Sep/Oct 2007 - Carolina Currents by Carolina Currents

September/ October 2007

Current Destination:

Cape Fear

Is Diamond Shoals Haunted? Wilmington Riverfest

Neuse River Basin

Marina Growth Carolinas Sweep Up

Georgetown Wooden Boat Show

RI-044 NC boating Mag cover

8/13/07

5:45 PM

Page 1

When the Governor returned three years later, the settlement was abandoned. But today the adventure, history and family fun live on. Step aboard the Elizabeth II, explore the Settlement Site, Adventure Museum, films, performances, gallery, Museum Store and more. Manteo, 5 miles from Nags Head. Open daily. (252) 475-1500. w w w. r o a n o k e i s l a n d . c o m

Current Contents

Features 6 8 9 15 19 20 22 26 27 28

The Sailor’s Life: Gone Cruising (Finally) The Pickle Dish: Miller Time Again at US Sailing Special Feature: Neuse River Basin Marina Growth Current Destination: Exploring Haunts of Cape Fear Cruising Through: Dancing Across the Waters with Saeta Georgetown Wooden Boat Show Preview Portal to the Past: Is Diamond Shoals Haunted? Wilmington Riverfest Preview Casting About: Reeling in the Mahis

Feature Coverage This Issue: Dismal Swamp, 21 New Bern, 24 Neuse River, 9 Diamond Shoals, 26 Bald Head Island, 15

Wilmington, 27 Hartwell Lake, 24

Georgetown, 23 Charleston, 8

Coming Next Issue (Nov/Dec ’07) • • • • •

Currently Aweigh: A Cruising Adventure Ends…for Now

Holiday Gift Guide NEW! Hard Aground with Eddie Jones Current Destination: Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Joshua Slocum in the Carolinas Classifieds Space Deadline: Sept. 25

On the Cover

Dawn at Whittaker Creek, just off the Neuse River where marina developments are expanding as outlined in our special feature on page 9. Photo by Jo Lucey.

We pay for cover shots - e-mail us with your hi-res digital photos! The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

Departments 4 5 7 18 21 24 25 25 27 29

Publisher’s Ponderings Current News Mail Buoy Current Calendar Regatta Roundup Club Corner EcoBoating Cool Products and Book Reviews Emily Coast Brokerage/Business Directory/Classifieds

Name Address US to Carolina Currents addresses only • $15/year (6 issues) Starting Issue? • $25/two years (12 issues) Encl. $ Check Money Order (252) 671-2654 Giftif applicable message www.CarolinaCurrents.com

PO Box 1090, Oriental NC 28571 Send check/money order payable to “Carolina Currents” or pay securely online using our Paypal account: Rob@carolinacurrents.com September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 3

Publisher’s Ponderings Catch Up with the Currents Crew

t costs a bit more, but we like to produce a top-notch magazine packed with relevant stories and illustrated with color photos that pop off the page. We think you’re worth it. It’s a matter of pride and also reflects well on our advertisers who are marketing high quality products and services. We also pay our freelance writers (apart from self-promoting public relations submissions). While we were cruising prior to launching this project, I tried my hand at freelance writing. I know the frustration of submitting stories to longestablished regional boating magazines and getting nothing in return. The glory of my byline was deemed reward enough. There is even a well-known national sailing magazine that owes me for a major feature story they ran more than a year ago. So we pay our writers soon after each issue hits the docks. It isn’t a lot, but it is something for their efforts and we hope the amount will grow as the magazine grows. Since we have our own publishing empire, you might think we have a highincome lifestyle. We wish it were so! We published our first three issues from the chart table on our boat hoping each day the wireless Internet signal would behave and our cell phone wouldn’t drop too many important calls. Now we’ve moved ashore to a humble home office. National boating magazines may have high-dollar advertisers and large teams huddled in shiny high-rise offices writing, designing, selling, producing and distributing each issue. The Carolina Currents crew includes me, my wife Jo, many news and story contributors, one part-time ad sales rep (although we’re recruiting more!), our web designer and - our most recent hire - chief morale officer Bonny (see photo). We’ve had a great response to our first year in print. Some loyal advertisers have helped us stay afloat to avoid the fate of two-thirds of start-up magazines. We’re particularly grateful to our local supporters in and around Oriental, the Sailing Capital of North Carolina. Come visit this great boating town if you’re headed to the coast!

