"ICW Trip 2001 Leg 12 past Southport" Southport Travelogue by grandmaR

Sunny Point Munitions Depot

We left early to get through two bridges and get to Snow's Cut when the current won't be against us. Then we continued down the Cape Fear River by Sunny Point Army Munitions Depot. The Coast Guard Auxiliary boat was patrolling to see that we didn't get too close, and a sports fisher that did the CGAuxillary apparently called the CG who went after them.

Freighter going out to sea

There was a boat named CORNHUSKER STATE with multiple streams of water pouring out of it at the pier apparently being loaded with explosives - we decided that the water was some type fire suppression system.

Ft. Fisher ferry crossing Cape Fear River

We saw a bald eagle on a piling south of the depot, and then saw the Ft. Fisher automobile ferries and went past Southport. The first year we came south (2000), we stopped at Bald Head instead of Southport, and also stopped there on the way back. This time we went past Southport to South Harbor Village. We didn't actually STOP at Southport until April 2002.

Southport - Cape Fear River Shore

At about 1:40, we came into the South Harbor Marina. We saw BEAU in a Southport marina as we passed.

The South Harbor Village marina was not even open until June 2001, so it wasn't there when we came up last time.. It was a former menhaden plant.

The fuel is not particularly cheap. They are getting it for 67 cents(diesel) and selling it for $1.09. (Lucette signed for a fuel delivery when she was up doing email.)

Cape Fear River shore

They have a long face dock and put transients inside and outside on the face dock. There are slips sticking out into the basin from one end of the face dock, and two sections in the basin and one section at the far end of the face dock. There is a grass lump used to be under the old docks for the menhaden boats. That dock doesn't go out as far in that area.

They wanted us to come in and tie port side to, which necessitated getting into the dock with the port side next to the inside which should have been easy. Unfortunately the boat only backs to starboard and the wind was carrying us away from the dock.

Chart showing marina location

As we tried to turn to make another pass, the current caught us and carried us sideways down the fairway. As Bob tried to regain control without running aground on the grass lump or hitting anyone else's boat, the dock master and other boaters ran up and down the piers trying to decide where we'd end up. Eventually at the end of the dock, the cross dock lessened the current, and Bob was able to back all the way back up to the entrance and make a better approach.

We tied up after 43.8 miles or a total of 393 nautical miles for the trip. The dockmaster's comment was - I guess I forgot to mention that we have current.

The marina is on the site of an old menhaden factory. The grass lump was where the boats used to unload. The stack on the chart is one of the old processing stacks and isn't there anymore.

Inlet with fishing boats near Southport

With us were HARMONY (Denise and Jim) who keep their boat at Solomons, ROB'S JUL (Rob whose wife's name is Julie, CJ VI (Canadian), ADANACO (which is O Canada backwards) and PENELOPE JANE (also from Canada).

We ate dinner at the restaurant, and the dockmaster took Lucette to the grocery store. Lucette and I have discovered independently that if we flush the toilet at night without turning on the lights that we can see phosphorescence.

Tomorrow: Entering South Carolina -
Barefoot Landing