Belhaven, North Carolina

On September 21, 2013 the town of Belhaven, North Carolina will hold the 1^st annual Birthplace of the Inland Waterway Celebration. You might ask yourself, what is the Inland Waterway and why are they celebrating? The Inland Waterway is the original name for what is today called the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The reason Belhaven plans a celebration is because in August of 1928, 20,000 people, politicians, dignitaries, Coast Guard contingents, Corps of Engineers, Naval airplanes and powerboat racers converged on Belhaven to celebrate the completion of a 22-mile canal linking the Alligator and Pungo Rivers. This canal was the final component to complete the Inland Waterway and allow commerce to flow from the northern ports as far as Boston to Beaufort without having to go out into the Atlantic around Cape Hatteras. Belhaven officially became a seaport and also became known for its lumber industry, with 13 sawmills, 2-world renown, a growing seafood industry and a reputation for hospitality, second to none. 

We Really Like Oriental North Carolina

From Carolina Beach, our next stop would be Mile Hammock Bay. Mile Hammock is another one of our frequent stops because it's one of the few anchorages in the Swan Point area, plus it's well protected and offers good holding. This is right in the Camp Lejeune Marine Base and although you can't go ashore, it's a beautiful anchorage. We're often treated to the Marines doing all sorts of maneuvers in all manner of vessels and even some helicopter exercises. It can get noisy, but it sure is fun to watch. The total distance from Carolina Beach to Mile Hammock is 58 miles. We left Carolina Beach at 8:00 AM and had the anchor down in Mile Hammock at 3:25 PM. By the time we arrived, the winds had picked up to 15 to 25 with gusts to 28. It was good to be settled in. We hadn't seen very many cruising boats in weeks, but as it got later in the afternoon, we had about a dozen boats keeping us company. We wondered where they all came from. The winds blew steadily all night and the rains finally caught up with us. The anchorage was snug and secure.

Rolling on the River

The weather turned out to be another non-event. It sure would be nice if the National Weather Service could get it right, good or bad. Usually we wouldn't head out in winds forecast to be 20 knots, but since the forecasts have not even been close lately, and the conditions were light in the morning, we planned to leave, so off the docks we went. North of Georgetown, SC is the Waccamaw River. Every time we transit the Waccamaw, we remark how it has an almost primeval feel to it. You can imagine that it looked the same hundreds of years ago when the first explorers poked into the many tributaries and creeks that branch off the main river. This has to be one of our favorite stretches of the waterway. Just past Georgetown at the northern end of Winyah Bay, the 65-foot bridge that crosses the southern end of the Wacammaw begins the most spectacular section of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The waters of the Waccamaw are a dark coffee color due to the tannins leached from vegetation. To us, this adds to the beauty of the area.

Carolina On My Mind

Beaufort, South Carolina is one of those don't miss stops along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and I don't think we have ever missed it. Our stay at Lady's Island Marina gave us a chance to sit out bad weather, catch up with old friends, help out old friends and renew our acquaintance with this wonderful town. But after nine days, we had the itch to move on to points north. The Chesapeake is calling and the summer is upon us. The currents in Factory Creek run pretty strong and although we could have gotten out of the slip, as we did it often when we lived here, it is still less stressful to pull out at slack water. On the day we left, slack water occurred at about 11:30 AM, so the late start and the early afternoon thunderstorms would make for an short day. Once in the Beaufort River, the incoming tides gave us a favorable current and a few extra miles per hour without burning additional fuel.

Should You Avoid The Georgia ICW?

The Georgia section of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway has a terrible reputation among regular boaters that make the annual trek from the north to their winter cruising destinations or returning from their southern destinations to points north. In some respects, that reputation is deserved, but it may also be a bit exaggerated. The ICW in Georgia has been neglected for a very long time. There have been no funds for dredging for many years and there is no immediate relief in sight. But funding is not the only issue. If the Corps of Engineers were to get all of the money they need for dredging, they still couldn't get the job done. The biggest roadblock is the logistics of removing and disposing of the dredged material. There are no locations on the water where the materials can be relocated, and removing the materials and putting them elsewhere is a logistical and financial nightmare. But the news isn't all bad.

Fernandina Beach, Florida

Fernandina Beach, Florida is one of our favorite stops along the ICW. We seldom skip this area and actually spend some time in what we have come to call the St. Mary's triangle. There are many options for anchorages and the Downtown Municipal Marina is a great place to layover and spend some time in the historic district of Fernandina Beach. The area was originally inhabited by Timucuan Indians and around 1562, settled by the French, Spanish and later the British. The historic "Old Town" is a treat and easily accessible from the Municipal Marina, including one of their moorings, or from a nearby anchorage using the marina's dinghy dock, for a charge of course.

