Spring Creek, Bath, and Slade Creek, NC

Sunday, 31 May 2015

This morning, after washing a lot of easier-washing mud than yesterday, we decided to see if we could figure out where the two pontoon boats were coming from and going to.  We went around the bend in Spring Creek, and saw a big house and dock.  Then we turned around, passed our anchorage, and went up Long Creek until the chart said 6' of water, and turned around from there.  We never saw any sign of anywhere on that end that you could put an ATV onto a pontoon boat.  There were a lot of duck blinds in the marsh, however.  I don't think any of these anchorages would be good spots during duck season.

We crossed the Bay River, joining back into the ICW, and cutting through the ditch, past the Hobucken Bridge and USCG Station into Goose Creek.  We we entered the Pamlico River, which I have seen very rough, the water barely had a ripple on it.

We decided to go up the Pamlico River to the historic town of Bath, another interesting side trip from the ICW.  Bath has an interesting harbor, and a free town dock, which had many NC boats tied to it,  We tied across the end of the T, in 7.5' feet of water.  The sign says free for daytime four hours, or register for overnight (free.)  We decided to see the town, and then decide if we were going to dock or anchor.

Bath has a lot of good history, a visitor's center, and a lot of historic signs if you are walking around.  It is an easy walk around a huge block going left, and then making right turns.

A puppy raced out and joined us at some point, and we tried to figure out where he had come from.  We walked in the direction of one house, and he bounced ahead into the yard.  We closed the gate.  I hope it was their puppy!  If not, I hope the dog water bowl owner isn't too upset sharing his bowl with an errant puppy.

We looked at the oldest remaining church building in North Carolina, and walked through a couple of cemeteries.  I enjoy reading old epitaphs, and wonder what I would like mine to be.   There are many old names, remembered by a few words each.

This old steam engine is near the base of the town dock.

The breeze was freshening as we left Bath, but we decided not to anchor in the harbor in Bath, where all the water sports had been taking place.  We chose instead to go down the Pamlico River until we joined back in the ICW for a couple of miles and tucked into Slade Creek.

Slade Creek is a nice wide anchorage, where I believe you could get good wave protection from any direction, depending upon where you went in the creek.  The moon is getting pretty full, and the whipper-wills were calling again. 

Cape Lookout, Oriental, Spring Creek, NC

Saturday, 30 May 2015

This morning before daylight, the water was glassy calm.  The further north and east we are, the earlier the day lightens up.  At 0500 I enjoyed the tranquility of the harbor and watching the day come alive.

A little after daylight, you could hear what sounded like mosquitoes buzzing as outboards began their treks from the mainland through the marshes and shallow waters of Core Sound, running towards Cape Lookout, and the fishing grounds.  The inlet where the current flows out of Lookout Bight seems to be a very popular spot.

As we began picking up the anchor, I quickly realized that the anchor was not on hard sand, as I had imagined, but rather, the black mud that our neighbors to the north are famous for.  While the mud is excellent holding, we spent twenty minutes washing the mud off the anchor chain as we brought it up.  I'd put out a lot of chain, thinking it was sand, and hoping to sand off a little of the rust on the upper portions of anchor chain.  Oh well.

We got underway and headed back into the Atlantic Ocean, and down to the Beauford Inlet ship channel, through the inside, past the working pipeline dredges, and into the ICW between Morehead City and Beauford.

From there we wound through Core Creek, a cut canal, Adams Creek, and crossed the Neuse River into Oriental, NC.

Oriental is known as the sailing capital of North Carolina.  Oriental has had a free dock for awhile, but, just installed a second one, doubling the available tie up space.  While the old dock was full of smaller outboards, the new dock was empty, and we pulled in, and made ourselves at home.  The folks in town are friendly, and obviously love their town.  As we walked down the street, many folks said hello, and wished a great day.  At one intersection, as we were standing, studying a map, a woman in a care stopped and asked if she could help us find something.  We visited an art store with a variety of displays of local artists, and a large marine hardware store.  

We decided we would rather anchor than be at the dock, so continued out the Neuse River.  The wind had freshened considerably, and there was a sailing race taking place in the wide Neuse River.  We ambled toward the Pamlico Sound for an hour and a half, and turned into Bay River, then Bonner Bay, and went up into Spring Creek to anchor.  

