Tidings of Joy: North Carolina

Once we crossed the state lines between the Carolinas all we could think about was getting to the Chesapeake. While we aren't in a hurry and don't have a schedule we have been looking forward to the Chesapeake since starting the loop. So we were determined to just forge through North Carolina to get there. Our first stop in North Carolina was Southport. As most long term cruisers know it's very hard to make a schedule and determine where you will be too far in advance due to weather and sea conditions. This being said we were very fortunate to be able to get a reservation in Southport on the Friday of Memorial day weekend. We assured them we would only be there one day and they were happy to accommodate us. The "town" itself is a small little old fishing village positioned on the water with little wood structures that look like shacks that are the town restaurants and shops. The homes are gorgeous and very sweet and cottagey. Once tied up we hopped off the boat that was rocking and rolling from all of the holiday traffic and took a stroll into town. There was a really good seafood shack that Jeff got some fresh fish. There was a cute bar and various other shops. It took all of 10 minutes to walk the entire town. I did manage to find a Christmas shop to peruse. Back at the boat we were told there would be a lecture on weather later in the day and mile by mile briefing on what's to come all the way to the Chesapeake. We were defiantly in. The lecturer was a meteorologist and a boater too. He was so interesting and informative. We have both learned so much about weather since starting the loop. Two hours later we left the lecture with full pamphlets of maps and notes of the route to come. What a great service this man provided. We spent a quiet evening on the boat and headed out the next morning.

View of Southport

Seafood Shop in Southport

Bar in Southport

At the weather lecture the meteorologist asked where were heading next. We mentioned Wrightsville Beach. He said, "Oh you guys are partiers." We said we can be but why was he saying that. He told us that anchoring in Wrightsville beach over memorial day weekend would be very crowded and nothing but boats rafted up together partying all day and night. This sounded awful to us. Instead he recommended we try a place called Carolina Beach - a short 15 mile cruise north. So not knowing anything about the place we followed his local knowledge and boy were we happy that we did. When we arrived the entire bay was a no wake zone so the few boats that were out were all cruising around slowly. We found the mooring field that had several available mooring balls and got settled in. We loved it! It was a quiet, quaint little town and we felt secluded and safe on a morning ball. A far cry from the heavy traffic area of Wrightsville. We launched the dingy and went into town. There was a cute bar/restaurant right on the water so we tied up and went in for a drink and some lunch. The place was cute and the waitress gave us the lay of the land. One thing she told us we must do is to walk to the beach and get a Britt's Donut. We had no idea what this was but she said it's the best and our friend Denise told us too, "it's the best donut in the world!" So after several drinks and a nice lunch we meandered over to the beach for a stroll. The beach was insanely packed with people. More people then either of us have ever seen at a beach. We were glad we weren't spending time there. The boardwalk had shops and a few rides. It seemed very small but cute. Then we found Britt's. We were told that the line is usually around the corner at any time of the day. Fortunately there were only a few people in the line when we arrived. The donuts were phenomenal. We agreed the best donuts that either of us have ever had. They are only glazed donuts and they come out hot. Hard to describe but they were squishy warm goodness. After being among the Memorial Day crowds we were more then ready to head back to our quiet peaceful mooring ball. We dinged back and spent a quiet afternoon/evening on the boat enjoying the view and the solitude.

