Trent River/New Bern Anchorage Lat/Lon: 35 06.016 North/077 02.584 West Location: anchorage is located west of the Trent River Railway Bridge Minimum Depth: 4 1/2 to 5 feet Special Note: the bottom in this anchorage is littered with debris; set a trip line for your anchor if possible Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Good, except somewhat open to southwesterly winds
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Brice Creek/Trent River Anchorage Lat/Lon: 35 04.438 North/077 03.399 West Location: anchorages lies near the eastern banks of Brice Creek, a short hop south of this stream’s intersection with Trent River; Brice Creek indents the Trent’s southeasterly banks near Trent River’s marker #3 Minimum Depth: 12 feet Special Note: favor the easterly banks when entering Brice Creek from Trent River Special Note: your vessel must be able to clear a 45-foot fixed bridge to reach this anchorage Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 34 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Very good, only unusually strong northwestern winds might be a problem
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Brice Creek/Trent River Upper Anchorage Lat/Lon: 35 04.246 North/077 03.652 West Location: anchorage be found on the straight stretch of Brice Creek, between the stream’s first sharp turn to the west and its next turn to the south; Brice Creek indents the Trent’s southeasterly banks near Trent River’s marker #3 Minimum Depth: 10 feet Special Note: favor the easterly banks when entering Brice Creek from Trent River Special Note: your vessel must be able to clear a 45-foot fixed bridge to reach this anchorage Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 38 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Superb, as good as it gets – a great foul weather hidey hole
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Trent River Anchorage Lat/Lon: 35 04.347 North/077 04.302 West Location: located between Trent River markers #4 and #4A Minimum Depth: 8 to 12 feet Special Note: your vessel must be able to clear a 45-foot fixed bridge to reach this anchorage Special Note: be sure to anchor at least somewhat away from the Trent River’s centerline and show an anchor light, in order to alert any nighttime river traffic Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Good, except somewhat open to northeastern winds
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Statute Mile: 188 Lat/Lon: near 34 55.990 North/076 38.861 WestLocation: off the eastern flank of the ICW, east of flashing daybeacon #9 Minimum Depth: 6 feet Special Comment: note, there is a sunken sailboat with its mast exposed at the entrance to this anchorage, so proceed slowly to avoid this wreck. Entrance into this anchorage may or may not be impeded by the presence of crab pots and fish traps Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Excellent
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Comments from Cruisers (14)
Kathrine Noel- September 30, 2013 - 10:32 am
We anchored in Cedar Creek last week. Absolutely no problem entering at the green 9 and skirting around the sunken sailboat, marked by at least four stakes, maybe more. Anchored in 8-9 feet of water just behind the wreck–a scenic stop where you can fish and watch the passing traffic on the ICW. There were very few crab pots and, on the day we visited, no fishing boats in or out. Kathrine Noel
I used to anchor up in Back Creek a few years back. There was a few holes around 6 ft. near the mouth it has a soft bottom of thick mud. The wrecks marked on charts need to be given a wide berth. the wind and tides will move them on occasion. Just be the prudent sailor, Tom, formerly from MHC.
We used this anchorage more than once. According to this graphic, we enter slowly tracking from either the north or south “9″ foot symbols toward the anchor symbol. In either case we stop short of the wreck symbol. We draw 5.5 ft This is can be rolly anchorage if you stop before sundown. Other boats just blast by. Chris and Janet
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
We anchored in this spot June 30th [2011]. Saw zero crab pots. I was looking hard, arrived at night, left in the morning, came in here at about 2 knots, and anchored our trawler with two other sailboats already anchored. It was clear. Apparently the crab pots are moved around a bit. Skipper Ben Matthews
I anchored in Cedar Creek last Thursday and had no problems with crab pots or fish traps. Actually there were four boats that night anchored and there was room for four or five additional boats. This is still one of our favorite places to drop the hook overnight as we sail out of Oriental quite often. Regards, Captain Jim
We anchored in Jonaquin Creek which is further back in the Cedar Creek anchorage. This too had floats in it but there was enough room for one boat to anchor. Chuck
We anchored in this spot June 30th. Saw zero crab pots. I was looking hard, arrived at night, left in the morning, came in here at about 2 knots, and anchored our trawler with two other sailboats already anchored. It was clear. Apparently the crab pots are moved around a bit.
