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R E Mayo Seafood Docks – Click for Chartview
In June of 2012, I cruised to R. E. Mayo Seafood Docks, one of our newest SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSORS. It was a very interesting visit indeed, and I think I can say without any fear of telling an inaccuracy, this is one of the most unique facilities that has ever chosen to support our web site. R. E. Mayo Seafood Docks flanks the western shores of the “Hobucken Cut” portion of the North Carolina AICW, south of the Hobucken Bridge and north of marker #21.
We spent a night on the RE Mayo dock and found everything to be as described. There were three sailboats tied up that night along with the fishing vessels. As others have said, the electrical leaves a bit to be desired, but at 0.40 a foot, it’s fine! You’ll need plenty of fenders also. We purchased some delicious shrimp (it was frozen, shrink-wrapped). There is a very well stocked convenience store across the Hobucken bridge. My husband also said that the ships store at RE Mayo is also well stocked.
Kathrine Noel
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of R E Mayo Seafood Docks
R E Mayo Seafood Docks – Click for Chartview
In June of 2012, I cruised to R. E. Mayo Seafood Docks, one of our newest SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSORS. It was a very interesting visit indeed, and I think I can say without any fear of telling an inaccuracy, this is one of the most unique facilities that has ever chosen to support our web site.
I’ve worked out of Mayo’s many times in the past. Their ships store is not a `West Marine’, but rather more of a commercial fishing marine supply. It has always had what I needed to get the job done (ships husbandry-commercial diver). I highly recommend them for what your BOAT needs!
Catfish Younce
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of R E Mayo Seafood Docks
On 5/9/13, as part of a North Carolina Wish List, we posed the following question:
Statute Mile 157 ‘“ who has spent the night tied to the R. E. Mayo Seafood docks, south of the Hobucken Bridge? Please describe what you found here. Did you purchase any fresh seafood at the dockside store?
Responses follow:
R E Mayo – we stayed there for one niight, about the end of April. Were able to buy some great, freshly caught flounder fillets, and the dockage was only $10/ft. Nightime traffic was quiet. The only problem was obtaining water, as a large shrimper blocked the only faucet. Their 110 volt electric showed reverse polarity, so we didn’t use it and chance the cost of electrical repairs.
“Footloose”
I spent the night at Mayo dock for the first time this spring. It was blowing so a good dock was welcome. There is a 250′ or so alongside fixed dock. It was in good repair but the electric was not working well. There were two power points with 30 and 15 amp plugs. One had the 30a missing and the other did not work. The 15a worked fine. I came in late Sunday so there was no one there to ask or help out. Still a bargain at $0.40/foot. We did not try to buy any seafood.
Gregory Han
I have spent 4/5 nights at RE Mayo and the best thing going for it was the price, I think it was about 0.60 a ft. and the cheapest fuel on the ICW. The docks are built for shrimp boats not yachts.
Edward Hart
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the R. E. Mayo Seafood Docks
On 5/9/13, as part of a North Carolina Wish List, we posed the following question:
Statute Mile 172 ‘“ while following the path of the AICW, and leaving Neuse River, did you round marker #WR, or did you cut the corner a bit by passage northwest of marker #2, located much closer to Maw Point Shoal? If you chose this latter route, did you encounter any depth problems?
Responses follow:
No problem cutting the corner with other local knowledge cruisers and watching the `GPS’ go around
Gray Riddick
Gray Ghost
I always cut the corner – the depths are correctly shown on chart.
Jean Thomason
No depth problems but one can find crab floats in this area in season.
Chris and Janet
On 5/9/13, as part of a North Carolina Wish List, we posed the following question:
Statute Mile 154 ‘“ who has anchored on Eastham Creek, off the Waterway’s eastern shoreline, hard by marker #13? If so, where did you drop the hook? What depths did you discover? Is that a good anchorage for cruising size craft?
Responses follow:
Eastham [Creek Anchorage] is so easy. Eastham is good with 8 ft depths north of #4. Upstream about # 7 is fine also if you need more protection or privacy.