There were two pontoon boats going back and forth from around the bend in one direction, to up Long Creek in the other direction, retrieving a variety of ATV's, including one with traks on it like a bulldozer would have.  A couple of their trips had large plastic containers.  It was all I could do to not launch the RIB and follow them to find out where they had their camp!.

When the last of their wakes died, the wind once again dropped to stillness, and we enjoyed the sounds of whippoorwills through the night.

Cape Lookout, NC

Friday, 29 May, 2015

Cape Lookout has a natural anchorage, used by sailors for ages.  There is a shoal that extends directly offshore, perpendicular to the cape, but, once around that, the natural opening up along Shackleford Island is an easy enough entrance sailors still come in under sail.

We launched the RIB early this morning, and went to the beach for a quick romp.  We wended up walking about 3/4 mi down the beach, it is so pretty.  I walked back and picked up the small boat while Ellen, Mocha, and Mercy continued on down the beach.  

We had a discussion about where to go, corresponding with a discussion about whether I'd checked the gas tank, and we decided to go back to the MERCY and top the tank off.  It seems I can't remember how efficient I am, since, I had evidently done that at some point in time.  I am still trying to figure out how we can be getting the usage efficiency out of this 4 stroke 20 hp Merc that we are.  

Mercy decided to stay at the boat and take a nap rather than run with Ellen and Mocha and I to Shackleford Island to walk the beach.  We climbed up on the dunes and saw six ponies at a distance, but none up close today.

We deposited Mocha (unhappily) back on the boat, and went over to explore the grounds around the lighthouse.  The NPS has a visitor center and a small museum near the lighthouse.  They charge a fee to climb the lighthouse, and there was a group of rowdy school kids waiting to go up.  We did a quiet exit left.

We explored the marsh creeks on the sound side of Shackleford Island, and once again, only saw the ponies from a distance. 

We came back along the beach, and the old USCG docks, to spend another nice evening on the hook.  

The dogs had a last evening romp on the beach after we all had supper, and it looks like another nice night in the anchorage.

Topsail Beach, NC to Cape Lookout, NC

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Tonight we are anchored in a GORGEOUS anchorage at Cape Lookout, NC  N34 37.172' W 076 32.946.  There are 2 other trawlers, 4 sailing sloops, a catamaran sailboat, a houseboat, and a USCG 87' in the anchorage.  I've heard the week-ends can be crowded.  There is a gentle breeze S and SE, and conditions here are PERFECT!

We began the morning anchored inside Topsail Beach, picking up the hook in time to make the 0700 bridge opening.  Actually, the bridge is supposed to be on demand before 0700, but, when we arrived at 0645, the bridge tender told us we had to wait.  The only other boat that made the opening with us was a sailing sloop, and he was there by 0655.

I can't believe how fewer bridges there are than when I brought the MERCY home in 2011.  Many of the old draw bridges and swing bridges have been replaced by higher bridges.  We also pulled the SSB antenna off before leaving home, since where it was mounted, it was difficult to lay down, since the RIB was in the way.  Our air draft is 12' 11"

Anyhow, we made speed with the tide, and I ran a little faster than normal to make the 0900 opening of the USMC Onslow Bridge, so that we could get through Camp LeJune before their live fire exercises.  

Semper Fi

The reason that we made it, was we caught up to the 5 French sailboats from yesterday, and the SV William Reed, who we had met at Brunswick.

We passed the French, and eventually the William Reed.  The French sailing fleet made it through some confusing buoys today without any difficulties, I think following the SV William Reed and MERCY.

We pulled into the Morehead Gulf Marine docks at 1340 and fueled.  In 498.1nm we've used 162.5 gal diesel in 75.47 engine hrs, or 2.15 gal/hr and 3.07nm/gal.  A single tank tells nothing, since you never really fuel to the same level, it is the long course that tells. I don't even try to count the low generator hours.  Tonight, our trip has gone 1131 nm.  I love this boat!

Anyhow, after the fuel, we moved up a few hundred yards to the Sanitary Restaurant docks for a late lunch.  No, I'm not kidding, the name is for real, and the place is pretty famous.  Things were kinda slow, and they let us tie up for an extra hour to walk around town a little.

