On to Morehead City and Beaufort, North Carolina

We went from North Myrtle Beach across the border into North Carolina.  Bill and Marilyn Feigle gave us a send off and took pictures of us passing near their house on the ICW. 

photo by Bill Feigle

photo by Marilyn Feigle

We arrived in Southport at Cape Fear and stayed at the Provision Company docks - free if you eat dinner there.  Good shrimp in Old Bay seasoning - Yummy.  In the night there was a lot of thunder and lightning and wind.  It stopped in the morning, but we waited for the seas to calm down to go the 10 miles up the Cape Fear River. It was worth the wait and we easily made it to Wrightsville Beach to anchor.

Southport - Azaleas in bloom

Southport Provision Company

Cool truck, but why not Tow Boat US red?

Along the way we saw many interesting sights, birds, boats, houses, docks and shoreline.

Fisherman with pelicans for company

It is mating season and all the Osprey nests are occupied

Shoreline

Some docks are in good shape ...

... and some docks are not

Lots of houses on stilts

 We continued along and spent the night in Wrightsville Beach at anchor.  It is a convenient and pretty spot with deep water and good holding.  We took off in the morning to time the first of 3 bridges that only open once and hour.  We were OK on the first two, but had to wait almost an hour as we just missed the last one.  We still had plenty of time to reach the anchorage at Mile Hammond Bay.  It is in Camp LeJeune.  The marines were busy with all kinds of practices including take off and landing of the "Osprey" which has helicopter props that allow vertical takeoff and landing.  Then the props rotate forward and it flies like a plane. We heard trucks and sirens and saw the tent camp the next morning ready to launch into some kind of maneuvers.

Military patrol - the Marines were doing maneuvers

Sunset in Mile Hammock Bay

Now these are the marines - why not warnings on VHF 16???

 In the morning we took off in calm quiet weather to make the run past Swansboro to Morehead City.  We did housekeeping chores and provisioned. Today we went across the river to Beaufort, NC (pronounced BOfort, not like BUfort, SC) and went to their Maritime Museum and wooden boat building demonstration space.

Swansboro waterfront

Swansboro fishing fleet

Morehead City is a big commercial port - and cheap diesel fuel

Beaufort, NC boat building museum

One of their wooden boats

Downtown Beaufort waterfront and marina

I am looking forward to the next section of the trip that goes trough some gorgeous scenery and the sounds and rivers further inland that lead to Norfolk, VA and the Chesapeake Bay.