Swansboro : Oriental : Belhaven

An early start on Sunday April 21 st to try to catch the current as we enter Cape Fear River. As you can see in the background the fog has come and Old Baldy Lighthouse is barely visible in the background. We had quite the show of thunder, lightening, wind gusts and rain throughout the night. The wedding that was taking place close to the marina had to finish at 9pm due to the weather. Today is our grandsons Ollie’s 8th birthday which he is celebrating in LA - what a lucky duck.

Todays cruising was slow due to the many inlets along the way Carolina Beach Inlet, Masonboro Inlet, Mason Inlet, Rich Inlet, Little Topsail Inlet, New Topsail Inlet, New River Inlet, Browns Inlet, Bear Inlet, and Bogue Inlet - you get the drift. While cruising passed these areas one has to be on the lookout for shoaling which can happen very suddenly and without warning. We spend the night at Casper’s Marina near downtown Swansboro however it was so cold and rainy that we remained on board and turned on the heating. 

We passed Perspective yesterday so it was unfortunate to see her aground on our way to Swansboro. How to ruin you day and adventure on the loop.

Just goes to show that graffiti can turn up anywhere. Nana spotted this display during the foggy ride.

Monday April 22nd New Horizon leaves Swansboro and is headed to Oriental. We are excited to visit downtown Oriental as last time we were in this area on Ireland’s Eye we anchored outside and had a very bumpy night. Nana and Nandad would like to have cruised the Outer Banks , which is a long strip of barrier islands along the mid- Atlantic coast however the weather once again dictated our direction so the decision was made to proceed to Oriental. This takes us into the Bogue Sound passing Morehead City and Beaufort into Adams Creek Canal and the Neuse River. We have a reservation at the Oriental marina and along the way we pass the Anna Maria Princess.

Oriental is a very quite sleepy unique town. We went on quite the chase to find the dock office but in the end we were  greeted by two wonderful gentle men with quite the sense of humor. Life appears to move slowly here and is know as the “ Sailing Capital do the Carolinas” due to its wide- open waters, steady winds and easy access to creeks and coves. Here we meet a couple we had seen in the Bahamas at Warderick Wells on their sailboat L’Equipe and we had some wonderful banter and laughter so once again never got off the boat. However we made up for it in the morning and took a lovely walk to the breakfast Restaurant Brantley’s before leaving for Belhaven. 

Here is the garden set up at Barcos which is right at the tip of the marina but was unfortunately closed on Mondays. Looks like they might have movie nights here and there is also a local theatre in this sleepy town.

Tuesday April 23 rd today was a short cruise to one of our favorite spots on the ICW Belhaven. We have a slip reservation at the Grande Manor - formally River Forest - and are excited to see what progress the owner has made since our visit in November. Today we had at least four boats in front of us and the same number at our stern so a busy day passing vessels on the wide section of the Neuse River. As we approach the R.E.Mayo Shrimp Co. With lots of shrimp boats and this very decorative pirates ship. 

From here we cruise into the Pamlico River and Pungo River and arrive into Belhaven early afternoon. The owner was there to tie us up and seemed very excited with how things were progressing. The pickleball courts are ready, the doggie park is completed, the gazebo and outdoor event area is under construction and the old Manor is in full swing as a bed and breakfast. The restaurant is due to open tomorrow - bummer we miss that ! Nana and Nandad take advantage of the golf cart and provision. Our favorite restaurant Spoon River is closed on Tuesdays so once again we eat onboard with a beautiful sunset view and a full moon - what a life. The winds have picked up so our pickleball game was a little blowy and we are rocking with the wind but safely tied up for the night. Tomorrow we will aim to get to Coinjock. 

Bald Head Island NC

Although our journey today was 52.7 miles is was slow cruising due to lots of marinas, homes, and beaches all along Myrtle Beach. There are lots of spots to beach pontoons and small craft so I can only imagine how busy it is in the summer season. Lots of boat traffic today which meant NH had to adjust speed accordingly. The picture below shows some of the fun spots we cruise past.

