Cape Fear local knowledge?

[Ed Schenck]

Sitting here looking at chart 11536 and Bald Head Island. It looks like Frying Pan shoal sticks out there about 11 nm. Is this far enough or should we give it even more room?

It is about 100 nm from the Beaufort Inlet which would put us there after dark. Is that a good idea? It also appears that skirting the shoal brings one pretty close to the northbound stream.

 

[Buck420]

Frying Pan Shoals

I've always stayed out East of " R '2FP' "; although, if the weather is OK you could certainly go inside it a few miles.
Kinda depends on how far South you intend to go offshore; if you want to do the ~36 hr run to Charleston, then the farther West the better; but if you are running all the way to North Fla (~ 54hrs), the rhumb line would suggest staying out to the East.
You are correct that the Gulf Stream comes in pretty close to FPS; in fact (i'm told by locals who dive) that the shoals are actually warmed enough by the stream ( especially in the Winter) to support coral reefs w/ lots of spiney lobster, grouper, and other "tropical" species.... However, I've gone South in the Fall 5-6 times and have never noticed my SOG decreasing near FPS. After you are South of FPS, stay within 20m of the coast to have the best probablity of staying inside of the Stream.
Obviously, the distance from Morehead City Inlet to FPS dictates that you will pass FPS during the night (unless you leave Morehead City in the middle of the night)... that's the way it is.
I prefer to wait for a nice weather window and go all the way to St. Augustine. But, if you're not in a big hurry and prefer not to stay out offshore too long, than Charleston is one option; it just takes a long time (3.5-4hrs) to get all the way in from the outer marker.
Hope you have a nice run!

 

[Ed Schenck]

That's some great skinny Buck, thanx! It is the plan to go straight(crooked?) for St. Augustine. But one crew is kind of green(bad choice of words) so I thought I should stay close enough to get in if I had to. I have a nice chartbook of all the inlets and I will skip anything that takes four hours for sure. Thanks again.

 

[Stephen K]

Ed,

I made the trip from Oriental to Charleston a couple months ago. We passed FP Shoals in the middle of the night. The sea was lumpy and on our stern quarter which made for a bad motion...we went further East thinking that deeper water might be an easier ride. We elected to pass FP shoals at "R16" and the platform structure. After passing FP Shoals, we later tacked and sailed to enter the Charleston entrance channel around "R12 / R14". As Buck says, it is a long trip to get into Charleston harbor.

Hope you have better weather than we did.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Gentlemen, thanks again for the info. Now a question about speed and distance. I calculate the rhumb line to be approximately 480 nm. Buck mentions "54 hours to N Florida". So I am wondering what you were seeing as SOG on your GPS.

 

[Buck420]

Ed, I get a rhumb line from Beaufort Inlet to St Augustine of ~369nmi.
369 / 54hrs = ~6.8kts
Staying closer to shore increases the distance and (of course) the time. 7kts IS a little difficult to average over that distance, however it is a good goal to "shoot" for.. especially is you've got good winds behind you and motorsail as needed to keep up your SOG.
I have done it in 54hrs... and never more than 58hrs (heading South).
N-NE winds of 20-25kts are great... you'll surf along w/ 6-8ft seas and 13-18kts of relative wind...
You can cut ~20 mi off by going into Mayport or ~30mi off by going into Fernandina; but if you do you will spend 6+hrs traveling the ICW from Fernandina to Jax and another 6+ Jax to St Augustine.
Carry enough diesel for AT LEAST 48hrs of running engine; a good chartplotter, a good autopilot, a good camera to photograph the offshore dolphins, a good book, wine & cheese, and tonic and ginger .. for, among other things, possible "mal-d'mar".
Have fun

PS .. A good weather window of N-NE winds will (apparently, according to NOAA) exist this Sun (15th) thru Tues (17th) all the way down the SE coast

 

[Ed Schenck]

Wish I could see how you get a rhumb line of 368 km. Seems like that would take you into the stream. I believe you because you have done it. This will be first time in this direction. And I hope you are right about the forecast. My problem will be getting out of my slip. They have been having S winds in and around the Pamlico Sound and I am in a creek on the south side. My boat will be sitting on the bottom unless we get some north breezes. We can't be in Beaufort before Thursday or Friday(20th).

 

[Buck420]

Hi ED,

I've got Nobeltec Vis. Navigator software. When I draw a line on the (electronic) chart from Beaufort Inlet to St Augustine Inlet, it says the distance is (almost exactly) 369 nautical miles. It's a st. line that passes just west of FPS light tower, straight down to St Augustine... and it (the rhumb line itself) does (probable) get into the western edge of the Stream a bit.
This distance also makes reasonable sense considering speed and time it has taken me.
How are you getting 480nmi??
Check ... http://www.weather.gov/om/marine/zone/usamz.htm ...
according to NOAA, looks like you should have N winds from Sun thru at least Tues., the 17th... So, just about the time you will be wanting to leave it will probably have swung to the South and then hopefully back to the North again... isn't that always the way things work ?
Anyway, if you leave Beaufort Inlet at dawn on (say) Sun the 22d ...with good N/NE winds you should come into St Augustine inlet Tues afternoon, the 24th (about 14:45... to be exact, ha ha )

 

[Ed Schenck]

Thanks again. We'll give it go and post the results when we find St. Augustine. Too bad I left the drifter in Ohio. We'll pole out the yankee, wing the main with preventer, and hold on if we get those predicted north winds. Should be a fun ride.

 

[Buck420]

Thanks again. We'll give it go and post the results when we find St. Augustine. Too bad I left the drifter in Ohio. We'll pole out the yankee, wing the main with preventer, and hold on if we get those predicted north winds. Should be a fun ride.

BON VOYAGE ..

BTW, I know that you are used to cold weather, but, remember, even down to N. Fla, in February the ocean is still cold (40's-50's) and N winds will be cold.
Looks like you have a relatively open cockpit, so, be prepared for, among other things, the cold weather & cold spray, and, of course, keep all the crew teathered when in the cockpit.
Another reason for staying within about 20mi of the coast is that you will still be within VHF range if you should need help.
You may see whales off the Georgia coast... apparently they calve there during the Winter....that would be great.

Fair winds and following seas