4 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

We have a growing subscriber base across 15 states, and we thank those readers for that support, however most of our distribution remains free. We load up a rental truck and our rusty company mini van to personally deliver 25,000 copies to hundreds of marinas, clubs, ship’s stores and other nautical spots across the Carolinas. We mail to dozens of locations that aren’t on our route. Most magazines are gone by the time we return two months later with the next issue, so we’re pretty certain they’re getting picked up and we hope read. We grab any surplus to give away at boat shows. We know people like “free.” We do too. It’s only natural. If you’d like to keep reading this magazine for free, we’d appreciate you showing your support by letting our advertisers know that you saw their ad. And if you’re in the market for a boat, or haul-out, or waterfront home or meal or anything else nautical, please take the time to review what our advertisers have to offer. And be sure to let them know it’s (even in part) because of their ad. Doesn’t that sound fair? Perhaps then we’ll be able write ourselves a paycheck one day. (So far each of our underpaid freelance writers have made more than we have.) Meanwhile, enjoy this issue. We feature Cape Fear as our Current Destination (p. 15) and look at the ghost ship of the outer banks in our Portal to the Past (p. 26) - yes, it’s a Halloween theme. In an in-depth article we explore the rampant marina growth of one small bit of the coast: the Neuse River basin could see a doubling of boat slips on the market in the next few years (p. 9). Plus we have our usual line up of cruising, fishing, racing, waterway news and club stories. As well as our print magazine, we have an active website with additional features, news and stories. Be sure to bookmark www.carolinacurrents.com and visit often. Our online classifieds are a new feature. They’re free for items selling for under $100 and start at just $10 for pricier items. Enjoy and, as always, let us know how we’re doing!

PO Box 1090, Oriental NC 28571 Office (252) 745-6507 • Cell (252) 671-2654 www.CarolinaCurrents.com EDITORIAL EDITOR/PUBLISHER Rob Lucey, Rob@CarolinaCurrents.com SOUTH CAROLINA EDITOR Will Haynie, willh@thepickledish.com ART DIRECTOR/OFFICE MANAGER Jo Lucey WEBSITE DESIGN AND HOSTING John T. Beresford CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dave Corbett CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Phillip Reid, Earl Beard, Thrum Cap, Jeannette Pucella, Ed Sherman, Frank Papy, Geoff Bowlin, Elizabeth D. Knotts, Emily Coast, Gadget Girl CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ART Sylvia Galloway, Walter Cooper, Jeannette Pucella, Claudette Massey ADVERTISING For advertising information, call, e-mail Advertising@CarolinaCurrents.com or visit our website for our media kit and rate sheet. COPYRIGHT 2007 Reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly prohibited without prior written consent of the publisher. Carolina Currents is published bimonthly and is distributed free at more than 300 marine establishments in the Carolinas. E-mail Info@CarolinaCurrents.com if your organization would like to be added to our distribution list. Subscription available for $15 per year ($25 for two years); back issues are available for $3. Checks or money orders payable to Carolina Currents, or use a credit card online using our Rob@carolinacurrents.com Paypal account. For news stories e-mail News@CarolinaCurrents.com; letters to Letters@ CarolinaCurrents.com; club corner updates to info@CarolinaCurrents.com. For story or photo contributions, go to www.CarolinaCurrents.com/guidelines. php for our submissions guidelines. This magazine is proudly printed in Easley, S.C. on paper with recycled content. Please give to another boater or recycle after use. www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Current

Submit News by e-mail to News@CarolinaCurrents.com. Please include your phone number for verification. For complete News coverage, visit www.CarolinaCurrents.com.

Tour Boats Part I: Run Over Laser CHARLESTON, S.C. - U.S. Coast Guard officials were investigating a July 22 collision in which a 102-foot, 97ton tourist-filled vessel heading for Fort Sumter ran over a Laser sailboat preparing for a race. Joel Lambinus saw the Spirit of Charleston bearing down and jumped in the harbor to swim out of its path. He spent the rest of the day in the hospital being treated for bumps and scrapes.