Once we cruise past Southport ICW 309 we take the two mile stretch down Cape Fear River Entrance to Bald Head. It is a very busy section with huge ships heading out into the North Atlantic Ocean, ferries heading into Oak Island and Bald Head Island and pleasure craft.

Nana and Nandad visited Bald Head Island in 2021 when we were bringing NH up to Newport for the first time. On that occasion we took the ferry from Southport and had a lovely day visit. We promised we would be back so it is very exciting to be on a slip in the Marina. The island is only accessible by boat and its 14 miles of wide unspoiled beaches, dunes, creeks, oak and pine forest trails, and 500 homes are simple breathtaking. You can feel the peace and tranquility here devoid of traffic - golf carts and bicycles are your friend. It is fascinating to watch from the boat, the ferry coming and going on the top and bottom of the hour bring with it its passenger's, and deliveries to the islanders. There are rows of blue vans with what looks like trams attached which apparently take you and your guests and luggage to your island destination. And of course we had to rent a golf cart for the day. This provided us with the opportunity to visit Bald Head Island Club which has a beautiful golf course, tennis, pickleball, croquet, pools and three restaurants. Membership seems complex however if you are lucky and the slip you rent has a membership you can be their guest, at a cost of course. There is also The Shoals Club and the fractional timeshare The Hammocks. 

With a speed limit of 18mph you can imagine the pace of life here. I bet during busy season June to Sept it is golf cart frenzy. We were intrigued with the Yes and No signs that we saw hanging on the posts at the entrance to some of the homes. Our source told us that these are used to help the trash pickup service  identify the homes that require pickup.

Nandad in the background waiting patiently.

Nana along one of the many public beach assess boardwalks.

We really enjoyed our Layday on this beautiful island and will gladly return of a longer vacation. Mother Nature provided the most spectacular night show with thunder, lightening, wind and rain. Tomorrow we will leave and continue north maybe to Swan Point and perhaps take a look at the weather to see if it is favorable to cruise the outer banks. As always boating is an adventure with the journey and not necessarily the destination being the goal.

(Temporary Backup) Nana and Nandad return to NH

Three fabulous weeks back in Franklin after celebrating six birthdays, Easter , the Boston Marathon - so proud of you Ceire - and reconnecting with friends we have once again returned to continue the journey of bringing New Horizon back to her home port. St John’s Yacht Harbor was the perfect place to leave the boat. She was well looked after and had the engine oil changed and the harness fixed so the throttle issue should now be resolved - fingers crossed. 

Tuesday was our travel day and we arrived back on the boat by 8pm without any issues. Our plan is to return to Franklin in 10 days for more celebrations - this time First Communions. 

Wednesday April 17th we take the courtesy car to provision before leaving for Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown. Nandad made reservations when he was down at NH last week and we are excited to have dinner at the new George Hotel restaurant called The Independent . We are both fairly exhausted after our Bahamas trip so we have decided to take it slowly and enjoy the ride by covering approximately 50 miles a day. Our timing leaving St John found us directly as stern this enormous crane delivery so needless to say it was a very slow ride cruising through Elliott Cut. This picture is taken from the bow of NH.

Finally we pass her and this is what she looks like coming under the bridge. It is fascinating to watch the tug Captains skill.

As always the homes continue to capture our attention as we cruise along.

The research vessel NOAA was also spotted as we were leaving Charleston.

The remainder of our cruise was uneventful but longer than we had anticipated. We were tied and secured to our slip by five which was perfect timing to relax and shower before heading to dinner. The George is a new boutique style hotel and Nana was really impressed with the decor, art work, gas lamp lights , outdoor bar and fire pit area, lobby, and plush banquettes in the dining room. A classic Lowcountry cuisine the menu was heavy with fresh sea food but we were still able to find some choices for Nandad. It was a lovely evening.

