Caspers Marina has the considerable advantage of sitting within easy walking distance of the downtown Swansboro historic and business district, with its may shopping and dining attractions. Don’t dare miss the fried seafood at Captain Charleys, and the breakfast at Yana’s Cafe!

Stayed at Caspers Marina on 3/15 while relocating my Hunter 30 up to New Bern. The people at the Marina were extremely helpful and nice. Shortly after the marina store closed I realized that my beer supply was low. I got directions from Mrs.Casper to the local Pig and started the 1/2 mile walk. Shortly after I made it up the hill the bottom fell out of the sky. She looped around and gave me a ride to the store and back to the boat. I’ll be sure to stop by here the next trip down the ICW.
Mark

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Caspers Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Caspers Marina

From time to time, the US Marines at Came Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC, conduct live fire artillery exercises over the AICW between Swansboro and New River. During these periods, the AICW is closed to all pleasure craft and commercial traffic. Picket boats at both ends of the exclusion zone warn skippers to turn around.
During the spring and fall migration season, these closures can place havoc with your cruising schedule. Now, thanks to Captain Fran, you can call the number below and discover whether any AICW closures are in the works, long before you actually arrive in these waters.

Just found a number to call for Camp LeJeune firing schedule ‘¦ 910-451-3065
Captain Fran Wolfe

Click Here To View An Earlier Posting on Camp LeJeune Firing Range

“Ducks” sounds like it’s well worth a look and taste, but, speaking strictly for yours truly, I can never get past the MARVELOUS fried seafood at Captain Charleys Seafood Paradise whenever our bow pokes its way into Swansboro waters.

My son helped open a nice place to eat, “Ducks”, right on water front near Caspers Marina [in Swansboro, NC], and [the] city dingy dock. It has a tiki bar with dining tables, and umbrellas on the T pier, and two courtesy slips for diners. The restaurant is on the second floor of the building. Just thought a mention for AICW boaters passing in this area.
Regards,
Mike Williams,
P26, “Chardonnay”,
home port Wilmington

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Caspers Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Swansboro, NC

Captain Charleys Seafood Paradise (no kidding, that’s this establishment’s full name) has been our choice for the best fried seafood and crab casserole anytime, anywhere, since 1976. And now, Skipper Fowler tells us they’ve added delectable home-made desserts. Be still my beating heart!
Do be careful when you anchor at the foot of White Oak River off the Swansboro waterfront. The tidal currents in this anchorage are fierce!

Hello Claiborne:
We took your advice and anchored off the Swansboro waterfront, then dinghied into the handy city dock and treked the two blocks to Captain Charleys. The crab casserole and fried shrimp were just as good as you described them in the North Carolina guide. Then, we got a real surprise when we learned that the manger, “Linda” is now making home made desserts for the restaurant. We both had a piece of “cookie dough pie,” which was to die for. We groaned our way back to the boat, bursting at the seams, but very satisfied.
Skipper Fowler

Captain Matthews describes the bottom at Mile Hammock Bay by graciously sharing his chagrin at being aground there. Thank you Captain Matthews! We’re all glad you were able to push your trawler to deeper water.

Anchored in Mile Hammock Bay on 19-Jul-2010. Wanted to make an early start and pulled anchor in a SE wind, blowing us NW and aground. We were NW of the last marker in. Got to do the Onslow County Dance on the floor of Mile Hammock Bay, pushing and cajoling our trawler in waist-deep-water, in the right direction until climbing back aboard, starting engine, and moving off. Marines took their hovercraft out the night before, so we were entertained by that and some V-22 Ospreys doing maneuvers before anchoring. Floor of MHB, dark mud, shells, pretty hard. Still cleaning the mud from my tennis shoes.
B B Matthews

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Mile Hammock Bay Anchorage

I can tell you from personal experience that Swansboro does offer a nice town dinghy dock, and that this is a welcoming community for cruisers. The posting below has been copied from the AGLCA list, and was apparently in response to some other cruisers who had problems coming ashore from the nearby anchorage.
Do watch out for the very strong tidal currents which regularly scour the anchorage adjacent to the town waterfront, on the foot of White Oak River. These waters can BOIL!
Once you are ashore, don’t dare miss a stop at Captain Charley’s Seafood Paradise, unless, of course, you dislike fried seafood in all its forms.

