Beaufort, NC Cape Lookout - Cutting it Short

[elangley]

Hello All,

I am interested in cutting Cape Lookout in Beaufort NC short before the outer marker. According to my electronic charts there is enough water at various locations to do this if conditions are right, read light wind and waves.

Touching base to see if anyone has actually done this.

I draw 5'2".

Eric

S/V Devante's Dream

[teejayevans]

Originally Posted by elangley

Hello All,
I am interested in cutting Cape Lookout in Beaufort NC short before the outer marker. According to my electronic charts there is enough water at various locations to do this if conditions are right, read light wind and waves.

I assume you mean the shoals, and going around R2-R4-R6, or are you thinking of
going inside of the markers right over the shoal??
If the latter, I can't image any sane person doing that. Who knows how many storms
have passed since the last survey.
Tom

[osirissail]

Anything inside the Red N "2" at Frying Pan Shoals Slue is rather risky. I have sailed just outside the above marker without any trouble north and south, day or night.
- - According to the NOAA waiver you must acknowledge in order to download free RNC's, the data on most NOAA charts can be up to 40 years old. So relying on chart data to cross can be risky. If you have access to a reliable local fisherman - they might know of waypoints they use to transit the Frying Pan Shoal inboard of the "Slue."

[teejayevans]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Anything inside the Red N "2" at Frying Pan Shoals Slue is rather risky. I have sailed just outside the above marker without any trouble north and south, day or night.

I don't think I would do the slue even in moderate conditions.
Tom

[SoonerSailor]

We went through the Slue about a month ago, in very mild conditions. Even then, we could see breakers not very far to the west. I wouldn't be anxious to go through there in more boisterous conditions, but our passage was easy and uneventful.