Claiborne, We are sad to report that the Cedar Creek anchorage, one of our favorite anchorages at Adams Creek, just south of Oriental is now unusable. It is carpeted with fish or crab trap and the floats are so close together that there is no room in the anchorage where you won’t swing into the floats. This is unfortunate since this has been a popular stopping point for many over the years. Capn Chuck & Susan
Subject: Uncharted wreck Cruising News: Caution is advised when entering or leaving Cedar Creek off Adam’s Creek in the ICW. The sunken sailboat, abandoned appproximately 2 years is completely underwater and marked only with a floating fender. The USCG has certainly not done it’s job here. Richard Becker
Subject: Cedar Creek anchorage MM187 Message: Cedar Creek anchorage, just off Adams Creek at green “9” at MM 187 is a great anchorage. Room for a number of boats in water that runs about 7.5 feet deep. Only caution: a sailboat sunk in the anchorage several years ago – its mast used to be visible, but now the mast is gone and the sunken boat is marked with PVC pipe and several orange floats. Just avoid them as you pass and anchor further to the east.
Statute Mile: 201 Lat/Lon: near 34 43.564 North/076 40.002 West Location: on the western waters of Town Creek, east of unlighted daybeacon #1 Minimum Depth: 7 1/2 feet Special Comment: cruisers must negotiate the confusing Gallants Channel, or cruise through the restricted Grayden Paul Bridge to access this anchorage. Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 45 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Very good, except open to strong northwesterly winds
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Statute Mile: 201 Lat/Lon: near 34 43.467 North/076 39.784 West Location: on the rear portion of Town Creek, north of the charted south side shoal Minimum Depth: 5 ½ foot depths Special Comment: cruisers must negotiate the confusing Gallants Channel, or cruise through the restricted Grayden Paul Bridge to access this anchorage. Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet; swing room restricted by resident vessels on permanent moorings Foul Weather Shelter: Excellent
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Galen- November 25, 2013 - 12:14 pm
I anchored in town creek. It is a nice location. It is crowded and there are some long term boats there (and some sunken boats). They are on multiple anchors. When I pull my anchor I had picked up someone’s rode. I was able to easily free it with the boathook. Galen
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
Statute Mile: 201 Lat/Lon: near 34 42.955 North/076 40.014 West Location: on the westerly waters of Taylor Creek, abeam of the Beaufort downtown waterfront Minimum Depth: 7 feet Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Good
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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
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
The neat anchorage is in Taylors Creek just in front of the Beaufort Town Docks – (252)728-2503…lots of current…try to come in only at slack tide… you can also anchor out in the creek in front of the docks…usually crowded on weekends… but 3 dinghy docks and very cruiser friendly….very historic and 2 pre-revolutionary cemeteries Frank Erwin
We remember Taylor Creek readily, mostly because of the currents. Anchored at the eastish end, in a fairly narrow section, we seemed to either be too close for comfort to the island or too the channel. Nothing we did could change this. Our neighbor though, never seemed to move more than a couple feet. So one day, I rowed over to see how they were anchored, anxious to learn a better way. Turned out the woman was by herself, her husband having been taken to the hospital several days before because of a heart attack. She was besides herself because of a storm that was forecast for that evening and her rodes had wrapped around themselves so much that her scope had significantly been reduced, and she was pretty certain that one, if not both anchors had tripped (originally anchored Bahamian style). In addition, their engine was overheating and she wasn’t comfortable operating it to begin with. I offered to help do what I could and she enthusiastically agreed. I went back and got Jill, so the three of us could sort out her predicament. Pulled her anchors up and discovered that she was right in her assessment, although only one anchor had tripped, the wrapping having pulled it halfway up the other anchor’s rode. Got her reanchored (her engine was overheating) and Jill and I went back to our boat, happy that we did a good deed. We still chuckle when we rethink of this event, thinking that boat was so well anchored and that we could learn something from her, when it turned out it was borderline, at best. As it turned out her boat started swinging just as far and wide as ours did, so we learned nothing there; but, it didn’t drag throughout the storm. Her husband returned two days latter and the impression we got was that he wasn’t very pleased that we helped his wife… never said hello, even thought he motored right by us repeatedly, never said thanks. We still can’t understand that part, but none-the-less, we’d do it again if the opportunity presented itself! Rudy Briney Bug