Tour Boats Part II: Weathering Storms GEORGETOWN, S.C. - The Coast Guard is conducting a routine investigation after passengers of the Jolly Rover tour boat complained about a July 20 trip that was hit by a squall, causing the schooner to heel heavily. None of the 28 passengers were injured, but two of them said the boat was handled unsafely.

Tour Boats Part III: The Grounding HILTON HEAD, S.C. - Twenty-two tour passengers aboard the former America’s Cup racer Stars and Stripes, once skippered by Dennis Conner, had to disembark onto private vessels when the 64-foot sloop ran aground near Harbour Town Marina July 10. No injuries were reported and the boat floated off with the high tide. Coast Guard Escorting Subs KINGS BAY, Ga. - If you’re cruising through Cumberland Sound at the border of Georgia and Florida, watch for a new escort for nuclear submarines in the area. The Coast Guard commissioned Maritime Force Protection Unit Kings Bay July 24.

Fortson Returns to Hero’s Welcome HARTWELL LAKE, S.C. - Western Carolina Sailing Club Board of Stewards member Travis Fortson, 32, was hit by a jack-knifed tractor-trailer while helping another motorist on July 9. His right leg was later amputated. The 1997 graduate of The Citadel and Melges 24 sailor returned home to a hero’s welcome one month later. The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

Hunt On for Early Spanish Wreck GEORGETOWN, S.C. - State Underwater Archeologist Chris Amer’s team was searching Winyah Bay recently for what might have been the first European shipwreck in North America. One of six Spanish ships in a 1526 expedition headed by Lucas Vazquez de Allyon, the vessel hit a sand bar in a storm while trying to get into the bay.

Courtesy Sylvia Galloway

Lake Levels Hitting New Lows By mid-August, Carolina lake levels had reached the lowest they’ve been in years as rainfall levels statewide were 50 to 75 percent below normal, creating navigation challenges as previously submerged hazards emerged. Counties surrounding North Carolina’s largest inland water body, Lake Norman, have been asked to reduce water use. Norman was 2.3 feet below its average summertime levels.

Charleston sailor Joel Lambinus examines the damage to his Laser after it was run over by a tour boat

Boating Author Brogdon Dies CAPE CARTERET, N.C. - Retired Coast Guard Captain and marine writer Bill Brogdon died May 3 at the age of 72. Brogdon, a resident of Cape Carteret, N.C., had commanded ships ranging from a 180-foot buoy tender to a 378-foot cutter during his 30-year Coast Guard career. He penned more than 350 magazine articles and authored the book “Boat Navigation for the Rest of Us” published by International Marine. Hoax Radio Caller Sought SURF CITY, N.C. - The Coast Guard is seeking information regarding a June 21 bomb threat to the Surf City, N.C., swing bridge, which prompted a massive response from federal, state and local officials. An explosives team swept the bridge and a nearby tug and barge but found nothing. The call was presumed a hoax. Call (252)247-4570 with any information.

Pull Over When You See Blue Lights RALEIGH, N.C. – A new “move-over” law for waterways is now in effect for boaters in North Carolina. Boaters approaching within 100 feet of a law enforcement vessel displaying flashing blue lights must slow

down to a no-wake speed and use caution in passing. The distance is reduced to 50 feet in narrow channels. Violators are subject to fines up to $250.

Clean Water Grants Awarded WASHINGTON, N.C. - Thirteen organizations nationwide received $25,000 in Clean Water Grants from the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Washington, N.C. won a grant to print and distribute postcards for reporting marine debris. The Lake Lanier Association from Gainesville, Ga., won funds for “Do Not Litter” signs and a radio public service announcement.

Two Carolinians Take Command Cmdr. Laura M. Dickey took command of the New Jersey-based Coast Guard Cutter Dependable in June, and Lt. Wayne Wallace took command of Maryland-based Cutter James Rankin in July. The two North Carolina natives were both based in Charleston before their promotions. American Marine Drops Hunter ZEBULON, N.C. - North Carolina is between Hunter dealers since Dave Condon of American Marine and Sail Supply dropped his franchise in July, choosing to focus on mid-sized and trailerable boats in his Catalina and Precision lines. He’d been a top Hunter dealer since 1989.

