DAY 87 ~ TOPSAIL BEACH TO BEAUFORT, NC (66.8 Mi.)

DAY 87 ~ TOPSAIL BEACH TO BEAUFORT, NC (66.8 Mi.) (Mi. 267 to Mi. 202)

Sunday, July 30, 2017 ~ We left Topsail Beach Marina at 9:30 am with blue skies but gusty winds and had to close the front window for the first time. We timed our departure to get to the Surf City Bridge (vert. cl. 12’) by 10:00 am because it only opens on the hour. After ten miles of cruising the current tide is only up 1.6’ and you can still see shoals which will be covered at high tide. Our biggest concern was at the New River Inlet which is subject to continuous shoaling. We in fact did ground out at R74 where we saw depths of 2.2’. Frans kept the boat in forward and after a few very tense seconds we were back in safe water. For the next twenty miles we have good water in the New River. Between Mi 246 and Mi 235 on the ICW we cut thru the US Marine Corp’s Camp LeJeune. This area is occasionally closed for artillery, small weapons firing and beach-land exercises. As we continue there are numerous sand dune beaches along the south coast in the Swansborro area. We entered Bogue Sound (Mi 226 to Mi 208) at 12:40 pm. This route is covered with tall pine trees and windswept oaks. The high mainland is dotted with beautiful homes, many of them with private docks while the south side has beaches along the spoil banks (these are banks created from dredging the channel.) From here we enter the Beaufort Inlet (Mi 205.7) which is a great resort area. Money Island and Atlantic Beach are set on grassy sand dunes that are amongst the highest and most scenic on the east coast. Our five hour run, at 2:20 pm ended at the Beaufort Docks Marina.