I would be more concerned with the inside channels, they still get my attention and I have made hundreds of trips through them in all kinds of weather
Yep!! Other than the fact that it can get pretty nasty in the inlet, there is generally plenty of water. But once you make your way under the bridge....oh boy. And Hell's Gate is called that for a reason. I never enjoy going through there on my way to Hatteras as it changes all the time.
alot of good advice, also remember to always.........
look behind you to see if u are still in the channel. If u just look foward it is deceiving in OI b/c u could be out of the channel and thus will rub bottom fast. If u look at the buoys behind u it is much easier. when i first started fishing down there l'd wait for the first charter boat to put their lights on and untie my lines, I'd inch out and be ready when they pulled out. I was like a kid a xmas, 24 years old and fishing my own boat with the oi fleet. i time i was so close to tolson running the sound early in the morning i could smell his breakfast on the bridge, another i had the missfortune of trying to keep up with the peg leg and his yellow 32 knot boat, i had the throttles in the corner and uptight, he got so pissed off he pulled the boat to a near dead stop and threw profantiies at me. my first time pulling up to the sea buoy at oi, after my first run from cape may, it was mid feb, i heard all the stories about oi and the doom that awaits. about ten miles outside bonner bridge i got on the horn and raised anyone, low and behold i connected with mike clarkon of fishing frenzy, he was running in with a winter yellowfin charter. He waited for me outside the sea buoy and led me right into the fishing center. very nice of him to do it. alot of fun. oi is nasty and just concentrate take time and dont be afraid to pull them back fast if u get disoriented for a split second.good luck
D,
I was about to send that link also. It's good to look at if you haven't been through in awhile because all markers are in there as well. Hell's gate is closed for good so you have to take old house if you don't want to navigate the crack. Old house seems like it takes Forever when you see everyone else take the short cut...
Most of the advice here will get you out there just remember common courtesy goes a long way. If you dont know the way out in the dark wait for some light pretty simple. If you feel the need to leave in the dark do not ride too close to the boat ahead of you, if you smell my breakfast at 30 kts you better be on my boat. As much as the channel changes even old timers find bottom every once and a while, its is enough to worry about ahead of you to wonder if the outboard behind you will end up in your cockpit. Good luck
I've been out of OI a ton of times and have heard of Hell's gate but never asked where it was because we have always done well leaving and entering the inlet. Is it over by the rocks in btw the sand bar to the right after leaving the bridge? We were following a charter out one morning and this Captain cut it to the right and we followed(not sure what we were thinking except.....he knows what he is doing). Not very fun seeing breakers to the right and left as well as the rocks. Well, it was rough as hell and we were on his ass but getting thrown around pretty good. We get through and I look back and the two guys in the pit were white as ghosts. Funny as hell expressions!!! They promised to never set foot on the boat again if we were going to do that again.
Last edited by stockweiser; 02-19-2008 at 02:37 PM.
Thanks flat, but NOAA takes the credit on that one. All I did was read the note on the chart a couple years ago when I was headed there. Its amazing what they put on them there notes!!
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Originally Posted by flatbottom
