Sneads Ferry, NC to New Bern Grand Marina, NC, Neuse River

July 7, 2016

Only about 90 more miles to go and we would be in New Bern, NC, our final destination for the summer!  We had plenty of daylight to get there today, but the Cunningham Bridge, which was pretty much at the end of our journey, would be closed for rush hour from 4-6 pm except for a single opening at 5.  If we didn’t make at least the 5 pm opening, then we wouldn’t have the marina staff there to help us get in.  We really wanted to make it there before 4 pm though, because then the bridge would open at our request, and we wouldn’t have to wait at all.  We also wanted to make it to the Onslow Swing Bridge before 7 am so that we could request an opening as soon as we approached it rather than having to wait for the half hour opening.  Normally, we would just adjust our speed if a bridge has certain times for openings, but today we wanted as little wait as possible because of the Cunningham Bridge schedule.

Rob squares away the fenders and lines as we get underway each morning

We left the Swan Point Marina dock 15 minutes earlier than our usual 6 am start time since we weren’t sure how strong the tidal current would be.  The Onslow Swing Bridge was 7 miles away from the marina, so it would take us about an hour to get there unless we had a good push from the current.  The tide was in our favor, meaning that we were able to cruise at about 9 mph at our usual 1100 rpm’s, so we reached the bridge in plenty of time.

Onslow Swing Bridge

Onslow Swing Bridge opening

Water level indicator and informational signs

Once we were through the bridge, we cranked up our rpm’s to 1200 – hold on to your hats!  Even if we could get an extra half a mile per hour, over 9-10 hours we would go an extra 5 miles or so.  At our slow cruising speed of 8-10 mph, that extra 5 miles would save us at least half an hour and could make the difference of whether or not we reached Cunningham bridge by 5 pm.

Early morning fisherman (or is he really on security duty?)

Part of the AICW, including Onslow Bridge, is on the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base.  My sisters and I grew up in Jacksonville, NC, and since our father was a Marine, we had had access to the base recreational facilities, including Onslow Beach.

My family may have used this beach bath house

This off-duty marine with a cast net kept a sharp eye on us

One of the few mile marker signs we have seen

Since much of the waterway runs through a live firing range with a multitude of signs warning of unexploded ordinance, I don’t think they worry too much about unauthorized personnel landing in this area.

Fortunately, the lights weren't flashing, but there is a routine schedule for the firing range posted online

Warning signs like this were posted quite frequently as reminders

Looks like this would be a good fishing spot anywhere else

Boaters have a variant of the phrase, “There are 2 kinds of [whatever group you are a part of], those that have [done x, y, or z] and those that will, at some point, [do x, y, or z].”  Although we had run aground in our dinghy, we had not yet done so with Lorelei IV.  We were about to move from the 2^nd group in the phrase to the 1^st.  Of course, we did have to pick a place with warning signs telling you to avoid anchoring, beaching, and other ground disturbing activities!  Luckily we didn’t think about that part of it until afterwards!

Whenever waterways come together, there is often the possibility of shoaling where the current slows down enough that suspended particles have time to settle out.  Generally, when you have a one that comes in at a near right angle to another waterway, shoaling often occurs across from the junction since the incoming current would hit the far bank and slow down.  With tides causing current to flow both ways in the AICW, it isn’t always easy to predict where shoaling will occur.

We were approaching green daymarker 59, which is at the entrance of Shacklefoot Channel.  There were 2 buoys near the bank across from the channel, so while we were still far enough away that the angle of the morning sun made it hard to determine the colors or shapes, I came to the conclusion that there were 2 red buoys marking an area of shoaling across from the channel.  In hindsight, I should have wondered why there were 2 red buoys when 1 would have been plenty.  Since green daymarker 59 was also there on the other side, I felt confident that the main AICW channel ran between the buoys and the daymarker.

