May 5, 2010 - Day 20

More fog this morning. Visibility is about 1 mile when boats start leaving the anchorage. We weighed anchor and start moving north about 0720. One bridge to clear this morning at Onslow Beach. It was a struggle and I ran the engine harder than I like to but we make it to the bridge in time for the 0800 opening. There were nine boats jockeying about waiting on the old swing bridge to finally get fully open and then everyone took off.

About a mile north of the bridge, the fog closed in and visibility drops to 150 yards. Suddenly nine boats came to a crawl. I had all my running/steaming lights on but cannot see any lights on the boats ahead. I can barely make out the shape of the boat ahead of me and I am thankful to be the last boat in line. This is definitely when having radar would be helpful.


After 0930, the fog began to clear a little and we picked up speed. We struggled against the current as we approach Bogue Inlet and Swansboro. We entered Bogue Sound where the channel is narrow but fairly straight. We got a little breeze and did some motor jibbing. We soon crossed the tide line and begin fighting the incoming tidal current from the inlet at Beaufort.


Around 1100 or so, the wind turned cool and began to pickup. Fog began coming in and obscured the Emerald Island and Bogue Banks to the south. As the fog rolled across the sound toward us visibility got less and less. When we finally reached the Atlantic Beach Bridge, we could not see the land mass to our south.


Things looked better as we approach Morehead City. From the big channel I saw two sailboats at the Sanitary Restaurant dock. That meant 2 of the 3 so called “free docks” were taken. Having learned our lesson on the last trip, we avoided the shoaled small northeast channel and took the main channel to the port area and round Sugar Loaf Island to the Sanitary.

Once docked we took a walk about town and explored the construction at the Municipal Dock area. The town is building a Shower/Restroom/Laundry facility next to the docks. This should make these docks another possible stopping area. We also checked out a few shops including a great upscale bakery/gourmet foods place.

After the walk we dined at the Sanitary to qualify for the “free” ($10) slip usage. Next door at a newly opened place called Jack’s, there was quite a Cinco de Mayo celebration going on. A live band, lots of hot rod cars, custom motorcycles, and a celebrity of sorts. Mikey Teutul from Orange County Choppers and the TV show “American Chopper” was there with some of their custom bikes.

Location: Sanitary Restaurant Dock, Morehead City, NC - MM 205

Distance Traveled: 39 mi