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    • New Restaurant Opens in Swansboro, NC, Hard by Caspers Marina (Statute Mile 229)

      “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

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    • Coast Guard Responds to Ferry Collision in Ocracoke, NC, Pamlico Sound

      OCRACOKE, N.C. ‘” The Coast Guard responded to a boat collision in the ferry channel in Ocracoke, Saturday night. Scroll down to article and picture below.

      Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a radio call from a crewmember aboard the ferry Carteret, which travels from Cedar Island to Ocracoke, at 8:30 p.m. stating that there had been a collision between the ferry and a 35-foot motor yacht.
      The ferry had eight passengers, one car and the crew aboard. The yacht, Tony C, had two crewmembers and two dogs aboard.
      A 25-foot Response Boat – Small crew from Coast Guard Station Ocracoke responded and transferred two crewmembers and the dogs to Station Ocracoke to awaiting Coast Guard emergency medical technicians. The two individuals were cleared with no severe injuries.
      No one aboard the Carteret was injured. Coast Guard personnel inspected the ferry and found no major damage. The Carteret was brought back to Ocracoke.
      The yacht was damaged and has a hole from slightly above the waterline to the deck.
      A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Hatters Inlet was deployed to tow the yacht to shallow water.
      The cause of the collision is under Coast Guard investigation.

      Click Here To View Capt. Ben’s Report and Photo

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    • Trawler Meets Ferry in Ocracoke, NC, off the AICW in Pamilco Sound

      Be careful out there folks, especially on holiday weekends and especially around larger vessels in close quarters!

      One more concern, evidently a 36-foot Albin trawler was struck by another boat Saturday night Sept 4th somewhere near Ocracoke. We saw the wrecked boat docked over by the channel entrance. Can’t say and don’t know what hit it, but was strong enough to dislodge the bridge structure halfway off the pilothouse and crack the hull. Heard the crew got off safely. Still afloat as of morning Sept 5th.
      Good luck to the crew and with all the challenges that will inevitably follow!
      I obscured the name and hailing port to protect the owner’s privacy, but this is what happens when Trawler meets Ferry. Saw this in Ocracoke Sunday. Was told by a few locals, the ferries have an awfully hard time in the channels maneuvering or slowing down, and that the ferry captain was in full reverse trying to avoid the trawler. Good luck to the unfortunate owner.
      Capt. Ben Matthews

      Click Here To View an Earlier Posting on Ocracoke, NC

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    • Praise for Silver Lake Anchorage in Ocracoke, NC, off the AICW from Pamilco Sound

      Silver Lake Harbor Anchorage lies in the venerable shadow of the 75 ft. Ocracoke Light and is accessible from the NW via Nine Foot Shoal Channel or by Big Foot Slough Channel, which has been recently dredged, and from the south via the Ocracoke Inlet.

      Have been here several times. Most recently the Saturday after Hurricane Earl. Silver Lake is very nice and relaxing. Nice to just bring the boat in and tinker. Cannot beat the view. Ocracoke is in a whole other pace and time zone. Very slow and nice. It’s especially nice after high season is done.
      Capt. Ben Matthews

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Silver Lake Harbor

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    • Difficulties with Holding in Railroad Bridge Anchorage, Dismal Swamp Route, Statute Mile, 47.5

      We’ve all had situations like this and it’s why the old salts recommend carrying two different style anchors, such as a CQR along with a Danforth, as well as a good length of chain on your rode. Railroad Bridge Anchorage is just on the outskirts of Elizabeth City, NC.

      I tried for well over an hour at multiple spots and could not get my Danforth to hold anywhere in this anchorage.
      Capt. Gary Riddick

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Railroad Bridge Anchorage

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    • Praise for Neuse Starter and Generator Service, Inc. in New Bern, NC

      New Bern, NC is located 21 miles up the Bay River departing the AICW at statute mile 161. Neuse Starter and Generator Service, Inc. is located at 104 Duffy Street, New Bern, NC 28560 252-633-0719

      Had a great experience with Neuse Starter and Generator Service in New Bern, NC. Two Thumbs up service!
      Capt. Ralph Chappell

      Click Here To View an Earlier Discussion on New Bern, NC

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    • Good Words for Eastern Propane in Bayboro, NC, north of Oriental, NC.

      Eastern Propane is at 13588 NC 55, Bayboro, NC’Ž 252-745-7346’Ž. Bayboro is at the head of the Bay River departing the AICW at statute mile 161, northwest of the Bay River/Neuse River/Pamlico Sound Junction at statute mile 166.

      Had a delightful experience with Eastern Propane in Bayboro, NC. Two thumbs up to the folks there. Lots of hoses, regulators, fittings conveniently hung on the wall, no wait refills, and very nice folks!
      Capt. Ralph Chappell

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

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    • Good Words for Broad Creek Anchorage, AICW Statute Mile 61

      South of Coinjock, in the NC-Virginia Cut route, Broad Creek lies just off the AICW to the west of quick flashing red marker #164 and green marker # 163.

