Guest blogger Martha Frampton Today we resumed our trip south after delaying for high winds. With only a short passageway separating the marina and the ocean, we felt the motion of the ocean day and night at BHI. The hourly ferry also contributed to our constant shifting, which caused a loud creak on center port side cleat every few minutes. Check out time was 11:00am, so we waited out the wind as long as we could. When we left the marina entrance, we saw a huge ocean-going ship right behind us. There were a few tense minutes as Bob found our inlet to ICW and avoided getting smashed by the ship. After we safely entered the ICW at Southport via Cape Fear River, we had to get past the shoaling at Lockwoods Folly, hugging one side then the next. Getting safely past Shallotte Inlet was the next challenge, again avoiding shoaling. We saw several shrimp boats, a tug, and a wreck. We followed Dave and Nancy (Blind Faith motor boat) because this is their home turf. It was odd to see two casino boats and a floating tiki bar, signs of more activity on the ICW. We got a wave from the Little River Swing Bridge operator. The final challenge was The Rock Pile, a two mile long, deep channel through rock. The good thing was that low tide let us see the rocks along the shores. Also, following an experienced boater was a big plus. We arrived at Grande Dunes Marina right at 5:00pm. What a relief to tie up for an uneventful night.
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