Ocracoke or Oregon inlet?

[Clipper4730]

Hey y'all just curious about the navigability of Ocracoke or Oregon Inlet. Heading north soon and will be going outside this time, the icw just isn't our scene. We will be traveling with our pup so would prefer to limit the overnighters. Question is are these inlets viable entrance point for a boat with a 6' ft draft weather permitting of course. Was going to call the local towboat captain and see what they say just thought I'd ask here.

Thanks in advance.

Will

[TheOffice]

Check the satellite imaging on the Army Corp website. Oregon looks possible. It was dredged again this winter. I'd call the local CG station.

I've been told to forget Ocracoke but I have not checked it out myself.

[Clipper4730]

Funny just checked the google earth and the dredge is working just east of the bridge at Oregon inlet

[Jcolman]

Why not just go outside at Beaufort? The channel is much larger and well dredged.

[pete33458]

Oregon is certainly possible, I wouldn't want to do it again, we were following a Coast Guard escort (after being disabled by a lightning strike) and still ran aground with 6' draft. A lot of shifting sand. This was in 2010, maybe things are better there now.

No experience with Okracoke, but it doesn't seem to be a preferred inlet for keelboats.

Pete

[Captain Bill]

I was last through Ocrakoke inlet a couple of years ago and saw less than 1 ft under my 4 ft keels at a little above mid tide. Your call on 6 ft. Oregon inlet has a nominally 65 ft bridge on it. Thecwater is definitly deeper than in Ocrakoke in the inlet, but it changes quite often and the main problem are the approaches to the inlet on the sound side. They tend to be quite shoally. I was going to try it last summer, but I got a local report that said 4 ft was very marginal on the approach so I passed.