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Please Note That Postings Below From Fellow Cruisers Are Listed in Chronological Order, Based on Publication Date
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On 5/9/13, as part of a North Carolina Wish List, we posed the following question:
Statute Mile 205 to 203 – someone please give us some Morehead City dining recommendations. In particular, has anyone eaten at the Ruddy Duck lately?
Responses follow:
Ruddy Duck’s is completely awesome and eclectic. Worth the stop. The Sanitary has upfitted it’s outside dinning… tables outside and a bar with stools running the entire front of the dock with gas lanterns. Inside… a piano and bar now on the water side. Menu is still about the same, but it’s a great place for fresh fish of the day.
Beth Blake
Managing Editor
Carteret County News-Times
Ruddy Duck is still its wonderful self. We Always stop here. There is a short term dock just west and of course at the restaurant itself. At our mid April 2013 stop they were totally rebuilding the float at the restaurant. In the good old days we spent the night but that is not allowed now.
There is something about the seafood preparation here that creates lightly fried, flavorful shrimp, scallops and fish. I always get the combo platter and have it for two meals.
Gregory Han
We dined there [at the Ruddy Duck] when we stopped at Morehead City Yacht Basin on our way South Fall 2012. Great food, especially the fish tacos and margarita pizza. Drinks were reasonable, especially during happy hour. Would recommend this restaurant in a heartbeat!
Susan & Elden Leaf
s/v Soteria
Floyds 1921, next door to Morehead City Yacht Basin is a high quality restaurant with a very pleasant atmosphere in a renovated old home, offers outstanding food. It is an experience that should not be missed.
Glen and Jill Moore
DeFever 40 Last Dance
Two weeks ago,(April 2013) While Making our way north on the ICW, with high anticipation to stop after a long cold day at Sanitary Fish Restaurant. We made the call, ‘sorry we close at 8pm’ our heart sunk as we made it to the dock at 3 minutes after 8. Well with no other boats on the dock, we called it home for the night.
We walked out to see the surroundings and there it is, The Ruddy Duck, Sweet. We had a great dinner, with great beer and rum. We loved the duck, great wait staff and food.
Early morning with know one in sight we untied the lines and off north again.. Many thanks for a free night at Sanitary Fish that was very highly recommended .
Steve & Laurie
S/V Running Free
Tried Ruddy Duck twice, food, service, all very disappointing. May try one more time since everyone else raves about the place. Did try the Sanitary again for the first time in about 25 years. It has certainly changed. Food was fresh and perfectly prepared, Service, excellent as it has always been. If you haven’t been there in a while, skip the Duck and give the Sanitary a try. Another good place on the waterfront is the Channel Marker. Great food and view.
Klaus Hoog
Oriental, NC
Floyd’s … to the west …within sight and short walk from Morehead City Yacht Basin….Consistently very good… food and service.
Enjoy
Doug Jacoby
Aboard m/v CHANGER
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Morehead City, NC
On 5/9/13, as part of a North Carolina Wish List, we posed the following question:
Statute Mile 201 – who has anchored on Taylor Creek while visiting Beaufort, NC. Did you find enough swing room for your vessel amidst the many craft on mooring balls here? Where did you dinghy ashore? What depths did you discover in this anchorage?
Responses follow:
I moor up Taylor creek east of the city docks. I have to dinghy in anyway so going a quarter mile up the creek always finds a good clear spot where I can anchor mid creek. This is better than trying to squeeze into the space out of the channel in front of the city dock. Holding is good in firm sand.
Gregory Han
Depths were fine, 6-9 ft, as we have a 3 1/2 draft, but finding a space to anchor was almost impossible with all the local mooring balls, local liveaboards and sunken vessels. All were spaced to limit only small vessels. We have a 32 ft. sailboat and barely fit. A fellow cruiser with a 37 ft. sailboat traveling with us was unable to find a safe area to anchor and spent several hours motoring around looking for a spot. Would not recommend this anchorage to anyone. Rather would send them to Morehead City Yacht Basin as Beaufort City docks are too expensive.
Susan & Elden Leaf
s/v Soteria
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Taylor Creek Anchorage
As part of a 5/09/13 North Carolina Wish List, we asked the following question:
Anyone lucky enough to have spent a night or two at Morehead City Yacht Basin, whose entrance runs west, between the high-rise Newport River Bridge and AICW marker #39? Did you find this place to be just as first class as we have always found it to be? Please give us a full description of your experiences here.
Responses follow:
We like this one. It’s modern with good staff. Although not in the middle of the other marinas, there is a high end restaurant a very short walk away and another that delivers good pizza and sandwiches.
The facility has a loaner car ($10/ 2 hours) to take you to any and all supermarkets, West Marine and hardware. We believe the better ones are all on the Morehead City side.
