Tuesday, May 7, 2013 – Carolina Beach (Mile 295) to Mile Hammock Bay (Mile 244):

            I wondered if the night was going to be rocky, but it turned out to be surprisingly quiet, and we managed to “get out of Dodge” this morning before the parade of boat traffic caused any motion sickness!

            I thought we might have a few challenges ahead of us as this section of the waterway was one of the most troubling as we were headed south.  Lots of shoaling inlets, shallow water, currents, barges – just all kinds of things that could get you in trouble!

The sky as we left Carolina Beach

            The first up was a missing mark.  I was busy coiling up the lines and stowing away the fenders after we left the dock at Joyner Marina, and then I headed up to the flybridge and was starting to thumb through the chart so I would have the correct page as we headed to our next destination – when all of a sudden Bob says, “Hey what’s that mark supposed to be – red or green?!”  Well, I look over at the pole that the mark is supposed to be on, and it’s missing.  I’m starting to scramble around to look to see if I can identify it on the chart, when suddenly we both realize that the mark on the opposite side of the pole is a triangle, and, of course, triangles are red!  In “my” panic my brain completely tossed out that fact!  Fortunately, Bob remembered it before I did, and we went around the correct side of it!

            Next problem area was the Masonboro Inlet, but all went well there.  You really have to go slow through all these inlet areas, and at this particular one, it slowed us down enough that we missed the bridge opening for the Wrightsville Beach Bridge which only opens on the HOUR!!  We had to hang around and wait ½ hour before the bridge opened.  Actually, as we planned the day’s itinerary, I remarked to Bob that this bridge only opens on the hour, but between then and now, we forgot, and tried to call the bridge tender for the “9:30 a.m.” opening when he politely informed us that the next opening would be on the hour at 10:00 a.m.  Red faced – we just people watched for the next thirty minutes.  While we were people/boat watching we saw a huge motor yacht leave a marina, and the fenders the crew were pulling up over the side of the boat were as big as they were!  No kidding!

            This is the state that the bridges use what sounds like an air raid siren to announce the opening of the bridge, and right at 10:00 a.m. the siren went off, the bridge went up, we cruised on through and were on our way again. 

One of the many bridges you have to wait for

            Unfortunately, the tide is against us as we motor to the next bridge, which does open on the hour and ½ hour, but we can’t make the necessary time to get there in a ½ hour so we actually wind up waiting around for almost another ½ hour for the Figure Eight Island Bridge.  When we were coming south we had the current with us and we flew to the bridge openings.  I guess you can’t have it with you all the time though.  The bridge tender informed all of the waiting boats that he wasn’t going to open until all the boats that were approaching the bridge (even the one that was ¼ mile back) were up near the bridge so we could all go through in a timely manner. He said he didn’t like doing this, but as there was some construction occurring on the bridge he had no choice.   So we had to wait a little more!  But the air raid siren sounded eventually, and we all went through and on to the next challenge.

            The skies are turning overcast again, and I’m guessing the wind is picking up but because it is coming from the south we are not bothered by it.

            Next up was the Little Topsail Inlet – this was the area coming south where there was extensive shoaling, and there was some confusion as to how close or far away you should keep from the green can 99A.  We saw a boat go hard aground there on our way down so we were going to be especially careful at this mark.   One of the websites that Bob visits to keep informed about these areas on the waterway indicated that the marks had been moved and/or the area had been dredged, and thankfully, we had absolutely no trouble here!

            We both remarked that we hadn’t noticed the large homes that lined the shore side of this area on our way south.  I guess we were so intent on getting through here that we didn’t pay much attention to the surroundings – only the depth sounder!  We thought that this area was out in the middle of nowhere – but not so!  There were lots of boats on the waterway today, and it seems as though everyone made it through here ok.

How about this for a lawn ornament!

Do you think there was a sale on pink paint!

            Now we had to get through the Surf City Bridge, which is another bridge that only opens on the hour!  We were very lucky – we had time to get there, and there were other boats waiting, and more boats behind us, so we didn’t have long to wait.  That was a blessing because the current in here is very strong, and everyone was jockeying their boat around trying to keep from being swept away!

            The sky is getting very dark over the ocean side of the waterway, and I wonder if we are going to get pelted with another monsoon, but, fortunately, it moves off away from us.  After we get through this last bridge a big barge came barreling down the waterway at us, but we got by him ok.  Unfortunately, he kicked up enough “junk” from the bottom that the depth sounder really started beeping at us, which even though you know you are in the channel, still gives you heart failure!

            Bob has discovered a fuel dock in Sneads Ferry that is offering diesel for a ridiculously low price, and he wants to stop there and gas up the boat before we stop for the night in Mile Hammock Bay.  This area has a lot of current, and the latest information about it says that you should call ahead and check the water depth because it can be hard to get into the dock.  Aaarrggghh…

            As we approach the dock there is a huge dredge boat tied up at the dock and it doesn’t look like there is much room to get behind him.  Bob calls the marina and the nice young dock guy says there is enough water for us to get in there, and we can come in behind the dredge.  So Bob turns the boat around and starts his approach when we notice the dock guy waving at us and yelling to come in at a different angle or we are going to hit the “rocks!”  Yikes!  Well, we miss the rocks and get tied up, and Bob turns the engines off.  But – that is the signal for Kitty Cat to come out from under her safety zone.  I tried to tell her that the engines were going to be turned back on, but she ignored me and proceeded to go down into the forward cabin to see if she had any leftovers from breakfast.  The forward cabin happens to be where she “lives” when she isn’t under our covers on our bed!  So after Bob gases up the boat, you know what happens, he hits the starter button and a black streak flies by us and back down into our cabin and under the covers again!

            While we were tied up at the dock getting fuel, there was another motor boat who decided to get gas there also, but, of course, he had to wait for us to get through (there was only enough room for one boat with the dredge there also).  We watched him get caught by the current and whiz around, and after awhile he got tired of doing this and moved on.

            Now there was only one other challenge before we anchored for the night – Red 72B!  This is where we bounced and slogged through the mud when we left Mile Hammock Bay on our way south.  I told Bob he should go really slowly through here and keep a close eye on the depth sounder! 

            Now – a little note here – I don’t mind driving the boat – as a matter of fact, I like driving the boat, but I would prefer to let Bob drive through those “trouble areas” as I don’t want to be the one to cause us to “come a cropper” on the water! 

            Well just as we approach Red 72B (which is the only place where we “touched down” at least so far on our trip!) Bob tells me he has to go to the bathroom and would I drive!!!  Yikes!  I have to drive through the only place we hit bottom??!!  Well, I did, and we had plenty of water and got through there fine!

            We are now anchored in Mile Hammock Bay, which is a beautiful spot.  The only possible occurrence that could mar this delightful anchorage are the helicopter pilots from Camp Lejeune.  So far we’ve only heard a couple, but the evening is young!

            Steak on the grill for dinner!

            Tomorrow – my absolutely favorite place – River Dunes where they have that wonderful shower.  I really want to get home, but River Dunes is very enticing!