Wrightsville Beach
6 October 2014
Happy Birthday to my son Nicholas!!!
We left Swansboro this morning at 0815 and MOTORED (11 hours) all blessed day down to Wrightsville Beach.
The ICW carried us through USMC Camp Lejeune. This area is sometimes closed for target practice and there is evidence of shot up armor vehicles along the shore. In the middle of this range we ran aground, the first time.
The trip took us along the Topsail Sound, beautiful homes but a very narrow channel. You can be in 12 feet of water and suddenly find yourself in 3. Ran aground twice more, not my favorite part of the trip so far. Anywhere there is a cut or channel from the ocean on your port side you have to be careful of shoaling. Thankfully we were on the downside of the tide most of the day.
This part of the trip also had 4 bridges. Some open on the hour and some every half hour. For a boat that makes 5-7 knots it is rarely possible to make the next opening. Once we had to wait for 40 minutes and another we got there 5 minutes after the last opening and had to circle for 55 minutes until the next opening.
We are anchored in Banks Channel in Wrightsville for the night. We met the harbor nazi when we tried to anchor in a crowded anchorage. The nazi’s started waving and shouting screaming “you’re to close” before we even got settled in. Needless to say we moved to a quieter area.
Maybe a side trip to Wilmington, NC tomorrow.
As Robin was preparing a very nice meal I was thinking of a dinner we had with a lovely family before we left Bowleys. I am grateful to the head of the family, he has taught me a lot in the short time I have known him. His wife is a lovely and talented woman. The young lady who sat across from me was a bit shy and the one to my right was an engaging conversationalist. Thank you all for a lovely evening.
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| Camp Lejeune |
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| Narrow channel |
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| Beautiful homes all along the way. Some of them were boarded up for the winter |
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| Swing bridge |
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| ICW Mile Marker |
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| Lawn ornament |
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| Neighbors response |
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| Another swing Bridge |
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