      Anchored near the `9’³, just above the anchor symbol on the chartlet, on a friend’s 49 DeFever, 4.8 ft. draft, in late July, 2010. Spectacular location, beautiful, very protected, no problems holding at all with a 66# Bruce. Don’t miss this beautiful place.
      Capt. Norman Mason aboard Peggy Sue, Monk 36

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Broad Creek Anchorage

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    • A Favorite Anchorage in South River off the Neuse River, AICW Statute Mile 178.5

      The mouth of the South River is on the south side of the AICW and directly across the Neuse River from Oriental, NC. via flashing red marker #2.

      For those of us who sail out of Oriental, South River is by far the most favorite anchorage. Once you get inside the mouth, the depth is good pretty much from shore to shore and you can pick either side depending on whether or not you want bugs and no waves or no bugs and a little chop! My favorite spot is Southwest Creek which further up stream or you can just keep going up the main channel and anchor in the middle where it gets narrow.
      Capt. Sykes DeHart

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For South River Anchorage

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    • A Hurricane Hole Recommendation for NC from John Kettlewell

      An excellent suggestion from one of the leading authorities on the AICW. This recommendation should also work south of Deep Creek Lock in the Virginia portion of the Dismal Swamp Canal. Thank you John!

      My choice would be to get inside the Dismal Swamp Canal past the first lock {South Mills Lock, mile 33.2}. Then you don’t have to worry about storm surge, just the wind and there would be no fetch.
      John Kettlewell, Editor of The Intracoastal Waterway Chartbook

      Click Here To View Other Suggestions on Hurricane Holes in NC

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    • Captain Charleys Now Has Home Made Desserts (Swansboro, NC, St. M. 229)

      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

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    • Shoaling Reported in the Roanoke Sound Channel

      The Roanoke Sound Channel runs along the eastern side of Roanoke Sound and, as mentioned in earlier posts, requires constant vigilance to markers in the narrow channel. Captain Brian seems to have managed very nicely.

      On August 13, 2010, we headed for Ocracoke, NC by way of the Roanoke Sound channel. No problems with depth, however we did notice some shoaling into the channel around marker 16, the entrance into Mill Landing Creek. The entrance buoys have been moved slightly into the channel and accurately reflect the good water.
      Captain Brian Campbell

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Mill Landing Creek

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    • Well Done Entrance and Anchoring in Shallowbag Bay, Manteo, NC

      Shallowbag Bay is essentially Manteo Harbor. While less than 5 feet in many spots, there are good anchorages as Brian points out. The channels into Shallowbag Bay are narrow and require vigilance as Claiborne warns with these comments:
      “A word of caution, one of the two approaches for vessels northbound on Pamlico Sound, and the far shorter of the two, is by way of the Old House Channel from the Pamlico, to southern Roanoke Sound, and then north on the Roanoke Sound channel. There is NOTHING easy about this passage, and I do not recommend it for vessels drawing 5 feet or more.
      The other, far deeper and navigationally easier route is by way of Croatoan Sound, and then a southerly cruise through northern Roanoke Sound. The caveat for this route is that you must pass under a fixed bridge with 45 feet of vertical clearance, plenty for almost all powercraft, but not enough for many sailboats. The safest and easiest route to Manteo is by way of the AICW to Albemarle Sound. Then, a turn to the east will lead to northern Roanoke Sound, and then a quick trip to Shallowbag Bay and Manteo. However, you get there, Manteo is worth the effort!”
      Claiborne

      I have gained great knowledge in reading others posts on this site and thought it was time to return the favor. On August 12, 2010, we visited Manteo, NC aboard Tranquility. Tranquility has a tall mast and 6′ draft. We had no problem entering Shallowbag Bay and anchoring just east of the charted sewer outflow. Holding was good as a pretty severe thunderstorm rolled through with 30 mph gusts.
      Captain Brian Campbell

      Click on the Chartlet Below for a Chart View Window for Shallowbag Bay.

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    • A Positive Experience at Deep Point Marina (AICW Statute Mile 307)

      910-269-2380 The new 82-slip Deep Point Marina is located on the Cape Fear River in Southport, NC, and offers fuel and transient dockage, as well as daily, monthly and annual slip rentals. The marina is adjacent to the new Bald Head Island Ferry Terminal, which houses a snack bar (open seasonally) that offers grab-and-go food options, soft drinks, beer, wine and coffee. In addition, the Deep Point Marina is convenient to Southport's shopping, restaurants and historic district, and offers easy ocean access. Location and facilities certainly make a difference in remembering a marina stay, but so often it is the personal effort of the staff that makes us want to return, as David attests. This new facility is located just off the Cape Fear River portion of the AICW, north of the Waterway’s sharp turn to the west at Southport.

