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SC Inlet Caution: Charleston Harbor Entrance
- Date Reported: Jun 2, 2022
- Reporter: Jani Parker
- Source: Waterway Guide Staff
- Description:
Overview: This is a heavily used ship channel and there is a great deal of commercial traffic here day and night. The entrance markers and the forest of harbor buoys leading to Charleston Harbor are easy to sort out in daylight hours. Smaller vessels are advised to stay to the edge of the channel until reaching the inlet jetties.
Approach: Charleston Entrance Lighted Buoy "C" is located at N 32° 35.654'/W 079° 32.269'.
Navigation: The sea buoy is 10 nm farther out than necessary for recreational craft. A waypoint at N 32° 42.860'/W 79° 47.550' between green buoy "15" and red buoy "16" saves considerable time, although southbound vessels need to be aware of the shoaling to the north and guide their course appropriately, coming in on a southwesterly heading.
When entering Charleston Harbor from the ICW–anytime after low-water slack tide to about 2 hours before high-water slack for Charleston Harbor–the current will give slower boats a healthy boost up to the marinas on the Ashley River. When leaving Charleston to head north, slow boats should leave a couple of hours before low-water slack tide for an easier run.
Cautions & Hazards: Be aware of the partially submerged jetties north and south of the channel at quick flashing green buoy "17" and quick flashing red buoy "18." After clearing the jetties, do not proceed onto the charted Middle Ground without a harbor chart (NOAA Chart 11524) that provides expanded coverage. This inlet can be very confusing for nighttime entries due to the many lights both on the water and land, and the considerable traffic you'll encounter at all hours.
ICW Connection: If continuing south on the ICW (Mile 464.1), bear to the west on the South Channel Range. Those northbound or heading for the Cooper River continue using the Mount Pleasant Range and follow it out of the channel, watching for flashing green "127" about 0.25 mile to the east, marking the entrance to the northbound ICW.
- Lat / Lon: N 32° 44.552' / W 079° 50.939'
