5108) (252-453-3271) |
The Sounds
Boating and fishing areas vary widely. The sounds are numerous providing a great deal of diversity for the boater. The following describes these areas from the north to south.
Currituck Sound, north of the highway 158 bridge, is extremely shallow. It offers excellent waterfowl hunting and Bass fishing. At the north end of Currituck Sound the main ICW enters and exits briefly. The water is non-tidal and brackish.
Albemarle Sound, between the highway 158
bridge to the north and Roanoke Island to the south, extends as far west
as Edenton and the Chowan River. The Dismal Swamp Canal Route of the ICW
enters Albemarle Sound from Elizabeth City via the Pasquotank River. The
main
ICW route from Coinjock enters the sound via the North River. The two ICW
routes meet at the mouth of the Alligator River where the ICW continues
south.
Roanoke Sound is the body of water separating Roanoke Island from the Outer Banks. It extends from the north end of Roanoke Island to it's southern tip. North of Shallowbag Bay, the entrance to Manteo Harbor, the sound opens to an area varying from a few feet near shore to 10 feet at the center. Just north of Shallowbag Bay, Roanoke Sound becomes quite shallow and hugging your marks in the narrow channels will be the rule as you continue south toward Pamlico Sound. South of the route 64 bridge to starboard is the Wanchese channel. Continuing south there are low islands to port and starboard. This area is extremely shallow and should be navigated with caution. At the southern end of Roanoke Sound the channel intersects the channel that runs east to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center (Walter Slough), then branches east to Oregon Inlet Channel (which has changed entrance locations several times over the years) and southwest to Pamlico Sound (Old House Channel). At channel intersections throughout the area the 'red-right-return' and 'green-right-going' often flip. Pay attention to your charts.
Croatan Sound, to the west of Roanoke Island, runs from the highway 64 bridge on the north to southern end of Roanoke Island where the channel will empty into Pamlico Sound. Although wider and deeper than Roanoke Sound, careful attention to navigation is advised.
Pamlico Sound is a vast area bordered on the North by Roanoke Island, Hatteras Island to the East, Ocracoke Island on the south and mainland North Carolina to the west. Shoal draft waters are extensive along all shores and extend a considerable distance into the sound. A restricted gunnery and bombing range sits in the northwest corner southeast of Stumpy Point. Narrow channels lead into the Hatteras Island towns of Rodanthe (Chicamacomico Channel), Avon, Buxton (Buxton Harbor Channel) and Hatteras Village (Rollinson Channel). The areas outside these channels are extremely shallow. On Ocracoke Island Big Foot Slough Channel leads from the sound to Ocracoke harbor.
The Inlets
Describing the three inlets in Outer Banks region is best said by the notices published on the NOS charts: 'buoys are not charted because they are frequently shifted in position', 'frequent change', 'continual change', etc.
Oregon Inlet to the north serves the recreational fleets
out of Pirate's Cove and Oregon Inlet as well as the commercial fleet out
of Wanchese. The inlet is approached from the sound side by the Oregon
Inlet Channel which runs from the intersection of the RoanokeSound and
Oregon Inlet Fishing Center channels to the highway 12 bridge over the
inlet. The channel continues through the inlet and is marked by can buoys
extending to the sea buoy at the end of the inlet 
bar.
The main channel is straight out some years, but may dog leg others. The
north side of Oregon Inlet is bordered by sand bars, the south by the stone
groin that was built to prevent the loss of the highway 12 bridge due to
erosion on the north end of Hatteras Island. This inlet should be navigated
with extreme caution.
Hatteras Inlet is accessible via the Hatteras Ferry Channel. The description is similar to that of Oregon Inlet except that it has no bridge traversing the inlet and no stone groins.
Ocracoke Inlet is accessed from Ocracoke Harbor via Teach's Hole Channel and is similar to Hatteras Inlet.
Offshore in small craft requires that you 'pick your days'. This means that if you get a good day, light winds and chop, it can be great offshore and near-offshore. Watch your weather closely though as it can change rapidly. The Gulf Stream is approximately a 40 mile run from Oregon Inlet and 15 miles from Hatteras Inlet. Good fishing can be found in closer depending on water conditions, Gulf eddys, and other factors.
