With local knowledge, a smooth sea, and high water, boats can cross Frying Pan Shoals through Cape Fear Swash. Due to extensive shoaling, the buoys marking this passage have been removed. Strangers of over 8-foot (2.4 m) draft are advised to pass outside Frying Pan Shoals, by which route the distance from Beaufort Harbor Entrance Lighted Buoy to smooth water in Cape Fear River is 112 miles. Pilots for the inlets, the Intracoastal Waterway and open waters between Beaufort and Charleston can be had at Beaufort and Morehead City.

Bogue Sound (chart 1234) is shallow and extends 21 miles westward along the coast from Beaufort Harbor to Bogue Inlet. It is separated from the ocean by Bogue Banks, a wooded beach % to 4 mile wide. The sound has a width of about 2 miles near its middle, but narrows at each end; its western end is partly closed by marshy islets. The passage through Bogue Sound by way of the Intracoastal Waterway is well marked by lights and strangers should experience no difficulty in following the channel.

Tides in Bogue Sound vary from about 212 feet (0.7 m) average rise and fall at each end near the inlets, to about 1 foot (0.3 m) where the tides meet near the middle. Strong south or southwest winds may raise the tide a foot or even more, and north to northwest winds lower it a corresponding amount.

Bogue Inlet is 22 miles westward of Beaufort Harbor and 3 miles southward of the town of Swansboro, which can be seen from outside. The entrance is now used almost exclusively by local fishermen. The inlet is between a high, wooded ridge on the west and a long, low spit on the east; on the inside of the spit, 1 mile eastward of the inlet, is a Coast Guard station. The entrance is obstructed by a shifting bar, extending about 2 mile seaward, through which the channel depth varies from a minimum of 3 feet (0.9 m) at low tide in some years to a maximum of 14 feet (4.3 m) at high tide in other years; in March 1933, there was a depth of about 6 feet (18 m) at mean low water on the bar.

The tides have a range of about 22 feet (0.8 m) on the bar, and high water occurs two hours earlier on the bar than at the head of the marshes inside.

The channel is marked by Bogue Inlet Sea Bell Buoy, 1⁄2 mile outside the bar, and by small buoys on the bar and in the entrance. The small buoys are shifted frequently to conform with the position of the channel. There are no regular pilots; some one familiar with the channel may sometimes be had from the Coast Guard station. Fishermen are sometimes present outside and can be followed in. A stranger should wait for a rising tide and should never attempt to enter when the bar is breaking. The bar buoys cannot be seen when there is any sea running.

The channels inside the inlet are subject to considerable change, and no directions for navigating them can be given. The greatest changes result from southeast and southwest storms. In March 1933 the channel had a controlling depth of 4 feet (1.2 m) from the inlet to Swansboro.

Swansboro, a small town on the west bank of White Oak River, 3 miles north of Bogue Inlet, is reached by a shifting channel from the

20712°-36

inlet, and from Bogue Sound and Cape Fear River through the Intracoastal Waterway. There are several piers with a depth of 9 feet (2.7 m) at the faces. Provisions, ice, and gasoline are obtainable here. There is telephone and telegraph communication and highway connection to Morehead City. Some machine-shop facilities and a marine railway capable of hauling out boats of about 35 feet in length are available. Numerous fishermen base at Swansboro. There is a fixed bridge, vertical clearance of 12 feet (3.7 m) across the White Oak River at the town.

White Oak River, for a distance of 4 miles above Swansboro, has a width of 1 mile or more, through which there is a narrow, tortuous channel between flats and oyster rocks; farther up, the river is narrow and leads between marshes. The channel is marked by red and black stakes. Stella is a post office about 7 miles above Swansboro. The limit of navigation is at the fixed bridge at Stella. Lumber is towed through Bogue Sound to Morehead City.

Bear Inlet, 32 miles westward of Bogue Inlet, is used as a harbor by local boats only. The entrance is about 1/4 mile wide between high sand dunes. It has a broad, straight channel and is marked by buoys, which are shifted from time to time as the position of the channel changes. In March 1933, the depth over the bar at low water was 4 feet (1.2 m). The channel is closer to the west side at the mouth of the inlet. The waters connecting the inlet with the Intracoastal Waterway have a depth of only 212 feet (0.8 m) at low water. Strangers should not attempt to enter the inlet, or pass to the Intracoastal Waterway, without the aid of a local pilot.

Bear Inlet is easily recognized from the outside. A series of low bare sand dunes extends from the near background of trees at the west side of Bogue Inlet gradually increasing in height to the east side of the entrance to Bear Inlet. The spit on the west side is low sand beach.

Browns Inlet, 3 miles westward of Bear Inlet, had a depth at low water of about 2 feet (0.6 m) in March 1933; it is little used. The entrance is not buoyed; the channel is difficult and should not be attempted by strangers without the aid of a local pilot. The east side of Browns Inlet is much higher than the west side. The dunes to the east are steeper and more ragged looking with overgrown tops. A high bare sand dune is a little more than half-way toward Bear Inlet. This dune slopes up from the west in a rather elongated fashion and is the first thing visible from the southwestward. Like Bear Inlet the west side of Browns Inlet is much lower and smoother looking.