Thursday April 18th we had a fantastic breakfast at Thomas Cafe before heading off for Marina at Grande Dunes which is in the Myrtle Beach area. Again a slow cruising day due to the many marinas along the way, private homes with docks right on the waterway and of course the Waccamaw River although nice and deep it is also narrow and tricky in spots. It is a very beautiful part of the ICW with its moss-draped cypresses, cypress stumps on either side of the banks, and the water is the color of tea! Not sure what was burning in the area but the whole landscape looked hazy from the smoke and there was a deep smell of molasses. We had a ten minute delay at the Socastee Swing bridge but were entertained by the many jet skis, small craft and pontoons. 

By three thirty we were in our slip and ready for a stroll. Nana and Nandad were at this marina before while cruising on Ireland’s Eye, maybe about eight years ago. Now the resort is split into four different ownership. The Marina, the Golf, the Hotel/Inn, and the restaurants are all operated independently. This means the Marina does not have access to the pool which is annoying and they no longer provide a shuttle to the beach - which is about a mile and a half away. I guess goes to show nothing stays the same! After a nice stroll around the property we return to NH , scrub her down and have a wonderful dinner onboard. Tomorrow we will cruise to Bald Head and have a much welcomed Layday. We took a ferry a few years ago from Southport SC to Bald Head so we are excited to take NH over and stay in the Marina. 

St Patrick’s Day in Charleston

Nana and Nandad went to Mass at St Patrick’s so although we did not hear any Irish music we did get the history of St Patrick from the bishop of Charleston. Once again the whole process took an hour and a half and we also got to celebrate one of the parishioners 101 birthday. A very welcoming and inviting celebration - I must say the southern like their gatherings. 

Our carraige ride ( Old South Carriage ) was a wonderful experience. Who would have thought that over 40 horses are in stables right downtown- and very nice ones. The horses work hard and if we are to believe the information provided by the company they uphold equine excellence. They use Belgian and Percheron draft horses, most come from Amish working farms. Our horse Noah was under the expert guidance of Carol and had festive hooves to celebrate the day. 

We had lunch at Henry’s on the Market which has been a Restaurant Bar & Music Hall for many decades. Although there was no live music when we were there it looks like a very cool place to hang out with an upstairs whiskey lounge and upper deck patio. Nandad had the corned beef and cabbage which he enjoyed. 

One of the many homes with beautiful gas light lanterns, wonderful side portico and ornate fencing. 

A tour of the beautifully restored 1808 Nathaniel Russell House Museum with a docent provided excellent cultural history, information on architectural features and the recent exposed archaeological work taking place in the Kitchen House. A beautiful formal garden provided the perfect spot for reflection with wonderful aroma wafting through the air. From March 14th to April 14th The Charleston Festival, which is the Historic Charleston Foundation’s main fundraiser , has several events including private homes and garden tours, workshops, lectures and concerts on the calander. We take a stroll down Church St and Broad St and feast our eyes with Charleston’s history from Colonial dwellings to Georgian gardens and historic churches ( Charleston don’t forget is after all the Holy City ). Some homes are in the process of restoration while others await attention. Nana can’t imagine the coast of restoring a home in these areas!

We take a drive to Sullivan Island to briefly visit Fort Moultrie and then head back to New Horizon. 

Monday 18th It’s time to bring NH into the slip where she will stay for at least a month. The throttle obliged without slipping and the rest of the day was spent cleaning, doing laundry, contacting and meeting the mechanic, arranging for the diver to clean the bottom, and also an electrician to check the solenoids and the trims. 

We have had a wonderful adventure and now ready for some family time. No more blog for now. A Happy Easter to all. 

St Patrick’s Parade

Saturday 16th : Nana and Nandad catch some of the parade before heading to Boone Plantation and Gardens. This is the sole St Patrick’s decoration on NH. 