Shem Creek Goes Dockominium CHARLESTON, S.C. - Atlantic Marina Holdings, LLC has begun a series of renovations to convert Shem Creek marina into dockominiums. Active tenants were given the first right of refusal on purchase before 200 drystack slips became available to the public priced up to $75,000. Deaton Brokers Certified ORIENTAL, N.C. - Rich Gahan and Jack Coulter of Deaton Yachts earned the Certified Professional Yacht Broker designation. Recipients must have a minimum of three years experience as a fulltime yacht broker, pledge to uphold the yacht broker code of ethics and pass a three-hour exam.

Chris-Craft Comes to Carolinas KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. - Floridabased Chris-Craft announced in July that it would be opening a second production facility just west of Charlotte. The 215,000square-foot facility on 85 acres will be used to build yachts from 33 to 40 feet. September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 5

The Sailor’s Life

g n i s i u r C (Finally) e n o G “G

one Cruising” the sheet of paper read in thick red letters whenever I opened my desk drawer at work and shoved aside the pens and pencils. I’d taped it there on a particularly stressful day when my dream of escape held the most appeal. The sign became a talisman - my motivation when I wondered why I was working. Conceptually, the act of quitting the daily grind and sailing away on a boat holds broad appeal, but few take the steps to actually reach that goal. When I finally moved my slightly tattered sign from the bottom of the desk to my office door, the most frequent comment I heard was a jealous, “I wish I could do that.” In truth, most people probably don’t. Few really want to leave cushy homes and cable TV to bounce from place to place like a gypsy in a leaky piece of fiberglass enclosing a fraction of the living space to which they are accustomed. For most, an office calendar with pretty pictures of tropical lagoons is as close as they will ever get. But if life on a boat is really your dream, you can start today to work toward making it your reality. Put that sign in the bottom of your drawer and get started with the general guidelines below. Some people who already have a boat can just skip to the final step. Others need to take the first step and march through to the end: 1. Adjust your dream to your reality. If your budget only allows you to afford a small boat, then go cruising in a small boat. Today, the trend is for bigger and bigger. Our 38-footer was a large boat when it was built in 1979, but we felt like a dinghy in some parts of south Florida. People have crossed oceans in 25-footers. We saw some people living aboard 20-footers. If you find that being out of sight of land terrifies you, maybe your reality involves a cabin on a lake with a Sunfish so you can explore every cove and fishing hole. It’s just a different kind of cruising. 2. Get your boat. When I decided I might like to sail off into the sunrise, I hunted for the perfect boat. For me, “perfect” was an older, sturdy seaworthy craft. Adjust your specs and budget to fit your cruising goals. 3. Set a timetable. I bought my boat

6 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

By Rob Lucey

with a five-year loan. If I could pay off the loan and save enough money for minimal living expenses in five years, I’d be gone. If you need to learn more about boating, include classes in your schedule. Include increasingly long practice trips aboard your boat. Include steps to dispose of or store your non-essential belongings. For some, the timetable will include retirement before cruising. For us, our cruise was a sabbatical and chance to reassess our careers. Countless older cruisers told us, “I wish we’d done this when we were your age.” 4. Be flexible. My five-year plan changed significantly when I got married. Luckily Jo shared my vision. We sold my “Few really want to leave cushy homes and cable TV to bounce from place to place like a gypsy in a leaky piece of fiberglass”

32-foot sloop and combined resources to get our Morgan 38. It also added two years to my timeframe, but it was worth the adjustment to have a partner aboard. 5. Prioritize your boat work. Make a list of all the upgrades and maintenance tasks that you’d like to do and then ruthlessly highlight the ones that you must do. Our list spilled over to a second page, but some of the highlighted items are still on the list, even after we’ve been gone and back again. 6. Set a budget. Perhaps this should be step one, but budgets are more flexible than people think and the amount of work needed on your boat can significantly affect your budget. It makes little sense to sail into the cruising lifestyle in debt, but you shouldn’t need a fortune either. Shoot for socking a year’s salary away in the cruising

