The Adventure Ends!

With all the trouble I had getting docked in Southport, our departure was the exact opposite. It was very calm in the morning as we got an early start to get up to Morehead City. A last minute decision was made to go out of Masonboro Inlet and do the ocean run to the Beaufort Inlet. The ocean conditions were great, but we had to contend with a large dredging project at Carolina Beach. We got no response from the dredge after trying to make radio contact, but Dutch, one of our Osprey Point neighbors heard my call. He had been through a few minutes earlier and was able to give me some help in getting around the massive equipment. There were two other boats that had been circling in front of the dredge and followed my lead. We all got through safely and continued the trek north on the ICW.

The inlet at Masonboro was easy to transit and led to calm ocean waters. It stayed calm until we got to Beaufort where the winds were pushing against the tide. That combined with a lot of boat traffic caused me to pay close attention and take it slow. We got tied up easily a the Morehead City Yacht Basin and enjoyed a pleasant evening.

As you may remember in one of my previous posts, I commented on the "small world" meetings that were taking place regularly on this trip. As it turned out, the boat docked behind us had a Rock Hall hailing port.  Kate and Bill had just bought the boat and were relocating it to Rock Hall where they live. We compared notes and will be sure to recognize them in town.

Both boats departed the next morning for Belhaven. Kate and Bill went to Dowry Creek Marina, where we stayed on the way down, and we went to Belhaven Marina which was a new one for us. Getting off the dock at Morehead City, was a true embarrassment. The wind was blowing us on the dock so hard I couldn't get the bow off the dock and get away. As soon as I would make a little progress, the wind blew us back against the dock. We were also fighting the current and the pods were struggling to overcome the forces. We sort of bounced our way down the dock and were finally able to make the turn out of the marina. Thankfully there were no boats in front of me and I sure hope the marina didn't have a CCTV camera recording the entire travesty. If I were to do it again (which I hope I never do), I would use a different strategy, but until I try it I won't know if that would work. 

From Morehead City, you head up Adams Creek to the Neuse River. Adams Creek is well-protected, but the Neuse River, the Pamlico River and the Pungo River were all a bit agitated. We knew they could be like this, but I guess we were lucky all the other times we passed through here. The previous trips were calm and flat. Not today! We arrived safely at Belhaven Marina which has two long docks for transients. I had to negotiate my way down a narrow fairway and dock behind  a big 70 foot yacht that had just stopped in for fuel. We made it ok despite my lack of confidence that I could do anything right after the sorry departure experience. The marina fuels boats right at their slips which is very convenient and they are just a few steps from the modest downtown. We had made reservations at Spoon River, a restaurant that is highly regarded among ICW travelers. It was a delicious meal and well worth a repeat visit. They have a very artful decor along with various antiques. The shelves held a variety of books and soup tureens. We've had so many beautiful sunsets on this trip and here was another one.

We left Belhaven for Coinjock on Sunday morning, going through the Alligator-Pungo canal which was very pleasant, the Alligator River which was very choppy, and the notorious Albemarle Sound which was only moderately choppy. We passed our new Rock Hall friends, Kate and Bill, on the Alligator as we neared the swing bridge. As it turned out, they ended up being docked right in front of us at Coinjock.

We ate on the boat at Coinjock and prepared for the next day, which would be a long cruise up to and through Norfolk, and then up the Chesapeake to Deltaville. Encore was all by itself as it transited all the bridges and the Great Bridge Lock. Once we got through Norfolk and into the Chesapeake, it was hard to miss the large number of cargo ships anchored out probably waiting for someplace to unload. We think this was due in part to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore as many ships anchor in this location waiting for their turn to go into Baltimore Harbor. 


We planned to anchor out, but we knew that we would need to find an appropriate spot with protection from a south wind. We got fuel at Fishing Bay Marina which is a self-serve fuel dock and not typical of most fuel docks. We handled the fueling completely on our own and then paid in the office. It worked out fine. We headed back to an anchorage area that we scoped out on the way in. It turned out to be right in the midst of a lot of crab traps, but we found a good spot and set the anchor. The anchorage is just off of Gwynn Island and we were in about 10 feet of water, a good depth for us. Another dinner on the boat and another nice sunset. 

It turned out to be an excellent anchorage where we woke up to calm and glass-like water. A line of yellow pollen coursed through the anchorage and of course the boat is starting to take on a yellow tint. We hadn't seen any until now. Today would be our last cruising day of this trip and our destination was slip D-17 at Osprey Point Marina in Rock Hall, MD. The Bay was as nice as it has ever been with no chop and glass-like waters. It took about six hours to make the trip. The skies were overcast, but the temperatures got a little higher as the day progressed.

Martha docked the boat and we attached the lines for the season. There are not too many boats in the marina yet, but it will start to fill up over the next couple of weeks.

My next blog post will focus on the highs and lows of this adventure. The things we did right and what we may do differently if we try it again. It will take a little thought to put it all together, so stay tuned.