"8 April 2001 - Coming from Bald Head" Hampstead Travelogue by grandmaR

Ferry dock on the Cape Fear River early morn

We had a fair current (going the same direction as we were) up the Cape Fear River, and through Snow's Cut. This time when we passed the ferry docks, we knew to keep a lookout for the ferry.

Wrightsville Beach bridge 2003

We heard GOOSE CHASE at the Wrightsville Beach bridge when we were still a good distance (7-8 miles) away. We went through at 11:00 with SEA BONDS who had spent the night at Southport. This bridge only opens on the hour.

We got to the Figure 8 bridge about noon. I see a flock of cormorants swimming in formation, and there are a lot of great white herons spaced like little white telephone poles along the shore. We also see some common loons.

Swan on the lawn 2002

This section of he waterway is apparently into lawn ornament one-up-manship. On the way down we saw a giant swan. Now there is also a life sized giraffe, and a large double sized shinney metal mermaid statue.

A couple out zooming around in an inflatable comes close to the boat to ask where we've been. A Corps of Engineers boat named FRY passes us going south with a very long piece of pipe sticking out the front end like a giant cannon.

Dock walkways out to deeper water

The signs along the shore prohibit the taking of " Oysters, Clams or Messels" (that's the way it is spelled). We still see people mucking about in the mud.

We tied up in Harbor Village at 43.9 miles at 6.8 mph for a total of 753 nm.

GOOSE CHASE is already there. Later SEA BONDS, and ODYSSEA pull in. We are on the far edge of the marina from the office, rest rooms, showers etc. The office is very close to us, but is across the channel. We either have to hope that the courtesy car is on our side and drive around, or walk about a half mile around the basin.

Since there was no restaurant there, we had hot dogs for lunch, and I took the car around with the guy from ODYSSEA when he registered and did e-mail in the lounge. We ordered Chinese for dinner. So did SEA BONDS.

Chart with marina location

Bob got us underway before 6. today. The computer has us well up on land when we are in the marina. It is a new marina, and isn't on the charts.

We are starting to have to put salt in the Lectrasans again (they need salt water to work), and we are running out of salt.

Shoreline along the ICW 2003

It was less than 6 miles (Bob thought it was 7) to the Sears Landing bridge so we were there well before the 8 o clock opening. There are a lot of signs around saying that this is "Batt Deeded Bottom" and the violators will be prosecuted. Crab pots are encroaching on the channel, and there are also some stacked in the salt marsh.

We went by the big pink house at Alligator Point with a lighthouse in the yard and a frieze of dolphins across the front. I took a picture this
time (top).

A piece of equipment on the marine base

ODYSSEA passed us and then pulled over at Swan's Point for fuel, and then passed us again. We caught them both at the Onslow Beach bridge which is run by the Marines.

We met a tug just up from the bridge - it was ISLAND BOY coming back with empty barges.

SEA BONDS asks if the waterway is closed for Marine live ammunition exercises. I ask the bridge and the tender says he doesn't know about anything. We hear some cannon fire, and see some smoke inland to the left.

We go past a firing range tower with a big red flag on it (GOOSE CHASE says incorrectly that it is the Marine flag, but it isn't). There's a bunch of guys there with binoculars, but they are mostly looking out at the beach and the ocean - have their backs to us. The AM radio is supposed to broadcast messages on exercises at frequency 530.

Next: Swansboro