As the main channel of Hatteras Inlet shoaled, the Ocracoke/Hatteras ferry had to take an alternate route that added precious time to its trip; commercial and charter fishermen had to pick their way through what passed for a channel to the sea. As Catherine Kozak reports in the Island Free Press, relief is on the way as the North Carolina Ferry Division begins dredging the channel.
“Dredging will start this week in a shoaled section of channel in Hatteras Inlet, a project that will provide much-needed relief to ferry and private vessel traffic to and from the Atlantic.
Working off a recently completed survey, the state Ferry Division will use the state dredge Carolina to clear about 700-800 feet between the inlet gorge and Sloop Channel, a section that currently has as little as 3.5 feet of water.
Early on, a pilot channel will be carved to allow quicker access for local vessels.”
[box type=”bio”] What are the State’s plans for dredging Hatteras Inlet? The Island Free Press has the story.[/box]