Cape Lookout - The Hull Truth

housoed · 12-01-2005, 08:36 AM

Have never been to the Lookout jetty. Just wondering about the run up there on the inside ,from the turning basin. From what I have seen on my charts there is no channel, or am I wrong. I was planning on hugging the backside of Shackaford.sp? Is there anything else I should know. My boat doesn't draw much water but I would like 3 or 4 feet under me.
Thanks for the help.

Shag · 12-01-2005, 09:10 AM

Run up to and then through what they refer to as the Middle Marsh. After the middle marsh there is a channel that runs the entire length of Harkers Island between Harkers and Shackelford. There are about 4 green markers placed pretty far apart. . When you make the turn at the end of Harkers, be really careful, it's shoaled in badly near the first dredge island. Its well marked and navigable but just take it easy.

Dick deButts Jr · 12-01-2005, 02:26 PM

If I were you I would make it to the end of Harkers Island and then follow someone out from there. There are several long legs that don't make sense when you want to go in a straight line. My GPS does have the route marked but it is shallow in parts of the run and turns when you least expect it to.

Whiteowl · 12-01-2005, 07:58 PM

asking the question the way you asked it means that you are not familiar with the area at all. The inside route to CL is extremely tricky in at least two places. The simplest way is to run behing Shackleford until the rock jetty, turn north toward Beaufort. On your right will be an area called the middle marsh. You want to go to the north end of the middle marsh and turn right. This area is well marked with red daymarks on your left. As you come to the end of the marsh islands on your right you want to turn right and go around the end or the islands. There will be a green day mark just ahead. KEEP THIS TO YOUR LEFT AS WELL. This water is only three or four feet deep, there is no channel to speak of. Go to the next green day mark and turn left. This starts the run down Back Sound. You are running down the length of Harkers Island which is on your left. There are only one or two marks down the length of Harkers Island. When you are approaching the end of Harkers there will be a large spoil island on your right. You need to turn right here. As I recall there is a green lighted day mark here and you should have that mark on your right as you go around it. From this point the channel is well marked but VERY TRICKY. Keep the reds on your left and stay to the green side of the channel. Reading the water is critical here. (This area is called the drain) The channel is serpentine from here to the ocean and all you can do is look for the bouys and read the water. You will eventually come to a large red buoy with a sounding bell on it. At this point you have made it and the jetty will be about a mile to your left. You can very well run aground and be between the bouys on this route. Most of the time there will be enough boats running through here that you can watch and or follow another boat. If you follow do not follow too close. If he stops you need room to stop before you join him on the sand. I rate this run very high on the pucker factor scale and I have run it for a very long time but only a few times a year. The ocean run is simple and much much quicker. This time of year we have a lot of Northeast wind and the ocean will be very calm from Beaufort Inlet to the Cape. My apologies if this is not the type of advice you are looking for. I hope you can take what I have written and compare it to your chart and it will make sense.

Clarkspoon · 12-01-2005, 09:35 PM

Alternatives:
You can trailer to the NCWRC ramp at Taylor's Creek (or if you don't mind the no wake zone, idle through Taylors Creek) which will start you out near the Middle Marsh. Still leaves you with a couple hundred yards of shallow area at the Marsh, but the rest of the run is deep. Daybeacons are quite far apart across HI. I recommend high tide until you learn the area. Would not do it in a big (inboard) boat

If you are not married to the turning basin, trailer to HI. There are a couple of marinas with good ramps there and the run is simple.

wolfpack03 · 12-01-2005, 11:52 PM

Whiteowl......VERY good directions. Great details.

HeadHunt · 12-02-2005, 12:24 AM

I was there for a week in October and running on either side of the Middle Marshes was a piece of cake in my bay boat. The first day I went through the drain was a different story. Had to get out and push. You have to run the bouys very tight at the drain. Point your bow directly at the next bouy and go slow around the drain. I have a SF 236 now and I will go very very slow next time.

HH