Running the Crack at Oregon Inlet.....

[naclh2ophishing]

A couple time's I've gotten out ahead of the charter fleet only to have them catch up as I make my way to the bridge....The captains seem to be pushing hard to get on through but how close it too close?? It's to the point that I was feeling uncomfortable.....I'm not trying to get run over......Limited space in the channel doesn't leave much room for error....even mechanical.....I'd hate to lose power with a 60+ footer less than 50 yards off my stern......in the dark....or at dawn with limited visibility.......Am I just being paranoid?? I know I tend to give more room then I've been given but then again I don't run it everyday for a living......any thoughts??

[CaptNemo]

My thoughts are, the OI captains are not a professional and courteous as everyone makes them out to be IN GENERAL. I have rarely had any good experience with them when you get in THEIR WAY, or thats the way they see it. I dont doubt at all that they are running way to close to you because they don't want us out there...my opinion

[john latham]

Because the water gets skinny in there, they have to stay up on a plane through certain spots. Not sure what speed you were running when that happened. Still if the roles were reversed you'd be getting plenty of "Carolina Howdies" from the crew.

[Peddler]

JL is correct. When we go through there we have to be on plane or we will hit bottom in several spots. Some of the bigger/faster boats have to haul ass to stay on plane. When one boat slows down, every boat behind them has to slow down and a traffic jam usually ensues and somebody ends up on the bottom. Being the lead boat through the crack with an entire fleet behind you holds a certain responsibility. Its important to get through there quickly to be courteus to those behind you who have to go fast to get through there.

[naclh2ophishing]

Now it makes sense, We were following other boats and I guess their pace wasn't what it should have been......

[capehaze]

Understand the plane vs draw vs depth issue, but I had a sort of similar bad experience leaving the OI docks last year. Admittedly, I was going slow. It was pre-dawn dark and I was in the very narrow channel leaving the basin, about 100 yards short of the hard port hook. Don't make the run often, so was moving slow to locate the buoys. A really big boy was closing on me, so I moved to the starboard edge of the channel. So far, no problem. I suppose the captain saw this and took the opportunity to pass. Still no problem - and wouldn't be if he had eased past. But... Just *before* passing, he hammered down and passed about 10' to my port. - must have been a 5 foot wake. No time to turn into it! Almost capsized. My Albe rolled to what must have been more than 45 degrees. Crew hit the deck. The wake picked me up and set me down outside of the channel - on the ground. Thankfully only the drive was in the mud. Raised the drive and my son went over the side to push us back into the channel. Wish I had gotten the boats name, but things were pretty busy - long enough that he was out of sight by the time I was out of the survival mode.

OTOH, another time I was passed just beyond the left hook, but in a reasonable way. They hit the throttle after clearing us. I guess noticing I was moving on the slow side and marker hunting, they hollared "follow us". We did, no problem.

Moral: There are good guys and there are some SOBs out there.

Woody

[Buck268]

Capehaze, I see you're a fellow Albe owner? I'm leaving for Nags Head this weekend and will be down for a week and will be trailering my 268. If your down and want a buddy boat give me a shout. I'll be running out of Pirates Cove.

[capehaze]

Hi Buck,

Thanks for the invitation. I'll be down, but the weekend after and, this time, at HI. Last time I went out of OI, the bite was at HI. Wanna bet the bite will be at OI this time ;)
Maybe we can hook up later on. "Noran" is on stern.
Good luck with the WX. Forecast was great, then not so much, now not so bad. We need a crystal ball!

Tight Lines,
Woody

[Buck268]

Here's a web site that I just found and it's the best I've seen so far. This is from the Army Corp. and is only a month old.
Thumbs up for the Corp. :thumbup:

http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/nav/IMS_Disclaimer.htm