Weather or Not We Will Make It

After our encounter with the thunderstorm, the weather wasn't done with us yet. During our last transit of both the west and east coasts of Florida, we had almost daily gale force conditions. We sure hope that won't be the case this time. A rainy end to the day at anchor in the Banana River gave way to a very peaceful night and calm winds in the morning. BUT, the winds were expected to pick up later in the afternoon so we pulled up the anchor and got underway at first light. The trip to Titusville was about 40 miles and we wanted to get in as early as possible before the winds started building to the forecast 20 knots. The transmission had been acting up on us occasionally and was getting progressively worse. No one wants to try and dock a boat in 20 knots with a bad transmission, and because we were visiting friends in Titusville, we planned to stay at the Municipal Marina.

Northbound Hazards On The ICW

Our time in Stuart was short, but it gave us a chance to visit with friends. The time to depart is always too soon, but our long, slow trek north to the Chesapeake had to begin. We took on about 200 gallons of that "cheap" U.S. diesel at Mariner Cay Marina. It was the least expensive we could find in Manatee Pocket. The night before had been stormy, but the morning broke sunny and light winds. It didn't give us a hint at what would lie ahead for us later in the day.  One thing we have learned in transiting the Intracoastal Waterway over many years is that you never know what the day will bring. There is always a surprise just around the bend.

Navigating The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

We are often asked how difficult it is to travel long distances on the Intracoastal Waterway in a boat. What size boat is ideal for doing the waterway? What equipment is needed? How long will it take? How many miles can be covered in a day? What will it cost? There really are no easy answers and there are no right or wrong answers. It's almost like asking, "How long is a piece of string?" We have done the Atlantic ICW so many times now that we have lost count. We have also done a couple of transits of the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway and have a few ideas on what it takes and what works for us.

From The Bahamas Back To The USA

We left the small harbor on the south end of Manjack Cay with the idea that we would go to Great Sale Cay and then on to West End to stage for our crossing back to the U.S. The anchor was up and we were underway at 7:00 am after the weather guru assured everyone that winds would be light but out of the west, the direction we needed to travel. As we crossed over to the shores of Great Abaco, it was apparent that the light westerlies were more in the 15-knot range, and given our boat speed of at least 7 knots, the apparent wind was 22 knots. We have a hard rule - no transits in wind speeds that are 20 or higher. In the distance, we counted over a dozen other boats that had left Green Turtle and were all heading off to Great Sale. By the time we were underway for less than an hour, we knew this wasn't going to be a day we wanted to travel. But the forecast from the weather guru also said the winds would begin dropping about midday and become light and variable.

Green Turtle Cay To Manjack Cay

Beach House and crew had a great time at Green Turtle Cay, but it was time to move on and we had to do a little business. We headed out of Black Sound and of course it was almost at low tide. But the lowest depth in the channel was 5.9 feet and that was only in one spot. The winds had picked up early and we would be heading into about 10 to 12 knots right on the nose. Inside the Sea Of Abaco, the wind waves are small so it was not an uncomfortable ride. It would only be about an hour before we dropped anchor in a small, very shallow bay at the west end of Manjack Cay. The part of the bay we anchored in is not for drafts over 4 feet at low tide. There is a deeper anchorage off a small beach near the western tip that can carry up to 6 feet at low tide.

Adventures At Green Turtle Cay

From Treasure Cay, there are two routes to get over to Green Turtle Cay. One is a route which takes you out of the Sea of Abaco, around Whale Cay on the outside, and back into the Sea of Abaco. This route is very dependent on the conditions outside Whale Cay since the route is through a reef system and large ocean swells can build as they approach the shallow water, making for some very hazardous seas. During the morning cruisers net on VHF channel 68, the reports for Whale and some of the other cuts are given to boaters planning to make the transit. There is another option for shallow-draft boats, but it can only be done safely at high tide. This is known as the Don't Rock Passage, named after the large rock at the entrance to the passage on the east side called appropriately, Don't Rock. We received reports from boaters that were using the Don't Rock Passage for the last few days that the lowest depths at low tide was 5.8 feet over the bar near Don't Rock about an hour before high tide.

Treasure Cay Abacos

Treasure Cay in the Abacos is indeed a treasure. UNLESS you don't enjoy walking on one of the top 10 beaches in the world (previously chosen by National Geographic), or you don't find security in a great harbor that offers good holding and 360-degree protection, or you aren't looking for one of the least expensive and relaxing locations in the Bahamas. Yes, I did say least expensive because we have found Treasure Cay to be the best deal in our Bahamas trip so far, and for several good reasons.

Hope Town To Man O' War

Beach House and crew had a fabulous time at Hope Town. We made new friends and walked a lot of miles up and down the streets as well as a really long walk on the beaches. It is good to know that a tradition we saw 20 years ago when we first visited here is still being carried on - the tribute to beach junk. It was here we first saw artistic monuments to the trash found along the beaches. But all good things must come to an end and we had other places we wanted to see. After our normal morning weather checks, which actually take us a couple of hours, we paid our bill, topped off the water tanks and stowed everything on the boat for the very long, one-hour trip over to Man O' War. Several other boats were heading out of the harbor at the same time we were, including the local ferry which couldn't wait to get past us and throttled up just off our stern. They have places to be and don't care much about us pleasure boaters.

