From Norfolk Waterside area to Oregon Inlet. Is it better to go via ocean or Intercoastal WW? Leaving Noon this Thursday. 4/3. I guess this may be a stupid question...but I've never made the trip and I'm dying to go tuna fishing. I know the winds are bad, but I've got the fever and you know how that goes...... Thanks. Jeff

Go on the outside if the weather permits

Thanks.

I agree with Ford - the ocean is much quicker.
Now I realize it's none of my business, but I would just point out that the Thursday forecast is E to NE 20 to 25. The Inlet is VERY difficult (take my word for it --a dramatic understatement) on Northeast and it may not be safe to transit. Addionally, the offshore forcast through Sat. is virtually a gale so it is my opinion it is also not fishable. Given this forecast, what is the point in hurrying to run the Inlet?

I'll be quiet now.

Kent

I hear ya Kent and thanks for the input. My brother is flying up from Fla and we wanted to go fishing. Floating around ches bay catching smallies is not our cup of tea. I've been watching the weather closely and agree it's not looking good. I guess I have to re-schedule this trip.

Jeff

Good call on the reschedule Jeff.....the fish will be there thicker than ever when this wind quits blowing !....Bob

Thanks Bob.

Kent, We all perfer, that you never go Quiet. I was thinking Jeff was makeing a bad call too. But Me and alot of others could of said the same thing, and it might of not be taken as good advice.

Please keep shareing your knowledge and skills with us. Thats what makes VBSF, what it is.

Jack

Ive made some bad calls before. No more!

hahah...yeah...like not running away from the sub wake

No need to temp fate for a few fish...been close once and don't want to see it ever again!!!

I just looked at the forecast...be warry of that 4-6 ft on Sunday with winds NE 15-20 blowing into Oregon Inlet. Sounds better, but like Kent said...NE into OI is not fun.

Thanks for support guys. I want to see Jeff get those fish too - but its not the call this week.
Bob's right, we are getting more fish in there every day, we'll get them soon.
We will probably have to run the Inlet on a bumped up-day before it's over this spring - better to do that when a bunch of boats going through--Thursday, I think Jeff would be on his own - probably not a good thing.
Hang on Jeff - get your brother back up when its right --you'll have a hell of a day of fishing.

Kent

ya all can plan on fishing next week the wind is going to lay down and the fish are going to jump in the boat
how you ask do I know this
after two months of being off work I got to go back this coming Monday




and Jeff I know you want to go but just tell your brother what i tell mine when i make the call not to go
I rater have him made at me than our mom and his family for doing something dum (I know we all have done it )

Being safe is much better than being dead anyday. My father's cousin was killed in OI on 11/27/01 and he didn't have to die. He thought he HAD to go fishing when the weather and common sense said otherwise. Cost him his life. I've hated the place ever since and I respect it like a loaded gun. Pouring his ashes in the outgoing tide under the Bonner Bridge on the Miss Oregon Inlet while a Marine was playning Taps was about as bad as it gets.

Oooh, boy that is a sobering story--sorry for your loss.

I had an "experience" in the Inlet in the 70's with a famous Outer Banks charter skipper - Chip Shaffer-he is much older now and is sometimes featured in Marlin magazine.That dude was hardcore back then. We were going out on a day we should not have been. He buried the bow in a huge whitewater breaker on the bar and it kept coming up and up, until it broke into the FLYING BRIDGE. No kidding. It blew out most of the curtains and nearly washed Chip and I overboard, as I was sitting up there with him, like a fool. He lost control of the boat, which promptly got beam to - only by the grace of God and the timing of the next wave (maybe related)- did we not capsize -I think it was a 52 footer this happened on.The boat was like a toy out there. He was as white as a ghost when we finally got through.
It is a very dangerous place and it can go badly wrong in a real hurry.

Kent

Kent,

I appreciate the creative a$$ chewing followed by your kind words of wisdom. I didn't realize how bad the inlet could be. I've reschduled the trip for the 17th. This site rocks and it's the people who make it.

JTB,
Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing that with us and I'm sure it hit home with the readers. I know it did with me.

Jeff

JTB,
Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing that with us and I'm sure it hit home with the readers. I know it did with me.

even if you run the inside, a ne 25 kt sucks in the sound!!

Yes the sound can get pretty damn rough too, don't think that b/c you're inside it will be a smooth ride, especially if you're going to Hatteras. Look for a nice following north wind.

Thanks, not trying to lecture you.
When you run down the outside to go into OI, make sure you are fully fueled. I think its about 50 -55 miles to OI from Rudee. If you can't get through OI because of the weather conditions, your only option will be to come back up to Rudee and if the weather turns it takes a lot of gas to get back home. When you get down there - find the sea buoy on the outside so you can get lined up right to come through. The sea buoy is a good ways offshore and if it's rough, it really helps to have someone on the boat looking for the channel bouys on the way in - while you handle your boat, negotiate the swells and/or whitewater, if the conditions dictate.
If you time you arrival for around 4 pm you can usually pick up a charter boat to follow through inlet. I sometimes leave here around 6 am and run all the way to the Point. About 85 miles from Rudee Inlet. I get there at 10 or 11am, fish and come in around 3:00 pm with the fleet, then you have an experienced "trailblazer" in front of you and you and tailgate easily. If you have enough fuel to do this, it also offers the advantage of fishing the next day and perhaps knowing exactly where to start the next morning.--Just a suggestion.
It can be very confusing to find the channel once you are through the Bonner bridge. This is esp. true if you are by yourself --so I would strongly advise following a charter boat. The next thing is which charter boat? Some are going to the OI fishing center and some are going to Wanchese and Pirate's Cove which involves two radically different hair-pin turns at a junction they call "hell's corner" if you are using the "crack" which nearly all the charter boats do . Take my word for it the turn is aptly named, because many a boat goes aground there--even very experienced charter guys - if the channel shifts - which it continually does. There is absolutly no way a weekend warrior like us can be current on the channel location. Something I found to be quite helpful to get a grip on the whole area and greatly improve your situational awareness - is to downlaod Goggle Earth and look at their satelite shot. It has pretty good resolution and you can actully see water color changes in the channel and some boats running in it.
I am not trying to sound like he "expert" - but I wish someone had had told me this stuff the 1st time I tried it. I think I lost a few years off my life as a result those first few passages..
Kent

Kent,

Great Post! I know we have the GPS numbers to the OI bouy. We can post them later - they are at home unless some has them readily available now. Good info for everyone....

Is Google Earth realtime pictures? I use the free version or use Acme Mapper which is the same picture and they are about 3-4 year old shots.

Ford,
No -- they are definetly NOT real time pictures. They should not be used to navigate with -- in any way. My only point in bringing the up Google approach was it is effective for general orientation. I find getting an overall mental picture of a new port before entering is helpful to my confidence level. There may in fact, be more up to date overhead shots that I am not aware of - but in any case -- a high-altitude aerial is hard to beat for situational awareness for pre-planning a difficult port entry mission.

Kent

Gotcha, was just wondering if you had the paid version or something that was more up to date than what I've always looked at.

No - If I want something more real-time than Google -- I fly my airplane over the channel at 1,000 feet and look at it - like I did last Friday afternoon.That current enough?

Kent

I agree completely!!! There are several of us who are ready to go, but the weather just won't support the trip. Our whole crew took vacation last week in hopes of atleast getting in coouple of fishable days out of HI, and ended up working in the yard for the whole week. There was one day that we could have moved the boat, but wouldn't have been able to go out after we got there, so we canx'd.

Good call on the reschedule!!!

Chris

ya I guess that helps too