Another boat hits a jetty...

Sure you're in the right spot? What you're showing looks like a shoal not a breakwater. In fact it looks like the shoal N/E of the breakwater. Go right from the R14 between the 12' and the 24' marks (----------)

NYCAP I've ran that many times. I can't remember off the top of my head. BUT, There's a place to cut through the shoal and it has markers to go to the ocean, it's along the North side breakwater until you get out. All 12' or deeper. It's plenty deep and I've taken 75' out of there no problem. Or you go Southwest of the breakwater and enter into the channel going to Savannah if going to ICW South.

BUT, that's a totally different area than where the other person went aground.

You have nice deep water along the north side of the breakwater (maybe unless a storm moved the sand), but there's no markers. So you're guessing your way between the breakwater and a bad shoal. If you're coming into Hilton Head you come down the shipping channel, put the R18 on your LEFT, turn right, then go between the range markers to the G3 (putting that on your left). Not as deep as that spot on the north side of the breakwater but far less dangerous. The thing that most intrigues me is that we have a lot of experienced captains and owners here, yourself and Bill included, (and giving the benefit of a doubt I'll assume the captain of the boat that hit), and yet there is a ton of confusion going all the way back to it initially being called a jetty instead of a breakwater. Just goes to show how easy it is to screw up, especially after a long ocean run and especially at night. That's why I'm hesitant to ever call anyone SFB unless I'm sure of all the details. I spent 30 years knowing that my first mistake could cost lives, my career and everything I own. Haven't felt my ulcer since I retired.

I've gone that way also when coming in from the South, but going from Hilton head to go North, the North side of the breakwater is far shorter.

Oh that I wouldn't know. Going north I always went out Port Royal. Shorter, faster, better water.

Look at Port Royale on a larger chart, the channel goes way SE and adds a lot of miles, but a good inlet nonetheless.

Sent you a PM

Yes it is the shoal.

That’s my point. The chart shows good water over the top of the breakwater.

The only shallow area shown is the shoal just off the breakwater.

What I’m I confused about?

I never run over the break water, I run North of it and parallel to it and get past the shoal and then turn North if going North. If you look, the distance between the breakwater and the shoal to the North is a bit wider than the ship channel below it.

Coming into Hilton Head from the South, I always take the route Capt Bill shows in the posting below.

I don’t see the point in waiting to make the turn at 18 and getting into shallow water?

I’ve always made the turn at 14 and headed to the green 3.

More water and you stay well clear on the tip of the breakwater.

Wonder if someone could do me a favor and plot 2 short courses for me. Unfortunately I gave away my charts and GPS when I retired. Coming from Harbor Town marina on Hilton Head plot one course going south out Tybee Roads then turning north to the R14 in the entrance channel to Port Royal Sound, and another going north from Harbor Town to the same R14 marker in the Port Royal Sound entrance channel. Someone told me they think it's faster and safer to go south out Tybee when heading north up the coast.

Not sure if this will come up. It's faster to go South and out Tybee roads as it is ALL at cruise speed. There are several slow downs by the marina's if you go North. I don't know if the routes come up on the links below, but you can use the ruler function to measure and make multiple waypoints and use your up/side arrows to scroll up/down/east/west on the chart.

Southern route 18.89NM's from Harbortowne light to Port Royale Sea buoy
https://www.waterwayguide.com/explo...gitude=-80.58463096618652&zoom=14&mode=marina

To leave Harbortowne and go North, and out Port Royale Inlet to the sea buoy it is 25.46NM
https://www.waterwayguide.com/explo...ngitude=-80.6011962890625&zoom=14&mode=marina

PASCAL- the route going East right after passing South of Markers #2 and 3, (North of the submerged jetty) is the approved route (magenta line with waypoints) straight out of the paper chartbook. It's .43 NM between the breakwater and the shoal to the North.

SLOW DOWN when night running is a must. Electronics are great, use a spotlight and chart if unsure.

Thanks for the links J.
I'll trust your numbers on the south route, but I actually plot 20.1nm of calm water and 2 slow speed areas of about 5 minutes and 10 minutes respectively going the ICW/north route to the R14 at Pt. Royal Sound where you'll turn to your north ocean route . So it's basically 6 of one and a half dozen on the other assuming you find a calm ocean when you come out Tybee. Of course that all changes if you find rough seas that slow you down and/or have to retreat to the ICW. Then you've lost the better part of an hour. So nothing wrong with going south (if you know what the ocean is doing), but I'd stick with going out Port Royale when going north. I might have considered coming in Tybee when coming south though had I thought of it and I was coming in during daylight (wouldn't do it at night for fear of ending up like the subject of this thread while looking for the G3).

Tragic! Can't go any faster than guaranties you'll know what's in front of you before you get to it.

I plotted both Routes to the Sea Buoy, to keep apples to apples.