Beaufort NC to Beaufort SC

[sarbog]

'05 340 Dancer, twin 8.1 Horizons. What am I looking at in terms of time to make this trip? Can I do it with one stop or would 2 make it less more relaxing and less stressful? Run inside, outside (weather dependant obviously), or a combination? Considering spending New Years down there just for something to do. Anyone whose done it what can I expect/should look out for?

 

[ZZ13]

Can't help you with the route but I'm in Beaufort, SC. Can answer questions about the area if you haven't been here before.

I can say the best you'll do in the ICW from Charleston to Beaufort, SC is about 3.5 hours.

 

[tcason]

check out activecaptain.com website to help you plan stops along way

 

[dpmulvey]

Straight down Route 17 by car is going to take you 7.5 to 8 hours. Unless you have to get somewhere and are going to go 24/7, I'd plan on at least 2 nights. I went from Beaufort, NC to Richmond, VA and it took about 2.5 relaxing days. If I had it to do again, I would have taken 4 and relaxed more. There was so much to see.

Good luck!

 

[kkalsch]

That trip has been on our bucket list ....we have been to Wilmington a couple times -takes 4-5 hours from Beaufort NC on the outside -we usually cut back in at Carolina Beach by the snow cut bridge -I would say at least 2 long days -if you can stay on the outside for the most part
BTW the Inlet at Emerald Isle is tricky at low tide

 

[JimT]

You are talking 330 miles give or take. I don't see you doing that it one day unless you run at night. Split up into two days and enjoy the trip. Georgetown would be a good overnight spot.

 

[mquiet]

You can run to BaldHead in one day and then continue down the next. I can make BaldHead in 3 hours and I figure Beaufort is 3 hours north of me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sarbog]

Sorry for my lack of clarity. By one stop I meant one overnight stop. From responses it seems that two days is doable, though would b e failry long daysng too hard. Still, may add a 2d overnight and really take it easy. I have been playing with Active Captain. Beaufort to Georgetown, then Georgetown to Beaufort looked like the rout if I was going to do it in a two day trip. I also played with Beaufort to Southport, or even Myrtle Beach, then on to Charleston the 2d day. Charleston to Beaufort would be the easy 3rd leg. Return trip would probably be just a 2 day run.

 

[JimT]

If you are considering 2 nights then overnight in Southport and Charleston. MB as no soul and the waterfront in Georgetown isn't the same since the fire in 2012.

 

[SearayPaul]

I think making this a two night trip is not going to be fun. It can be done if you like long days. Having done this trip many times, I know for sure Charleston to Beufort is 3.5 hours guaranteed. I have done this trip in a small boat and a bigger boat. You must time the Ashepoo cutoff for mid tide or more. Do not cut the exit marker close or you will run aground unless you are at high tide. At dead low tide the cut may have 3.5ft in the middle of the cut if you are lucky.

Georgetown to Charleston is 2.5 hours at your cruising speed. I have not been above Georgetown in a while so I can't give you a running time. South of myrtle beach is a long minimal wake zone so that is going to slow you down. Also there is a lot of shoaling from IOP to the Charleston harbor. Time this passage for mid tide as breach inlet, the mouth of the harbor, Sullivan's Island bridge and one more place I can not recall are shallow.

This is a great trip. Georgetown has several great places to eat along with lots of people to meet. Dockage at Harbor Walk is very easy. Charleston of course has anything you want. Current can be fun to dock with. If you stay at Charleston Harbor come by to say hi. Beufort has a great waterfront. Zz13 knows it better than I do. The current is viscous at Dowtown Marina. The food is great in Beufort. Dawtaw marina just after the Ashepoo is a good stop also. Make sure you eat at the marina' restaurant.

Going outside will cut your time down. Refueling I imagine needs to be planned for.

Have fun!

 

[bahamabreisus]

Having done the trip, I will say 100-120 miles per day is making good time in the waterway, not killing yourself. Beaufort to Southport will be a good long day, then down to Georgetown, then to Charleston, then on to Beaufort. Remember, the ride is part of the reward. There is a lot of traffic headed south now, but it will be over by New Years. Enjoy the trip.

