Wrightsville - Carolina Beach

Wrightsville
Friday, November 8 - We were up by 5:45 a.m. to get an early start to Wrightsville. I took Pepper for a quick walk and as soon as I was back we left the dock and motored out with the fishing boats! I stood at that bow helping Kevin spot the channel markets as only one was lighted and it was still very dark. Once clear I removed the lines from the deck, brought in the fenders then went below to make coffee, grab some breakfast, prepare the boat for any turbulence and make sandwiches for lunch. Unfortunately I missed the best part of the sunrise. We were pointed straight into the wind with less than 10 knots and waves around 2 feet. It was warm and sunny for most of the day and we motor-sailed at 6.7 knots with the mainsail out. We were offshore approximately 6 miles, surrounded by blue-green water with no land in sight for 9 hours. By 3:30 it had cooled down as the sky became more cloudy and we were closer to land. When we got close to Masonboro Inlet the fetch on the water was close together and it became more rough. We entered the harbor and waved to Stephen on Harmony as we passed by. It was crowded with boats heading south for the winter but we found a spot further in where the depth was about 14 feet and water was calmer. We completed anchoring by 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 9 - It was very windy all day and we stayed on the boat to ensure we did not drag and watch for other boats that may drag. As it was there were a few VFH conversations about boats dragging. We did move the boat late morning further into the anchorage, close to a low bridge and surrounded by more land. As we anchored I noticed another boat close by that was a Catalina 470, Fandango. Kevin contacted the captain, Peter, and they discussed a get together on Sunday.

Sunday, November 10 - We had lunch with past colleagues of Kevin’s; Greg and Chris. I previously met Greg on the way up north when he came to Carolina Beach in his power/fishing boat and gave us a tour to up to Wrightsville. Kevin worked with Chris back in his Icon days and they all knew each other through professional networking. Afterwards Kevin and I went to a dive bar to watch the Kansas City- Denver football game. And yes, people cheered when Taylor Swift was on the screen and yes, KC won. 🙃
On the way back we stopped at Fandango’s boat and invited everyone to our boat. Stephen from Harmony came with Mary Beth along with Peter and his crew of 3 - Chuck, Eric and Lisa on Fandango. Mary Beth and I had a good conversation with Lisa, she races a lot in the NY area and it was interesting to learn about her racing experiences. Kevin talked to the guys about boat stuff and their experiences.

Carolina Beach
Monday, November 11 - We left Wrightsville between 10:00 and 10:30 for Carolina Beach. We took the ICW, the first time since heading south. We seldom sail when on the ICW but on the flip side there is more to look at than just miles of water so it’s a nice change. Weather was humid and drizzly but overall not bad. We secured the mooring ball with minimal effort, though I almost lost the boat hook. I had set it down on the starboard side after grabbing the mooring pendant and when I turned around after securing the line it was gone! 😳 I looked on the port side in the water and it was hanging down, hooked on the toe rail! Whew! I laughed but Kevin didn’t think it was too funny 🤭 This is one of my favorite anchorages. It’s protected nicely by land and while it is narrow there are only 10 mooring balls so it doesn’t get crowded. We also have not experienced fast power boats waking us. The town dinghy docks are close and there are several eateries to choose from.
In the afternoon we went into town and walked around with Pepper. We went back after dinner to go to SeaWitch to watch Monday Night Football and listened to live music.

Tuesday, November 12 - Friday, November 15 - The temperature dropped and the wind picked up as a cold front came in. We had planned to leave the next day but the weather forecast was not favorable to leave until Friday. For dinner we went to Shuckin’ Shack, Kevin got the peel your own shrimp and I got my favorite, crab legs. It’s a fun little place with a long bar and table tops against the wall.

On Wednesday we left the mooring ball and went further out from town to anchor. It was very windy and we just stayed on the boat. Tiffany and Chris from Honu came to visit and discuss buddy boating to Charleston. We met them the previous night when we stopped to chat with them. They have a pretty light bluish-green 41’ Hunter.

Thursday was drizzling but mild temperatures.. We went to lunch with the Fandango crew at The Sandspur. The food was good but I thought it was expensive compared to the other restaurants we went to. We got a little wet from rain on the way back to the boat in the dinghy. Kevin arranged to go back to a mooring ball for Friday night.

Friday was the most windy day of all and the coldest. We opted to stay on the hook as we were holding tight and snagging the mooring ball would have been difficult. We spent another day lounging around.Read more