The Sebastian Inlet, although not technically the point at which the Saint Sebastian River ends, is located just across from its shared-name counterpart near Intracoastal Waterway Mile 935. The Sebastian Inlet allows access to and from the Indian River via the Atlantic Ocean. The image above is a view from the east looking west over the Sebastian Inlet with the Indian River/ICW behind it.

Use NOAA Chart 11472.

Passage through the Sebastian Inlet is not recommended without advance local knowledge from one of the local marinas such as Captain Hirams Sebastian Inlet Marina or the Sebastian River Marina. If you are at all in doubt, it is recommended that you use the Ft. Pierce Inlet (29 miles to the south) instead, as it is more reliable with better depths. A fixed bridge crosses the mouth of the inlet with a vertical clearance of 37 feet, limiting overhead clearance.

There are no aids to navigation to help lead you into the inlet, save for a flashing white light on the north inlet jetty. Navigational aids continue at green can “1” about a mile in from the inlet mouth. Shoals line both the west and east approaches, but the channel is extremely shallow on its western end.

Most of the marinas are scattered along west shore of the Indian River/ICW route north and south of the town of Roseland, which is situated on the Saint Sebastian River. There are at least four marinas north and south of ICW Mile 935, and all but one have facilities for transient guests. If you are in need of repairs or haul-out, the Sebastian River Marina has a 40-ton lift. All four marinas have gas and diesel fuel.

Local Notices to Mariners are now exclusively available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.