Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Topsail Island Marina at Surf City, NC - at a dock

The Surf City Pier is fully operational
We had a 52 mile day to reach Surf City so we had to leave around 7:30 am, not a favorite time for Ann. We used the "backdoor exit" from Homer Smith which resulted in a least seen of 5.4 MLW.  We had a one foot tide, so it was not a problem for our 4 ft 9 in keel.

The IGA Supermarket is up and running
Once underway we found that no one was working today on the Atlantic Beach Bridge. There was a notice to mariners that a 30 minute advance notice was required before passing through the bridge but that was only when they are actually doing work and that wasn't today.

He was very popular with the local seagulls!
The shallowest part of the trip was just after the Atlantic Beach Bridge between R6 and G11. It got really skinny, down to 5.7 MLW! I searched and found the most water possible which is reflected in the track I uploaded today. It also shows a path through Browns Inlet and New River plus a few other shallow spots.

BoatUS was roaring but the boat was not moving! Watch out for those shallows!
Surf City is still recovering from hurricane Florence but a lot of stores are open as is the marina. You'll still find the local IGA supermarket open and serving local customers. The Surf City Pier is open as are most of the local businesses. At this marina, there is no one present. You pay over the phone for your slip. We paid $1.50/ft for our dockage which includes electric and water if needed.

Our plan is to pick up a mooring at Carolina Beach and then move on to St James Plantation the next day if the weather is right which means not having wind against tide on Cape Fear river.

2 comments:

Billie said...

Bob, You've had a lot of early morning starts this year. I was wondering if Ann had become an early riser. lol

Bob423 said...

Billie, the answer is no! I’m flirting with mutiny!