Gray Riddick
Gray Ghost
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Eastham Creek Anchorage
During the week of 6/11/12, the first-rate, first-mate and I cruised to R. E. Mayo Seafood Docks, our newest SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR. It was a very interesting visit indeed, and I think I can say without any fear of telling an inaccuracy, this is one of the most unique facilities that has ever chosen to support our web site.
Since the 1970’s, Karen Ann and I have passed the R. E. Mayo Docks, directly flanking the western side of the AICW, on the canal-like Hobucken Cut, at least several hundred times. This narrow stream connects the Waterway between Pamilco and Bay Rivers. We have always thought of these piers and their shoreside buildings as a commercial fishing complex, and have never really thought of tying up for the night, though I did drive here once many years ago, and recall being impressed by the on-site marine supply store!
So, do you want the good news, or the less than good news first. Let’s start with the latter. The only way to describe the fixed wooden face docks at the R. E. Mayo facility is “rough.” They seem to be sturdy, and we did observe any number of serviceable 30 amp power hookups, but some of the boarding was uneven, and there was seemingly hap-hazard debris lying around here and there. Also, there are no shoreside showers nor a laundromat, and there are absolutely no restaurants within anything like striking distance.
HOWEVER, both gasoline and diesel fuel can be purchased, there is good shelter from foul weather, and the excellent on-site seafood and marine supply store is just about the last thing you would expect from looking at the utilitarian exterior of the main buildings. Be SURE to follow the “Click Here For Photo Gallery” link below to learn more about this fascinating store.
And, by the way, a wide selection of fresh and frozen seafood can be purchased in the store. Recently, the owners have constructed a HUGE, refrigeration building across the street which houses a wide selection of frozen catch of the day and other from-the-water goodies. Don’t miss the “COLORFUL” outhouses between the main building and the seafood cold storage center! Depending on the season, visiting cruisers can often purchase shrimp and other seafood literally right off the boats.
The cost of overnight dockage, or lack thereof, at the R. E. Mayo Docks should also not be overlooked. At a current rate of only 40 cents per foot, per night, these are, at least in my experience, the least expensive on the Waterway wet berths in both Carolinas!
So, clearly an overnight stop at the R. E. Mayo Seafood Docks is not for everyone. No captain or crew will ever mistake this place for Pier 66 or the Morehead City Yacht Basin. Then, again, if you have a bit of the adventurous about you, and would like to try something decidedly different, with a really good marine and seafood store thrown in for good measure, give this facility a try. And, PLEASE LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE!
Thanks so much for this info, Claiborne. We, too, have passed this place dozens of times, just wondering. We may give it a try next time.
Diana
This anchorage lies on the waters of upper Gale Creek, north of the Waterway’s entrance into Bay River and southwest of flashing daybeacon #22 and .
We anchored in Upper Gale Creek April 19, 2012. Very pleasant night, well protected. We found a spot with 6 1/2 feet of water between a few crab pots.
Tom Potter
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Gale Creek
Bonner Bay lies a short hop off the AICW’s passage through Bay River near Statute Mile 162.There are two anchorages just off Bonner Bay, Long Creek and Spring Creek.
As the skipper of “Moon River” discovered (see below), all the anchorages in this area are best entered and exited while referencing a well functioning chart plotter.
Anchorage off Bonner Bay
We did not attempt to sail as we had the Hobucken Canal to transit further on. It was only 1500 when we left the canal, but we had decided to take it easy and look for an anchorage early on. There were a couple of likely wide spots after the canal which looked promising on the chart but not so good when we got to them ~ exposed to the south. Years ago, Don and Gael Steffens, who wrote for “Coastal Cruising Magazine” which I used to edit, had written glowingly about Bonner Bay which they portrayed as a lovely quiet anchorage rarely frequented by cruisers. It was a couple of miles out of our way, but we decided to check it out. Jim was navigating, and he directed us from the canal to flashing red #4 in the middle of the Bay River. Neither of us could see this mark when we thought we should as it was
directly under the lowering Sun. Finally, we both spotted it and used it as our departure point into Bonner Bay which is relatively deep in the middle but shoal for quite a distance from the low lying shores of the bay. We both thought we saw a boat ahead of us enter the bay, but neither of us could see it when we got inside.
