St Augustine inlet

[Ded reckoner]

The St Augustine, FL inlet doesn't have fixed marks because the channel shifts over time, and they don't want to dredge continuously. Some time ago, the USCG placed ten buoys marking the channel. Those were the brief, good old days. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, a storm came through and displaced all the buoys. Nine are missing now, and the remaining red buoy is moved from its original location. TowBoat US provided the following waypoints for the inlet. There was at least 16 feet of water along these waypoints at mid-tide as of early this week. It is unknown how long these waypoints will be valid. But, they could help someone else, so they are provided here. Start (or finish) at the STA inlet buoy which is on every chart. The first WP, WP1 (closest to the STA buoy), is at N29 54.881, W81 15.820. WP2 is N29 54.751, W81 16.494. WP3 is on top of the (currently displaced) last remaining red buoy at N29 54.639, W81 17.131. From WP3, look for the fixed marks.

[psk125]

Thanks to Ded R for trying to be helpful. But maybe there will be a storm this or next week that changes all these waypoints? How are we to know? People trying to get into St. Augustine might be best off contacting TowBoat US for the latest information when they approach the inlet. Of course, TowBoat US may have an interest in people NOT knowing where the deep water is...

[Dsanduril]

A perfect example of the case for virtual AToNs broadcast from the nearest AIS base station.