Gosh time flies when you are finally moving down the waterway. Beaufort, NC; Camp LeJeune; Carolina Beach, NC. It’s been a traveling few days and we have covered about 130 miles. OK, in a car it’s a couple of hours but it has been several days of traveling for us. Town Creek in Beaufort proved to be a pleasant anchorage. Everyone had cleared out and we basically had it to ourselves. It was Halloween night and unfortunately Murphy was a little sad as he didn’t get to go trick-or-treating. Dad drew the line at taking him to shore in costume. Bummer.
The next day took us to Mile Hammock Bay within Camp LeJeune. The most excitement was for boats with tall masts. The day started with a rude 42’ sailboat deciding to pass us as we were getting ready to go under the fixed bridge south of Beaufort. A bad maneuver, especially with no radio call requesting safe passing. We were maintaining speed and course and just as we were wondering how this tandem passage under the bridge would work, the big guy did an abrupt about face. Apparently the moon/Sandy driven “high” low tide did not leave him enough clearance to fit under the bridge. I can’t say we didn’t chuckle. The end of the day saw a 60ft motor-sailor returning to Mile Hammock unable to fit under the bridge leaving that section of the waterway. He said his wife was not happy. Judging by the boat, they spent little time on the hook.
Our main excitement for the day was when the line holding all our burgees parted way. As our flags sailed gaily behind us, I went forward on the deck with a long boat hook attempting to bring them down. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing way too hard and there was no way to lasso them. One got loose and hit the water, but skillful piloting by the captain and appropriate use of the “cat-retrieval system” (crabnet), saved the flag. The rest of the day, passing boats let us know that our burgees were trying to escape.
Today we traveled to the new mooring field in Carolina Beach. Not a lot of excitement, save one poor boat going aground waiting for the bridge at Wrightsville Beach. I think it has happened every time we've been there. I wondered why the shoal doesn’t have a few of those friendly white PVC stakes marking it, but as the TowBoat call went out, perhaps I had my answer. Today’s radio entertainment was a huge trawler loudly requesting a bridge opening. When the bridge keeper asked which bridge he wanted, he said he had no idea, didn’t know where he was. Later in the day he waked us badly, then about an hour later we met him coming out of Carolina Beach anchorage. He asked us where the ICW route was and which turn he should take. At this particular juncture of the ICW, going “straight” takes you into the anchorage, bending right, following the appropriate marks, takes you down the correct route. Biting our tongues, we gave him the correct information. Later we heard him calling TowBoat from the middle of the Cape Fear River asking them how to get across….there are several channels. Sometimes you wonder how people survive.