This anchorage is filling with moorings which, as far as I can tell, are not legal but remain nonetheless. While there is good depth in the part of the cut east of G”7″, the narrower channel causes the current to run much faster than to the west of G”7″. It’s easy to find enough water for boats drawing 7-8′. At the moment, there are two boats riding to Bahamian moorings, many boats riding on moorings, and the rest riding on one hook (our boat included), some with excessive amounts of scope out. The different swing circles makes finding suitable swing room a challenge (we saw one boat spend over an hour to find a usable spot and it took us three passes to get the hook set in the right place). A quick check shows very few boats are showing anchor lights or even a cockpit light as a low-level anchor light – not good news for an after sunset dinghy ride. There is some fetch from the west and somewhat less from the east, and virtually nothing to the north or south. But there’s very little wind shelter from any direction save to the north, and that from the buildings and trees on shore. While Beaufort has much to commend it, Taylor Creek is probably best rated as “advanced skills or better needed”.
Shackleford Banks Anchorage Lat/Lon: 34 41.629 North/076 39.337 West Location: east of the gap between Beaufort Inlet’s markers #19 and #17 Minimum Depth: 15 feet Special Note: the main purpose of anchoring here is to facilitate dinghy exploration of adjacent Shackleford Banks. Overnight anchorage should not be attempted except during fair weather, with not even a hint of strong winds or thunderstorms in the forecast Swing Room: sufficient room for most any size vessel Foul Weather Shelter: Poor, fair weather and light air anchorage only
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Shackleford Banks/Jetty Anchorage Lat/Lon: 34 41.245 North/076 38.596 West Location: east of the charted jetty and marker #2, north of Shackleford Banks Minimum Depth: 8 feet Special Note: you must pass hard by the northern side of marker #2 to reach this anchorage safely. The charted shoal north of #2 is now much closer to the marker than is depicted on chart 11545. Also, be sure NOT to attempt to pass south of #2 Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Fair, wide open to northern, northeastern, northwestern and eastern winds
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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
Cape Lookout Bight Anchorage Lat/Lon: 34 37.395 North/076 32.931 West Location: lies east of Cape Lookout Bight’s marker #1 Minimum Depth: 15 to 30 feet Special Note: Be sure to cruise to Cape Lookout Bight by way of Beaufort Inlet and the ocean. While it is possible to enter Cape Lookout Bight from the rear by way of Back Sound and Barden Inlet, this route is shallow and subject to continual change. Don’t even think about attempting this back door without very specific, up-to-date local knowledge Swing Room: sufficient room for most any size vessel Foul Weather Shelter: Good, but somewhat open to northern and northeastern winds
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Absolutely one of the most beautiful anchorages! We spent a few days there 2 yrs ago, and were there for 6 nights a few weeks ago. During the week and non-holiday weekends, there are typically only 3-4 boats. Wild horses on the Shackleford Banks shore. Finding numerous and varied seashells is a highlight as well as touring the lighthouse and beachcoming. We had visits from large sea turtles and a river otter. It’s an easy 7 mile trek east of the Beaufort inlet. Debbie and Howard S/V Dreamer
It appears Will & Sheila have discovered one of the best kept secrets on the coast. We all hear that Key West is the only spot on the east coast to watch the sun set over the ocean. Not So. Due to the NC coast at Beaufort and Cape Lookout running East-West not North-South, from the bite at Cape Lookout the sun comes up and set over the ocean. A truly beautiful spot. D. Davis
Labor Day Weekend August 30 – September 2nd 2014 Wow! Just Wow!