Stephen Deitch
Nightingale
Spent 5/9/13 there. Marina is still first class. Great help from employees. One of half dozen cruisers on transient face dock. Good facilities, kept clean. Floating docks. Easy walk to several good restaurants. Courtesy car for shopping. Most boats in marina are sport fish. The sport fish boat across the dock had two mid-aged guys planning to go out in the morning. They were loud until after midnight and got up at 0500 and were loud again. Started engines at 0500 and didn’t leave until 0600. But before leaving they turned off our shore power which was on the same post as theirs ( we never said a word to them). We’ll stop there again.
s/v Skye
We stayed there on our way south last fall and it was great. The dock hands were courteous and the rates were way less than Beaufort City docks. It was well protected from winds and wakes.They even give a discount on fuel if you stay the night. We will definitely stay there when we head North.
Susan & Elden Leaf
s/v Soteria
This is the first class facility in the area. Far, far above others for miles around. Protected harbor; large, concrete, secure floating docks; knowledgeable, friendly, helpful staff; great fuel prices; huge, beautiful captains’ lounge; commercial washer and dryer; courtesy car ($10); and an attitude to please the customer are among the features that make this marina enjoyable. It is a few pennies more per foot than some other close-by marinas, but the value ratio of price/features is outstanding.
Glen and Jill Moore
DeFever 40 Last Dance
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Morehead City Yacht Basin
Town Creek lies just north of Taylor Creek and the principal Beaufort waterfront. This former body of water hosts at least two anchorages, as well as Town Creek Marina, BUT we must say that “Airport Marina” is a new one for us. If anyone else has patronized this facility, WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. Please use the “Comment” function below or follow the “Click Here to Contribute Cruising News” link, on the above right of this, and all (except Chart View), SSECN pages, and share your impressions of Airport Marina!
We have a Pearson 303, 4.5′ draft, and planned on anchoring in Town Creek, after finding so many unused mooring balls in Taylor creek that it looked like they might tangle our anchor. This was the end of April. We found Airport Marina, right next to Town Creek Marina, a bargain at $10 per night including water and power. Owner loaned us a car to go shopping.
Captn. Rob Loew and mate Sandy
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Town Creek in Beaufort, NC
On 5/9/13, as part of a North Carolina Wish List, we posed the following question:
Statute Mile 188 – anyone anchored on the waters of Cedar Creek, east of AICW marker #8 recently? Please describe your experiences with this anchorage. Was the sunken sailcraft on this edge of this anchorage a problem for you?
Responses follow:
Good easy off – easy on anchorage – sunken sailboat no issue
Gray Riddick
Gray Ghost
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Cedar Creek Anchorage
Beaufort Municipal Docks - Click for Chartview
Queen Anne’s Revenge is 502 Front St. (252-504-7272) and Clauson’s is at 425 Front St. (252-728-2133). Both are within easy walking distance of the Municipal Docks, also on Front St.. The town of Beaufort, NC is known as a real success story along the Waterway and this wonderful port of call remains one of our favorites, anytime, anywhere!
Having dined at both Queen Anne Revenge and Clauson’s in Beaufort have been enjoyable. Clauson’s is a little pricey, but the food and service was very good. Queen Anne’s is a little more laid back. Overlooks the water and has a great selection of wines as well. Either restaurant will provide a pleasant dinner, but Clauson’s offers a more formal dinner selection.
Richard Brannan
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort Municipal Docks
Beaufort Municipal Docks - Click for Chartview
It is certainly good to hear positive comments about this popular stopping point for Waterway cruisers. The town of Beaufort, NC is known as a real success story along the Waterway and this wonderful port of call remains one of our favorites, anytime, anywhere!
Beaufort (on the east) and Morehead City (on the west) straddle the ICW at the Route 70 highway bridge. There is a back channel entrance to Beaufort when approaching from the north, but we do not recommend that route. Instead the best approach is to go out and around Radio Island and to enter the Beaufort harbor from the south.
The Beaufort Docks marina is in the center of the Beaufort downtown tourist area, and is adjacent to a large mooring field. The docks are floating docks with slips and T-heads. The dockhands are capable and will direct you to a dockage that takes into account the direction of the strong tidal currents in the harbor. Fuel is available and stores and restaurants are right next to the docks.
Ray Kurlak
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort Municipal Docks
I have had the good fortune to attend Beaufort’s Wooden Boat Festival in the past, and from personal experience, I KNOW a GOOD time is had by all. If you are cruising anywhere near Beaufort the first weekend in May, don’t dare miss this superb festival!!!