Bar/Restaurant in Carolina Beach

Carolina Beach

Pelican Along Side Our Dinghy

Mooring Field Carolina Beach

Houses Carolina Beach

Jeff Relaxing Carolina Beach Mooring Field

Crowded Carolina Beach

We debated staying a second day at Carolina Beach because it was so nice and so peaceful but in the end decided against it in goal to get to the Chesapeake sooner then later. The next morning at 7:45a.m. we pulled out towards our next stop Mile Hammock Anchorage which is located on the Camp Lajoon Military base. Again we were worried with it being Memorial day weekend that we would have a hard time getting a spot but when we arrived there were only a couple of boats already there. From everything I read a lot of boats have trouble at this anchorage with dragging their anchor. We have an amazing anchor so I wasn't too worried but of course it was in the back of my mind. The winds were due to pick up later in the afternoon so we wanted to make sure we were set early. As we arrived at the anchorage it was already more then windy 20-25mph and the boat had a hard time staying in position. It took us a couple of times to get the anchor set and the boat in a position not too close to the other boats because we were all going to be swinging a lot in these high winds. Once set we just watched the activities on shore. Since it was a military base we were not allowed to go to shore. So we pulled out the binoculars and watched the military men fishing, bringing their boats in and out of the boat ramp, taking pictures of their cars and just everyday activities. We were quiet entertained. Later that night we got a severe weather waring and I watched as the lightening rolled in from miles away. Jeff had gone to bed early and I attempted to watch a movie but as the storm got closer and closer I began to loose focus. I haven't seen such strong, close, bright and vivid lightening bolts as I did that night. It took a pitch black anchorage and lit it up like New York City. The thunder was defining and it poured like cats and dogs. I think it even hailed at one point. I got so scared that I woke Jeff up to sit with me and make sure we were OK. I just kept thinking about being a little kid and when there was lighting everyone had to get out of the pool. Now were trapped on a boat with the biggest lightening storm I've ever seen. Jeff assured me we were fine and went back to bed. I wasn't convinced and stayed up another couple of hours until the heart of the storm blew by. Not fun.

Osprey Nest

Mile Hammock Anchorage

Mile Hammock Anchorage Looking Towards Camp Lajoon

Mile Hammock Anchorage

I don't think I slept a lot that night but the Tidings did very well in the anchorage and throughout the storm. Needless to say the next morning we were outta there. We would travel 45 miles north to Beaufort, NC. Not to be confused with Beaufort, SC. Remember Beaufort, NC is pronounced (bow-fort) and Beaufort, SC (Bew-Fort). Anyhow, we were looking forward to this stop and have been told by many loopers that this is a cute town and a must stop. After anchoring for a few days we decided to go into the marina right in town. The marina was a bit pricey but we figured to be right in town and to take a couple of day to slow down a bit it was worth it. It was a very hot day and very busy on the waterway to Beaufort. When we arrived the marina was packed and we were glad to be tied up and secure for a couple of days. We were given tokens at the office for a free drink at the restaurant so off we went. The service was lousy and the free option of beer was none we would have ever chosen but hey we were here. After our free drink and almost an hour later we strolled the town. Cute and charming like so many other towns we saw before we were able to walk the entire thing in 15 minutes. Jeff needed to pick up a prescription so we took one of the marina's four courtesy cars. We always appreciate a marina that offers a car because we are usually in need of something when we pull into a town. This courtesy car was unlike any car we have ever been in. And we have been in some real doozies on the loop. This car was an old Oldsmobile station wagon with ripped up driver passenger seats. So much so that the stuffing was coming out into the car. It had a very foul odor about it and the a.c. didn't work despite the 90 plus temperatures outside. Wal-Mart turned out to be a 20 minute drive one way so this car became a source of a lot of frustration. I was worried we might break down on the side of the road and not make it back. The marina told us usually they don't let people take the car that far but since Jeff needed his prescription they made an exception. Great! Somehow we made it both ways OK and I decided I was done with the courtesy cars. We went back to the boat for a quiet night. The next day we slept in and there was another big rain storm. I was happy to be watching in pj's while securely tied to the dock. Later we walked the town again and went into the maritime museum. We have been to a ton of maritime museums but this one was really good. They had a movie and an entire section devoted to Blackbeard since he was famous around there for blocking ports and steeling goods. We both learned a lot.

Beaufort Marina

Beaufort

Shrimp Boat Beaufort

Passenger Seat Courtesy Car

Pretty Wood Boat Docked Near Us

Downtown Beaufort

Library in Maritime Museum Beaufort

Wood Boat Shop Beaufort

After two nights in Beaufort we were ready to move along. Our next stop would be a long 70 mile cruise to Belhaven, North Carolina. This was a very long day almost 9 hours and it was hot and humid throughout the ride. Once we got there an anchored in this secluded quiet bay we decided we were too tired to launch the dinghy and go to town for dinner were we had a reservation. Everyone told us we have to eat at Spoon River Restaurant. We planned too but exhaustion took over and we spent a quiet evening on the boat.

