"2004, April- Running Aground at Wrightsville Beach" Top 5 Page for this destination Wrightsville Beach Travelogue by grandmaR

Looking out Masonboro Inlet

After leaving Masonboro, Bob motored slowly up to the bridge intending to make the 0900 Wrightsville Beach bridge opening. I was straightening things up in the aft cabin. All of a sudden I heard him use the S word and he said we were aground. We were in the channel opposite Shinn Creek (which is the outlet to Masonboro Inlet) and the wind and tide (which is coming in the inlet) have pushed us onto a shoal that is IN the channel on the red side.

Mile marker where we are aground

We try to get off ourselves, and even try to bounce (reving the engine) when people go by making a wake, but each time the wind pushes us back aground again. Bob is afraid of sucking muck up into the engine so we turned the engine off.

I called TowBoatUS, and they were there within 5 minutes. He said lots of people had problems at this spot from 85 to 90.

Tow Boat pulling us

The tow boat operator put a line through the starboard bow hause hole and worked us off gradually. When he pulled us into the channel it was about 0900, and we've missed the bridge opening. Bob started the engine again, and gave him back his line. Then he came around to the side and did the paperwork (top photo).

There was no charge because we were members, although Bob tipped him.

Power boat marina next to the bridge

We now had to wait an hour until the next opening of the Wrightsville Beach bridge. It was a long wait because we have to stay next to the bridge, but still avoid a lot of little boats that don't need the bridge opened, the big power boats going into the marinas right by the bridge, and people coming out of the channel from Wrightsville Beach..

Waiting behind Back T Back

We went through with power boats named CAPELLA and BACK T BACK and a red power boat named CHICKEN SHIP came through going south. Later OLD SQUAW a small back lobster boat from Maine passed.

Figure 8 Bridge

We also had some wait at the Figure 8 bridge which is less than 5 miles away from Wrightsville Beach because we can't get there in a half an hour and had to wait until 1100 for an opening. We kept hearing that the Onslow Beach Bridge was going to be closed until noon for live firing exercises on the marina base. The waterway was apparently also closed. We aren't going to be there today however - that's tomorrow.

The Giraffe House near Figure 8 Bridge

Anyway the Onslow Beach bridge tender kept having to tell people that he was closed until noon. About 1030, a different voice came on and said that the exercises were over and the waterway was open but the bridge wouldn't open until 1130. Then we heard the bridge tender arguing with someone (we couldn't hear the other person) about whether he was going to open at 1130 or noon. Don't know the outcome.

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