This was our first time to Cape Lookout. This place is fantastic. The water is warm and clear enough to snorkel. About 7 -10 feet of visibility, The water has a green tint to it. We anchored about 3/4 of the way into the bite. We were in 25 feet of water and just a short dinghy row from the beach. When we first arrived I was concerned because there must have been close to 100 boats in there. However, we had no problem finding a place to drop the hook. The very next morning most of the boats were gone, By day 3 there were only a handful. The sunsets and sunrises are super. The light house looks great. Although we didn’t make it up to the top. Good fishing, nice walks on the beach, Anybody who is sailing the coast and doesn’t stop by here is missing out.
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is now going to be open to climb to the top, starting May 14 – only Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 am – 3:45 pm. (It closes again September 22) Anchor and dinghy ashore!!!! Frank Erwin
This is worth a special trip. Cruisers who by-pass this on their way south are missing one of the most beautiful places on the eastern seaboard. If you are headed to the Exumas, well here is a preview for you. Clean water, miles of undeveloped gorgeous beaches inside the Bight and outside on the ocean with world-class shells (it’s a National Seashore). Break out the dinghy and stay a few days! Only 12 NM from Morehead City. You are on open ocean, so mind the surf and current forecast for navigating the inlet and the trip over there. In good conditions you can cut straight to Masonboro Inlet 70NM from here and miss some of the less attractive parts of the ICW (in our opinion) George and Ann aboard Hatteras 56MY
Statute Mile: 229 Lat/Lon: 34 41.115 North/077 07.201 West Location: in the Swansboro channel between unlighted nun buoy #2 and the fixed, low level White Oak River bridge Minimum Depth: 8-feet Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet Special Comment: This anchorage is swept by strong tidal currents. Be sure your hook is well set. Foul Weather Shelter: Fair; wide open to southwesterly winds
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Nicole- December 5, 2009 - 7:33 pm
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.
We anchored just downstream of the bridge in July 2008. Good holding. A fair weather anchorage with currents no more or less strong than those all along the coast from Beaufort, NC to Fernandina Bch, FL Rick
Statute Mile: 244.5 Lat/Lon: near 34 33.058 North/077 19.510 West Location: entrance channel lies north of the gap between the ICW’s flashing daybeacon #66 and unlighted daybeacon #67 Minimum Depth: 8-feet Special Comment:These waters are under the control of the US Marines. Anchorage may not permitted during certain exercises Swing Room: sufficient for vessels as large as 50 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Good
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Comments from Cruisers (15)
Phil Mullins- September 6, 2013 - 5:52 pm
We’ve stayed at Mile Hammock several times, never when it is as calm as the picture shows [http://cruisersnet.net/?p=122589]. If you happen to arrive when the Marines are training, it can be quite tedious. We arrived at 2 pm one afternoon and helicopter pilots were training and were landing just off the Northern bank every 10 minutes. At first we thought it was cool, but with the roar from the engines, it became quite distracting, especially when they didn’t finish until 10 pm that night. The holding has gotten suspect and we have had to anchor several times until our anchor took hold. It still is a good anchorage if you can get your anchor to work. Good cruising. Phil Mullins S/V Katash
Gregory Yount, SV Intermezzo- June 15, 2013 - 3:33 pm
Stayed here in January 2013, as well as May of 2013.
Quiet anchorage in January, pretty noisy in May. Helicopter flights – landings and takeoffs – included passing directly overhead at less than 500 ft, continued until 10:30 pm this May! My wife did not have to remind me to turn on the anchor light that evening.
I also found the area of poor holding this May. We slowly dragged as we set the anchor. Pulled it up, and on the second try, setting it more slowly, finally got it to grab. Interesting after maybe 100+ nights on the hook along the ICW, this is the only spot we didn’t grab the bottom first try. We may have powered down on it faster than the bottom could handle. Maybe the trick here is to back down a bit slower than normally.
