Carolina Beach NC to Barefoot Landing SC  MM295.7

Underway at 8AM with no mishaps. Cooler this morning but no dew in the enclosure. NO SHORTS TODAY!  The sun is bright and warm and hopefully will get better.  "Another day on the waterway.”  What a night!  Not much sleep did the crew get while on anchor watch trying to keep Harmony out of harm’s way.  The morning looked great and we were under way out the cut to the ICW and into the Cape Fear River, with gusts up to 26 knots.  With white caps, the wind behind us and the jib up, we were doing 8.5 knots. We passed Dutchman’s Creek and Pipe line Canal, Southport, and Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge. 

There are some lovely homes all along the ICW in this area, and the piers stick out of the water about 10 to 15 feet in the air at low tide. Cruisers make a note: Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge is no longer a pontoon bridge, very sad; it was a sight to see in action.  Little River Bridge opened on demand and somehow we lost the gaggle.  We  came around a bend to Lockwood’s Folly and John at the helm said  “Is that guy aground?" Sure enough, he was aground--we took it very, very easy and managed to get though that 5 miles without doing the same.  

Coming down the homestretch we had the sun in our eyes; very hard to see even with 3 pairs of eyes.  What a long strenuous day--68 miles!  We went thru the Barefoot Landing Bridge and finally landed at Barefoot Landing Marina; the dock master was waiting for us.  I had cocktails and dip waiting for the guys and we relaxed for a few, showered and had dinner at the local restaurant.  Guy’s laundry was washing while we ordered and ate dinner and we all crashed early, exhausted.