This morning, we had planned to come to Cape Lookout.  By the time we had eaten lunch, we decided to go anchor inside Shackleford Island.  We started out the main channel, and there were multiple pipeline dredges working, including one that by the time we had gone around his pipes, we decided to head for Cape Lookout.  The seas in the Atlantic had a gentle roll once we got away from the inbound sportfishermen.  

We saw two ponies on Shackleford Island while coming in.

So glad our trip plans are flexible, and subject to change, and especially glad we're here tonight.  

Carolina Beach State Park to Topsail Beach

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

We didn't did underway until 1130 today.  Carolina Beach State Park is beautiful, and a hard place to leave!

We took one detour off the ICW, thru Shinn Creek channel to the SE to Banks Channel to the NE to Motts Channel and back into the ICW.  Think of it as the drive-by of Wrightsville Beach.

BTW, the Wrightsville Bridge only had a clearance of 16', instead of the 20' on our list, putting me scrambling to lay down a couple of antenna.

We continued up the ICW, overtaking 5 French sailing sloops traveling together.  We went through a tricky spot on the ICW, and I could tell by watching the AIS that it had stumped a couple of them. 

We missed seeing all the osprey nests yesterday, but they were back today!  I saw several babies.  Photographing them while underway is a little more difficult.

We went into the northern, marked channel for Topsail Beach, and found a nice anchorage at N 34 23.614' W 077 35.878' and launched the dinghy.  We had a lovely cruise by dinghy to the SW with the dogs, enjoying the pre-sunset.  Then we returned to the MERCY to load the small boat back up, and watch the sun go down.   We eventually saw the five French sailboats go past on the ICW.

Barefoot Marina, Myrtle Beach, SC to Carolina Beach State Park, NC

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

We walked the dogs, topped the water off, disposed of the trash, pumped out, and headed north again on a falling tide.  

We went through the "rock pile," the dreaded place where the ICW is cut through rock.  Maybe I missed something, listening to all the folks worrying about hitting rocks, but, rocks don't move.  If you stay in the channel, you won't hit a rock.  Where the "ditch" cuts through sand, the sand shifts, and can cause shoaling... but, that's another story.

We fell in behind "Capt Dennis," a shrimpboat we followed as far as a little above Holden Beach, where he turned northward in the creek to go get some work done.

Once we got away from the Myrtle Beach area, the landscape changed a little.  We were back into salt marshes, with a couple of sandy inlets towards the Atlantic.

The sandy areas around Lockwood's Folly Island looked so inviting that I considered stopping to play, but, there was a lot of dredging in the area, and the area didn't look very conducive to day anchoring on this particular day.

We did the drive-by at Southport, NC, and saw that the "free" docks appeared to be full, though the restaurants smelled really good!

Our destination for the night was a nice little marina at a North Carolina State Park, Carolina Beach State Park.  For $30/night, we're tied to a nice floating dock with 50amp service.  The grounds are great for walking the dogs.  There are 6 miles of hiking trails, a single washer and drier $1/load, showers, restrooms, and a small store at the office.  Its a pretty nice place.

The current sets sideways to the channel, which isn't very wide, but, there is 5'+ @ MLW.  There is no current in the marina. 

Mercy, keeping the watch.

Thoroughfare Creek, SC to Barefoot Marina, Myrtle Beach, SC

Monday, 25 May 2015

We came out Thoroughfare Creek this morning, and all was quiet.  It didn't look like the same place as the afternoon before, but the day was early!  

We turned into the wide Waccamaw River.  We did a little exploring today in three different side creeks, two of which are anchorages to come back to.

This section of the ICW is fresh water, a nice change of pace for us from the salt water marshes.  The area is full of ospreys and cypress trees.  

We motored northward, and took a side trip to the east of Longwood Island, where a creek makes a nice little arc off of, and rejoining the ICW.  The creek was interesting, with its fallen trees, blooming flowers, and loads of turtles.  There were a few boats fishing.  I didn't see anybody catching.  The creek is a nice little side trip, but, not a place I'd be comfortable anchoring.

