Navigating Croatan Sound In a 5 foot draft boat

When traveling Morehead City to Norfolk (52’ Hatteras/50’ Viking) we run the sound side almost exclusively, well marked, straight forward navigational wise and no surprises so far. Can’t help with the side trip to Ocracoke except to study and follow closely the recommended route.

You'll have no troubles with the Pamlico route, just watch for the crab traps up in Albemarle. However if the winds are up from the S/E you'll probably prefer the Alligator River route (takes about the same time). Are you planning to come in Ocracoke Inlet or just visit from the sound? Although I haven't made that side trip to Ocracoke friends have. You should have no trouble with it. The channel is marked. As a less experienced boater I would definitely NOT recommend going around Hatteras on the outside and transiting that inlet you're not familiar with if you're thinking about that.

Only shallow if you leave the channel. Ocrachoke will be a short cruise after overnighting in Coinjock (a day's cruise from Norfolk). Unless you're visiting for a reason Beaufort is a day's cruise from Coinjock. Alligator river is a prettier ride for your first time. I've seen bald eagle through there and had deer swimming across the canal ahead of my bow. The snail boats can get a little frustrating at times, but the time still works out close to the same.

This, I've run Pamlico sound with many boats. Set it at cruise and sit back and adjust the autopilot every once in a while........No issues. I've never gone to Ocracoke. I can easily make Beaufort to Norfolk in a day in a 25 knot boat by doing this......It's plenty deep. Only place it shallows up is North of the last bridge (going North) before you get to where you cut over to the ICW and even then a non issue in a 5' draft boat.

Yes, Alligator just north of that last swing bridge, about halfway to the Sound, has that Crazy Ivan in the channel with the double 90 degree angles. Here you have to slow down and shift from the piling markers over to the small buoys. Can't miss that...ouch...

Another option is just take the sound all the way to Beaufort jump in a car and take the ferry from Cedar Island to Oracoke. Then you have two choices, take the ferry to Hatteras or over to Swan Quarter.

As others have said, running the sounds is no issue for you. We do it 2x per year. We usually do Norfolk to Beaufort or Coinjock to Beaufort in one day.

Are you planning to stop in Ocracoke for a particular reason? unless you want or need to go there, I would consider it an unnecessary stop. From OC, you will easily make Norfolk in a short day, or push another 4 hours to Coinjock. Or, pass Norfolk, and get yourself through Great Bridge lock and Bridge and stay at Atlantic Yacht Basin. Any of these options will get you to Beaufort on day 2.

The trouble with that is when the wind is out of the SE / E it can make the Pamlico route real snotty (like 4'-6' stacked one after the other due to the shallow water. Bang, bang, bang, bang all the way till you turn). Granted it can get tiresome slowing down to pass the snailboats on the ICW but for a newbie it can be a good learning experience figuring out how to make time but not having your radio crackle with "Thanks for the wake" and instead changing it to "Thanks for the nice pass". My first time running the coast I heard the first a lot. It taught me how to be mindful of my wake. As for the debris you're just as likely to find it in Pamlico except that you won't see it or get the warnings from the other boats. Can't tell you how many times along Alligator I've heard something like "Big log floating just north of marker.....". With the shorter distance along the ICW route the timing works out about the same, but a lot less fuel burned and it's prettier.

As everybody has said, you won't have a draft issue no matter which route you take. I go through there twice a year on a 130 drawing 7 ft and have run both routes. The biggest deciding factors to me are boat speed and urgency. If you run 16k or better, the sounds route will get you from Coinjock to Beaufort in an easy day but it will be a pedal down, delivery kind of day. If you take the Alligator river ICW route you can make a 2 day pleasure trip (ok some sailboats) and enjoy yourself. I prefer the ICW with this boat since I can't make any speed in the sounds because she sucks bottom with our draft. That's not applicable to you. I run a nice 6-7 hour day from Coinjock to Belhaven and stop for the night. The next day, about the same run time to Beaufort. It's a nice trip with pretty scenery, wildlife and don't forget the prime rib in Coinjock. If I were going to try to enjoy the trip, especially for the first time, I would take the ICW. Weather permitting, if I were on a faster boat, doing a delivery, I'd run the sounds.

That’s a little harsh Pascal. Coinjock is more than the sum of it’s parts, and the prime rib is merely one of the parts. Lewis is a great host, and I almost always run into people and boats I know , so I always enjoy an evening theare.
Best.
Maldwin

I've never seen Pamlico 4-6' and that was with 20-25 knots wind, I've seen 4' in there maybe occasional 5' but was going with it.

The issue is, 80% of the sailboaters and a lot of the trawlers don't F'ing understand that when you are over taking them and you knock it down to slow speed before their transom, that if they want a slow pass, THEY need to slow down from their 6.5 knots and they don't slow down (which almost all don't) you have to do 8 knots to over take them in a timely/safe manner and are still rolling a 10-12" wake just to pass them, then they wake up, turn on their radio (after you've been trying to hail them for 5 minutes) and then ***** at you. One was such an A-hole, that I almost put it in neutral, let him pass me and get ahead of me and then run by him at cruise just to show him what a real wake looked like, but I refrained. Most also have the name covered with the dinghy and/or aren't monitoring their radio.

I ran a 60' trawler on the ICW all of the way to the Hamptons in September.....and all of the South bound boats on plane I just got on the radio and announced I was the 60' trawler and to keep it coming.......even 60' running on plane hardly rolled us.......

I agree the Prime rib is way over-rated at Coinjock....however their other food is pretty good, Louis will help you in any way that you need, and always really nice people on the docks.

+1 on all, although I prefer the burgers. Been making that a regular stop since the days when they had the cheapest fuel on the coast and a porterhouse that was free if you could finish it 30 years ago and they never disappoint. Each time I get a T-shirt for me or the wife. We've got quite a collection. They're like a cruising club emblem. Even people in N.C. have no idea where it is, but everybody who cruises the coast does. Even met one in Alaska where the shirt led to a conversation and a new friend.

My first encounter with Pamlico was while going around Hatteras in a gale. Listening to the radio there were 5 boats missing on the sound. 5', 6' I won't quibble. Stacked together it's still a miserable ride going into.
Yep it'd be nice if everybody listened to their radios and slowed down, but you have to remember that most of those snailboats have their VHF down in the cabin. Also when you're only doing maybe 7 kts. every one you drop make a big difference in how far you'll get that day. So we do a dance in getting by while still not waking them. Develops skill. Most larger boats, and even many smaller ones will wave you on but they still appreciate the courtesy call.