Southport

We made it to Wrightsville Beach from Mile Hammock.  We could have made better time if we had realized that one of the bridges (Figure 8 Bridge) that supposedly (according to our 2012 Dozier Guide) only opened on the half hour also opens on the hour.  We took our time getting to it when we should have been pushing it.  Oh, well.  That gave us one and half hours to go 5 miles to the Wrightsville Bridge.  We managed to maintain a slow pace by riding the current and sailing at .5 - 3 knots with the engine off and the jib unfurled.  That technique kept us from having to spend too much time waiting at the bridge with the current carrying us toward it.  The channel into Wrightsville was difficult to follow - at points our depth finder read 3.9 feet -- we need to calibrate it.  We think 3.9 feet means 5.9 feet giving us a clearance of .9 feet off the bottom.  We anchored near a bridge that had a resurfacing machine grinding away concrete loudly until dark.

Wrightsville itself was fun.  We saw more joggers there than anywhere else in our travels.  With all the surfers out and the surf up (and almost 70 degree temperatures) it seemed like we had been transported to Southern California.  I thought I saw 2 seals on our way in on the dinghy.  It took a moment for me to realize that seals don't wear swim caps.  Two triathletes were doing some open water swimming in their wet suits.  I would love to do a triathlon there.

After considerable double checking of current charts we set off down the ICW to Snows Cut.  Snows Cut connects with the Cape Fear River.  Our multiple checks of current charts were related to the considerable current in the Cape Fear River.  We were relieved to see that the current was against us in Snows Cut since that is an indication that the current would be with us on the Cape Fear River.

Snows Cut - a canal through ancient sand dunes

In Southport I learned a little more about
Maryanne's decision to be a vegetarian.

Rob Gandy, former City Manager of Southport is the Harbormaster at the Deep Point Marina in Southport.  He was extremely helpful with docking, transportation, and general information about Southport.  For once our landing at the fuel dock was picture perfect but our fuel system decided to rebel against the diesel fuel nozzle.  It took us 45 minutes to fill our tank as it regularly belched up diesel fuel into the cockpit. Our transom mounted fuel vent kept hiccuping fuel into a little bottle that we have suction cupped to it.  We made a decent landing at our berth in the marina. The next morning I used my bicycle pump and the air pump for the dinghy to blow out my fuel vent line.  It seems that fuel pools in a low section of the vent line.  With the line blocked, fuel bubbles into the cockpit when I try to fill the tank from the cockpit fill line.  From time to time enough pressure builds up to push fuel out of the vent.  The dinghy air pump seemed to do the job.

Downtown

We spent a lot of time exploring Southport.  The restaurants were good and the little shops for kids were fully crammed with goodies.  Our granddaughter Lucy would be very happy in these shops.

We returned to NY for a wedding - to see our grandchildren - and because Maryanne is on part time sabbatical - and has to come back to teach.  We will return to sail again in December. We're praying for a mild onset of winter this year.

Southport B&B

Some of the Southport natives can make you feel
horribly under-dressed.  I really wanted a top hat.   

One of these fairies now lives with our granddaughter in NY

A candidate for figurehead
under our bowsprit.

Could they fit any more stuff in here?

One of the reasons we flew back to NY
Our nephew's wedding in Newport.
Congratulations Courtney & Evan!
Evan and his brother Adam are up to  BIG things
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2081274/

2 more reasons to go back to NY
Juniper & Lucy