My wife and I are harbor hosts for Swansboro, NC (the friendly city by the sea) and was disappointed to hear of difficulty in coming ashore. There is a dinghy dock at the end of west Main street which is free and was built for transient vessels. The dock was built low to the water for easy access. There is also a trash bin available. There is no sign from the water and I will mention that to the Mayor who is very supportive of transient boaters. I am also on the town Planning and Zoning board and can tell you that Swansboro is in the process of making it’s waterfront even more desirable and user friendly to transient vessels.
Tom and Melesia

My wife and I owned a small place up the White Oak river located at Swansboro several years back. It is still a special place and holds fond memories for us. The downtown area has several shops that cater to tourist crowd. Check out the little jewelry store in the basement across from Yana’s. The restaurants are a definite must stop. Yana’s is a 1950’s burger joint with lots of 50’s memorabelia on the walls. During the summer stop by , put your name on the list and check out the shops. Ask about the water bag hanging over the door. Down the street is the ice house, good bar and the scallops are great. Up the hill is a restaurant called Riverside.This is a 4 or 5 star meal at a 3 star price ($20- 40) per person. Try the softshell crabs here. Dudleys is an older marina that tries to take care of boaters. Good fuel prices and a selection of marine parts and hardware. They also have a staff of mechanics that can help with most repairs.
Now the dock. The dock often has fishermen on the upper section and the dinghy dock is located on the left side running in and out from the bank. The tall dock to the left about a hundred yards appears to have been taken over by a restaurant. This dock would be accessible to a larger boat. There is a sign on it with a phone number, call them for details.
When my wife and I finish our cruising we have talked about selling the boat and buying a place up the White Oak river again. Please spend some time here and enjoy a small harbor town.
David and Dixie Frazier On “Kids Again”

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For The Swansboro/White Oak River Anchorage

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Caspers Marine Servcie (in Swansboro)

An anchorage noted for poor holding did not bother Captain Litchfield and ten other boats recently in what is certainly not the largest anchorage on the AICW, but it might well have the most unusual name.

When we got to Mile Hammock Bay, there were already 5 boats anchored. We found a spot just inside the basin entrance and dropped the hook. Later four more boats joined the anchorage making a total of ten boats (make that eleven counting the permanent resident). Considering the high wind situation (20 and gusting) we all needed maximum swing room. The wind stayed strong until sometime after 0130. Despite other’s remarks on holding, our Rocna held firm with only 5:1 all chain scope.
Captain Dick Litchfield

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Mile Hammock Bay

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Mile Hammock Bay

Miles Hammock Bay is really the ONLY secure anchorage between Swansboro and New River. Its entrance is subject to shoaling, and don’t dare go ashore. This is US Marine Corps property, and part of Camp Lejeune.

Spent a very calm night here on 21 Feb 2010. We were the only boat in the anchorage as would be expected this time of the year. Leaving the next morning we found two dredges at the New River Inlet. We did bump going past them but after calling the lead dredge, we found the right path and never saw less than 10 feet.
Larry Morrow

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Mile Hammock Bay Anchorage

Caspers Marine is the closest facility offering transient dockage to the Swansboro downtown historic/shopping/dining district. And, it’s only a quick walk from Caspers to Captain Charleys Seafood Paradise, home to possibly the best fried seafood in the world!

We have stayed at Caspers a number of times on both our Endeavour 42 Sloop and our current Eagle 40 Pilothouse, and we cannot say enough about the marina and the town. Admittedly the marina is a bit exposed, but the docks and skill of the owner have always made us feel safe and secure. We were `stuck’ at Caspers with our sailing club for two days of gale force winds, gusting to 60, and everyone had a great time and never felt threatened. The owner is a real professional!
Capt Durl and Debbie aboard
m/v Season Ticket

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Caspers Marine

One of the best things about docking at Dudleys, is you can easily walk across the bridges and causeway to downtown Swansboro, and eat at Captain Charleys Seafood Paradise. They have the best fried seafood we’ve ever had anytime, anywhere! (do NOT go to Charleys and order broiled seafood).

