Sunday - 17 April 2016 St. James Plantation to Wrightsville Beach
Departure day from St. James Marina.
We had breakfast with Janet, and Bill Brown (residents at St. James plantation). Then they assisted us off the dock. The slip-ways are wide enough but the wind was a factor in turning the AB... It took perhaps 5 "back & Fills" to turn her toward the exit.
We had been at that Marina a few days less than a month... NICE, but we were ready to "beat FEET" to the north. We had accomplished our automobile trip to the north to see the "grand-Baby", Lillian Rose. And that was wonderful... Expensive, but wonderful! Plus Enterprise double billed us, but I think that's been taken care of NOW. $$$
Our hosts (so to speak) at St. James, THE BROWN's were great... as you probably surmised from previous log posts.... Touring, eating out, eating IN, car ferry rides, open mic nights at the waterfront, etc.
We needed fuel, and a pumpout, so our first stop was the South Harbour Village gas dock (about 3 miles east on the AICW). We loaded on about 70 gallons of diesel (Bow tank). That will be gone by the time we get to the mid-Chesapeake, (maybe the Solomon's or Deltaville), unless we get some really, really good sailing days.
The trip up the Cape Fear River was fight, (against the very end of the ebb tide); but nothing like the trip up "snow's cut"... a ROCK BARGE entered ahead of AB, and two Sailing vessels... Whoaa !!! They were WAY ahead of us.. .and we caught them in a "heart-beat"... why you ask....is AB that FAST.... NO...The Rock barge could only make 1.3 knots against the current in the cut. So once we entered the cut too...we had to literally "mark time" in place at several places (rock walls or shoals on both sides)...
BUT... The good news... we did get to pass the barge and made it all the way to Wrightsville Beach.
Anchored with JUST two other sailing vessels at Wrightsville Beach (unheard of normally)... at
N 34 12.310 W077 78.023

Monday - 18 April - Wrightsville Beach to Beaufort NC
We rose very early on Monday... and made the 0700 hr opening of the bascule bridge. That was the last bridge that we made on time... EVERY other bridge is OUT of sync with the speed of a normal Sailing vessel... i.e. IF the tide is NOT 100% at your stern you cannot possibly make the next bridge Opening. So the end result is the "bridge dance" (backing and filling to keep off the side shoals)... or you slow up SO much while approaching the bridge that you "make the operator mad" that you aren't "BRINGING your boat up to the bridge"... (making HIS job easier).
The approach to the Surf City Bridge is so ridiculous I added about 8 marks on our chart Plotter...as I approached so that if the current increased and handling became a problem I could "run BACK to those marks (where I KNEW the depth was safe).
Anyway... WE decided to skip our normal anchorage at Mile Hammock Bay (Camp Lejeune) and make the run for Beaufort (70 nm away). So in doing that we saved a day. WE actually anchored at the USCG base before sundown (minutes before, but before). 
Our "USCG anchorage" (adjacent to CG) is N34 42.151 W 076 41.120 after 70 nm of travel that day.

Tuesday - `19 April 2016 Beaufort NC to Belhaven
Today we slept in a bit... rising just a few minutes after the sunrise... instead of the intended 1 hour before sunrise... So we were a bit late in our departure from the USCG base anchorage at Beaufort (south of Radio Is.). But we did catch the end of the flood tide, going north... so we carried 7 to 8 knots of SOG most of the way toward Cedar Creek. (well, we had sail too)...
I had hopes of just sailing (no motor) the Neuse River (eastbound)... and it started well.. but 20 minutes into the Neuse leg, the wind just quit.... I left all the sail up and It may have helped a bit, but not enough to "just sail".  Bummer. I finally took it all down in the Hoboken Canal... (R.E. Mayo).
We did motor/sail the Pamlico, and some of the Pungo.... We finally stopped short of our goal, but this anchorage at Belhaven has (touch wood) CBS TV. (that's important on Tuesday!!! )
Belhaven anchorage at N35 31.809 W 076 37.164 after 60 nm of travel.