We turned southward into the ICW, thinking that we might anchor for the day in Bull Creek.  The anchorage looked great, wide, and deep.  Towards the ICW end, there is a small sandy beach, large enough to land a couple of inflatables, and that is about it.  Up where Little Bull Creek joins in, there are the remains of pilings and I'm guessing an old ferry landing?  On the Sandy Island side, there is a place for careful dinghy access to the trail system on Sandy Island.  Although the anchorage looked good, I was still wary of Memorial Day boat traffic that I'd had my fill of the day before.  We'll come back here.

We also went through the Enterprise Creek Cut-off into Enterprise Creek, which looked like a great anchorage, if it weren't for the volume of small boat traffic enjoying the holiday week-end.  This is another area we'd like to come back to on a quieter day, to explore the small creeks in that area.  What a great spot for a kayak!

Then the ICW turns back into a ditch, as we entered the "Grand Strand" which made for an interesting trip.  The tide was out, and there were people with small boats along every space of exposed beach that didn't have houses in front of it.  I was surprised how far out from the banks the waterway is only knee deep at low tide.  It reminds you to stay in the middle of the channel!

We pulled into the Barefoot Marina about 1500 to quit for the night.  A nice young man, Livingston, age nine, from another boat there, offered to help as we were setting up.  He came over later to visit Mercy and Mocha, and they were rivaling each other for his attention.  I think I liked Livingston as much as the dogs did!

Memorial Day traffic slowly tapered off in the evening, and once again, things were peaceful on the waterway. 

Remember, if you get knocked down, it is not the end, keep growing!

South Santee River, SC to Thoroughfare Creek, SC

Sunday, May 24, 2015

This morning, after defrosting the refrigerator/freezer and the freezer, we got underway for Georgetown.

The salt marsh slowly changed to higher ground as we passed inside Cat Island and into the Winyah Bay, heading for Georgetown.  Our plans had been to be in Georgetown in time for church, but, when we realized we hadn't made it, we kept going.

One of the most interesting by-passes I've made off the ICW, we did this morning.  The Sampit River, the Great Pee Dee River, and the Waccamaw River all come together at Georgetown.  The ICW goes up the Waccamaw, and we chose to go up the Great Pee Dee, then into Jericho Creek, and back into the ICW.  What a GREAT detour!  You should do it if you have the air draft to get under the 20' Hwy 17 bridge!

The Great Pee Dee River is surrounded by abandoned rice fields, though I noticed towards the northern end that some appear to be working again.  The old wooden weirs are at various places along the banks.  The water changed from salt to fresh, and I could notice the air smells changing.

Jericho Creek runs into the Great Pee Dee, and we took that right hand fork.  The creek is a little narrower than the Great Pee Dee, as well as a little deeper.  I never saw less than 8' anywhere, in either place.  There are water hyacinths in the Jericho Creek, and some of these pretty purple flowers.  There are a few fallen trees near the banks.  It twists and turns a lot before it joins back with the ICW, and is absolutely beautiful!

Where we joined the Waccamaw River and the ICW, the river is wide, and passes by Pawley Island.  The river is slowly turning into a cypress swamp, which is really a nice change from our weeks in the salt marshes!

Ellen chose our anchorage tonight.  She picked an absolutely gorgeous place, in a creek with large trees, and a huge sand dune, oh, and hundreds of folks who came to spend part of Memorial Day week-end!  The name of the creek is Thoroughfare Creek, and I highly recommend it on any week day.  We came upstream about a half a mile to anchor, and ran the RIB back to the beach, where we shoved up with the locals.  There are hiking trails in the woods, and on the other side of the huge sand dune is a lagoon, with an equal number of people on that side.  It is really a cool place!  I can envision it in lonelier times.

Where we anchored, however, was evidently in the middle of the wake-board, water-ski, race your jet ski zone.  I think five or six boats a minute passed us all afternoon, most at full speed.  As the day got later, I became more concerned about the drinking boaters as one guy on a wakeboard tried to tag the boat as he went by.  He missed, and they turned around and let him try again.

At sunset, one boat came idling up the river, and I remarked with glee, "There's the first guy that's idled past all afternoon!"

Ellen wisely surmised he was drunk, so of course he had to come talk to us for a bit.  He told us a couple of times we were going the wrong way if we were going to Maine.  Fortunately for us, when the tide turns again, we will be facing the right direction!

This is the boat idling into the sunset.