Rob was on the bow, taking pictures of the scenery, when he called out to me that there was a green buoy coming up on our left and was I sure I was in the right channel.  Immediately, we both knew what was happening, and I pulled back the throttles and then put the engines in reverse.  We still slid to a stop on the soft sand bottom – with no unexploded ordinance – but by that time we were going slow enough that we were only grounded softly.  I powered the engines in reverse to pull us off, but I was a bit flustered and gave too much power to the port engine.  This pushed our stern toward the sand bottom that we had just gotten off of, and then we were broadside to the current, which again pushed us up against the bottom.  If we got good and grounded, then we would have to wait hours for a tow and would definitely not make our desired bridge opening!

It is times like this that sometimes I’m too close to the situation to think straight, and Rob’s training and experience as a fire chief allows him to see the overall picture and what must be done to achieve the desired outcome.  He took over the helm, got us off of the sand shoal, and back on track.  He backed up a short ways past green daymarker 59 so that we would have room to get up some maneuvering speed in order to wind through the green and red buoys near the port bank.  Now we could check that one off of our list and could breathe a sign of relief that it went as well as it did!

Stern view of the green daymarker on the left and our path through the red and green buoys on the right

More warning signs

Channel through the off-limits salt marsh

Finally, the end of the firing range

From Camp Lejeune to Morehead City, it was a bit of a homecoming for me, seeing familiar sights although from a different perspective.  My family and I had spent quite a bit of time on the beaches along this part of the waterway, so my pictures may not mean much to others, but they bring back fond memories.

Emerald Isle Bridge

Emerald Isle

Atlantic Beach

I don’t remember going to Morehead City while I was growing up, even though it really wasn’t that far away, but the world seemed bigger back then than it seems now.  Driving an hour somewhere was a big trip, so you had to have a good reason for taking it.  Even though I knew Morehead City was a seaport, I had thought that it primarily supported the fishing and shrimping industries, so I was surprised to see large cargo ships in the harbor.

The big ships were docked but there were plenty of small craft around

This one had alot of pipes on top, so maybe a tanker of some sort?

When loaded, the ship's bulbous bow sits below the waterline so that it reduces drag by modifying the flow of water along the ship

Once we passed through the Morehead Railroad bridge, we were in a rather wide waterway called Harlowe Creek.

The Morehead Railroad Bridge is kept open unless a train needs to cross

We had to wait our turn and weave around the boat anchored in the approach channel

We saw a couple of shrimps boats which were headed in along a different route which would eventually intersect our path, so we figured they had either come in through Beaufort Inlet or had been shrimping in one of the sounds.

Shrimp boats headed into their docks

We also saw some boats that were working in Harlowe Creek itself.

Capt Dump III

Crew of the Capt Dump III

When the nets are down in the water, gulls follow along to swoop down on fish that come up to the surface

Shrimp boats docked along Adams Creek Canal

Soon, we entered the Adams Creek canal, which connects the Morehead City waterways with Adams Creek and, eventually, the Neuse River.  The creek is a popular recreational area, so we saw a number of small marinas, boat ramps, parks, and boaters of all kinds as we went along.

Fisherman with a cast net

Ready for an extended time out on the water

My sisters and I sailed Sunfish like this on the inland waterways of Camp Lejeune

Coast Guard hard at work, protecting the waterways in a number of ways

When we reached the Neuse River, we were surprised how wide it was.  The AICW continues on seaward, past Oriental, NC, and since we were headed upriver, we said a fond farewell.  We are grateful for its well-marked, protected waterways, which have made our travels so much easier while also providing interesting and beautiful scenery.

The rest of our journey up the Neuse River to New Bern was almost anti-climactic, because it went so smoothly and we were on schedule to make it to the Cunningham Bridge well before 4 pm.  The Neuse river is not only wide but remains fairly deep, so we could relax and enjoy the sights for the hour and half or so that it took to reach the NC Highway 17 Bridge.  The approach to the bridge runs closer to the right descending bank but is clearly marked.

