Carolina Beach to Mile Hammock Bay, NC.

Today:    52 miles, 8.6 hours, ICW

Total:     2387.4 miles, 372.8 hours

Yes! it is a pink-hulled fishing boat!

     We were underway around 8 am, but we still have problems with the tablet turning off periodically.  We will have to investigate more once we are stationary in River Dunes. 

     I am constantly bewildered by the boaters traveling this section of the ICW (between Carolina Beach and Morehead City).  It seems the closer we are to the ocean, the more small boats are on the waterway.  The amount is not the problem; it is the fact that they are sometimes in their own world, talking or fishing, and are unaware of other boats in the ICW.  More annoying: They love to pass us with in 10 feet or so at fast speeds!  
     Today’s passing experience was the most surreal. . . We were traveling in a narrow area of the ICW. A south bound, 45-foot power boat was approaching at a slow speed.  We suddenly heard a double tap on a horn.  It was a 35-foot power boat coming north, at ¾ speed, and “threading the needle” between us and the south-bound boat. He wouldn’t answer his radio, he didn’t back down and he wouldn’t look at either boat as he passed.  There might have been 8 feet between the boats as he passed! Be aware of a blue-hulled, tan canvased motor boat called CAROLINA GIRL.

Unusual home in Wrightsville Beach

SUP boarders leaving "Brunelle's" Island ~
The one where they went aground and
lost their rudder in 2009

Wrightsville Inlet

Paul and SV CHECKERED PAST

A Skidoo with a custom windshield,
Bimini and cooler for fishing

Home is definitely pink and
currently empty

Colorful crab pot and floats

 

New Surf City Bridge
under construction

     There was also a 60-65 foot power cruiser. He didn’t call to say he was overtaking us.  When another sail boat commented on the radio, the captain of the motor boat said that he has been doing this for 4 years and it was the sailboat’s responsibility to check behind him!

   Thankfully, the rest of the trip was uneventful.  We had to wait for the 3 bridge openings, but we tried to pace the boat so that the wait was minimal.  SV CHECKERED PAST was one of the boats we traveled with for a good part of the day.

     In Mile Hammock, we spoke with the owners of SV OSPREY, a 2003 Catalina 350, hull # 59.  They purchased it 2 years ago and have made the trip to the Bahamas, but needed to return home to work until a recent retirement.  They are taking her back to Norfolk and are looking forward to exploring the upper Chesapeake Bay. Perhaps we will see them during their explorations. 

Sunset at Mile Hammock Bay

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~ K & P