Rivers, swamps, bombs and bears, oh my!

We have spent the last two nights at North Carolina anchorages, deep in the swamp, with no cell coverage.  I did not anticipate North Carolina having so much rural area along the ICW.  We have seen beautiful cypress swamps as well as brackish to salt marshes, with duck blinds, crab traps, and commercial fisherman.  Just like home!  We have seen a black bear swimming across the ICW, Pileated Woodpeckers galore, feral hogs, deer, warblers, cardinals, wrens, finches, and skimmers.  A veritable birder’s paradise.  Along the way we have passed North Carolina towns and cities such as Beaufort, Oriental and Belhaven.  Tonight we stop at Coinjock, our last North Carolina stop before Virginia.  Coinjock is a popular spot to lay over before taking the final leg of the AICW into Norfolk.  It is also noted for its steakhouse.  We will let you know!

We have traversed many rivers such as the New, Neuse, Pungo, Alligator, and Albemarle Sound.  The ICW here is a series of small channels connecting natural rivers and sounds.  It has been a relaxing part of the ICW, without the traffic and bustle of more urban stretches.  All that will change soon as we approach Norfolk, one of the busiest ports in the nation, with a huge naval presence.  Like home, we must monitor VHF channel 13 and stay out of the way of the commercial traffic.  We will also have a lock to deal with at Norfolk, and recreational traffic has the lowest priority, like the New Orleans locks.  Our AIS system comes in handy with the commercial traffic, as we can obtain the names of the tows/ships, and contact them on 13 for navigation instructions.  It also enables the captains to identify us and often they will call us by boat name, and tell us what side to pass on, etc.  On the whole, commercial captains have been very helpful, as long as you obey the rules of the road, and contact them for info.  Every now and then a big sport fisherman will blindly wake tows, and charge through the area at full speed, and all recreational boaters are tainted.  You should hear the VHF traffic when that happens!  Both Alexis and I have taken the Florida and Louisiana on line boating courses (even though because of our age, we are exempted from doing so), and are very familiar with the rules of the road.  Anybody contemplating this trip should also do that, and read Chapman’s book on seamanship at a minimum.

 

In a few days we see our grandkids (and their parents) and are very excited.  Stay tuned!

The AICW runs through Camp Lejeune, the USMC base.  Because of live fire exercises, the waterway was shut down for about an hour.

These guys made sure even the big sportfisher boats stopped!

Note the osprey taking in the bombings.  We could hear and feel the artillery shells exploding.  

Blowed up sir!

Beaufort, NC.

Ready for a night on the town in Beaufort.

Oriental, NC.

Fog on the Alligator River.  

We were buzzed by several of these.  Do any of you pilots out there know this jet?

We saw lots of duck blinds, but this one by the houses was interesting.  

Bald Head Island, and the trek continues.

Bald Head Island is on the north side of the Cape Fear River at the Atlantic entrance.  The island has been developed as a beach resort, with two clubs, private homes and a marina.  It is only accessible by boat, and has strict building regulations.  There are beach homes, marina homes, and homes in the interior of the island.  There are several restaurants, a hardware and grocery store.  No cars are allowed, and golf carts (no gas ones) are the only mode of transportation.  There are rental units, and it is a great vacation destination.  Contrary to my last post, Bald Head did play a role in the Revolutionary War and Civil War.  The ladies from the Baldhead Historical Society demanded that I correct my blog (they monitor such things) so I will in some pics below.

Tomorrow we resume our trek north, and will meet Claiborne and family in the Portsmouth/Norfolk area next week.  We will pass by Swansboro and Beaufort (Bow-fort), North Carolina on our way there.  Also the AICW runs directly through Camp Lejeune, the Marine Corps base.  There are warning lights at the entrance when live fire exercises are taking place and the AICW temporarily shuts down.  If the weather is good we will run in the Atlantic from Masonboro Inlet to Beaufort to avoid being trapped, as we don’t want to get shot!  We cannot leave from the Cape Fear River Inlet, as Frying Pan Shoals extend for about 20 miles into the Atlantic, and we would have to go around them.  So our “outside” route is Cape Fear River to Masonboro Inlet via the AICW, then into the Atlantic for a 60 mile run to Beaufort.  Inside is a longer and slower route through Surf City, Swansboro, Camp Lejeune and then Beaufort, NC.  From Beaufort we then head to Oriental, NC and have to decide whether to take the Dismal Swamp route, or the AICW through Coinjock, NC.  That will be the subject of another blog! 

Baldhead Marina.

Houses by the marina.  They look big enough even for Dickie!

The ferry or private boat is the only way to get to the island.  

