Now that we are on the ICW, we have to take particular care to ensure we have several anchorage options to get Casey to shore twice a day. Many times you can drop your anchor and dinghy over to a nearby marina. We haven't come across any marinas that discourage us from tying up to take our dog for a walk. However, once you arrive into North Carolina, and specifically the Alligator River, you are surrounded by marshes, swamps, little creeks and in particular, a National Wildlife Refuge Island.

We tripped over this one particular "dinghy access to shore" last year in a north-easterly storm. In the middle of "nowhere", there is a dinghy access to land on the National Wildlife Refuge Island. Great! And it is the ONLY place available to relieve Casey on shore. We were thrilled until Chrisy read a bit more about this place and spoke to 2 rangers who happened to be at the "dinghy access" when we motored up to it this year...."yes ma'am, it is a wildlife sanctuary, filled with "more bears than deer" and a 12 foot alligator, just up the stream from where we left the dinghy". Really? says Chrisy....."Yes ma'am.... Just saw the alligator earlier today as well as a bear who walked right in front of our truck, just up the road".... Well, this was enough for Chrisy to jump right back into the dinghy and promise to Casey that he would have a longer walk at our "next anchorage"!!! ... Poor fella....