Usually stay there and did again 5/8/13. Entered at mid/lower tide and had 8′, favoring red side. Quiet night after noisy afternoon with practicing landings by helicopters and vertical lift airplanes. Interesting show though! s/v Skye
We have anchored in Mile Hammock Bay many time, recently in April. Entrance depths are good – I can’t remember exact depths but I would say more than 7 ft. We were not bothered at any time by night maneuvers, though I remember a flight of heliocopers without lights in the early evening after dark several years ago – very ineresting. We have also seen during the day other interesting craft – a HUGE hovercraft and the Osprey which takes off vertically and flies horizontally. In April all was quiet. The big rusted ship is gone. Jean Thomason
Very easy to enter. Depths 8 to 12 feet as charted. We recommend stopping earlier rather than later during the Spring and Fall migrations as it is a popular place that does fill up. The is a shallow area furthest in, but again charts are correct. We have never been disturbed by night activity on Camp LeJeune. You may expect to see amphibious training or Blackhawk or Osprey aircraft during the day. We look forward to it. Lastly, ALWAYS listen to VHF 16 when progressing further north for the occasional times when there is live fire across the ICW. Traffic is allowed only hourly then. Stephen & Beth Deitch Nightingale
We were there a few days ago [as of 5/10/13] with ten other boats. Plenty of room. The entrance is buoyed with red and green marks and we came in at high tide with plenty of water (17 feet or more). The anchorage was great – very secure and quiet. There were no maneuvers that night, only a few helicopters early evening. Recommended highly. Good holding in mud. Tom Law
We began our Loop in Florida a month ago and are anchored out tonight at Mile Hammock in the midst of Camp LeJeune, NC. Interesting noises outside (artillery and helicopters and Osprey). Cathryn Rice
For those heading south, Mile Hammock Bay is a very good anchoring area. It is a couple miles south of Onslow Beach Bridge and before the intersection of the ICW with the New River. The area is within the U.S. Marine Base Camp Lejeune but unless the Marines are having an exercise in the area, is available to ICW travelers. We keep our boat at Old Ferry Marina which is a couple miles up the New River, and frequently go to Mile Hammock Bay with others for rafting up, etc. Reid Gantt, Atlantic 30 “Vouivre”
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 there 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
Statute Mile: 265 Lat/Lon: near 34 23.505 North/077 36.094 West Location: northwest of the charted marsh island lying southwest of the Topsail Channel’s unlighted daybeacon #14 Minimum Depth: 7-feet, but entrance channel is unmarked Special Comment:Use of a GPS chartplotter is highly recommended to facilitate safe entry into this anchorage Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 38 feet Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to southwestern and northeastern winds
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David Boxmeyer- February 24, 2014 - 10:39 am
Just off the ICW with an easy entrance and exit. We found 10 foot of water at one hour before high tide. As you enter stay pretty close to the markers until you get up to the docks, at that point favor the dock side. We anchored just south of the charted shoal between the marker and the line of crab pots to the west. There is some high speed traffic past this point, but that stops when the sun goes down. You can hear the ocean surf. 4 bars on Verizon Air Card. If you are northbound, this is a good place to stay and than catch the Surf City Bridge opening, 3 miles north, the next morning.