Since the Cunningham Bridge is only about ¾ of a mile from the NC 17 Bridge, we radioed on VHF Ch 13 to request an opening as soon as we started through the NC 17 Bridge fenders.  As soon as we made the turn to start our approach of Cunningham Bridge, the bridge tender began to open it, so it really couldn’t have gone more smoothly.  The dockmaster was there to talk and wave us in, so after a short wait while another boat ahead of us got in and docked, we headed into the marina ourselves.

The entry into the New Bern Grand Marina is somewhat of an acute angle such that you have to approach the nearby Trent Railroad Bridge in order to get a bigger boat turned on the best line of approach.  Since it was our first time in and there was a bit of a wind pushing us toward the marina, the entry and fairways seemed narrower than they really are.  We wanted to do a port side tie to the inside of the long floating face dock, so that meant I would have to get turned around.  I was concerned about the wind, but with Rob’s encouragement and guidance, we “got ‘er done”.

New Bern Grand Marina

Myrtle Beach, SC to Swan Point Marina, Sneads Ferry, NC, mm 247

July 6, 2016

The morning was calm with very little wind, so getting out of the slip and the yacht basin this morning seemed like no trick at all now that we were familiar with the layout.  In fact, once we passed the last dock, waving to another early riser who was out on his deck, we reached the mouth of the basin so quickly that I almost mistook it for part of the entry/exit channel.  It’s funny how it had seemed so much longer the previous afternoon.

We only had to cruise about 5 miles, and then we crossed into NC waters!   The stretch of the AICW that we traveled today seemed to have more business and industry than we had seen previously.  We noticed more shrimp boats both docked and out plying their trade, as well as a few derelict ones.  Rob’s response to the first one that we saw stranded on the bank was, “Looks like Forest Gump has been driving his boat around here!”

Beached shrimp boat

Shrimp boats docked along the AICW

The land bordering the AICW seemed to be less marshy for the most part, so we also saw homes on the waterway more frequently.

Homes along the ICW in North Carolina

The rooftop patio certainly had an ocean view

The Cape Fear River is home to the seaport of Wilmington, NC, and to the US Army’s Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, which is the largest military terminal in the world.

US Army Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point

We met the large container ship, Hanjin Baltimore, at the southern junction of the AICW and the Cape Fear River.  At 984 ft long and 140 ft wide – 20 times longer than Lorelei IV and 9 times wider -- it was the largest ship to dock at the Port of Wilmington, and had just arrived there yesterday to be loaded.  I guess that‘s why it had a tugboat attached to its stern to help with steerage while the Hanjin Duesseldorf, which we met a little later, did not, since it is half of Baltimore’s tonnage.

The Hanjin Baltimore looms large even at a distance

Wow!  That's a lot of cargo!

Towboat ready to help with steering when needed

This is a close-up of the "small" opening you can see on the picture above.

The AICW turns off of the Cape Fear River near the northern end of the Military Ocean Terminal restricted zone.  From here until the Neuse River, it runs between the mainland and the barrier islands that are characteristic of the NC coast.

Car Ferry on the AICW

Vacationers enjoying one of the many sand bars

AICW near Wilmington, NC

Geodesic dome home

Along our route, there were 3 bridges of concern:  the Wrightsville Bascule bridge, the Figure 8 Island Swing bridge, and the Surf City Swing bridge.  The Wrightsville Bascule bridge has a reported clearance of 20 ft in Waterway Guide, so we figured we would have to have it opened unless we reached it at low tide and there was additional clearance at the center.  We were approaching the bridge just after 1 pm, so if we couldn’t fit under it, we would have to wait until the next opportunity for an opening at 2 pm.  There was no water height indicator at the southern approach, so Rob called and talked to the bridge tender, who thought the clearance was 18-19 ft with an additional 2-3 ft at center.  We think our mast light is about 20.5 ft – it’s hard to get an exact measurement since the amount of fuel, water, and other supplies can change a boat’s height from the waterline -- so we decided to approach the bridge slowly, ready to reverse the engines if it looked like our mast light was too high or if one of the many small boats around us started to crowd us.  It was pretty nerve-wracking, but Rob said we had at least 6 in of clearance  -- that’s almost needing a shoehorn for boating bridge clearances!

