Heading to SC for the Winter

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Yea... Stay away from Oregon Inlet.
 
Tom.B said:
Yea... Stay away from Oregon Inlet.
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How about these?

- Assawoman Inlet
- Gargathy Inlet
- Metompkin Inlet
- Wachapapreague Inlet
- Quinby Inlet
 
Alex F said:
Have anyone stayed at Ocean Marine Yacht Center? I've heard it's pretty good too and offers fuel discount.
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Yes, several times. Clean, good dock hands, and reasonable fuel prices. Walk into downtown Portsmouth or take the ferry over to Waterside.:thumb:
 
Alex F said:
How about these?

- Assawoman Inlet
- Gargathy Inlet
- Metompkin Inlet
- Wachapapreague Inlet
- Quinby Inlet
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I chicken out of those inlets but probably shouldn't...all of them are the "local knowledge type" because of the frequently shifted buoys not being charted.

Try one and le me know so I have a stopover on the way...:D
 
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psneeld said:
Try one and le me know so I have a stopover on the way...:D
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:lol:

I'm also conservative when it comes to things like this. Besides, some of these inlets may not be even covered by insurance. I know of inlets in LI area that are specifically excluded from some ins. coverage. To keep myself out of trouble, I pretend that I'm piloting a Queen Mary. :D

BTW, it looks like I'll just miss this event by couple of days.

Southbound Cruisers' Rendezvous - New Bern, Oct. 29-31

Waterway Cruising Guide | Cruising Guide News
 
Alex F said:
:lol:

I'm also conservative when it comes to things like this. Besides, some of these inlets may not be even covered by insurance. I know of inlets in LI area that are specifically excluded from some ins. coverage. To keep myself out of trouble, I pretend that I'm piloting a Queen Mary. :D

BTW, it looks like I'll just miss this event by couple of days.

Southbound Cruisers' Rendezvous - New Bern, Oct. 29-31

Waterway Cruising Guide | Cruising Guide News
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never heard of an inlet not being covered by insurance...
 
psneeld said:
never heard of an inlet not being covered by insurance...
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A friend of mine who keeps his boat on the South Shore of Long Island has it in his policy that Morriches inlet is excluded.

I guess it's a regional thing where a lot of claims were submitted for officially non-navigable inlet. The funniest thing is that when I was heading that way, I spoke with CG and they told me that this inlet is perfectly fine, even better than Fire Island inlet, which has heavy boat traffic.
 
Alex F said:
Hmm, interesting. I'm using BI all the time, but I've heard few stories. One was a trawler flipping on it's side. I guess the biggest difference is that I'm approaching the inlets while staying on plane and in more controlled fashion. I go off plane as soon as I'm between the jetties. Approaching the inlets at displacement speed definitely has it's challenges. The one of main things to keep in mind, once inside, is the make sharp turn to port (near the CG station) and follow the channel avoiding the big sandbar right at the mouth of the harbor. But, I guess you can clearly see it on the chart.


.
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My problem was that it was foggy, dark with 6' to 10' waves coming in as I was leaving. NO problem:nonono:, until I noticed that the depth was going from 10' to zero feet and I immediately understood that as soon as I hit a trough that bottoms my boat, it will crack like an egg.
I knew I was on the north side of the channel. So, do I go further north or go south??
But someone has to watch over fools and drunks, so at that moment of …:eek: I looked out into the darkness and fog, to see a fishing boat about 75’ on my starboard beam. I cranked that wheel over, added more power and got in behind him, just as he disappeared into the fog. I followed him on radar for another 20 minutes to make sure I was out of the inlet shoal. I didn’t turn until he did and at that point I turned on the AP and headed NE.:dance:
 
Oregon inlet bad, Beaufort inlet good. The sportfish captains are the only ones who can do Oregon inlet. Ocracoke inlet - meh.
 
Alex,
I’m currently living on my boat in North Myrtle Beach, right on the ICW. It’s a real nice place.

If you need a ride somewhere when you get here, or if you want any info, give me a call or drop me a line. I’ll be glad to help you if you need a crew for some of your passages. KJ
 
KJ,

Thank you very much for the offer. I really appreciate it.

Alex.
 
Hi guys, The more we think about the more we start realizing that Myrtle Beach might not be the best choice for the winter storage due to limited boating destinations within 20-30NM range.

I looked in to New Bern and based on the info I could find it seemed like a nice quint town, but on a smaller side. Considering the fact that not all our visits will be complimented by a nice weather we feel like keeping the boat near larger city would make more sense. I figure that if it's not a boating weather we could take advantage and tour the city while utilizing the boat as a condo, not to mention checking on the boat.