Civil War History.

There are many beach access points, and the island is well planed and landscaped.  

A beach house, also Dickie worthy!

There are also houses off the inland roads, many of which abut the golf course.  

Old Baldy lighthouse.  The girl selling the tour tickets lived in Lafayette, LA.  

American Revolution history. 

Climbing up Old Baldy.

View of the marina from Old Baldy.

The weather has been superb, and we dine on the bridge.  

Sunsets are a big deal here also, and our fellow boaters gather for the big event.  

Fear! Cape Fear, North Carolina that is.

We have traversed the South Carolina coast, and are now on the Cape Fear River, North Carolina.  From Charleston, we stayed at Georgetown and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  We were at anchor two nights (saving $$ on marina fees).  I had a new 2500w/100amp inverter/charger with two new AGM 8D batteries installed at Jacksonville, which has greatly increased the time at anchor whilst not running the genset. 

The South Carolina ICW goes through a cypress swamp, and one night was just like being in the 70 Mile Canal back home.  Turtles, bull frogs, woodpeckers, and birds galore. 

We are at the Bald Head Marina on Cape Fear for the Memorial Day weekend, as we don’t want to be travelling in all the traffic.  Memorial Day is the beginning of the season here, and boats are everywhere.  It is much less hectic travelling on the weekdays and sitting tight on the weekends.  Bald Head Island is a beach resort only accessible by water, so golf carts are the mode of transportation, a la Bahamas!  Absolutely nothing of historic significance happened here, so we are enjoying the beach! When we arrived at the Bald Head Marina, our A/Cs would not work.  After some investigation, I discovered the seacock was plugged.  Overboard I went, and pulled a plastic bag out of the grate.  All is well now, but it is toddy time!  

My hat is off to all veterans, such as my Dad, as I would not be blogging away without their sacrifice.  Happy Memorial Day! 

We anchored next to this steel mill in Georgetown, SC.  It was a noisy night.

Georgetown had a really nice public dock (below), but no overnight docking.  Note the very specific fine amount. 

Yet more history.

Georgetown has a great bakery/wine store.  I stocked up on wine, and a red velvet cake is in the bag!

The South Carolina lowlands look a lot like home.  We anchored in this oxbow and it was just like being at the 70 Mile!  

Cypress trees.  

This marina was tucked back in the swamp.

Cape Fear.  We have now entered our seventh state since leaving Louisiana.  

Charleston!

We spent the last four nights at the St Johns Marina just outside Charleston, SC.  My cousin Gayle and her husband Scott were our hosts and tour guides for our stay.  They live on Folly Island, not far from the marina and treated us like royalty.  We explored the Folly Island community, Charleston, Patriot Point, and Ft Sumter while there and had a grand time.  Charleston has been one of our best stops so far, so full of history and charm.  We had the added bonus of having Gayle’s daughter, Tyler, join us for a visit on the boat with her husband, Michael, and their three kids.   It was a reminder that Claiborne, Addie, Luke and Jude will soon join us for a week in the Portsmouth/Norfolk area and it is good to have children on the boat again!

The Duvals and Fosters on the tour bus.

Charleston is on two rivers, the Ashley and Cooper.  This is the Cooper.  

Gayle and Scot's son in law's (an architect) firm did work on this building.  

Four corners in downtown Charleston.  Each corner is occupied by a building of law.  Federal, state, and local government buildings and a church.  

The Hunley is a confederate sub that was the first attack sub to sink a ship.  Unfortunately it also sank in the process with all hands lost.  The sub was found by divers in the 1990s, raised and is now on exhibit in North Charleston.  This is the exhibit hall with the prototype.  The original is in a tank of water being restored.  

The sub was designed in part by a New Orleans lawyer named Hunley, who was killed when the sub sank on a sea trial. 

The commanding officer of the Hunley carried a coin that had diverted a shot and saved his life during the battle of Shiloh.  He also had several pieces of jewelry  The coin, jewelry and his remains were aboard the sub.  

The sub was hand powered.  The girls are in the cranking positions.  

The Fosters wine and dined us!

USS Yorktown.  This carrier was built during WWII after the original sank during the battle of Midway.  

Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began.  The fort was taken by the Charleston Militia, and stayed in the Rebels' hands until the end of the war.  The Union Navy was unable to re-take the fort, and was repulsed.  However, toward the end of the war, Union forces took the adjacent island, and reduced the fort to rubble with artillery fire

Note the before and after pictures.

As we left Charleston this cutter (with guns showing) approached us, but let us go by unchallenged.  

Gayle and Alexis. 

Gayle and Scott's grand kids!