Posted on May 23, 2026
LIGHTHOUSE POINT — Mounting sand deposits at the mouth of the Hillsboro Inlet continue to severely limit their boats’ operations, say Pompano charter captains speaking to the Hillsboro Inlet District board on Monday night.
At the same time, the sheer volume of sand, and the wait for days with safe weather and wave conditions to operate the District’s dredge, make clearing the “shoaled in” part of the ocean channel a waiting exercise for all concerned.
Denise Bryan, chair of the Hillsboro Inlet District, noted in the meeting that its dredging crew already pumped 83,500 cubic yards of sand in the first four months of the year, a fast pace compared to all of 2025 when 150,525 cubic yards were dredged.
Captain Woodworth “Woody” Draughon III, who oversees day-to-day dredging operations for the District, noted that its dredging activity has been in the calm water behind the inlet’s rock jetties. The portion of the inlet beyond the jetties, and where sand continues to accumulate, is harder to clear because fast-changing wind and ocean wave conditions can quickly create unsafe conditions to operate the District’s barge-like “cutter-suction” dredge vessel.
He described several days in early May when conditions were finally flat enough to work a portion of the inlet’s ocean channel:
He estimated that the remainder of the shoaled-in portion of the ocean navigation channel could be cleared in a week’s time – but only with similarly perfect weather conditions for his crew to operate the dredging vessel. “Within a week, it should be passable. We don’t have to go down fourteen feet,” said Draughon, referencing the preferred depth of the channel for safe navigation by large boats. “With good weather, we could go out there and at least make it ten [feet] and try to move as fast as we can.”
Charter Captains Sympathetic But Frustrated
Charter boat captains who spoke to the District board said they understood the District’s challenges in clearing the sand, but said their businesses are hurting.
“In 35 years, this is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Capt. Tom Oberrender of Killin’ Time Charters, about the inlet’s shoaling condition.
“The inlet’s almost impassable at certain tides,” added Capt. Harold Heuff, owner of the Hillsboro Inlet Fishing Center, who said the conditions are forcing him to instead use the Boca Raton Inlet six miles to the north. “To keep us in business, I have been traveling to the Boca Inlet, and giving my customers an extra hour, which costs fuel and time. So not only does it hurt my heart, but it hurts my pocket.”
“I know you guys are trying to do everything you can,” said Heuff to the assembled board, “but we need to solve this.”
For Inlet Safety: “Yield to Bigger Boats”
In a later text message sent to TAPinto Pompano, Capt. Chris Mills of Ringmaster Charters warned area boaters about the risks of traversing the inlet’s shallow ocean channel at the current time:
“I would add a stark warning to boaters to not only be careful, but to yield to bigger boats while passing over the bar [at the mouth of the inlet]. It’s crazy on weekends – making passage even more dangerous with the sheer volume of traffic in the shallow and narrow passage.”
Hillsboro Inlet District chair Denise Bryan said the organization would continue to do its best to clear the channel while keeping the safety of its dredging crew topmost in mind.
“We’re trying to make everything as passable as possible,” she said. “But we have to take care of our employees and make sure nobody gets hurt.”