kitty and you should be able to sail for a few years. Two year’s salary is even better. 7. Prioritize again. Many decisions must be made. If you own a house, will you sell it to fund your new floating home, or keep it in case the dream becomes a nightmare? If you keep it, will it sit empty or be rented? You might think you need a new car, but the old one can limp along until you’re ready to leave and then you will probably sell it anyway. Stop buying new work clothes now. You’re just going to cut those slacks off for shorts and use the shirts for engine rags in another year or two anyway. 8. Move aboard. I’d lived aboard before, so I knew the adjustments needed for boat life. With our second boat, we spent most weekends aboard working our way down the project checklist. Still, it was a big change when we finally moved aboard. 9. Quit work. For many, this is the best part. Pull that sign out of your drawer and stick it on the door. These days, however, some cruisers keep a toe in the work world as consultants or freelancers via the Internet. Some take part-time jobs along the way to replenish the cruising kitty as needed. Many find a dose of work now and then keeps the cruising lifestyle fresh and interesting. 10. Just go. For some, tossing off those mooring lines the last time is the hardest step. They’ve made friends in the marina. They’re comfortable with the shore power cord plugged in. And there are still those things on the work list. After we moved aboard fulltime, it took us three months to cross enough items off the list before deciding we’d done enough preparation. But cruising is about the journey. Seeing new places, meeting new people and overcoming the obstacles to get there are what make the lifestyle an adventure and growing experience. Maybe, along with the sign in the desk drawer, we should have had one in our chart table to hang on the piling when we left the slip: “Finally Gone Cruising.” Editor’s Note: For those embarking on the cruising lifestyle, a great opportunity to mingle with kindred spirits is the NC Gam held Oct. 24-27 in New Bern. Visit www.ncgam.com for details. www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Mail Buoy – Your Letters on Boating in the Carolinas

Submit Letters at www.carolinacurrents.com or by e-mail to Letters@CarolinaCurrents.com. Please include your phone number, which we won’t publish. We may edit for space. Theft Casts Pall on Cruise As a decades long cruiser of the North Carolina coast I’d like to share two recent episodes that made me wonder whether the areas I like to frequent have turned, shall we say, less friendly. On a two week vacation in June, my first stop was Ocracoke where I tied up to the park service docks and had a brand new Mercury 3.3 horsepower outboard stolen right off the stern pulpit. I know. I should have locked it up. But this was Ocracoke, one of my favorite places on the planet. Not only did it sour me on Ocracoke, cost me a bunch of money, cause me to re-evaluate my vacation since I no longer had dinghy power except oars, I also found that nobody makes lightweight outboards anymore because they’ve all gone to four stroke. Now motors weigh 40 pounds - a lot when you’re 60 and trying to lift it onto an eight foot dinghy from the stern of the big boat. So, I left Ocracoke for Beaufort and tied up at the town dock. And somebody jumped on the back of my boat at 11:30 p.m. the first night. I yelled and he got off. The dockmaster said it was probably a drunk. I think it was someone trying to steal my dinghy. In any event, it was trespass, if not breaking and entering. Before I left Raleigh I wondered if I should get a bike lock for the motor. Or take a pistol for protection. Nah, I decided. Well, now I’m re-evaluating things and want my fellow boaters to be aware what they may be getting into as well. Dudley Price Raleigh, N.C. We hate to hear about crime on the waterways. We, too, felt secure enough to leave our dinghy unlocked in Ocracoke, although we’ll think twice next time. And we know from experience abroad the kind of fright a night boarder can cause. It’s sad to hear of it happening in Beaufort, N.C. ~Editor Another New Subscriber Just got back from an ICW cruise on my boat from Charleston to Bald Head and had the pleasure of reading your magazine for the first time, July/August issue. Start my one-year subscription to Carolina Currents with September/October. Can’t believe I haven’t seen this before, great information and extremely useful. Take care, G. Lynn Derrick Columbia, S.C. Welcome aboard! Glad you found us. Be sure to tell all of your boating buddies to keep an eye out for us. ~ Editor Online Links I’m glad to have added a Carolina Currents link to the Hilton Head Plantation Yacht Club website. Very impressive magazine! Chuck Fay HHPYC Webmaster We appreciate it Chuck. We’ve linked to all of the yacht and sailing clubs in the Carolinas and Georgia on our website. Any reciprocal links are always welcome. ~Editor

ADVERTISING

WORKS!