Fortunately, even though the Figure 8 Island Swing bridge has the same reported clearance of 20 ft in Waterway Guide, reports by other boaters say that the bridge is actually several feet higher than the Wrightsville bridge.  The bridge looked higher to us as we approached it, but we still went slowly until we were sure that we would clear it.

Figure 8 Island Swing bridge to our stern. There is also a young talented wakeboarder in the air behind the boat with blue trim.

Only one more bridge to go, and with a clearance of 11-12 ft, we knew we would have to request an opening.  After clearing the Figure 8 Island bridge, our Garmin chartplotter estimated that we would arrive at the Surf City Swing bridge somewhere between 3:45 and 4 pm, so we were hoping that we wouldn’t run into too many “No Wake” zones or unfavorable currents.  Another powerboat had passed us some miles back, so we were concerned that if it hadn’t already gotten through the bridge at the 3 pm opening, the bridge tender might open the bridge early if he or she thought it was the only boat waiting.  We called the bridge tender, and he assured us that he would open the bridge only at 4 pm – and that we should do our best to be there in time.  Some times bridge tenders will hold an opening for a few minutes if they know another boat is close, but this guy apparently worked by the book.  Fortunately, we arrived at around 3:45 pm, so we were able to relax and enjoy the scenery while we waited for 4 pm.

Waiting for the 4 pm opening at the Surf City Swing bridge

Not to wish bad fortune on people, but lucky for us this pirate ship was tied up boarding this tour boat!

Since I grew up in Jacksonville, NC, the names of places along the AICW were becoming more and more familiar the further north we traveled.  Wrightsville, Onslow, Topsail, and Bogue, were all names of places that my family had either visited ourselves or had heard friends talk about.  We planned to stop for the night in Sneads Ferry, NC, a town that my mom, sisters, and I had visited many times, since it was one of our favorite fishing, crabbing, and clamming spots.

Homes along the AICW

Popular beach locations attract condominium complexes

Small fishing village on the mainland

We stayed at Swan Point Marina at mm 247.  Evelyn, the manager, was initially going to put us at the long floating dock.  She didn’t think there was room for us to turn around for our preferred port side tie and I wasn’t crazy about the idea of backing in, so she graciously accommodated us on the fixed face dock on the AICW instead.  Since the current was behind us as we approached the marina, she recommended that we turn around once we had passed the dock so that we could dock while going against the current.  Rob quickly switched the fenders to the starboard side and then we were docked in no time with the help of Evelyn and a couple of dockhands.

The red and white water tower of Camp Lejeune was visible from our dock

Lorelei IV at Swan Point Marina

The fixed face dock is nothing fancy, but since we’re not fancy people and the dock height meant that we could pretty much step straight off of our deck onto it, it worked out quite well for us.  If you like the convenience of floating docks and being closer to the marina facilities, I would recommend staying inside the breakwall.  Sasha appreciated being able to run free, although I did throw her Frisbee in the water once and had to go get a boat hook to fish it out.  After that I walked around to the other side of the marina basin, where there was a nice wide fenced grassy area.

Swan Point Marina (Sasha's Frisbee sailed off into the water to the right - fortunately the current was swirling around and brought it back to the seawall)

Fishing boat docked in front of us

There was a fishing boat docked in front of us and most of the crew was from one or another of the Caribbean islands.  Although Rob started out to walk with Sasha and me, he ended up stopping and talking with the boat’s owner until we returned.  He and the crew were taking the boat to Florida, working on it and rehabbing it as they went along.  They had been out near Cape Hatteras a day or so ago, and he said that the conditions had been so rough that he had prayed for hours until the boat was finally safe in the ICW!  They would be laying up at the marina for at least another day to work on the boat and recuperate.

The start of our journey for tomorrow