 

[ZZ13]

There is a workaround if you get to the Ashepoo River at low to mid tide. When you go through the Fenwick cut connecting the South Edisto to the Ashepoo, leave the ICW (temporarily) by turning to port and taking the Ashepoo to St Helena Sound. Then turn to starboard and head into the sound to connect back to the ICW. Water is plenty deep at lower tide that way.

 

[SearayPaul]

Bill, I just looked at the chart for that area. When you come back across St Helena sound there appears to be some skinny water to the east side of the flashing marker. How far off of that flashing mark should one stay while swinging back up to the ICW? The other possibility is that it is a non issue.

 

[ZZ13]

Bill, I just looked at the chart for that area. When you come back across St Helena sound there appears to be some skinny water to the east side of the flashing marker. How far off of that flashing mark should one stay while swinging back up to the ICW? The other possibility is that it is a non issue.

I make a big wide looping turn to clearly stay in the deep water. I can't tell you the exact distance from the marker but I stay a good bit away from it.

 

[sarbog]

I emphatically agree that the ride is part of the fun. I have made Beaufort NC to Little River SC in about 5.5-6 hrs. However I jumped outside from the Cape Fear River to Little River inlet. Have neve been farther south than Little River. Going to go look over the charts for the bypass of the shallow spot at the Ashepoo. Honest assessment is that I have never been that good at planning arrival times on the ICW with the desired tides. I always seem to be a little too early or late.

 

[SearayPaul]

Cruisers Net wrote up that bypass a couple of months ago. I thought about it but chickened out. Every time we go thru Ashepoo we leave at first light to time the tide. Just the way it always works out. We may try that route next time we head south so we can sleep later.

 

[Alex F]

'05 340 Dancer, twin 8.1 Horizons. What am I looking at in terms of time to make this trip? Can I do it with one stop or would 2 make it less more relaxing and less stressful? Run inside, outside (weather dependant obviously), or a combination? Considering spending New Years down there just for something to do. Anyone whose done it what can I expect/should look out for?

I agree that good plan is to cover 100-120NM per day, when you're on a vacation trip (not just delivery trip).

I would do

Day 1: Beaufort, NC to Myrtle Beach ~ 120NM (all inside)
Day 2: Myrtle Beach to Charleston ~ 110NM (go inside until Georgetown, then outside between GT to Charleston)
Day 3: Charleston to Beaufort, SC. ~ 60NM (all inside).

In terms of cruising, IMO, the stretch of AICW from Morehead City/Beaufort NC is starting to be most pleasant and scenic. You have to do it at least once. It beats to experience it vs. being out in the ocean for many hours with nothing to entertain you, but water. Being inside in ICW, there are only couple of spots you need to be concerned about:

1.The Rock Pile (North and South points), it's right by Myrtle Beach. There's no issue if you're in the middle of the channel. This is why cruisers make "Securete Call" communicating to others when approaching those points. Communicate to others, listen when others broadcast. Stay in the middle and its a walk in the park.

2. ICW just north of Charleston. There's a very tricky/skinny section where mid channel has 2' of water. This is why I advised above to jump on the outside after Geaorgetown. It's a nice couple of hours ride and entering Charleston from the ocean is as good as it gets. Very well marked wide channel.

In terms of entertainment, if you haven't been in Charleston, stop and focus on this beautiful city as it has everything you'll need, especially during x-mass/New Years holiday. I would spend at least 2-3 days in Charleston.

As for final destination, I would take a couple of hours extra ride and go to Hilton Head. If you've never been there, you'll thank me later.

Bill (zz13), please don't take it the wrong way, but based on my experience (purely from cruising perspective), either Beaufort NC or SC are nice overnight stops, but not a final destinations.

Sarbog, you didn't say how much time you have for the trip, it's would the deciding factor in terms of the amount of stops and possibly rethinking the final destination.

Hope this helps.

 

[ZZ13]

Ha! No worries, Alex. I concur. Beaufort, SC is a small town. That's why we live here. But we spend a lot of social time in Charleston, Hilton Head and Savannah.