Cruising the Abacos, Marsh Harbour to Hope Town

Beach House and crew spent a week in Marsh Harbour enjoying the company of fellow cruisers and, of course, having repairs done. If things are going to break, this is the place to have it happen. Our windlass quit on us at Tilloo Cay and the thought of hauling the anchor and chain up by hand for the rest of the trip until we arrived back in Florida was not very appealing. Based on recommendations from other boaters, we took the windlass to a small repair shop called simply TSE that is across the street from Conch Inn and Marina. The owner Bryan did a great job for us and was able to repair the windlass instead of having to order parts and have them shipped in from the U.S. We also had him do some work on our spare alternator that was needed in case the current one fails, as it did on us once before. Bryan does work on electrical motors, starters, alternators, chargers, inverters, solar panels and a lot more. He can be reach by phone at 242-458-5418.

Heading For The Abacos

You can't spend time in Spanish Wells and not enjoy the stay. The dockmaster at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven is the local concierge and can provide boaters with about anything they might need. We rented a golf cart from there for the day and split the cost between ourselves and another cruising couple making it very inexpensive. This is a great way to reprovision and restock without carrying bags full of supplies and equipment for blocks from the store to the boat. We took the ferry to Harbour Island one day, and rented a car that our concierge arranged and drove south through Eleuthera another. We also walked the beautiful beaches along the north shore of St. Georges Cay and enjoyed all that the settlement of Spanish Wells had to offer. But it was time to move on and we looked forward to getting into the Abacos. The weather wasn't totally to blame; we had some perfect days with sunshine and light winds. The biggest, and I do mean biggest, hold up was the 8- to 9-foot seas in the Northeast Providence Channel between Spanish Wells and Little Harbor in the Abacos. But the seas couldn't stay up forever.

Spanish Wells Eleuthera

The first colonists to settle Spanish Wells were shipwrecked on the reefs at Devils Backbone. They lived in a cave on Eleuthera that exists today as Preacher's Cave and later moved to Spanish Wells. Later, British Loyalists that left the Colonies after the Revolutionary War relocated there. The name Spanish Wells comes from the Spanish ships that stopped here to replenish their water supplies from the wells on the island. For us, this is one of our favorite ports of call in the Bahamas. Our planned 3-day stay before a good weather window turned out to be a much longer stay, after the window not only slammed shut, but bad weather set in. But that's okay, if this is where we would have to wait it out.

Exumas To Eleuthera

There are just too many wonderful places to stop and experience in the Exumas to see them all in one season, given our limitations. Many will have to be left for the next time. From the Exumas, our next destination was Eleuthera. There are several ways to get there, but most cruisers will exit through the cuts at Warderick Wells or the Normans/Highbourne Cay area. We chose Warderick Wells because the cut is wide, deep and there are no reefs or obstacles to navigate around. Beach House exited the cut at 9:30 am, heading for Cape Eleuthera, and from there we would decide later. We had a good weather window for the crossing, but a strong front was due to arrive in a couple of days. A harbor with good, all around protection was an important consideration once again. It just seems like this entire trip has been weather driven for the most part. That makes it hard to really enjoy the experience.

Exuma Cays

The Exuma Cays may well be one of the most beautiful cruising grounds we have ever experienced. Beginning with Sail Rocks and Ship Channel Cay, just slightly south and east of Nassau, the Exumas stretch down to Great and Little Exuma to the southwest. The Exumas offer anything from remote anchorages, to small settlements, to busy towns like Georgetown. Many cays offer fabulous beaches, unusual wildlife and some of the greatest anchorages you may ever experience. It has been a great joy to be able to experience this wonderful cruising ground once again as we continue our research for the next edition in our Great Book Of Anchorages series, the Bahamas Edition. Someone pointed out to us that there is just no way we can call this work, so we won't try.

Nassau To Warderick Wells, Exuma

It felt good to finally leave Nassau. The forecast wasn't great, but if we didn't move, we would be in Nassau for another week. We topped up the fuel tanks at Nassau Harbor Club because the diesel was only $5.74 a gallon, pretty good for Bahamas prices. It was about 9:30 AM and the sun was just beginning to get high enough for us to use eyeball navigation around the many patch reefs at the east end of the harbor, but more importantly, to navigate the numerous coral heads we would encounter crossing the Yellow Banks. Some of these heads are only a few feet below the surface and could do serious damage to a prop. With the sun overhead, clear skies and reasonably flat seas, they are easy to pick out. They appear as a bark blob in the water surrounded by white sand. There are many of these on the section known as the Yellow Banks, only a short distance from Nassau. The conditions weren't perfect - there were some clouds and it was a bit choppy, but all in all, doable. Once we reached Porgy Rock, it was a straight line to our destination at Highbourne Cay.