There are two narrow but navigable branches well inside the bay, but we chose to anchor in the outer bay and were joined later by a larger than average trawler who anchored just north of us. I think Don and Gael overstated Bonner Bay’s virtues somewhat. The land surrounding it is extremely low with nothing protecting one from a strong south wind coming off the Neuse River but a wide sandy beach. Nevertheless, we felt secure in the outer bay and slept well.
In the morning, we spotted a boat anchored way up the southwest creek in Bonner Bay, and shortly Ocean Gypsy was hailed on VHF 16. It was Moon River a lovely dark blue motorsailer designed by Mark Ellis and built in Canada by Bruckman. Moon River’s skipper was curious about the apparent shortcut we had taken as we approached Hobucken the day before. I like to cut the corners when I can and not necessarily follow doggedly along the purple path shown on the waterway charts. I had to admit to Moon River that my shortcut almost got us into difficulty, as we missed the outer channel marker and narrowly averted going over a 6 foot shoal. We probably would have been okay, but there were a few nervous moments as I watched the depth sounder indications of shoaling water, but soon we were back in the channel with 11 foot soundings.
Our conversation was suddenly interrupted as Moon River ran aground inside Bonner Bay. Now we could see them, and we stopped to make sure they were okay. `It doesn’t pay to try to talk on the radio and navigate at the same time’, said the skipper of Moon River, who quickly recovered deeper water, as we could plainly see. He thanked us for standing by.
Captain Ted Jones
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Bonner Bay
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Long Creek
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Spring Creek
Bear Creek sits off the western flanks of the AICW, just south of Gale Creek. I have never recommended this stream as an anchorage, and have chosen not to include it in the “North Carolina Anchorage Directory” as it has an unmarked, twisting entrance channel, flanked by shoals. As you will read below, Captain Watson used a GPS chartplotter to skirt past the aforementioned shallows, and he has certainly proved it is possible to do that. It’s up to each individual captain to decide if they should follow the same procedure, or just avoid this potential anchorage entirely.
Subject: Bear Creek Anchorage
Cruising News: Went into Bear Creek (just south of the Hoboken Cut off Back River)for the first time. Unmarked channel, used the chart plotter and had at least 7 ft back to the end of the charted 7 ft tongue. Good holding (CQR) Would be a very good anchorage for protection from N winds. Watch the entrance, some big shoals on both sides, channel [is] “S” shaped.
Bill Watson
Mile 160.8 – Bear Creek. Time for me being of the essence, I endured very rough weather crossing the Pamlico River and had one hell of a time finding the Goose Creek markers. But eventually no problems mooring overnight in Bear Creek – if you take care to slowly follow the channel and don’t stray into the shoals all around.
Arnold
Campbell Creek has always been our favorite directly-off-the-AICW anchorage between Pungo and Neuse River. As noted below, the farther in you go, the better the protection, but the more possibility of finding crab pots. We have been here when the pots were not a problem, but, clearly. sometimes they are. Here’s hoping you find Campbell Creek pot free!
We briefly explored this creek in late August 2009. We only went west into the creek as far as the easternmost anchor symbol on the cruisers net [Anchorage Directory] chart. Depths were as charted but the wind had been from the S to SW at 10-20 knots for several days so wind driven tides could have some effect on the depths we found. We went no further west since the creek was full of crab trap floats. Far too many to permit unobstructed swing room with 5:1 scope. We also think the eastern most anchorage symbol location is more exposed to wind than the chart would indicate. The tree line seemed further away from shore than we expected. The easternmost anchorage could be a comfortable anchorage in settled conditions. The western most anchorage could be comfortable when the crab traps are not present.
Rick Parish
Click Here For the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Campbell Creek
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