Thursday, October 25 – (Mile 295 - 309) Yikes! What a day yesterday!  That’s enough of that for a while!  Every morning as we prepare to take off, we have a standard “ritual” of things to do and to make sure certain items are on the flybridge with us such as charts, phones, handheld radio, and a slew of other stuff that will supposedly help you navigate and keep you out of trouble.  Ha! Famous last words!  Anyway, we like to take up something to drink and crackers so we (I) don’t have to keep fetching stuff from down below while we are underway.  Bob likes this Crystal Light lemonade, and I make him a quart of the stuff, and a glass with ice in it.  I like good ole plain water… and… well, I was thinking that water is clear, and so is gin and vodka.  Do ya see where I’m goin’ with this? 

            We spent last night at Joyner Marina in Carolina Beach which was acceptable, but we didn’t sleep all that great, so we decide to only go about 15 miles to Southport Marina.  I mean after all, we have to go through Snow’s Cut (WATCH OUT FOR THE CURRENT), and Cape Fear River (wasn’t there a scary movie about that one?!).  Neither of these caused us any problems; actually the wind and the current worked to our advantage, and we were cruising at 11 knots at idle speed again.  Actually, I think if you are respectful of the weather, the only thing you have to worry about in Cape Fear is all the crazy marks.  There are range marks, channel marks, restricted area marks, and marks that I don’t have any idea what they are.  But the ICW marks are clearly designated, and actually Bob says to me that it appears confusing to me because I don’t see what he’s seeing on the chart plotter.  He could have just told me it was because I was inexperienced and he, after all, was the one with the Captain’s License.  I would have bought it.

            Anyway, we are still tied up in the slip back at Joyner Marina and just finishing up breakfast when Bob looks up and sees a tug pushing a barge with what looks like a railroad car on it, and he says, “Well, we’ll have to pass that barge this morning.”  And I say, “Wait a minute – we’re not even finished breakfast, and we are still tied up in the slip, and you are already planning on passing a monster boat again???!!!”  Well, as it came to pass, we did not run into the barge until we left the Cape Fear River and were ready to enter the channel for Southport! Phew!

            Did I mention that it is 80° again, and we are in shorts, and hot!  What happened to fall?  I brought tons of winter clothes.

            Southport is a lovely town off the Cape Fear River, and this is a relatively new marina.  The entrance is right off the river, well marked, and easy to enter.  Big, long floating docks, with long finger piers, and there are two dock hands to help us tie up and get situated.  We are given the standard welcome package when we check in which consists of a key to the bathrooms, and a map of the town.  So off we go exploring.  The town, itself, is small with beautiful southern style homes dating from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s.  Most of the homes have front porches and lovely old gardens, which are still in various stages of blooming.  Fall colored wreaths adorn most of the front doors.  It’s very walkable, with shade tree-lined sidewalks, and has a charming little town center with lots of antique shops and restaurants.  Everything is decorated for Halloween.  We wind up at the Moore Street Deli for a sandwich and iced tea.  After lunch, Bob’s internal GPS zeros in on the ice cream shop, which just happens to be connected to the Christmas House.  After ice cream and shopping, we walk back along the waterfront, which has your typical seafood restaurants and workboats and pleasure boats galore.  It is getting very windy, and sailboat masts are bobbing everywhere.  There is a long, winding boardwalk that extends over the marsh area with an observation gazebo at the end, and we check that out.  Bald Head Island is across the river, and we think we may stop there in the spring on the way home.  Now we head back to the boat for some very well deserved R & R. 

            I can’t believe that tomorrow we will be in South Carolina!

The waterfront

Southport

Looking out over the marsh

Southport Waterfront