Priority, the continued adventure: On to Southport

We raised anchor at 9:45 in Wrightsville Beach, timed to make Snow's cut at 11:30 when the current would be in our favor. This is a narrow, short canal that connects Carolina Beacn with the Cape Fear river and can be difficult to traverse against the current...we made it just fine.

We traversed Masonboro Sound and then Myrtle Grove sound, both shallow bodies of water bordered on the eastern portion by barrier reefs on the eastern side and beachfront homes on the western (inland) side, each with its own dock and lifts to hold their boats out of the water when they aren't being used. The ICW is dredged along the western (inland) side and the stuff that was dredged was piled up to make a line of little islands (spoils) along the eastern border of the iCW. These spols are now wooded and look quite nice. (thats some spoils on the left of this image..houses on the right.

Houses to the right, Spoils to the left

As mentioned we made Snows cut just fine and then out into the Cape Fear river. Apparently this river, which is broad and with currents that can run as high as 6 knots can be boistrous, but was calm today as we went along it for several miles before rejoining the ICW

the entrance to Carolina Beach, at the junction with Snow's cut

Entering Snow's cut, with the Carolina Beach (fixed) bridge arching over it

Just after getting back on the ICW we turned off into Southport and docked in the Southport provisioning plant, a very nice restaurant with an arrangement that if you eat dinner there the slip is free...a very good deal.

As I was about to maneuver into my slip i looked up and saw Rich Fieldhouse on the dock...he had come in a few hours ago and I dragooned him into heloing me dock.

Rich Fieldhouse in the slip next to mine in Sourthport

Rich had the slip next to mine at Harborview until he retired several years ago and now single-hands up and down the east coast..we had several dinners over the summer (he was back in Baltiimore to get his annual medical checkups) during which I plied him with questions about the details of single-handing on the ICW...it was great seeing him here in Southport.

In my slip in Southport, in front of the restaurant

He joined us all for dinner at the restaurant and in fact he will be joining our litlle flotilla at least as far as the next stop (Landing Bridge Marina in Myrtle Grove).

I had a chance to walk around the town...its very nice, with a wonderfull Maritime museum, an old fashioned candy store, and many very nice looking older homes...It seems to be quite prosperous, unlike Elizabeth City for example.

The really neat candy store