I'm trying to determine if Wilmington would be a better choice for us. Based on my preliminary research there are couple preferred local cruising destinations like Southport and Wrightsville. What you guys think, am I on the right track? Are there more local destinations that are worth visiting during the colder months? Unfortunately, cruising guide doesn't offer too much info.
 
Very interesting thread, we talked about doing this a couple of times, yet the boat always seems to be on the hard come December. Will be interested in how this turns out, all the best!
 
There is a new marina going up in downtown Wilmington called Port City Marina. It's scheduled to open this winter, but they are way behind schedule. It looks like it will be nice, but be careful. Wilmington is not the safest city. More than one person (we were one and there are several other posted on Cruisers Forum and/or CruisersNet.net) that have been boarded and robbed while they slept. Yes, that is a small percentage, but it needs to be noted. Remember, this is a major east coast port and there is a lot of shady business that goes on when there are good from around the world being offloaded.

Ben is now in Carolina Beach (struggling to get air out of his fuel system :blush:) in the same marina we used to keep Skinny Dippin' a couple of years back (Joyner Marina). It's a nice place, but it's run poorly. Still, it has all the appeal of the area without as much worry. It also has the added benefit of being in a beach community with lots of "family friendly" things to do.

One more thing to note about security in ILM is that a rep from the investment firm that is building the marina has been contacted by a LOT of people (us included) saying that security was the #1 concern they have about wanting to sign up there. It really surprised them. So much so, that the group has had to completely change direction on a few marketing points and are boasting 24-hour security as the #1 attribute of the place. These guys aren't boaters... just rich guys looking for their next infusion of cash that hired a marina building company to build them a marina. Take that at face-value. I hope they run it better than a lot of marinas we have stayed at before.
 
Marlinmike said:
Very interesting thread, we talked about doing this a couple of times, yet the boat always seems to be on the hard come December. Will be interested in how this turns out, all the best!
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike.

We dreamed about this for a long time as well and finally decided to pull the trigger. I'm tired of spending so much time winterizing and then spring recommissioning the boat. I really hope it works out with NC or SC, b/c the next move is going all the way to FL and Bahamas.

Tom.B said:
There is a new marina going up in downtown Wilmington called Port City Marina. It's scheduled to open this winter, but they are way behind schedule. It looks like it will be nice, but be careful. Wilmington is not the safest city. More than one person (we were one and there are several other posted on Cruisers Forum and/or CruisersNet.net) that have been boarded and robbed while they slept. Yes, that is a small percentage, but it needs to be noted. Remember, this is a major east coast port and there is a lot of shady business that goes on when there are good from around the world being offloaded.

Ben is now in Carolina Beach (struggling to get air out of his fuel system :blush:) in the same marina we used to keep Skinny Dippin' a couple of years back (Joyner Marina). It's a nice place, but it's run poorly. Still, it has all the appeal of the area without as much worry. It also has the added benefit of being in a beach community with lots of "family friendly" things to do.

One more thing to note about security in ILM is that a rep from the investment firm that is building the marina has been contacted by a LOT of people (us included) saying that security was the #1 concern they have about wanting to sign up there. It really surprised them. So much so, that the group has had to completely change direction on a few marketing points and are boasting 24-hour security as the #1 attribute of the place. These guys aren't boaters... just rich guys looking for their next infusion of cash that hired a marina building company to build them a marina. Take that at face-value. I hope they run it better than a lot of marinas we have stayed at before.
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Thanks for heads up, Tom. That doesn't make it attractive at all. Based on the reviews I saw at AC, the Bennett Brothers looks like a good candidate. I hope the issue is related to an isolated area/marina. I spoke with BB and they said that the marina is gated and their place is very safe with about 8 liveaboards. We're planning to pick couple of cities/marinas and go there to see them in person for ourselves. Based on what I'm reading, Wilmington looked like a good choice, but safety is one of the primary concerns. If anyone has any more info that would be great.
 
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Alex F said:
Thanks Mike.

We dreamed about this for a long time as well and finally decided to pull the trigger. I'm tired of spending so much time winterizing and then spring recommissioning the boat. I really hope it works out with NC or SC, b/c the next move is going all the way to FL and Bahamas.

Thanks for heads up, Tom. That doesn't make it attractive at all. Based on the reviews I saw at AC, the Bennett Brothers looks like a good candidate. I hope the issue is related to an isolated area/marina. I spoke with BB and they said that the marina is gated and their place is very safe with about 8 liveaboards. We're planning to pick couple of cities/marinas and go there to see them in person for ourselves. Based on what I'm reading, Wilmington looked like a good choice, but safety is one of the primary concerns. If anyone has any more info that would be great.
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Alex, I am in Wilmington as Tom said. Off to look at a house now, but I've looked at every marina. I will detail for you later tonight. Bennett is walking distance to nothing. Great yard though. More later.

