"2003 - November 11 - By Sea, By Land or By AIr" Top 5 Page for this destination Wrightsville Beach Travelogue by grandmaR

The bridge opening appears

We reached mile mark 270 by 0714 - a trip of 3 sm (statute miles) from the marina. At 0800 TRITON'S TRUMPET, a big power yacht from Halifax NS that had been in the marina with us passed us. It was starting to get foggy. We were aiming to get to the Figure Eight bridge for the 0900 opening because it was 5 miles to the Wrightsville Beach bridge and they only opened on the hour. So if we went through the first bridge on the half hour, we'd have a really long wait at the 2nd bridge.

No hope - by 0830 we were bearing down swiftly on the Figure Eight bridge. It was also getting very very foggy. We heard the bridge tender in channel 13 talking to various boats, and telling them that if they reached the half mile marker that they would be there in time for the opening. We were approaching that marker, so I called and told him. It was getting foggier although I did spot a large full sized giraffe statue on the lawn of one of the houses on the west bank.

Suddenly Bob said -"There's a sailboat!!" It was NIKAN circling in the channel - presumably in front of the bridge although we couldn't see it. We could dimly see a power boat in front of NIKAN, but could not really make out the bridge at all. Finally the bridge tender called us (i.e. southbound boats) and said "The bridge is open, you can go through now". It wasn't until we got right up to the bridge that we could even see where the opening was.

Following NIKAN through Wrightsville Beach bridge

As we proceeded towards the Wrightsville Beach bridge, the fog lifted and it became a nice sunny day, although I was still cold and went down and put on my thermal top.

Of course we got to the bridge at about 0935. NIKAN was there already. The power boat that went through the Figure Eight bridge first had already gone through at the 0900 opening. About 0950, a sailboat from New England with a blue hull named LORD'S PRAYER (with two wind generators) joined the queue. We circled and watched people launch boats from the ramp on the NE side of the bridge and the smaller power boats coming out of the marinas on the other side of the bridge who were able to get under without an opening.

Looking back at the BATTEN BAY and the bridge

The power boat BATTEN BAY which had been in the marina with us also was approaching and called the bridge to say that he was only about 18.5 feet and thought he'd sneak under without an opening. She said that her boards showed only 17 feet clearance, but that she was sure he could get through with the rest of us.

When she opened, LORD'S PRAYER was in front and they went through but NIKAN dragged their feet and did not close up the space nicely. But we all got through the bridge.

MASHUA coming up behind us

As we came under the bridge, a Danish sailboat called MASHUA came out of the channel on the other side of the bridge and added to the confusion of folks proceeding down the ICW. At several points we were 2 or 3 abreast.

LORD'S PRAYER as we pass them

Eventually we got sorted out with BATTEN BOY way out ahead, then MASHUA, then us, then NIKAN and finally LORD'S PRAYER bringing up the rear.

Kayakers

We saw the house that's built like a salt dome and also some kayakers. We passed Masonboro and the inlet.

Power boats being filmed

The next interesting thing that happened was a helicopter swooped by about mid mast height and very close. (Top picture)

It turned out that they were photographing two small speed boats as they ran up and down the river forward and backward past us. I did get some pictures of them eventually - on about the fourth pass.

Next on down towards Carolina Beach/Seacrest and through Snows Cut to Southport NC.