We stayed at Dudley’s Marina for three days just after January 1, 2010. It was so cold that we had to cover the engine room vents to keep it from freezing, even with heat on. Dudley’s is a great place, and we should all support them for helping us keep the cost of cruising down. We were there simply because it was too cold to move. The cost was minimal, because of the $.75 per foot rate. A car is available for the short run to Swansboro and necessary grocery stores and even a Lowes. We look forward to returning in the spring.
Norman Mason

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Dudleys Marina

Anchoring at the southern foot of White Oak River, abeam of the Swansboro downtown waterfront, has long been a popular thing to do. The presence of a town dinghy dock makes this an even more attractive proposition.
HOWEVER Captain Nichole is right on target in her posting below when she speaks of “strong” tidal currents which scour this anchorage. We, too, have had trouble when the current shifts. Clearly, extra care is called for when anchoring on these waters.

We anchored here last night and had a really hard time. We had dinner on a fellow cruisers boat and came back out to find our boat had dragged over 100 feet. We have a fishermen’s anchor that is rated for 60 foot boat (we have a 28 foot sailboat) and it was good and set when we left. When the current shifted the chain, the boat sailed around the anchor, fouled it and caused us to drift. (which has never happened to us before.) We grounded briefly which saved our boat from hitting any other boats but it was a tricky proposition to move the boat back to a good spot in that current, we set out a second anchor and spent most of the night checking it on the half hour to make sure we were staying in one spot. The current is swift and some of the holding ground is not great especially when the current switches, when we pulled up anchor today to go to Dudley’s Marina to sit out a blow(75 cents a foot by the way, worth it to not have to deal with an anchoring nightmare) our anchor had fouled again. Use heavy anchors if you are going to anchor here and try to be near your boat when the tide switches because it is a very challenging location.
Nicole

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For The Swansboro/White Oak River Anchorage

Mile Hammock Bay Anchorage is the only good spot to drop the hook between Swansboro and Wrightsville Beach. As Captain Bill notes below, we are guest of the US Marine Corps here, so all cruisers should act accordingly.

There is one spot where getting an anchor to set can be more difficult. Directly in front and close to the large ramp can sometimes be a difficult spot, at least with CQR. Have had similar problem there twice now, and since it was sparsely populated, spent a couple of hours playing with scope, backing down/not back down, etc before giving up and moving further to the east(?) and edge of the charted white area resulted in good holding. One of only 2 spots that Kittiwake has had trouble more than once. While anchored the marines did some underwater navigation, and it was enjoyable to watch – Kittiwake was an obstacle. Remember, it’s the marine corps water (just like the bridge), and they’re usually nice enough to let us use it.
Bill,
s/v Kittiwake

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For

Boy, the incident Captain Arnold describes below would have put my heart in my throat, at least until the “wave” came.

A curious event – Early in the morning just by the Atlantic Bridge I saw what appeared to be a body floating in the water. I headed towards it and it suddenly waved at me! Turned out to be a Coastguard rescue practice and the gentleman concerned quite safe.
Arnold

The Camp Lejeune section of the Waterway, south of Swansboro, is always subject to closing when the US Marine Corps is conducting live fire exercises. Notices of such events can usually be found posted at marinas to the north and south, and on the local Notice to Mariners. Give Captain Paul at Swan Point Marina (St. M. 247, (910) 327-1081) for the latest info!

