North Carolina Captain of the Port reopens Port of Wilmington, surrounding areas with restrictions

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 08/04/2020 05:32 PM EDT

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News Release  

U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic
Contact: 5th District Public Affairs
Office: (757) 398-6272
After Hours: (757) 295-8435
5th District online newsroom

North Carolina Captain of the Port reopens Port of Wilmington, surrounding areas with restrictions

Petty Officer 3rd Class Covy Emerson and Seaman Jakob Huerta of Aids to Navigation Team Fort Macon, correct an aids to navigation discrepancy in Atlantic Beach North Carolina, following the impact of Isaias, August 4, 2020. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Aids to Navigation Team Fort Macon 

Members of Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle conduct aids to navigation verification and tow a piling they discovered floating in the water to prevent damage to vessels, following the impacts of Isaias, August 4, 2020. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle

 

WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Captain of the Port has reopened ports and waterways in North Carolina to traffic, with restrictions and safety guidelines to transiting vessels, as of 3 p.m., Tuesday.

The Port of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River is open to traffic with restrictions in place that limit it to partial vessel traffic. Self-propelled ocean-going vessels over 500 gross tons, all ocean-going barges and supporting tugs, and all tank barges over 200 gross tons are restricted to daylight hours only. To inquire about waivers for permission to transit outside of daylight hours, contact the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina Command Center at 910-343-3882.

The Port of Morehead City and Beaufort Inlet has returned to Port Condition Seasonal Alert, and is open.

The following ports are open, however aids to navigation may be unreliable pending assessment:

  • Atlantic Intracoastal Waterways New River to North Carolina and South Carolina border, Pamlico to New River, Virginia and North Carolina border to Pamlico
  • Barden Inlet
  • Bogue Inlet
  • Carolina Beach Inlet
  • Hatteras Inlet
  • Lockwoods Folly Inlet
  • Masonboro Inlet
  • New River Inlet
  • New Topsail Inlet
  • Ocracoke Inlet
  • Oregon Inlet
  • Shallotte Inlet

Coast Guard aids-to-navigation teams in Oak Island and Fort Macon have been verifying the position of aids, checking routes in deep draft channels in the Cape Fear River and Beaufort Inlet alongside port partners and the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure navigable waterways are safe and unobstructed following  Isaias.

All mariners are advised to exercise caution when transiting restricted waters due to possible shoaling and aids-to-navigation possibly being off station or unreliable.

“Our post-storm efforts have been first and foremost focused the safety of our personnel, the public and maritime public,” said Capt. Matt Baer, commander, Coast Guard Sector North Carolina. “Working in conjunction with our regional and industry port partners has allowed us to safely evaluate aids to navigation that may have been adversely impacted, and examine waterways for potential obstructions, and work with local marinas to assess for pollution threats, which will be a continuing and ongoing process."

Visit the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina's Homeport website for current port conditions and additional information.

 

-USCG-