New River Inlet, 35 miles westward of Beaufort Harbor, is not marked, is considered dangerous by local pilots, and should not be attempted except under the most favorable conditions. There is a strong ebb current from the inlet sometimes as long as three hours after low tide, which causes a heavy break on the bar when there is any sea outside. The break is especially bad when the ebb current runs against any winds from south or southeast. In 1933 there were 6 feet (1.8 m) at low tide on the bar, which was broad and showed no well-defined channel, and is subject to rapid change. The entrance is narrow, with spits on both sides, and only shows when open. On the western side of the opening there are a wooded hummock,

bare sand dunes, and shanties. There is a group of shanties 1 mile westward of the inlet.

New River is navigable for boats of 5-foot (1.5 m) draft for a distance of 7 miles above Jacksonville. The river has a width of 1 to 2 miles from the head of the marshes above the inlet to 1 mile below Jacksonville, above which it is a narrow stream. From the inlet the channel to New River has a depth of 12 to 6 feet (0.4 to 1.8 m) and leads northward and northwestward to the northern end of Chadwicks Bay, where it follows the southwest side of a dike. It then follows the western shore at a distance of 200 yards, passes that distance eastward of Hatch Rock, and then turns eastward to the middle of the river.

Jacksonville is a town on the New Bern-Wilmington branch of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad 20 miles above the mouth of New River Inlet and on the east side of the river. A fixed highway bridge across the river at Jacksonville is the limit of navigation for vessels with masts. Gasoline and some provisions are obtainable at the town.

Tides. The mean rise and fall at the entrances to these inlets is about 22 to 3 feet (0.8 to 0.9 m); but freshets, particularly in New River, may raise the level a foot or more inside. On the bars at the entrances of the inlets between Cape Lookout and New River Inlet high and low waters are about 1/2 hour earlier than at Charleston.

New Topsail Inlet is 18 miles westward of New River Inlet and 53 miles westward of Beaufort Harbor. The channel is unmarked and is obstructed by a shifting bar. A small house stands on the eastern spit, about 1 mile from its end. This inlet is used by local boats but should not be entered by a stranger.

Old Topsail Inlet (also called Elmore Inlet) is constantly changing and no directions can be given for its use. Small boats enter the inlet at low water, and at high water they can pass through the inside channels to the Intracoastal Waterway and the mainland. Strangers should not use this inlet. The shores on each side are low sand beaches, and there are no distinguishing marks. The inlet between New Topsail and Old Topsail Inlets is practically bare at low water.

Rich Inlet and Mason Inlet (also called Queen Inlet) are 5 and 81⁄2 miles, respectively, westward of New Topsail Inlet and have channel depths over their bars of 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 m) at low tide. They are used to some extent as anchorages by small local craft but are not recommended to strangers.

Moores Inlet (also called Wrightsville Inlet) is 111⁄2 miles southwest of New Topsail Inlet and 2334 miles north-northeastward of Cape Fear Lighthouse. The inlet has closed to the extent that navigation has ceased.

Wrightsville Beach is a summer resort on the beach between Wrightsville Inlet and Masonboro Inlet. The large hotels and buildings are visible from far offshore. An electric railway and a good highway connect Wrightsville Beach with Wilmington. Gasoline and some supplies can be obtained at Wrightsville at the landings on the Intracoastal Waterway westward of the railway bridge.

Masonboro Inlet is about 2 miles south of Wrightsville Inlet. The channel and the best water across the bar are marked by buoys which are shifted very frequently to conform with the frequent and radical changes. In 1930, there was a depth of 5 feet (1.5 m) on the bar. Entrance should not be made except with thorough local knowledge and only under the most favorable conditions. In northeasterly weather the bar is bad. There are strong tide rips on the ebb current. The mean range of tide on the bar is 3.85 feet. The Intracoastal Waterway on the inside is reached from the bar by proceeding along the north spit to the northeastward and then parallel to the railroad causeway to Wrightsville. This passage is marked by beacons and in 1930, was good for a draft of 5 feet (1.5 m), but was shoaling considerably.

Corncake Inlet, 4 miles north of Cape Fear Lighthouse, is connected with Cape Fear River by several shallow slues north of Smith Island. The inlet has shoaled and is seldom used by local fishermen. It is considered dangerous and strangers are advised not to attempt it under any circumstances.

Cape Fear Swash is a narrow channel across Frying Pan Shoals, 1 mile southward of Cape Fear Lighthouse and about 3/4 mile southward of the point of the cape. It is considered dangerous and is no longer buoyed. Local fishermen occasionally use the passage. A stranger should not attempt to use it.

