Kent emailed a question about ramps for a Drascombe Lugger in the upper Outer Banks. Here are some ramps, though I have only used one of them and that was with a power boat. There is a ramp in downtown Manteo, just above the bridge at the left end in the sat photo above. You have to take a channel around the island at right to get out to Shallowbag Bay. From what I have seen there is limited parking there, it would be worth a call to the police or parks department to ask about leaving a vehicle and trailer there. It is #3 on the image below. I do like the Manteo waterfront.
There is a ramp at the west end of the Washington Baum Bridge to Roanoke Island, mostly used by power boaters/fisherman, #4 on the sat image. It's on a channel that runs north/south, not a lot of open water right there so probably not the best ramp to sail from.
Soundside in Kill Devil Hills there is a ramp with lots of parking. I believe, but do not know, that it is a public ramp. If it is public this might be the best ramp to use. It is at the intersection of Dock and Bay, #2 on the sat image. Again, worth a call to the city parks and rec just to confirm that it is public.
And before you cross the Wright Bros. bridge there is a park with ramps near Harbinger, easily seen from 158 before you get to Harbinger. "X" marks the spot above, #1 in the overall image. It opens out onto Currituck Sound with Duck on the other side of the water.
All these ramps open out onto pretty skinny water, from 3 feet deep to 9 or 10. Lots of good sailing down there, just have to watch the depths. Have fun!
steve
4 comments:
Great info, thanks Steve!!
Clark
The KDH ramp is, or used to be very skinny water, but the milfoil in the warm season could bring you to a standstill.
The Manteo ramp is very convenient and you can go either side around Ice Plant island with plenty of water. The restriction is the bridge which does not open.
The Point Harbor/Harbinger ramp should have plenty of water without grass obstruction. You've got about a 2.5 mile sail to the hump in the bridge, if you need it, before you can head south. Going north get very skinny (always shallow near eastern shoreline) 3 or 4 miles north where you start to see marsh islands.
PS
We watched a 25-30' sailboat anchor just outside Colington Harbour on Friday and endure the winter storm at anchor. Can't believe it's still there! Would love to find out why he/she did not come in the harbor inlet for safety.
A few years ago I came across a link on a NC site to order a boaters guide map of the entire Outer Banks and Sounds. Free from the state, including postage. A very good map that showed all the public ramps from Virginia to South Carolina. And the price was right. I don't see that it's still available (print is so last century), but they do have a fancy new interactive online version here:
https://ncpaws.org/wrcmapbook/baa.aspx
When you click on the ramp icon it gives lots of details for that location. I can't whether it would say if there's no overnight parking; however, given how boater friendly the state is going out of its way to be, I doubt there are many that would not actually encourage it.
Note that a number of ramps are currently closed for repairs, though; residue from Hurricane Matthew. Those updates are here:
http://www.ncwildlife.org/Boating/Where-to-Boat
Thanks, Jim and Barry, for the additional info. I'll keep that website. I did snag a few of those free maps a few years ago, but tight budgets have I believe eliminated them. steve
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