Stopover at Wrightsville Beach, NC

You can't teach people to be lazy, either they have it or they dont. - Dagwood Bumstead



Herb & Laura, you left a day too early. After admirably toughing out the oppressive heat for 4 days, yesterday's overcast sky's, 15-20 knot winds, and drizzling rain kept temperatures down to sub-sweating levels as we pushed on up to Wrightsville Beach.



We were up at 4:30 AM to get an early start at twilight, and then just as we were about to cast off the lines a classic 'Duh' moment. We realized the Sunset Beach pontoon bridge which is 8 miles away only opens on the hour, so we hung out a few more minutes and then slowly motored up to the bridge, delaying any chance for a good, early head start. Otherwise the morning was uneventful, until we reached the entrance to the Cape Fear river where we had decided earlier that we had to enter the river before 1 pm to catch the flood tide to carry us upriver for the 12 or so miles. Any later than 1 pm and the tide would have turned on us and made for a long, slow stretch. Of course, we reach the entrance at 1:01 pm, decision time.....Go for it!



The Cape Fear pilot boat coming in to berth just as we entered the river was a clear telltale of what was coming up the river behind us, an impressive 400' container ship which we decided not to jostle with for room in the channel. The water got a little lumpy as the building winds blew against the swift current and we were taking lots of spray over the boat while Felix shouldered her way through the foamy whitecaps. Even on the slowing tail end of the flood tide we were making 8 mph up the river, and soon turned off into more ditch as entered the clean, green water of the stretch just south of Masonboro Inlet and Wrightsville Beach. At the end of the day we had made 65 miles and anchored by 5pm in the well protected but busy anchorage in Wrightsville Beach. Today is a lazy day, catching up on emails, blog, and waiting out the winds which should settle back down by tomorrow when we aim for Mile Hammock Bay.

All photo credits on this entry belong to Laura Moore, who was the Ship's Photographer for the last few days. Thanks for the photos Laura! The one to the left was pretty much what we saw for the 20 miles through Myrtle Beach on a Sunday. Like Ft. Lauderdale, but with more boats, more alcohol, and less brains. We watched one couple who seemed determined to kill their little girl by dragging her on a float and trying to swing her off in front of every passing boat.

Here's one of the Boatpix.com helicopter. Do you think they will pay us $500 for the picture?