Statute Mile: 265 Lat/Lon: near 34 23.297 North/077 36.296 West Location: anchorage lies south, southwest of the correctly charted shoal, south of the small, marsh island, west of marker #13 Minimum Depth: 6 to 9 feet Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet Foul Weather Shelter: fair, but wide open to southern and southwestern winds
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Statute Mile: 280 Lat/Lon: near 34 12.425 North/077 47.958 West Location: on the mid-line of the Banks Channel, north-northeast of this cut’s intersection with the Motts Channel, and south-southwest of the 8-foot fixed bridge Minimum Depth: 6-feet Special Note: Motts Channel, which many vessels use for access to the Banks Channel anchorage from the AICW, is subject to shoaling. Periodic dredging usually keeps this problem in check, but between dredging projects, depths can become quite suspect on Motts Channel. For best depths, favor Motts Channel’s southern (green side) flank as you enter from the AICW. Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Good, but open to strong southwesterly winds Dinghy Dock Access: Public dinghy dockage available at Wynn Plaza, flanking Banks Channel’s eastern shores, just south of the 8-foot fixed bridge.South Beach Grill located just across street from dinghy dock, and within one to two blocks, you will find the King Neptune Restaurant, Vitos Pizza, Baja Mexican Grill, a coffee shop and Roberts Grocery and Market
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Ted- May 8, 2016 - 4:32 pm
I was amazed at the amount of speedboats running thru the ancnorage on plane. A constant parade on a Sunday afternoon. Many seemed to enjoy the sport of sloloming between anchored boats on half plane putting out big wakes. Then to my total amazement, a marine sheriff boat came thru, on half plane, and did nothing about hi speed boats running thru here! They really dont seem to care about basic safety and courtesy in Wrightsvill beach. The cop must have neen on his way to patrol the bathrooms.
Anchored below the bridge in Banks Channel on 5/7/13. Have anchored there several times. Left on 5/8 by way of Motts channel in morning at high tide with plenty of water. Will not consider entering by Motts channel near low tide. Confirmed potential problems with Boat US last fall. s/v Skye
There is plenty of depth; however, leave plenty of scope. The current is strong, and the anchorage is open to the south. We did dingy to shore and walked around Wrightsville Beach, but did not eat ashore. There were a number of resteraunts some of which were closed for the season. Call ahead! John Pholeric
Very important – when coming into this anchorage/marina Red daymark 24 is destroyed! Stay far to the green side (almost outside of the channel near where R24 is located on your chart). There is a barge that unloads here, he pushes up to a ramp on the green side and keeps his motor running; the prop wash digs a deep hole on the green side and mounds it near R24. Depths as shallow as 3 feet have been reported at R24. We’ve been here (Seapath Yacht Club) for a week with transmission troubles, the staff was great as was the courtesy car. Very clean, close to basic needs (grocery, hardware stores). A bit rough in strong SW winds. Captains Dan and Jaye Lunsford
We are currently lying in this anchorage and agree it’s not sheltered from southwesterly winds and only marginally better for northeasterly winds. The channel in easy to follow >if< you allow for the shoal NE of the R”14″. Holding seems to be good. Wakes can be an issue, particularly with small boat traffic running along the SE shore. The “not Rum Runner” location is the Blockade Runner hotel.
We were a week late getting to Wrightsville Beach, (due to extending our stay by a week at Barefoot Landing Resort Marina, arriving on the 3rd of July. Unfortunately, I forgot about the holiday weekend and didn’t have a marina reservation. We anchored south of the 8-foot bridge. Not having a dingy, we were boat-locked but had a wonderful time anyway. Went swimming by the boat to enjoy the beautiful blue water. Many boats were in the anchorage. One could almost walk from boat to boat. Perry & Kathy Sellars M/V Marsh Mellow
We anchored in Wrightsville Beach across from the …not RUM Runner…but some kind of ‘Runner’ and took advantage of city’s very nice dinghy dock, were able to use our bikes…and rode to West Marine Bill & Laura Bender M/VKindred Spirit III
Statute Mile: 280 Lat/Lon: near 34 12.167 North/077 48.213 West Location: south of the Banks Channel’s flashing daybeacon #15 Minimum Depth: 6-feet Special Note: Motts Channel, which many vessels use for access to the Banks Channel anchorage from the AICW, is subject to shoaling. Periodic dredging usually keeps this problem in check, but between dredging projects, depths can become quite suspect on Motts Channel Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Fair, wide open to southwesterly winds
