Dave
01-09-2009, 09:18 AM
Here's a useful link for navigating many of our coastal inlets, particularly those that you have not used before or don't navigate on a regular basis.
http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/nav/
To use the data, click on the link and scroll down about half way to the part titled "HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS". You'll notice there are several general area listed. If you click on one of the areas, (I'll use "Coastal Inlets" as an example) you'll be taken to a PDF file of several inlets. On this PDF file, I'll select "Bogue Inlet Bar", which as of today, was updated on 16 September 2008. Click on the survey date to open a map.
Zoom in so you can read the map. The map will give you a basic orientation of the waterway and provide (at the bottom of the page) a list of lat/lon (GPS) numbers to help you navigate the inlet. If you go in and out of inlets (especially early and late in the day), it's a good idea to have these waypoints entered in your GPS unit in case you suddenly or unexpectedly run into heavy fog - or - in the evening, if you find yourself returning late and it gets dark on you, you stand a much better chance (maybe your only chance) of navigating safely through the inlet if you have the route marked.
Dave
hy⋅drog⋅ra⋅phy: [hahy-drog-ruh-fee]
noun
1. the science of the measurement, description, and mapping of the surface waters of the earth, with special reference to their use for navigation.
2. those parts of a map, collectively, that represent surface waters.
http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/nav/
To use the data, click on the link and scroll down about half way to the part titled "HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS". You'll notice there are several general area listed. If you click on one of the areas, (I'll use "Coastal Inlets" as an example) you'll be taken to a PDF file of several inlets. On this PDF file, I'll select "Bogue Inlet Bar", which as of today, was updated on 16 September 2008. Click on the survey date to open a map.
Zoom in so you can read the map. The map will give you a basic orientation of the waterway and provide (at the bottom of the page) a list of lat/lon (GPS) numbers to help you navigate the inlet. If you go in and out of inlets (especially early and late in the day), it's a good idea to have these waypoints entered in your GPS unit in case you suddenly or unexpectedly run into heavy fog - or - in the evening, if you find yourself returning late and it gets dark on you, you stand a much better chance (maybe your only chance) of navigating safely through the inlet if you have the route marked.
Dave
hy⋅drog⋅ra⋅phy: [hahy-drog-ruh-fee]
noun
1. the science of the measurement, description, and mapping of the surface waters of the earth, with special reference to their use for navigation.
2. those parts of a map, collectively, that represent surface waters.