Ok, so I’ve owned a pontoon boat for years and have spent a considerable amount of time fishing freshwater; mostly targeting bass. About 3 weeks ago I bought an 18 foot Key West center console with the intent of adding near-shore and inshore fishing to my list of hobbies. Friday looks beautiful so we’re headed to the PA-25 reef a couple miles out from Charleston. Here is my hang up, I’ve only made one trip in the pontoon boat to Fort Sumter a couple years ago and a couple trips across the Core Sound to Cape Lookout. Aside from those, which probably totaled 6 hours on the water, I’ve never piloted a boat in saltwater. I’ve certainly never run a boat out into the open ocean. Sure, I do a couple deep sea charters and head boat trips every year, so I’m familiar with the fishing side of things but this will be my first time at the helm. I have all the required safety gear as well as a few extra things just in case, and plan on leaving from Shem Creek, but form some reason I’m getting a little anxiety about it. As a general rule I don’t get anxiety about things (unless a zip line is involved), so this is odd. Hence my question: What do I need to know, that I don’t know, about heading out Charleston Harbor past the jetty and out to PA-25? What can I expect?
I chose Shem Creek and the Charleston Harbor because I figure it is going to be easier, for my first time, than going out of Wadmala, Seabrook, or Edisto. If I’m wrong, please let me know that too.
WEATHER , WIND , TIDE AND ALL THE SAFETY EQUIP ON BOARD AND IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION , BEST ADVICE IS DON’T GO ALONE , TEAM UP WITH A COUPLE BUDDY BOATS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE… THERE IS SAFETY IN NUMBERS… MY 2 CTS WORTH !!!
George McDonald
US Navy Seabees,Retired,
MAD, Charleston Chapter
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
Good intel on Weather, Conditions and bite zones. Watch the Marine forecast. Hunt around the internet for tools to use. Good one that we use out this way. Includes local weather.
I would recommend that you ease back on the offshore plans.
Start with the harbor, then the jetties and then nearshore.
You need pretty ideal conditions for taking an 18 ft boat out of the jetties. More importantly you need to be able to read conditions and confirm that it is ideal.
I recommend you doing a couple of guided trips nearshore in somewhat similar size boats to really see how it’s done.
It’s pretty crazy how much the tide can effect situations at the end of the jetties. Outgoing tide and east wind can stack some waves.
Does your safety equipment include plb or epirb?
Nearshore and offshore are incredibly fun and are certainly worth working up to, just make sure you have the right baseline of experience.
DM me if you want more info.
Sage advice there bcr,from what I’m seeing,Friday is not going to be so beautiful.He’ll probably turn around shortly after clearing the jetties .Abort the mission buckaroo.
The first ten miles past the mouth of the jetties is often the roughest part of an offshore trip. They don’t call it the washing machine for nothing. Converging currents and winds can make it miserable for a small boat even when he rest of the ocean is relatively calm.