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Charles Hagen- June 30, 2017 - 9:14 am
Good anchorage at N34 degrees 12.149′, W077 degrees 48.250′ Room for 5-7 boats and MLW is about 12′. 2 knot current. Quiet at night. Charles Hagen
Anchored below the bridge in Banks Channel on 5/7/13. Have anchored there several times. Left on 5/8 by way of Motts channel in morning at high tide with plenty of water. Will not consider entering by Motts channel near low tide. Confirmed potential problems with Boat US last fall. s/v Skye
Very important – when coming into this anchorage/marina Red daymark 24 is destroyed! Stay far to the green side (almost outside of the channel near where R24 is located on your chart). There is a barge that unloads here, he pushes up to a ramp on the green side and keeps his motor running; the prop wash digs a deep hole on the green side and mounds it near R24. Depths as shallow as 3 feet have been reported at R24. We’ve been here (Seapath Yacht Club) for a week with transmission troubles, the staff was great as was the courtesy car. Very clean, close to basic needs (grocery, hardware stores). A bit rough in strong SW winds. Captains Dan and Jaye Lunsford
Statute Mile: 295 Lat/Lon: near 34 02.793 North/077 53.347 West Location: east-southeast of the Carolina Beach channel’s unlighted daybeacon #4 daybeacon #5 Special Note: a mooring field opened at this location in February, 2012, displacing the anchorage Minimum Depth: 7-feet Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 42 feet Foul Weather Shelter: Excellent
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Comments from Cruisers (18)
John Loving- October 30, 2013 - 4:18 pm
A very nice anchorage/mooring field. Depths are 18-25 ft (with a lot of current), so I’m glad there are mooring balls. Randy came out at 5pm to collect the $20 and gives us the lay of the land. Although the mooring field was not full you might want to call him in advance …(929) 667-0004. Overall, a very pleasant stop. John Loving
We stayed here a year ago, and I was not looking forward to a second visit. We were only spending one night and after an 8 1/2 hour day I didn’t feel much like launching the dinghy from the second deck in the wind just to go pay our mooring fee. I was very happy to read that they now send a boat out each evening to collect fees. And great news – a second dinghy dock on the beach side with access to the beach is supposed to open in about two weeks!
Raft off’s not allowed at Carolina Beach mooring as of 5-18-2013 even if all pays the $20. While there two local boats one hooked to ball other rafted off hooked to ball for less than an hour and were charged $20 each one was no more than 50 yards from his marina also the tender told me that the $20 is per calendar day if you are there on 18th is $20 still there on 19th another $20 not for a 24 hour time period as I left to help my friend get his boat back to marina and received a call stating that I would be sent a bill from Carolina Beach for $20 when told I was not staying that is when he told be it was not a 24 hour period. Just FYI for anyone else stopping by Carolina Beach mooing. Did enjoy my stay there as it was my first over nite trip and raft off with newly purchased sailboat.
We have stayed in Carolina Beach on the mooring balls on 2 occasions. The mooring ball fields is easy to enter right off the channel. The mooring field is less than 10 minutes at no wake speed off the ICW. The tethers on the mooring balls seem short (maybe 5 ft) so it’s easier to grab the tether from the side of the boat rather than from the bow. The city sends a boat to collect the mooring fee about 6 PM each evening. The City of Carolina Beach has a dinghy dock at the end of the channel which is less than 1/2 mile away. There is also a restaurant at the end of the channel that has a face dock. From the dinghy dock it is an easy walk to the beach. Jerry Kusky Knot So Fast
The mooring field is easy to enter, with plenty of depth. The mooring balls are large, but the pendants are small and slimy. The dinghy dock is a long, long way down, at the end of the harbor. The moorings do provide a secure place to spend a night or to visit Carolina Beach for a day or two. At $20/night, they are over priced compared to other moorings. At the same price, St. Augustine offers a laundry, captains’ lounge, and quality heads/showers. Glen and Jill Moore DeFever 40 Last Dance
We used the Carolina mooring field on 16/17 Nov 12 and found it very easy to use and well worth the $20/night. The moorings have short pendants with a float and loop at the end. Pass a line through the loop to moor up. Randy, the guy who collects the money, is a former live-aboard and generally helpful guy.