Subject: Firing Range
Cruising News: At SM 235.4 Southbound (239.7 Northbound) starts the Camp Lejeune firing range area. You are not to proceed if the lights are flashing. They were and we didn\’t. I figured since it was Labor Day and it was raining like all get out that they would not be firing so we proceeded to the lights without checking first. It took about 20 minutes by phone 910 451 3064 [correct, updated 12/ 15/2014] get the information that they had forgotten to turn the lights off when they left the range. So, proceeded without further adeu. Calling ahead would have been wiser and would have saved us the 20 minute delay which caused us to miss the next bridge opening.
Dave
on GB 46 At Last

Spoooners Creek is this writer’s old home port, so I can not help but feel nostalgic about this facility. A lot of changes have taken place here since Bruce Fetzer used to greet all arriving craft with his “Welcome Back to Spooners Creek.”
MANY of the new changes are very good things, however, and I join with Captain Rick in recommending this facility to the cruising community. And, let’s not forget, Spooners Creek is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

Sept 2009 – Sea Breeze visited Spooners Creek Marina on the 8th. It is a condo development that rents some slips on a monthly basis and also a nightly basis to transients. They have gas and diesel. It’s entrance is just north of ICW Green # 9 ( not 12 as reported elsewhere). We found controlling depth in the entrance channel to be 6′ MLW. Deeper water in the basin (8′ +). At the entrance channel – #1 was a temporary green floating aid and red 4 was a piling with no sign board (#4 sign missing). When you enter the creek there is a sharp turn to port that is a blind turn due to a high concrete bulkhead to port. Well, it’s only blind to sailboats and others who have cockpits low to the water. If your helm station is 10′ or more off the water you can see over the bulkhead. Capt Keith is right’¦..this is a first class facility. Cleanest shower facilities we have seen on the ICW. Pool and boaters lounge. No laundry. Dockmaster Terry is very helpful and can be reached on his cell phone at 252-241-0770. He had no VHF when we visited. In additon to the Wal-Mart less than a mile away, there is a strip mall across the street from W-M that has the some mom & pop restaurants – italian, chinese, subs. Or Outback and others are a little further away but not too far. If you are craving pizza try Louigi’s in the stip mall near Sears and Hallmark.
Rick Parish

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Spooners Creek Yacht Harbor

Dudley’s docks and facilities are certainly not the newest or most lavish I’ve ever seen, but we’ve always found them to be adequate. My only problem is that when mooring here, you must either walk or take the marina courtesy car over the White Oak River Bridge and causeway to visit wonderful downtown Swansboro. Of course, the courtesy vehicle helps!
If you do make it to Swansboro, and you enjoy fried seafood, don’t dare miss Captain Charley’s Seafood Paradise (no, I’m not making up that name). Their fried catch of the day is awesome!

8-17-09 Currently staying at Dudley’s Marina in Swansboro, NC. Not much of a tide change daily, so the old fixed wooden dock is fine. Especially for .75 per foot and free electric. Plus a car to use for short trips. The owner is a bit curmudgeonous, but the rest of the employees are great. The historic district is nice, with lots of shops and restaurants.
LuAnne Woods

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Dudley’s Marina

On 7/23/09, as part of a “North Carolina Wish List,” I posed the following quesiton:

47. West, northwest of marker #65A, the AICW begins it approach to an intersection with New River and New River Inlet. Before reaching this crucial intersection, cruisers can usually cut off and anchor on Mile Hammock Bay, near Statute Mile 244.5. Lately, US Marine Corps maneuvers have prevented mariners from anchoring on these waters. The adjacent land is part of the huge Camp Lejeune Marine Base. Who has tried to anchor on Mile Hammock Bay? Were you allowed to drop the hook? Was it a secure overnight stop?

Responses follow:

Anchored there mid July this year without any hassle from the military. Two other sailboats were there ahead of us. Last year passing through that area we were delayed (the ICW was closed) due to military maneuvers. Kind of interesting to watch but glad it wasn’t in the sweltering heat.
Pat Cummins, s/v Kentris

We did spend an eveing in Mile Hammock Bay. The 2 sailboats nor we had any holding issues but another trawler who was using nylon rode and not enough of it dragged aground after spending almost 2 hrs trying to set his anchor and gave SeaTow some b’ness. He was scary and we wanted him to experience the security of a marina for the nite but he gave it another go and used 2 anchors which worked well.
Bill & Laura Bender
M/VKindred Spirit III

Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For Mile Hammock Bay