Oh what a relief it is!
The last post we were doing
great, left Georgetown with a new battery bank, arrived in North Myrtle Beach
with no problems.
We live in a Boat.
Sunday was a bright sunny day we
left the landing in perfect timing for the swing bridge-- off and running. We
actually did 61.3 nautical miles (A statute mile is 5,280 feet in length.
A
nautical mile is 6,076.11549... feet in length.) All was well in the
world.
Monday---- the evil genie descended. This portion
of the ICW is marsh grass, homes, dozens of little inlets creating shoals in
the ICW. I will do a little complaining, the ICW does not
appear to be well maintained in North Carolina. Channel markers are missing, but more to the detriment
of boaters the channel is not dredged. We came to a place where there was less
than 50’ between us and a dock or less than 4’ of water, and getting through
this portion is shallow. We bumped but managed to free ourselves. Then there was a crazy zig-zag with a crucial
marker missing. We had frazzled nerves but got through arriving at the Onslow Bridge.
It would not open-- stopped because live fire exercises
going on between Navy Warships and Camp Lejune- water way was closed until 5 pm or later, maybe. We arrived at this point at 2:45. They
finally opened the bridge but we still could go no farther than the patrol
boats. You can actually here the BOOM when they fire. I will tell you if there was a huge splash that would have been the end of my nerves. We were given the go ahead and motored well
past the range, dropped anchor just a tad off the ICW … it was a fretful night
for both of us, fishing boats going by at full speed and a change in tide set
off the anchor alarm and you do have to check it out every time.
Dawn came with gray skies, thank heaven no rain.
We listen to the new announcements of live fire exercises with a grateful smile
that we were well past that mess. I think on our return trip we will skip this
part of the ICW and go outside. I think braving the Atlantic would be less
nerve wracking.
We arrived at 4 pm at one of our favorite marinas
River Dunes, outside of Oriental NC. They have a car available, with Cool Hand
secured to the dock, we went out to dinner and did some much needed grocery
shopping.
Tomorrow we are off again… still 180 miles to go
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| Bridge at Wrightsville |
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| It is amazing to see these large Herons perched in a tree |
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| dredging of a channel to the ocean... not the ICW |
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| this is for Jennie and Meggie |
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| I love the blue on this house... it just pops on this sunny day |
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I remember this house from 2012 -- they have kept it us and
added some new paintings of birds and fish |
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| all stop at the Onslow bridge |
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this Heron was perched in the pine tree I used as a visual
marker all night to check that we were not drifting |
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| sunset after a hectic day |
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| Navy patrol boats keeping the waterway closed |
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| Broad Creek entrance almost to River Dunes |
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| Neuse River |
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| Navy war ship --- |
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| feeding time |
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