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Northbound ’19 – Travel Day 16: Southport, NC to Beaufort, NC

Conditions: Sunny & warm.  Winds SW 5 mph, ICW calm, ocean 2′ easy swells on the beam.

Distance traveled: 105 statute miles

Time underway: 8 hours 28 minutes

Average Speed: 10.6 kts

Max Speed: 20 kts

Fuel used: 123 gallons

We didn’t depart the fantastic Southport Marina until 9:35, later than we would have liked because our new stern thruster batteries arrived just after 8am and the techs worked swiftly but carefully to get us underway as soon as possible.  It was nice to have that project done by a great yard (Zimmerman Marine) with terrific, knowledgeable and friendly techs and staff.

Techs in the bilge with 600 lbs worth of new stern thruster batteries.
As the day warmed up, the ceiling fans slowly spun, promising a cool respite beneath the big, welcoming porch.

Because of our delayed departure we had to look carefully at our options. Without the delay we had planned to have a nine hour run, mostly offshore, to make Beaufort, North Carolina. With the delay we knew we wouldn’t get there until around 6:30pm if all went well so we looked at options between the two towns. We considered a short run to Wrightsville Beach allowing us the option of staying in the ICW or going offshore the following day –or- run until around Surf City/Topsail on the ICW and then continue on the inside beyond Beaufort the next day. After checking the weather and wave forecast (which was excellent) and confirming with the Beaufort Docks that they would have a spot for us and were good with a late arrival, we decided to go for it and do the (relatively) big day.

Southport Marina’s Sara sees us off with a wave and a smile.

It was a great decision as it was relatively warm and one of the calmest wind days we’ve had in quite some time. For the first part of this leg, you head north on the Cape Fear River towards Wilmington before taking a known problem area called Snow’s Cut back into the regular ICW towards Wrightsville Beach. Our timing worked well for us here as we had quite a bit of current helping us up the river and a rising tide going through the cut. Again we followed Bob423’s routes and cleared all of the shallows without issue.

Jasper’s only concern is trying to figure out what pillows to use for the most comfortable ride.

Once we were through Masonboro Inlet and out on the Atlantic Ocean for the first time since Palm Beach, FL., it was a set it and forget it kind of day. Not that we’re not always paying close attention and on high alert, but once in the ocean on this leg the autopilot keeps OLOH on a straight line for 75 statute miles before we have to make any turns. We’ve enjoyed all of our time on the ICW but it was nice to have a break from the Intracoastal rhythm of ‘speed up, slow down, pass, get passed, wait for a bridge, endure waterway idiots and heightened stress in problem areas’.  Relative to all of that it was quite relaxing. But again, you never lose focus when you’re running the boat.

A look at OLOH’s bridge helm while we’re underway offshore. Note Hank’s notes from the Southport briefing. We also always have a pair of charged walkie-talkies at the ready. When either one of us leaves the bridge we always have them on and with us.

The surf kicked up a bit as we approached the Beaufort Inlet as did the level of boating activity with fishermen returning from their time at sea, a handful of pleasure boaters and even a (relatively tiny) tow boat pulling a 120′ schooner out into the ocean.  Tres Hombres was actually fascinating to see as she is a motor-less sailing ship designed to hold and transport 35 tons of cargo.

This is the Tres Hombres Schooner, a 125′ Brigantine, engineless, 30-ton cargo vessel and it’s being towed out into the ocean by Towboat US!

We had an easy arrival at the Beaufort Docks right on the waterfront of the small village of Beaufort, NC.  It’s where we spent Thanksgiving on board when we were bringing OLOH down south in 2017 and is always an easy, quaint stop.

Beaufort arrival.
One of our favorite local joints happened to be closed on Tuesday which is how we wandered down to Front Street Grill at Stillwater and had a great meal.
The interior of the restaurant was warmly lit, cozy and with great water views.
We were given the option to sit in an area called the Rhum Bar – they have an extensive menu of rum drinks. We’ll always choose open air if the weather is cooperating.
The Rhum Bar.  At first glance, I thought the guy on the left was Jon Snow of the Houses Targaryen and Stark. (OK, sorry, I had to go there.  Jon Snow is a fictional character on Game of Thrones, an HBO series that we’re big fans of)
Best parmesan truffle fries we’ve had on our entire journey.
Sesame Crusted Yellowfin Tuna with jasmine rice, sweet chili lime glaze, seasonal vegetables topped with crispy wontons.

We’ll put in another long day on our next leg as we are planning to skip our usual next stop of Oriental and move right through to Belhaven.

See you out there…

 

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And that concludes your OLOH instructions. M/Y OLOH back to 1-6.

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Keep the posts coming, I hope to follow your breadcrumbs in early August. I also just replaced my thruster Batteries on Karma with new AGMs—expensive but absolutely worth it.
  2. I was dreaming about owning a yacht and thought, " I wonder how long it takes to cruise from Morehead to Southport?" So I googled it and your blog popped up about your Southport to Beaufort excursion! "Close enough I thought." Great to read and understand all the considerations to move through the waters. Tidal timing, wind, obviously weather, current, etc. Completely amazed by the Tres Hombres schooner. Just astounding that a 35 ton 'Motoreless!' schooner still ploughs the seas. How great is that!? Will try to follow your blog going forward. Thanks for one great story. Curt Wilson
    1. We're so glad you found us! We post more regularly on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube if you happen to do those things. Great to have you aboard and thanks for the kind words.

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