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