Belhaven Anchorage

Ray Swimming at Anchorage

After a quiet peaceful night at anchor we were rejuvenated and headed out around 9a.m. We would only go 38 miles to our next destination Alligator River. It was another hot and humid day. We had several bridges to open and we actually met a tow right as we were trying to pass through one of them. We stayed out of his way and passed through with no problem. When we arrived at our alligator river anchorage at 3pm we were the only boat there. Normally I would love this but began to wonder why is this huge open bay. As I was compiling the log I got bit 5 times by a horsefly. The boat was filled with bugs. Suddenly I understood why we might be alone. We had to close the entire boat up and run the air conditioning just to keep the bugs out. It was gross!! A few hours later a sailboat showed up and we were glad to not be entirely alone. As the day turned into night the wind became stronger and strong and the rain came. At one point it was so rainy and blowing so hard we couldn't see the sailboat that was just in front of us. Because I had the experience from Mile Hammock I wasn't worried and watched as the storm blew through.

Cruising up the ICW

Meeting the Tow

Cruising Along ICW

Narrow ICW

Rain and Sun Alligator River

Sunset Alligator River

The next morning true to form we headed out early for our 54 mile cruise north to Coinjock Marina. This would be our final stop in North Carolina. While there is no town at this stop the marina provides a nice respite from a long travel day. They have boats of all sizes stop there on their way north or south. We crossed Albermarle Sound which was a bit choppy and our first taste of open water in quite some time. We had no problem. It was a little choppy but not too bad. We arrived in Coinjock late afternoon and were the first of a long line of boats to tie up for the night. Everyone told us to eat at the restaurant and be sure to reserve your slab of prime rib. They offer up to 32 ounces. Gross! Neither Jeff or I eat that so we were fine to just reserve our time to eat. We took a nice stroll up the road to stretch our legs a bit after not having been off the boat in 72 hours. We walked along tree lined roads with no sidewalks or anything to speak of. We saw a dead snake on the road and walked about 20 minutes to the boat ramp before touring around. It was pretty and nice to stretch the legs. We ate early around 6pm. They gave us a huge funnel of chips to start with and I had a salad and baked potato and Jeff ate fish. The food was good, the restaurant was cute and charming and the service very welcoming and hospitable. A great last stop in North Carolina.

Tidings in Coinjock

Green Swamp in Coinjock

Lawn Boat in Coinjock

Herring Coinjock

Albermarle Sound

Our final stop before entering the Chesapeake while not in North Carolina was Norfolk, Virgina. This was a bizarre stop for us both for several reasons. First, last spring we delivered The Tidings of Joy with Captain Bill from Fort Meyers, Florida to Norfolk Virginia. We cruised right past Atlantic Yacht Basin where the left the Tidings for months before Bill brought her to us in New York. It was familiar and odd to pass by there in our boat. We know it yet we really don't. As we cruised by Jeff reminisced. Next we had to go through a lock before getting into downtown Norfolk. Another lock? I thought we left those long behind when we hit Mobile, Alabama. We were told this lock is no big deal only two feet but just the idea of it after putting that so far behind us. I rigged the goat with fenders and lines as I had done in the past and reviewed the procedures with Jeff as a refresher. It's like completing a test - your learn the information, ace the test then put it way out of your mind. That's how I felt about the locks. We actually locked through with a tow and barge and there were about 6 of us pleasure craft. It was easy and no big deal just something I thought I was long done with. We all eased out of the lock and we made our way to the downtown dock in Norfolk. I don't know if it's because it was a weekend or what be the marina was beyond full. We were completely wedged between two other boats in our slip. So much so that we had to put fenders out all around just to not slam into the boat next to us when docked. I didn't like it and wasn't comfortable. I asked to be move elsewhere but was told this was all they had. Jeff reassured me this would be fine for one night and to just deal with it. Fortunately the marina was right downtown so we hopped off and checked it out. Jeff knew his way around from going to the AGLCA's annual rendezvous in years past. We found a cool bar and had a few drinks before returning to the boat. To our surprise Third Eye Blind a 90's band I grew up with was having a concert right in front of the marina. There was a cost if you watched from land but we had front row seats on the boat for free. We made dinner on the boat and enjoyed a nice free concerts before going to bed to head to the Chesapeake in the morning.