Federal Point is great if you can stay more than 3 months.
 
Roger Alex... got it... thanks for the email...

et
 
Alex -

Here's my run down:

Carolina Beach

  1. Federal Point Yacht Club. - Nicest place, reasonable rates. Walking distance to chill out seaside restaurants in Carolina Beach. Dock master is a little overwhelmed or something. Make sure whatever you agree to is explicit, if not written down. PM me for detail if interested. Runs a little under $10/foot.
  2. Joyner - laid back. very chilled out. A little unmaintained. Neighbors are good, you won't be bothered too much. Good rates as well ~ $9/foot.
  3. Carolina State Park Marina - Open/close with park hours. Inconvenient. About $360 per month (my size, 35 foot)
Wrightsville Beach - Plan on about $16/foot here. We skipped.
Masonboro Marina (Yacht club?) $510 for 40 foot slip. We skipped.



Southport -

  1. Southport Marina is very nice and chilled out. Nice dock house. We looked, but farther away than we liked. $9-$10/foot. Met very friendly live-aboards there. Looks like a decent set of amenities.
  2. A few smaller marinas around Southport. Because we decided to be a little closer to Wilmington, we stopped looking there.
Wilmington

  1. Bennett Brothers. It's more a boatyard than marina. If you want to get boatwork done, this is a good place. If you want fun life, you need to drive a little, but not too far.
My only beef with Wilmington is it's a bit up the Cape Fear River and there's not many boating options without quite a trip down river. It's rustic on the Cape Fear. But Wilmington is car-close where Carolina Beach is a traffic-light peppered drive of about 15 miles.



Wilmington Airport flies direct to Philly, Washington Reagan, Atlanta, and Charlotte.



Points north of Wrightsville are remote areas. One Marina, Harbor Village Marina, is a nice place. Not sure how they do slips, but I've heard the management there can be prickly. Just general comments from others.

Cruisersnet.net has detailed information and pictures. They are a good reference.

Let me know if I can fill in further.


Ben
 
Ben said:
Alex -

Here's my run down:

Carolina Beach

  1. Federal Point Yacht Club. - Nicest place, reasonable rates. Walking distance to chill out seaside restaurants in Carolina Beach. Dock master is a little overwhelmed or something. Make sure whatever you agree to is explicit, if not written down. PM me for detail if interested. Runs a little under $10/foot.
  2. Joyner - laid back. very chilled out. A little unmaintained. Neighbors are good, you won't be bothered too much. Good rates as well ~ $9/foot.
  3. Carolina State Park Marina - Open/close with park hours. Inconvenient. About $360 per month (my size, 35 foot)
Wrightsville Beach - Plan on about $16/foot here. We skipped.
Masonboro Marina (Yacht club?) $510 for 40 foot slip. We skipped.



Southport -

  1. Southport Marina is very nice and chilled out. Nice dock house. We looked, but farther away than we liked. $9-$10/foot. Met very friendly live-aboards there. Looks like a decent set of amenities.
  2. A few smaller marinas around Southport. Because we decided to be a little closer to Wilmington, we stopped looking there.
Wilmington

  1. Bennett Brothers. It's more a boatyard than marina. If you want to get boatwork done, this is a good place. If you want fun life, you need to drive a little, but not too far.
My only beef with Wilmington is it's a bit up the Cape Fear River and there's not many boating options without quite a trip down river. It's rustic on the Cape Fear. But Wilmington is car-close where Carolina Beach is a traffic-light peppered drive of about 15 miles.



Wilmington Airport flies direct to Philly, Washington Reagan, Atlanta, and Charlotte.



Points north of Wrightsville are remote areas. One Marina, Harbor Village Marina, is a nice place. Not sure how they do slips, but I've heard the management there can be prickly. Just general comments from others.

Cruisersnet.net has detailed information and pictures. They are a good reference.

Let me know if I can fill in further.


Ben
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Ben,

Thanks a lot for your review. I keep hearing that Wilmington is not the safest place to keep my boat, so for that reason it goes down on my list of preferred places. I think of it now more like a weekend getaway place instead of winter home port.

I'd like to learn more about Southport as it seams like a good candidate, especially location wise.

Are you saying that Southport Marina is far from everything? We'll be coming there by car, so transportation is not an issue. But, I don't want to drive an hour one way to get to decent store or a restaurant, not to mention some kind of entertainment.
 
Alex F said:
Ben,

Thanks a lot for your review. I keep hearing that Wilmington is not the safest place to keep my boat, so for that reason it goes down on my list of preferred places. I think of it now more like a weekend getaway place instead of winter home port.