The North Carolina Maritime Museum’s 39th Annual Wooden boat Show & the 6th Annual Beaufort National Boatbuilding Challenge (organized by the North Carolina Boat Building Heritage Foundation). Don’t miss the fun! Free sailboat rides, wooden boat displays, crafts for kids and a boatbuilding competition! For up to date information check out http://www.ncmaritimemuseums.com and http://beaufortchallenge.com/
Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Town Creek Marina
Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Beaufort City Docks
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort, NC
Beaufort Municipal Docks - Click for Chartview
It is certainly good to hear positive comments about this popular stopping point for Waterway cruisers. The town of Beaufort, NC is known as a real success story along the Waterway and this wonderful port of call remains one of our favorites, anytime, anywhere!
Cruising News:
Contrary to some of the negative reviews we’ve seen on the Internet, we had a very pleasant overnight stay at the Beaufort, N.C. Municipal Docks a couple of nights ago. The dock personnel were uniformly friendly, helpful, and competent, and while the dockage rate of $2.30/ft was higher than we’ve seen elsewhere, it was significantly less than we expected on the basis of several online reviews we’d read. The docks are right in the heart of the historic section of Beaufort, and we’d be very happy to stay there again the next time we’re in the area.
Bob Schwerzel
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort Municipal Docks
Beaufort Municipal Docks - Click for Chartview
Personally Yours and Seaside Gifts is located on the Beaufort municipal waterfront at 412 Front Street and their phone is 252-728-6461.
I was in Beaufort NC just this past week from Norway and found a very small & inexpensive provisions store inside a gift store called Personally Yours Sea Side Gifts They had milk, eggs and fresh fruit along with a few other provisions items. They are right on the water across from the dock house. The Taylor Creek deli was closed at 7:00 pm and that was a bit upsetting. This shop was open and was very pleasant and what they did not have they got for us to our boat by the following morning at 5:00 am before we pulled to head up to Main. Very nice and personal. 4 stars, if they don’t have they will try to get it. Give them a try we will come back again and service there store Thank You for being on the water and delivering to our boat.
Angie from Norway
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort Waterfront
Beaufort Municipal Docks - Click for Chartview
These are not the first comments of unhappiness with prices at the Beaufort Municipal Docks we have had expressed here. Price can easily be blamed on the economy, but attitude and service should never be compromised. Despite such dockage problems, the town of Beaufort, NC is still known as a real success story along the Waterway, and this wonderful port of call remains one of our favorites, anytime, anywhere!
Used to like going in here. As others have stated prices are high and most of staff has an attitude. I believe they are city employees with no concept of customer service. Would recommend city hire a contractor to operate facility. Similar to what Fernandina Marina did with great results.
Morehead Yacht basin is much better and only $6 taxi ride if you want to eat in Beaufort.
Jim Smith
I used to stop at this dock every time north and south until about 7 years ago we got into a dispute because their fuel price was so much higher than Jarrett Bay. His comment was that maybe I should just stay at Jarrett Bay. Have not been back since.
James R. Bricker
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort Municipal Docks
Morehead City Railroad Bridge crosses the Waterway at Statute Mile 204, immediately south of the Newport River Bridge. As the closure period, described below in this article cherry picked from the latest Local Notice to Mariner’s indicates, most AICW mariners will not be inconvenienced by the strictly nighttime closure of this low level span.
However, should you planning to navigate the Waterway through the Beaufort – Morehead City area after 8:30 pm and before 5:00 am. then it will be necessary to use the far more complicated Russell Slue to Gallant Channel, to Taylor Creek, to Beaufort Inlet route.
NC – ATLANTIC INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY (AIWW)
Mariners are advised that effective October 17, 2012 through October 1, 2013; the Coast Guard is temporarily changing the operating schedule that governs the Carolina Coastal Railroad Bridge across Newport River, at AIWW mile 203.8, in Morehead City, NC. To facilitate needed repairs, the drawbridge shall operate as follows: (1) During the day, from 5 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., the draw shall be maintained in the open position to vessels and would only be closed for the passage of trains and to perform periodic maintenance; and (2) At night, the draw need not open from 8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m., except an opening would be provided at 12 a.m. (midnight) if advance notice is given before 4 p.m. on the afternoon before the requested opening by calling (954) 658-4661 or via marine radio channels 13 or 16 VHF-FM. Mariners should use extreme caution when transiting the area. Chart 11541
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Morehead City Railroad Bridge
Cape Lookout Bight is a wonderful, natural harbor formed by Cape Lookout’s curve of land. This superb anchorage, one of the most popular in North Carolina, is best accessed via the Beaufort Inlet, rather than through Back Sound.
Oct 5 Anchored at Lookout Point [Cape Lookout Bight], great anchorage very calm and clean water, well worth the short trip.