Access to the area is slightly complicated. Follow the ICW to G 161 and turn into the Carolina Beach basin channel’s R 2. Do /not/ try to round off the corner. A boat with 5.5′ draft hit and bumped when taking this shortcut.
Those of us who prefer to anchor, and I have done so many times successfully in Carolina Beach, think the “slap in the face” is what we are getting! I know and trust my anchoring gear, and I go where I can use it. I didn’t spend thousands of dollars on it just to carry it around with me. Hopefully, sufficient room for anchoring will be retained.
We just got back from a 4 month trip around the south, including FLA Keys. $20 is above market, but Carolina Beach, which is our part time home port, is a great stop. The balls are a good addition and it is good to see more mooring balls being installed in the south. We have also been to Maine on our boat, and the mooring balls there are more, but we found some that were as low as $15 and the highest was in Sag Harbor, Long Island, the cost was over $75 (we anchored – LOL) – supply and demand wins. John Winter
Well that’s a slap in the face to the forward thinking town of Carolina Beach for spending their local taxpayer’s money to establish and maintain a safe harbor and mooring field for transient boaters, especially in a harbor that is known for not having good anchoring conditions. Capt Mike was lucky he didn’t drag his anchor and he obviously doesn’t get around too much or he would know that a 24 hour mooring ball rental for $20 is well below the average cost virtually anywhere in the world, and worth every dime when you need it the most. Harbormon
Cruising News: What a great addition to this area. Arrived on Monday night 9/17/12. There is a big sign upon entering, just grab a ball and call or register on line. Boats from 26′ – 55′. Randy the dockmaster is great. He will come to your boat and collect the $20 fee not to mention that he offered to take us ashore or bring us ice if needed. Really glad to be on a ball during the big blow on Tuesday. Capt. RL
Cruising News: Visited the new Carolina Beach mooring field on August 18 and called the mooring mgr using the no. that was posted on the sign. Was told the fee was 20.00 for 24 hrs. No one was using the moorings. I dropped the hook 50 yards away for free. Plenty of room and depth. Too much to tie up on the ball, and free would be best as you will dingy to day-dock and spend money locally. At best have boats register for maybe a 5.00 fee… Just my thoughts on a nice protected basin. Capt Mike, Wilmington NC
Spent a nice relaxing night in Carolina Beach, NC in the new mooring field. This spot had a terrible bottom akin to pudding. The new concrete anchors sunk up to 8′ in the mud and now one feels quite secure. Dave Thomas
Today, 11/07/2011, survey boat was observed laying marker bouys for the future Carolina Beach mooring field. The bouys are south of the island just past daymark 5. There is still room for a few boats to anchor south of the island and room for a few on the north side of the island.
One of our regular anchorages. Anchored here 4-20-10 in 9 ft MLW. There is now a very unattractive bait barge (selling bait I guess) anchored in the middle of the cove. Doesn’t interfere with anchoring though. Jean Thomason
This is good anchorage in but not in heavy weather. My boat and one other were anchored here in a heavy NE gail, winds 35 kts and greater. Both of us dragged and tried reanchoring several times. We both finally had to go to a marina. The marina at marker “4” was kind enough to let us both tie up at his fuel dock for 2 days. All of the bridges going north were closed due the high winds and there was no traffic anyway. The locals told me afterwards that the bottom there is not good holding in heavy weather. Ashley and Carol, S/V Blind Date
Carolina Beach is home for us. We have a condo there to live in when we get “old”. We stayed a month at federal Point Marina and the pool, personnel, and laundry were really nice. They have fireworks every Thursday and free movies Sunday at the lake all summer. A long walk but Granny’s has the best breakfast and Michaels the best chowder. The anchorage is not a problem. We met a couple from Sweden with a two meter draft who were anchored over July 4. Fort Fisher and the aquarium are a hit with visitors. Wright and Gladys Anderson First & Ten
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