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1. 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

   Reply to Kathrine
2. Tom -  September 18, 2013 - 5:21 pm

   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.

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3. Chris and Janet -  September 17, 2013 - 4:23 pm

   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

   Reply to Chris
4. Gray Riddick -  May 10, 2013 - 3:19 pm

   Good easy off – easy on anchorage – sunken sailboat no issue
   Gray Riddick
   Gray Ghost

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5. Ben Matthews -  September 17, 2012 - 6:04 pm

   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

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6. Ben Matthews -  July 25, 2011 - 4:24 pm

   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

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7. Skipper Tom -  July 25, 2011 - 4:22 pm

   Ceder creek bottom is soft mud, I’ve dragged here with my delta(20knt winds), but my fortress held firm.
   Skipper Tom

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8. Captain Jim -  July 25, 2011 - 4:20 pm

   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

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9. Capn Chuck & Susan -  July 25, 2011 - 4:18 pm

   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

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10. Ben -  July 22, 2011 - 5:18 am

    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.

    Reply to Ben
11. Capn Chuck & Susan -  May 11, 2011 - 2:47 pm

    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

    Reply to Capn
12. Ron -  November 15, 2010 - 9:37 am

    mast is gone from wreck but pvc pipe and floats marking it are very visable. Plenty of room nice spot

    Ron & Audrey
    Lucky Girl

    Reply to Ron
13. Richard Becker -  July 20, 2009 - 9:45 am

    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

    Reply to Richard
14. Unknown -  July 17, 2009 - 9:07 am

    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.

    Reply to Unknown

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1. 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

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2. Ben Matthews -  September 17, 2012 - 10:25 am

   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

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1. Susan & Elden Leaf -  May 14, 2013 - 2:29 pm

   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

   Reply to Susan
2. Gregory Han -  May 14, 2013 - 10:41 am

   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

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3. Frank Erwin -  September 10, 2012 - 1:04 pm

   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

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4. Rudy -  March 19, 2012 - 10:04 am

   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

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5. Lew Hill -  July 17, 2010 - 9:46 am

   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.

   Reply to Lew
6. Capt. Sterling -  April 28, 2010 - 11:21 pm

   Kinda tight anchorage, but good location.
   Capt. Sterling

   Reply to Capt.
7. Rick Emerson -  October 25, 2009 - 8:44 pm

   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”.

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1. Ben Matthews -  September 17, 2012 - 10:41 am

   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

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Comments from Cruisers (7) Add Comment

1. steven -  August 10, 2015 - 9:01 pm

   Best place on earth

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2. Debbie and Howard -  September 28, 2014 - 11:58 am

   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

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3. D. Davis -  September 28, 2014 - 11:57 am

   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

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4. Will Merriman -  September 26, 2014 - 4:34 pm

   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.

   Will & Sheila
   s/v Sheila B

   Reply to Will
5. Frank Erwin -  May 5, 2014 - 9:16 am

   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

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6. Doug Cordello -  October 14, 2012 - 3:03 pm

   Oct 5 Anchored at Lookout Point [Cape Lookout Bight], great anchorage very calm and clean water, well worth the short trip.
   Doug Cordello

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7. George and Ann -  October 28, 2010 - 8:47 am

   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

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