Doug Cordello
Click Here To Read Earlier Comments For Cape Lookout Bight
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Cape Lookout Bight
Back Creek - Click for Chartview
Back Creek, off Adams Creek just south of Cedar Creek, is not an anchorage listed in our North Carolina Anchorage Directory, principally because for the last 30+ years, I’ve hit 3 feet of water every time we try and enter. There seems to be a bar of UNCHARTED shoals between the AICW channel and the creek’s westerly mouth. All this IN SPITE OF the inviting depths shown on chart 11541!
However, with Captain Davis’ 2.5 foot shoal draft (see below), he just might be able to safely cross the above described bar, and enter Back Creek. No guarantees though!
Hope he shares his experience on these waters with the rest of us!
Will be on Adams Creek evening of 9/30/12 and plan on anchoring in Cedar Creek. Just south of Cedar Creek is Back Creek with charted min depth of 5 feet. I only draw 2.5 feet. Anyone have any experience with Back Creek?
Jay Davis
These are my home waters. So long there is not a strong wind from the west or sw, you will not have any problem. Enjoy the serenity.
Sam Scudder
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Cedar Creek Anchorage
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Back Creek
Town Creek is east of the south end of Gallants Channel in Beaufort, NC, east of unlighted daybeacon #1.
We anchored here in the Summer of 2012. Good hold and swinging room, about 7 feet deep that I remember. Nothing spectacular because there’s town and other activity in the vicinity. Don’t go too far to the southern side of Town Creek, it’s awfully shallow. We wandered too far that way coming in at night and found bottom but were able to get off of it reasonably easily. Mostly black pudding mud on the bottom all around.
Ben Matthews
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Town Creek Anchorage
Jonaquin Creek is just east of the anchorage symbol shown in our chartview of Cedar Creek below and has been successfully used by several of our readers.
We tried Jonaquin Creek early in the summer 2012, after reading Chuck and Susan’s post here. It is a very narrow opening at the back left of Cedar Creek. Very nice anchorage, peaceful, about 5-6 foot of water. We came in very slow 2-3 knots with eyes glued to the depth finder at the entrance, checking for mud swirls behind the boat. We draw 3-1/2 feet in our trawler, and had no issues. Not much swinging room, but very calm and rustic. Black pudding bottom, outstanding wind protection.
Ben Matthews
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Cedar Creek Anchorage
Shackleford Banks Anchorage lies three miles southeast from statute mile 206 of the Waterway in Morehead City, NC and Capt. Matthews’ recommended anchorage is 4.8 miles southeast from the Waterway.
We have anchored here for years. HOWEVER. There is a better spot. On this spot the currents can be too strong to want to swim in, even though the water is pretty clear. I have had my anchor drag in the sand before.
The BETTER SPOT is at 34’40.58N by 076’36.58W. about a mile East of this anchorage. It is marked by buoys to enter. The chart snippet in this listing is NOT accurate, it is dated. You must go back to a point around 34’41.53N by 76’38.90W. The main chart in Cruisers Net shows this correctly. Anyway, in this other anchorage there is less current, less day-partyers, and a good bit of rustic shoreline. The main attraction though is the reduced current in that area. Much better for holding and better swinging room.
Ben Matthews
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Shackleford Banks Anchorage
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Recommended Anchorage
Frank Erwin, author of the message below, is a good friend and an MTOA Board of Directors member. The Blackbeard and Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit which is the subject of his text below is now housed in the main North Carolina Mariner’s Museum building, located on Front Street in Beaufort. It’s an easy step from the Beaufort Municipal Docks or either of the Taylor Creek dinghy docks to the Museum’s doorstep.
Beaufort has the NC Maritime Museum which has an exhibit of Blackbeard’s Queen Ann Revenge (found in the local Beaufort, NC inlet) http://www.ncmaritime.org/main/events.htm.
This exhibit highlights artifacts recovered from the shipwreck believed to be the former flagship of Blackbeard the pirate, the Queen Anne’s Revenge. A shipwreck salvage company, called Intersal, Inc., discovered the shipwreck in 1996 and gave the rights of excavation to the State of North Carolina. Artifacts are recovered from 25 feet of water by state underwater archaeologists with the aid of the museum, non-profit private companies, and educational institutions. After the artifacts are conserved by archaeologists, the NC Maritime Museum will house the conserved artifacts and prepare them for exhibit. A visit to Blackbeard and the QAR Project will provide more information.
Thanks so much for sharing this information with cruisers! We officially opened the “Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge 1718″ exhibit in June 2011 in the Museum (located on Front Street along Taylors Creek.) Previously, some of the artifacts were kept at the Museum’s annex site in preparation for the exhibit. But, now, they are on public display in downtown Beaufort.
Please visit our website, http://www.ncmaritimemuseums.com for details.
North Carolina Maritime Museums
Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Town Creek Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort, NC
"Blue Run Springs Park Manatees – St. Johns River"
by: Glen and Jill Moore
