Virginia to Georgia Pilot Notes
The minimum vertical clearance of all the
of reduced usage by vessels requiring a 9ft
bridges on the waterway is 56ft at the Julia
channel. Federal project depths are 10ft in
Tuttle Causeway bridge in Miami.
Deep Creek, 9ft in Great Dismal Swamp Ca-
Buoyage: The U.S. Coast Guard maintains
nal, and 10ft in Pasquotank River.
the standard aids that mark the inlets and the
Locks: There are locks at the upper and
special aids that mark the ICW. The special
lower ends of the Great Dismal Swamp Ca-
aids have characteristic yellow markings that
nal. Deep Creek Lock (Mile 10.6) and South
distinguish them from aids to navigation
Mills Lock (Mile 33.2) have the same dimen-
marking other waters.
sions; 300ft long, 52ft wide, 12ft over sills,
Lights and daybeacons should not be
and lift of 12ft. Vessels and tows wider than
passed close aboard because those marking
35ft will not be permitted to pass through
dredged channels are usually placed back
the locks without prior permission of the
from the bottom edge of the channel and
lockmaster.
others may have riprap mounds around
Deep Creek Lock and South Mills Lock are
them to protect the structures.
operated at 0830, 1100, 1330, and 1530 daily.
Speed Limits: There are set speed limits
The bridges adjacent to the locks will be
and no wake zones scattered throughout
opened as necessary in coordination with the
the ICW. Look for signage, particularly near
locks. The lock operators can be contacted
bridges.
on VHF channel 13. Vessels may tie up in the
canal overnight, at the government facilities
Virginia Cut at Deep Creek, South Mills, and the Feeder
Just south of the I-64 bridge on the Eliza- Ditch to Lake Drummond.
beth River, the ICW splits into two alternate
routes. The Virginia Cut is the more heavily Albemarle Sound
used channel. Despite its small size, Albemarle Sound
From Mile 7.2 at the entrance to Deep can become extremely rough during spells of
Creek, the basic route continues through bad weather. Boats are advised to cross only
Southern Branch, the Albemarle and Chesa- in settled conditions. High winds acting on
peake Canal, North Landing River, Currituck the shallow waters of the sound can cause
Sound, Coinjock Bay, and North Carolina short, steep waves to build up quickly, a sea
Cut to North River. The route is well marked state that has caused at least one sinking in
and easily followed in daylight. the past.
Long Shoal Point, at the S end of the sound
Great Dismal Swamp has, as its name implies, a reputation for
This alternate route from the entrance to shoaling into the charted channel.
Deep Creek, Mile 7.6, leads W from the
Southern Branch to Great Dismal Swamp Offshore: Cape Henry to Cape Hatteras
Canal, through Pasquotank River to Albe- Pilotage: Southbound from the Chesa-
marle Sound. peake, this offshore route requires sailing
Vessels that proceed with care and follow E of S to clear the shoals off Cape Hatteras.
the chart can navigate this route without There are several offshore buoys along the
difficulty. Extra caution is required in Deep way. The only inlet, Oregon Inlet, should not
Creek, Turners Cut, and the numerous be attempted; it is subject to extreme shoal-
sharp bends in the upper reaches of the Pas- ing and currents is excess of 5kts.
quotank River. Winds sometimes cause the Use extreme caution sailing in the vicinity
water level to drop 1 or 2ft. Overhead power of Cape Hatteras, closely monitor weather
cables with a least clearance of 91ft cross broadcasts and traverse only in settled con-
Deep Creek at Mile 8.0. ditions. Strong currents exist in the area. The
Great Dismal Swamp Canal, a 19sm non- region is known for sudden weather changes
tidal summit-level section, is controlled by that can rapidly produce high winds and, in
a lock at each end. “NO WAKE” signs have conjunction with the Gulf Stream close off-
been posted in the canal. shore, dangerous sea conditions. For vessels
Depths: Great Dismal Swamp Canal is be- departing the Chesapeake Bay and heading S
ing maintained to a depth of only 6ft because around Cape Hatteras, the first well-marked,
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