Day 343 - 347 May 29 - June 2 , 2023

 Day 343 Monday, May 29, 2023

Morningstar Marina Southport NC MM309 to Wrightsville, NC MM284

Gratefully today was a short travel day, only 3.5 hours.  It continued grey and cloudy but not windy.  Jerry backed us out of our slip and the marina.  I took over when he started to fade.  We passed "Old Baldy" Lighthouse and the Coast Guard as well as ferries traveling to Fisher's Island.

 

The Army's Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point is the largest ammunitions port in the U.S.

 

 Security boat at the port

We left the Cape Fear River and on to Snow's Cut.  At Carolina Beach Inlet we could see that the Atlantic Ocean was rough.  We were fine. 

 Shrimp boat 

 Fishing on the banks enjoying Memorial Day weekend.

In Wrightsville Beach we docked at the Bridge Tender Marina.  As the name suggests we were right before the bridge, an easy side tie, especially since we were subject to the busy boat traffic passing by.  We would just be 1 night; traffic will quiet down at dark.  

 Our view of the lift bridge from Bridge Tender Marina.

  

Our visitor next door.   

Normally when we stop for the day I collect the engine hours.   We are definitely experiencing battery issues --  the display would not come on for the starboard engine.  Oh, as long as the engine starts tomorrow ...

 Jerry resting.

Day 344 Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Bridge Tender Marina Wrightsville Beach, NC MM309 to Swansboro, NC MM229

The Wrightsville Bridge opens on the hour starting at 7am.  We made the 7am opening and were the only boat.  The morning was calm and sunny.  Once through the bridge I took over at the helm; Jerry was still not feeling well. 

   

We passed lots of estuaries and nesting Osprey.  We reached the Figure Eight Swing Bridge at 8:40.  It has a 20 foot air draft so we didn't need it opened but the bridge tender did open it early for a waiting sail boat.  We got to see 2 dolphins in the Topsail area, the first we had seen in a while.

 

We waited 15 minutes at Onslow Beach Bridge where Jerry took over driving while we maneuvered in the current.  Once through the bridge I drove again; I drove 6 hours and 45 minutes!

  Crab pots on land.

Camp LeJeune firing range was next.  Danger signs warn not to go on shore due to unexploded munitions!

  Target

At Casper Marina we did a crash landing -- dock hands were less than helpful.  We managed to break a fender strap fighting the current.

Day 345 Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Swansboro, NC to Beaufort, NC MM204

Another grey, gloomy day but at least it is a short travel day.  We left at 8:45am anticipating some shallow areas and hoping to take advantage of the tides.  You may remember that we have already been in a Beaufort, in South Carolina -- pronounced Bew-fort.  North Carolina's Beaufort is pronounced Bo-fort.  It took me a while to get it straight.

 We met a car ferry being delivered.

In Beaufort Harbor there is lots of recreational and commercial traffic as well as a busy Coast Guard station.  We saw a freighter with wind mill blades.

 Coast Guard Station

Coast Guard Cutter

 

Can you see the windmill blades?

Our marina is Beaufort Docks, right in the center of town, especially close to homemade ice cream at Beaufort Creamery.  We had a Black Crowned Heron as our neighbor at our slip.  

 Lots of BIG boats in the marina.

 

Day 346 Thursday, June 1, 2023

Today we ventured to the North Carolina Maritime Museum.  What a great stop! 

 

 Life boat

 

The museum was full of artifacts recovered from the Queen Anne's Revenge, Black Beard the Pirate's boat.

 Whale skeleton

 Dock neighbors.

Jerry still not 100% but we did try dinner at Clawson's.  

 

Ice cream at Beaufort Creamery for dessert of course.  Jerry had vanilla (boring) while I had a scoop of coffee and one of peanut butter reeses.  Yummy,

 Beautiful sunset.

Day 347 Friday, June 2, 2023

A double decker bus tour of Beaufort highlighted the history and character of the town.  We saw many of the homes and points of interest.

 

 

Old Burying Grounds contains graves from the 1700's including one of a child who died at sea.  Her father promised to return with her after a visit to Europe to see relatives.  To keep his promise to his wife and avoid a burial at sea he purchased a barrel of rum and placed his daughter's body in it to preserve it for the trip.   Locals bring trinkets and toys to her grave.

  

Wild horses on the Rachel Carson Reserve on Carrot Island, right across from the marina. Some stories say the horses were from a ship that wrecked.

Dinner on the boat capped off with ice cream (again) and another beautiful sunset.  What more can a girl ask for?

Tomorrow we head to Belhaven, North Carolina MM136