I'd like to learn more about Southport as it seams like a good candidate, especially location wise.

Are you saying that Southport Marina is far from everything? We'll be coming there by car, so transportation is not an issue. But, I don't want to drive an hour one way to get to decent store or a restaurant, not to mention some kind of entertainment.
Click to expand...

From that standpoint Southport is good. It's probably your best bet then. Southport marina is nice, good facilities, and we met friendly people there. We're in Carolina Beach at Joyner because of cost and shorter drive from Wilmington.
 
Alex,

We have weekended at Southport Marina. It is walking distance to town, shops, restaurants. Short drive to groceries and Walmart etc. The docks are really nice, knowledgeable dock workers. It is on our todo list for 2014 as well.

Wilmington is about 17miles upriver from Joyner/Carolina Beach if I remember correctly. Which would make it about 22 from Southport. It's the town's docks that the robberies happen at.

We don't have kiddos, but I would guess the short drive from Southport to the Southern NC beaches as well as to Myrtle Beach would be awesome for family fun. Also, down the ICW from Southport to Myrtle is a very easy 50 mile run behind Oak Island, Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle. You can also run outside from Cape Fear inlet to Little River inlet.

Good luck choosing. Two years ago it was warm enough to boat all winter. Last year not so much. Just depends on your cold tolerance really.

Bess
Skinny Dippin'
 
Besslb said:
Alex,

We have weekended at Southport Marina. It is walking distance to town, shops, restaurants. Short drive to groceries and Walmart etc. The docks are really nice, knowledgeable dock workers. It is on our todo list for 2014 as well.

Wilmington is about 17miles upriver from Joyner/Carolina Beach if I remember correctly. Which would make it about 22 from Southport. It's the town's docks that the robberies happen at.

We don't have kiddos, but I would guess the short drive from Southport to the Southern NC beaches as well as to Myrtle Beach would be awesome for family fun. Also, down the ICW from Southport to Myrtle is a very easy 50 mile run behind Oak Island, Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle. You can also run outside from Cape Fear inlet to Little River inlet.

Good luck choosing. Two years ago it was warm enough to boat all winter. Last year not so much. Just depends on your cold tolerance really.

Bess
Skinny Dippin'
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Bess, thanks for your feedback.

Based on our latest findings we look at the following as preliminary approach. It seems like the temps difference is minor between NC and SC and it would make sense for us to stay closer north to cut down on driving. We've narrowed down the New Bern, Oriental, Morehead City and Beauford, NC as the preferred area to use as a home port. Despite which location will be the final choice, we're looking to use the other ports as long weekend getaways. The prime time would be a trip during kids spring break and we thought that this would be a good opportunity to head down to area of Southport, Hampstead, Wrightsville, Wilmonghton and Myrtle Beach.

Does this sound like a good plan? Are we missing anything?

Currently, my biggest question is to find a most logical region to focus on and I'm debating between the two:

northern area - New Bern, Oriental, Morehead City and Beauford, NC
a bit more southern area - Southport, Hampstead, Wrightsville, Wilmonghton and Myrtle Beach.

We looked at the 3rd option, which was extending it toward the area of Georgetown, Charleston and Beaufort, SC, but we're not sure if it's worth the trouble, extra driving and expense to go extra 250-300 miles southbound. According to the AVG temps stats we were looking at only 3-6 degrees difference between Baufort NC and Beafort SC.

We're open for suggestions as this is the first time cruising any of the areas.
 
Besslb said:
...Wilmington is about 17miles upriver from Joyner/Carolina Beach if I remember correctly. Which would make it about 22 from Southport. It's the town's docks that the robberies happen at....
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Are there any areas/marinas in Wilmington that are considered "safe" (maybe further away from downtown), compare to the known trouble areas?
 
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Alex F said:
Are there any areas/marinas in Wilmington that are considered "safe" (maybe further away from downtown), compare to the known trouble areas?

I'm looking at marinas.com and Bridge Tender Marina looks decent. Creekside Yacht Club seems to be in more private area.
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I have stayed one night at Bridge Tender Marina. We were tied up where the dark hull boat is tied on their website picture. The restaurant was good, and very convenient. Some noise from the bridge traffic to and from the beach. On weekends and holidays it is a very active place. We were there on Memorial Day. Having run from Charleston that day I was too tired to be bothered by noise. There is allot happening in the whole area. Good access to Masonboro Inlet.
 
I'm trying to open up my options and also look further South in Charleston area. Are there any decent marinas there that go for around $10-$15 p/f monthly?

Does anyone know how's Ashlie's Marina?
 
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