We spend a very busy afternoon at the plantation listening to 340 years of history. The world famous Avenue of Oaks lines the entrance to the estate which now is an active farm run by a partnership. The house that is on the estate is still privately owned however the owner lives on another home on the property. There are wonderful exhibits in the actual cabins, that are directly off the entrance, which housed the slaves. Gullah Culture and Black History is very important at Boone Hall. The gardens around the house provide a definite aroma that is inviting and relaxing. There is a tractor that will take you around to view the farm which is quite extensive and several lectures onsite on a variety of subjects throughout the day.

Nana had tickets for a concert at the Circular Congregational Church the Vienna Light Orchestra’s Magical Movie Scores for 6pm so we had some light bites at the very chic outdoor patio at The Black Door Cafe. So good to hear good live music. 

Tomorrow is officially St Patrick’s Day so we will go to Mass at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in the morning and then we have a carriage tour booked for 12 md.

St John’s Yacht Harbor

We have arrived! A very long day but NH is finally at her home destination for at least the next four weeks. We had decided to anchor about 25 miles from our destination however when we went to slow down the throttle decided to once again slip so , despite our exhaustion, it was decided we should get to our home base. The miles and miles of Georgias ICW is a constant maze of twists and turns, shoaling, shallow areas and due to the many slow zone areas your speed is significantly reduced so it can take a few hours to go the extra 25 miles. In our favor , due to the clock going forward ,we have longer evenings with sunset now at around 7.30pm. NH was greeted at the dock by Adam and Daniel and securely tied and plugged in just in time for a well deserved cocktail/ mocktail. Nana is sooo excited to finally be at our destination and is ready for some family hugs. Nandad peeping over the rails at sunset.

Thursday 15th March: Nana and Nandad decided that today was a day to relax and enjoy. The marina provides a courtesy car which we can have for the day so we took off to Folly Beach - which has a beautiful stretch of beach probably at least six miles long with a variety of houses that have direct access to the beach. From there we went to Kiawah Island to have lunch at The Players Pub. Now Kiawah Island is a private Island with a very exclusive golf resort but if you say you are having lunch at the PUB they give you a day pass at the gate. We had the most delicious lunch on their patio and then sat on the Aridondack chairs on the lawn. It was very relaxing. Afterwards we once again went for a walk along another beach that was likely 10 miles long. 

As you can tell Nana is looking very relaxed and is thinking maybe golfing is a safer hobby than boating! We do some light grocery shopping before heading back for dinner onboard. 

Safe Harbor Skull Marina Hilton Head SC

Wednesday March 13th. Today was the perfect day for cruising the ICW. Nana and Nandad woke to such peace and quiet today and had breakfast watching dolphin swim in the anchorage, the pelicans flying so low and the birds chirping. We started our day at 9.15 and our goal is to make it to SH Bahia Bleu where we will fill with diesel, water and pump out. We arrive there at 1pm and it takes about half an hour to accomplish our goal and then we get underway. It is such a great day we decide to continue on to SH Skull Marina MM 555 which is up Skull Creek the northern tip of Hilton Head SC. Once we cross the Savannah River we are now in South Carolina. 

The picture above is the anchor rode drying out after a full wash down once we were tied up at the Marina.

You can see from the Nebo picture that our journey today was the typical twisting and curving of the Georgia Waterways. We cruise Ossaw Island, Skidaway Island, Wilmington Island, Daufuskie Island, and finally Hilton Head. 
The Marina has a Freedom Boat Club so lots of pontoons and central console boats. A fun spot I am sure with several condos surrounding the marina and the Skull Creek Boathouse restaurant around the corner. At this time of the year it is really very peaceful and as the sunsets we can watch the rowers rowing against the current - quite the workout. We should make it to our destination by Friday St John’s Yacht Harbor Charleston so maybe we will celebrate St Patrick’s Day in southern style.