      Deep Point Marina was one of our best stops on our south bound trip from Stoney Point, New York to Fernandina, Florida! They were still under construction at the time we were there, but the hospitality we received was unmatched. These people really care about their customers. The dockmaster (Rob Gandy) even loaned us his personal vehicle to go to the local grocery store. We will always make Deep Pointe Marina one of our stops when traveling up and down the east coast.
      Captain David Johnson

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

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    • Potato Chips Make the Day at Coinjock Marina (AICW Virginia Cut Statute Mile 50)

      Coinjock Marina, your #1 stop for good fuel prices and great dining on the AICW/North Carolina - Virginia CutCoinjock Marina has been making and keeping friends in the boating community for years, but this may be the first mention of homemade potato chips as the deal maker! Blessed are the many charms one finds in various locales along the Ditch!

      Coinjoc [Marina]k is awesome, the food is great and the people are friendly. I must say the homemade potato chips were the best thing we ate on the whole trip from NY to FL!! We will always make a stop in Coinjock when traveling on the ICW.
      Captain David Johnson

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

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    • North Carolina Do-It-Yourself Boatyard Recommended (Statute Mile 198)

      The DIY boatyard recommended by Captain Rachelle below resides in the Jarret Bay Boatworks complex on the eastern shores of the AICW/Core Creek, north of Beaufort, NC. There are many independent repair firms in this complex, and the second message posted below specifically identifies which is the subject of Captain Rachelle’s message.

      If you ever make it to NC, DIY Boatyard and Storage caters to DIY boaters. ICW Marker 198- Private boatyard. Hope this helps the DIYer’s out there.
      Rachelle

      Hello Capt. Young,
      Yes, definitely more details! (I wasn’t sure if links or mentions of websites were permitted on posts). Thanks!
      The name of the boatyard is DIY Boatyard and Storage. It is located at 1125 Spartina Dr., Beaufort, NC. The boatyard is inside the Jarrett Bay Industrial Marine Park, but is independently owned and operated. You can find more details on the boatyard at this website: http://www.diyboatyard.com. ICW Mile Marker 198 is the location by water.
      Hope this helps!
      Rachelle

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    • Anchorage Preference and Good Words for Town Creek Marina in Beaufort, NC (AICW Statute Mile 201)

      Taylor Creek Anchorage opposite the Beaufort Waterfront is a popular and often crowded anchorage. Captain Chris prefers the less busy Town Creek Anchorage. Note that Town Creek Marina is indeed still in business, part of the welcome expansion and improvements the City of Beaufort is making to its waterfront.

      I’d highly recommend the Town Creek anchorage over the Taylor Creek anchorage. We stayed at the Town Creek anchorage for a couple of weeks in December of ‘˜09 while waiting for a good window to Charleston. We always held well, never really saw a west wind that we cared about and it’s an easy dinghy ride around the corner to the town dinghy dock. I don’t know if the Town Creek Marina is still in business, but the restaurant there was pretty good (excellent steamed oysters and shrimp in season). They were also pretty nice people ‘“ one guy who worked there gave me a ride to the gas station to fill my dinghy tank (their pumps were shut down for service). If you don’t mind walking (which we never did), the Piggly Wiggly is literally 1.0 miles from the anchorage, and the marina didn’t seem to mind us tying up our dinghy. Things might be different during peak season vs. December though.
      Captain Chris aboard SV Pelican

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Town Creek Inner Anchorage

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Town Creek Outer Anchorage

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Taylor Creek Anchorage

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

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    • Observations on Water Activities in Wrightsville Beach Channels (AICW Statute Mile 283)

      Captain Ben relates why Wrightsville Beach’s Motts and Banks Channels have been described as “two of the busiest non-commercial channels on the coast.” Not only must cruisers be concerned with shoaling, as mentioned in earlier reports, but also with all manner of activity in the Mott and Banks channels. Take your time!

      Came through this area on a summer Wednesday. There was a UNC-W sailing class in session with all kinds of novices in Sunfish boats at the intersection of Motts and Banks channels with a coach in a Carolina Skiff whistling and trying to keep the students corralled and dodge the center-consoles and tube-pullers coming through. Looks like a fun place if no collisions occur. Busy intersection of Motts and Banks channels. Also, we saw a guy on a surfboard crossing Masonboro inlet while in the area. Sport fisherman traffic was low, fortunately for him.
      Captain Ben Matthews

      Click Here To View A Recent Report on Motts Channel Shoaling

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    • “Bottom Report” on Mile Hammock Bay Anchorage (AICW Statute Mile 244.5)

      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

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    • Report on Taylor Creek and Beaufort Waterfront Anchorage (AICW Statute Mile 201)

      This anchorage has good shelter for vessels up to 48 feet, but it can be very crowded as we have heard from numerous boaters.

      We were there in May, 2010. Lots of moorings with little space to anchor. Lots of current. Lots of Fishing boats on the docks. Not suggested.
      Captain Lew Hill

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For Taylor Creek/Beaufort Anchorage

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