[ilnadi]

Just sailing across the Ocracoke Inlet on the inside is an adventure. You may want to consider the inside passage. From Lookout, you can actually go "inside" without going through Beaufort Inlet.

1. You can take the ICW N from Morehead City to Neuse River, then you have almost a straight shot to Ocracoke.
2. There is some waterway through Core Sound but my charts say 5'3" will not make it. You should find a sailor out of Beaufort or Harkers Island to ask.

Enjoy the trip.

 

[ilnadi]

Not sure if you are familiar with the area but the ditch from Beaufort to the Neuse can run 4-5knts at moving tide. Even our little Catalina 25 averaged over 7knts most runs, even sailing down the ditch (or maybe it was up) on occasion. You can get a nice boost if you watch the tides.

On the plus side, you will have seen the whole run from New Bern to Ocracoke. If you are out of New Bern, you probably know the rest of the area. If not, you may want to find out at least where the bombing ranges and the shoals are.

Have fun, I love the sail to Ocracoke. I know people who sail to Ocracoke every time they catch a "Westerly Friday evening, Easterly Sunday" weekend. Of course having the ferry pass you back and forth 6-7 times is a bit of an ego deflator.

Yeah, I know about the inside route. We will be coming to Beaufort from New Bern, down the ditch. Core sound looks like a no-go for me too. I was just hoping to avoid back tracking.

Thanks,
Chris