Sailing Charleston inlet to St. Johns Rivers inlet

[toddmurray]

I'm planning an overnight sailing passage from Charleston inlet to St. Johns Rivers inlet.

I have a 43ft beneteau with a 6.5 foot draft and 63.5 air draft.

Navionics automatic routing plotted a course out the harbour and a hard to starboard just after passing the jetties (green 17) then directly to the St. Johns lighted buoy Stj, then hard to starboard again up the inlet.

Besides right wales and other ships is the proposed Navionics track a good one or should I be further off shore. 12 hours of night sailing.

Thanks to anyone who has done this passage. I'm staying away from the ICW for good reasons.

[Vasco]

Done this trip a few times. Sea buoy to sea buoy.

[svspirited]

Just make sure you go out far enough to clear the breakwater as you leave the harbor in Charleston. It is well marked on both sides but submerged most of the time and more than a few have made the right or left too early ending up on the rocks. Other than that it's an easy trip.

[jkleins]

Just came from Beaufort on a parallel route closer in. No problems. We had an offshore breeze so staying close was a benefit for the waves. With an onshore breeze maybe not so much. Didn’t really see any fishing boats or worry about any crab pots. There are a few unlit bouys in some of the fish havens that you need to watch out for if you decide to just go through them.

Jim

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by svspirited

Just make sure you go out far enough to clear the breakwater as you leave the harbor in Charleston. It is well marked on both sides but submerged most of the time and more than a few have made the right or left too early ending up on the rocks. Other than that it's an easy trip.

The partially submerged rocks of the jetty do extend surprisingly far out to sea, and at times can be seen with breakers on them and rocky points poking above the surface, and at other times just below the surface. Their visibility depends on tide and sea conditions.

Consequently, that is NOT a place to cut the corner, even IF it appears that there are no rocks visible above the surface.

I made two long offshore voyages along that route (including in and out of Charleston) this summer, and each time kept a close eye on the jetties and the ship traffic going between them.

[CarlF]

The only thing I worry about on this trip is the large number of fast moving ships crossing your path going in and out of Charleston and Savannah.

These days, I wouldn't do the trip without an AIS transponder..

Since virtually every vessel more than 10 miles offshore at night now has AIS, it's pretty easy for a tired mate to not notice a little plastic boat with a lousy radar reflector and a single dim masthead tricolor nav light from a ship's bridge that's 100ft off the water on a 950ft container ship moving at 20 knots.

[sailorboy1]

I did it just 2 weeks ago using my Mark I eyeballs without any issue. It isn’t like the shipping channel is moving around or anything. You are crossing at pretty much a right angle and if you can’t avoid a freighter in those conditions, well. ..........,.

[jkleins]

Actually it is a little more difficult then you think. We were crossing the Brunswick channel and the two ships that were out there taking on a pilot. The weather was not great and they had to align themselves with the wind to get the pilot onboard. They were turning circle that would have put us in a tizzy without AIS. I am not saying it can’t be done. I only recently got AIS and used to do it all the time. It is just so much easier now. I hope I never have to go back.

Jim

[toddmurray]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I did it just 2 weeks ago using my Mark I eyeballs without any issue. It isn’t like the shipping channel is moving around or anything. You are crossing at pretty much a right angle and if you can’t avoid a freighter in those conditions, well. ..........,.

Thanks. Great Points.

[toddmurray]

Thanks all for your replies. My AIS is broken so I will need to do this without one.
I will head out the Charleston channel at least to the 3 mile mark if not the sea buoy.

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by toddmurray

I'm planning ... a course out the harbour and a hard to starboard just after passing the jetties (green 17) ...

It's been quite some time since I did this leg, but I recall an exit in the Charleston south jetty that saves a few miles. It was marked both on the jetty rocks and with several buoys. I took 5 feet draft through there southbound at least twice. It was marked clearly on the charts in those days (1990's) but I've no idea if the situation has changed.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by kerrydeare

It's been quite some time since I did this leg, but I recall an exit in the Charleston south jetty that saves a few miles. It was marked both on the jetty rocks and with several buoys. I took 5 feet draft through there southbound at least twice. It was marked clearly on the charts in those days (1990's) but I've no idea if the situation has changed.

Unless you have local knowledge don't take any shortcuts.

[Tingum]

Straight forward trip, good advice so far but keep your VHF ON! Lots of military traffic and those guys often turn everything off! When they hail you do what they say. It's amazing how small a radar signature some of those grey monsters have.

[TBW]

Second the be sure to get far enough out before turning; jetties can be invisible; do not short cut. lots of container ships, very easy to see. They are usually -at least to me- going a lot faster than they seem. Take them to the stern.

[jewt]

Keep a close eye out for tugs with tows on LONG cables. WE were close to being run down by a tug w/tow 3 yrs ago returning from Sale Cay. Had lights indicating a tug w/tow but could not find the tow at all Using the AIS we were able to call the tug on VHF. He told us he did, in fact, have tow , a Navy destroyer on a 1000 yd. cable, unlighted. He put his spot light on it and there it was!

We had to do a 270 turn to be able to pass behind the destroyer and avoid the cable. Always at night!

jewt

S/V Bifrost
still on the hard in Beaufrort, NC