Four Mile Slue, a channel across Frying Pan Shoals, 5 miles southward of Cape Fear Lighthouse has shoaled to a depth of 42 feet (1.4 m) and is unsafe for use; the buoys marking it have been discontinued.

Cape Fear is the low, sharp point of sand beach forming the southern extremity of Smith Island. This island, lying on the eastern side of the entrance to Cape Fear River, is mostly low and marshy but has a thick growth of trees on its western side. Near the southern end of the island is Cape Fear Lighthouse, which will usually be the first object seen in approaching the cape.

Cape Fear Lighthouse, Lat. 33°50′47′′ N., Long. 77°57′58" W., is a white, octagonal, pyramidal, iron, skeleton tower, upper part black. The light is flashing white (light 2.5 seconds, eclipse 7.5 seconds), 159 feet (48 m) above the water, and visible 19 miles. The light is obscured from 178° to 190°.

Bald Head Beacon is on the westerly side of Smith Island, easterly side of the entrance to Cape Fear River. The structure is a white, octagonal, pyramidal tower.

Frying Pan Shoals, with general depths of 4 to 10 feet (1.2 to 3.0 m), extend in an unbroken line 10 miles south-southeastward from Cape Fear; for a distance of 51⁄2 miles farther in the same direction the shoals are broken, the depth over them ranging from 10 to 20 feet (3.0 to 6.1 m). Frying Pan Shoals Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 A F P is moored in 66 feet (20.1 m) of water, in the former position of the lightship, off the end of this part of the shoals, and Frying Pan Shoals Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 F P is moored in 48 feet (14.6 m) of water off the western side of the shoals. Broken ground with depths of 6 to 7 fathoms (10.9 to 12.8 m) extends 8 miles eastward and 12 miles east-southeastward from Frying Pan Shoals Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 A FP; the least depth is 514 fathoms (9.5 m) and lies 71⁄2

miles 90° true (E. % S. mag.) from the buoy. Frying Pan Shoals Lightship, marking the outer end of the shoals, is located on the 10fathom (18.3 m) curve, 3011⁄2 miles 1382° true from Cape Fear Lighthouse. Large, deep-draft vessels generally pass southward of the lightship.

Frying Pan Shoals Lightship, Lat. 33°28′ N., Long. 77°34′ W., is moored on the 10-fathom (18.3 m) curve, 302 miles 1382° true from Cape Fear Lighthouse. The vessel has a yellow hull, with "Fryingpan" on each side, and two masts with the lantern on the foremast, no bowsprit. The station whistle buoy is 400 yards northerly. The light is group flashing white every 30 seconds (2 flashes, each 2 seconds, 1 eclipse, 6 seconds, 2 flashes, each 2 seconds, 1 eclipse, 10 seconds), 63 feet (19.2 m) above the water, and visible 14 miles. A fixed white light on the forestay indicates the heading of the lightship. The fog signal is two-tone diaphone, blast 4 seconds, silent 26 seconds, excepting that every third minute blasts of 1 second and 5 seconds will be substituted for one of the characteristic blasts. If the oscillator is disabled, a bell will sound 5 strokes in 5 seconds, silent 55 seconds. There is a radiobeacon on the lightship which sends out signals of 2 dashes during foggy weather. (For description see Light List, Atlantic Coast or H. O. Pub. No. 205.) The lightship is a radio station, and receives and transmits messages of importance in the maintenance of aids to navigation or on other urgent matters (see Light List). Call letters WSD. The diaphone and radiobeacon are synchronized for distance finding.

CAPE FEAR RIVER

(Charts 424 and 425)

Cape Fear River has a total length of about 371 miles and empties into the sea immediately westward of Cape Fear. It is the approach to the city of Wilmington, which is 27 miles above its mouth. Frying Pan Shoals Lightship and Cape Fear Lighthouse are the principal guides for the approach and are described with the coast from Cape Lookout to Cape Fear on pages 126 and 127.

The entrance to the river is obstructed by a bar which extends about 2 miles offshore. In 1936 there was a controlling depth of 30 feet (9.1 m)in the dredged channel over the ocean bar, and 29 feet (8.8 m) existed in the river channels up to Wilmington. There was a depth of 30 feet (9.1 m) in the turning basin and in the anchorage basin.

The channel is well marked by range lights and buoys, and with the aid of the chart it should not be difficult for a stranger of moderate draft to navigate it on a rising tide; sailing vessels usually employ a towboat for crossing the bar and in the river.

Western Bar Channel, close to Oak Island at Fort Caswell, is used considerably by small craft bound westward along the coast. It is good for about 6 feet (1.8 m) at low tide but is not buoyed. The best water lies from 100 to 200 yards offshore south of Fort Caswell, and from there the channel through the shoals runs about 256° true (W. by S. mag.). Abreast the Coast Guard station the shore should not be approached closer than 1/4 mile.

Southport is a town on the west bank of the Cape Fear River, 112 miles above Fort Caswell. There is good anchorage in the river