Leaving Southport, we headed up the Cape Fear River with a rising tide to hopefully help offset the strong current. No such luck, as the Cape Fear River is just a beast, which made the short 16 mile run up the river seem like an eternity. Once we turned off the river near Carolina Beach, it was back to smooth sailing. We passed a barge that was used to dredge an inlet to the ICW to keep the channel depths passable.
On the way to Wrightsville Beach, the 3rd boat in our "convoy" was hailed by the Coast Guard for a random safety check. Upon arrival at the Dockside Marina, Captain Steve & Admiral Kevin, the crew of Lone Star, passed with flying colors.
We were scheduled to stay a week in Wrightsville Beach so that Josh (an awesome diesel mechanic that we met 4 years ago when we had the boat on the hard in Hampstead) could take care of a few engine "issues".
While Dave was tied up with Josh, I drove over to Anderson, SC to visit Stephen & Kendall. While there, I got to surprise my Mom & Dad to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. They stopped at Stephen's on their way home from Sarasota. It was so great to see everyone & to celebrate such a wonderful occasion (60 years!!!)
Stephen & Kendall live on Hartwell Lake, which is absolutely beautiful.
Back in Wrightsville Beach, we had a great time relaxing, eating at waterfront restaurants & walking the beach.
On Tuesday, April 19th we took off at sunrise with Capt Dave smiling about how well the engines were running. We made the 7am bridge opening & were on our way.
The sunrise was beautiful.
Along the way we passed some interesting homes, like this PINK house,
. . . and this house with a huge swan lawn ornament.
Along this section of the ICW, there are a few old swing bridges remaining, like this one at Figure Eight Island. One of my duties is to hail the bridge tender on the VHF radio to request a bridge opening. It's really cool to watch these old bridges operate.
After a week of the hustle & bustle of a marina, we were ready for a night "on the hook" (which means we drop the anchor, typically in a remote location). We anchored in Mile Hammock Bay, which was very close to Camp Lejeune. Several times during the evening we were startled by what sounded like cannon fire. And in the middle of the night, it sounded like we were in the middle of a gun battle. Apparently we were in the middle of training maneuvers.
It was on to Beaufort, NC the next day. Another incredible sunrise . . . .
and a easy 45 mile run & we were docked at the City Marina.
In Beaufort, it was another day of exploring . . . . the historic downtown shops, the old cemetery, waterfront restaurants & the local Maritime Museum.
After a full day & a beautiful sunset from our back deck, we turned in for the night.
Along the way the following day, we saw quite a variety of boats. This 1930's boat was actually docked in Beaufort with us.
And this shrimp boat was odd to see on the ICW.
One of the challenging bodies of water to cross in the Carolinas is the Pamlico Sound. If the winds & waves are strong, it can be a "sporty" ride. As you can see here, we had a perfect weather day, which resulted in smooth waters & a very pleasant cruise.
We anchored in Campbell Creek for the night & enjoyed a beautiful moon rise.
On Friday, April 22nd we took off for Belhaven, NC. My research showed Belhaven as a quaint & friendly southern old water town. We arrived to find just that. The marina had courtesy golf carts that we could use to go downtown & to the grocery store. Actually the town passed a law that golf carts could go on any roads that had a 35 mph or less speed limit. So off we went!
Every year many coastal towns celebrate the "burning of the socks" ceremony, which signifies the end of the cold weather & the need to wear socks. Belhaven was one of those towns, so we joined in the festivities & hung an old pair of socks on the line. . .
. . . & then dropped them into the official "sock burner"!
In Belhaven, we met up with fellow Loopers, seen here giving a "thumbs up" for the festivities. We have met so many great people & it is such fun bumping into Loopers all along the way.
The weekend activities also include the Blessing of the Vessels, which we were thrilled to have done (nothing better than having God on your side in this adventure!) After another fantastic stop, off we went leaving Belhaven in our wake.
The other "challenging" body of water to cross in NC is the Abermale Sound. We traveled to an anchorage to wait for a good weather day to cross. We anchored with 3 other boats at Durant Island & were able to cross the following day.
At another beautiful sunrise, we left the anchorage & headed to the smooth waters for a great crossing of the Abermale Sound.
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