Mile Hammock Bay to Wrightsville Beach

Day 34, Monday, October 31, 2016

You can monitor my trip at the link: Second Winds Progress Live

We are back on the move again. I was awakened by a subtle change in the way the boat was rocking.  I am very use to the boat’s movement and can sleep even when it is rocking in a windy setting, however, if there is even the slightest change in the way it moves, I come alive.  The scariest strange movement is a dragging anchor but this time is was the waves slapping the side of the boat because I was sitting on the mud bottom.

At about 7:00, I raised the centerboard and refloated the boat, then pulled the anchor and headed out into the Waterway.  I didn’t have a particularly long day planned but I had no reason to stay anchored so I went on my way.

This country is all low land.  We are traveling through marsh lands which are intertwined with narrow inlets and canals both manmade and natural.  The tides here are running about 5 feet so I pass both sand and mud flats or water up to the grasses that fill the marshes. 

As I moved farther away from Camp Lejeune, I began to see more water front homes being built on the low ground.  Many of the smaller ones are built on stilts to guard against storm surges that periodically plague the area.  The big expensive home are built on bounds or banks when they occur.  Off to the east I could see barrier islands that line the open waters of the Atlantic and many of these spits of land are covered with side by side high rise condos 

The rising and falling of the tides causes a great deal of current that both pushes me along or holds me back.  With a number of openings that connect the ICW with the ocean, I found that I might be chugging along at 4 knots and then pass an opening and smoke along at 6.2 knots.  These tidal currents also cause a great deal of shoaling. Today alone I would estimate that 8 to 10 members of our group ran aground and most of which had to be towed off.  The commercial towing companies are making a killing. 

I passed through three draw bridges today.  I timed my arrival at the first two perfectly and had virtually no wait time but on the third one, I got there just as it was closing and had to wait an hour for it to open.  This particular spot had a nasty current pushing three of us towards the closed bridge so we had to circle avoiding each other and also the bridge.  At about 20 minutes before the opening, the whole herd of boats from our group arrived and the current pushed them down on us making it really difficult to avoid all if the big boats and he bridge.

When the bridge finally opened, I was about the third on through.  Both sides of the narrow canal near the exit were lined with all forms of boats.  I needed to make a 90 degree turn about 1/10 of a mile from the bridge to head for the anchorage where I planned to spend the night.  Ahead of me were two 40 footers who made the turn ahead of me.  Right after the turn, they both decided that it was too shallow and they turned around and headed back into the crowded canal.  I found out later that it was a real mess.  Boats were running aground and tempers became really frayed. 

I kept chugged along alone for about a mile and a quarter until I came to the area where I dropped my anchor.  This anchorage is actually a river next to the barrier island of Wrightsville Beach.  By the time I found a spot about 10 feet deep, the wind had kicked up to somewhere between 15 and 20 knots.  I was uneasy about anchoring but I dropped the hook as the wind began to drive me backwards.  I let out 120 feet of anchor rode and by the time the line became taunt, the boat jerked the anchor deeply into the mud.  I put the motor in reverse and pulled hard but the boat didn’t budge.  I feel secure.  I set the anchor alarm just in case I do indeed drag I will know it.

Finally, other boats from our group began to filter in giving me reassurance that I had come to the right place.  A bit later two couples dressed in their pirate costumes for Halloween came by in their dinghy and tried to commandeer my boat but I warded them off with my fire starter pistol.

They were heading into town for dinner so I got into the dink and followed.  We picked a place called 22 North.  We were intrigued by their posted menu which offered grilled alligator and pork belly.  I had shrimp and grits which was supposed to have a Makers Mark sauce.  It was good. I finally got back to the boat at around 7:00 and made it into bed by about 9:00 as usual.