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Coast Guard notifies mariners of AICW shoaling in NC

December 17, 2016

WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard is notifying mariners Saturday about several areas on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) in North Carolina where shoaling poses a hazard to navigation.Mariners are advised that shoaling hazards exist at AICW mile markers 237, 271, 280 and 321. Severe shoaling has restricted the federal channel depths and horizontal clearances of the AICW in the following locations:

  • AICW MM 237

            Browns Inlet Intersection in the vicinity of New River – Cape Fear River Buoy 61A

  • AICW MM 271

            Howards Creek Intersection in the vicinity of New River – Cape Fear River Buoy 99A

  • AICW MM 280

            Mason Inlet Intersection in the vicinity of Buoy 121

  • AICW MM 321

            Lockwoods Folly Inlet Intersection in the vicinity of Buoy 47Mariners are urged to transit at their slowest safe speed and proceed with caution when navigating these areas. Shoaling conditions increase the potential for groundings. Any grounding of a vessel poses a risk to injury and a risk of vessel damage. There have been groundings in these identified locations.  All mariners should conduct proper pre-voyage planning when intending to transit these areas and should transit at high tide, in daylight hours. Mariners should ensure vessel drafts are adequate to transit the AICW and not attempt to overtake or meet other vessels in these hazardous areas. These areas are subject to continual and sometimes rapid environmental changes.  Mariners are encouraged to obtain the most recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District hydrographic survey information, centerline waypoints and controlling depth at: http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/HydrographicSurveys/AI... .Some aids to navigation on the AICW may not be charted and may not be marking best water due to continually shifting shoals.  Consult the Local Notice to Mariners, 5th Coast Guard District for the latest positions and status of aids to navigation at: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lnmDistrict&region=5 .The U.S. Coast Guard will continue to monitor the conditions of AICW and update mariners as necessary.  To report any aids to navigation discrepancies or hazards to navigation, please contact the Sector North Carolina Command Center at 910 343 3880.For more detailed information, please visit: https://homeport.uscg.mil/mycg/portal/ep/portDirectory.do?tabId=1&cotpId=53 .

For breaking news, follow the 5th District on Twitter @USCGMidAtlantic.

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