Masonboro Yacht Club – A Day of Planning

But in a hurricane?

With the shallow waters and upcoming bridge openings, we needed to do a little planning. We prefer to anchor out but we’ve found our options limited when we also have to find a place for Hoolie relief, especially when entering alligator infested waters! We read with interest some of the anchorage reviews where they relate alligator sightings from the boat! I can’t imagine getting in a dink and motoring to shore to give Hoolie some ground for his business and having to worry about alligators – and in a rubber dink! So when we’re passing through swamps, we avoid the popular anchorages and continue on to marinas. The one exception is an anchorage ahead of us that also has a boat ramp nearby that we plan on using for Hoolie. Still, we’ll be on the lookout for alligators. Hopefully, I’ll get some pictures!

House on the Dock - At PYC too?

We’ll leave Monday at high tide to provide a little insurance for travel over the shallow spots by the inlets where there’s always shoaling. Meanwhile, we’ve explored this marina. It was devastated by hurricane Fran three years ago, it was leveled! It has since been rebuilt better than ever. They have five houseboats in addition to the normal array of boats. These houseboats are real miniature houses on floats, not the usual version of houseboats. We talked to one owner tonight, he likes the camaraderie and plans to stay indefinitely. One owner stayed until he was 88. Better here than a rest home I say.

Our First Real Palm Trees

Our plan is now to meet Don and Liz Bunch at Charleston, SC on Sunday and they’ll cruise with us for a two weeks as we head south. They’ve been down the ICW in their own boat three times so they’re old hands at this. It will be fun having them aboard!