“That advertisment was phenomenal. We got so many calls it blew us out of the water. We had to refer people to our competition.” Nancy Falcone, InDepth Diving Services “We have sent several Hoops to your area - all from your exposure. Thank you!” Ron Gorrell, Hurricane Hoops

Here’s what our advertisers have to say! Call us at (252)745-6507 The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

Committed to the Carolinas We are specialists dedicated exclusively to marine loans. Whether you’re considering a new purchase or refinancing your current boat, Trident Funding is ready to provide the loan that is right for you.

300 E. Front St. Ste. A New Bern, NC 29560 (252) 571-0961 • e-mail lkemppainen@tridentfunding.com

Lynda Schulze Kemppainen

David Aldrich 22 Grace Park, Beaufort, SC 29906

Ad Pr na i l o r a ©C

(843) 368-1103 • e-mail daldrich@tridentfunding.com

(800) 281-9639 • www.tridentfunding.com

Dawson Creek

New Exclusive Waterfront Community

Minutes from Oriental

club house tennis

Homesites

swimming pool boat launch

from

$59,900

boat slips

Coastal Marketing & Development Company 1 800 566 5263 www.boatingproperty.com September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 7

The Pickle Dish Regatta Action and People Across the Carolinas

Miller Time Again at US Sailing ne week Charleston sailor Michael Miller might be found teaching sailing students in the familiar waters of Charleston Harbor on a summer afternoon. The next, he may have traveled thousands of miles to a foreign port to compete at the highest level in an international regatta. As a member of the US Sailing Team in the 470 class, Miller crews with skipper Justin Law as one of the top three 470 class teams in the United States, and they have their eye on qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in China. Only one team from the United States in each class of sailboats goes to the Olympics. “The winner, the team that gets to go to the Olympics, usually comes from those top three,” Miller says. “The US Sailing Team is somewhat of a forerunner to the Olympic team, so as members what is provided for us is some coaching, the cost of container shipping our boat and equipment abroad, and a small stipend - a very small stipend.” A portion of all our US Sailing dues helps provide some of this support for US Sailing Team members like Michael. Michael first came to Charleston from his native Virginia as a member of the College of Charleston’s national powerhouse sailing team. As it has with many sailors, Charleston’s charm and vibrant sailing community enticed him to stay. Now in his 30s, he was previously on the US Sailing Team prior to the Athens Olympic Games, but thought he’d “retired” from sailing in the 470 class. “Justin had arranged to sail with an Australian crew in the 2005 Worlds in San Francisco, but he found out very late that the

MARINA & Full Service Boat Yard UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Formerly Minnesott Beach Yacht Basin Painting, Gelcoat, Rigging Carpentry, Mechanical & Electrical

• 70 Years Combined Experience • 60 Ton Travel Lift • Wet/Dry Storage to 60 ft.

Stop-by or Call

(252) 249-0200

or e-mail: twm@WayfarersCove.com Arapahoe, NC on the Neuse River

8 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

rules don’t allow people from different countries to sail together in the Worlds,” Miller says. “So I got a last minute call, looked in my closet, and lo and behold my trapeze harness and all my 470 gear was still packed and ready to go. All I needed was a plane ticket and I was there.” They finished well enough to make the US team, got along well, and Law asked Miller if he’d like to keep going. In July, they competed in Cascais, Portugal, in the 2007 Combined World Championships, which were a tune-up and national qualifier for all Olympic classes. “In sailing, the Olympics are not open,” Miller explains. “The countries send their best teams and the top 28 nations qualify.” Twenty nations qualified at the 2007 Worlds, and the remaining eight will be decided at next year’s Worlds in Melbourne, Australia. Besides his obvious sailing talent, Miller is also talented at capturing in writing the excitement and emotion of competing at the world class level. His friends and supporters receive regular e-mail updates from him while he’s competing overseas. One of his messages from Cascais contained this descriptive paragraph: “We got our 25 knots (of wind), up the first leg, then we got 30 across the top reach and down the first half of the run. Bottom of the run it died to 20-25 and we went back to ‘normal mode’ only to round a tight gate with eight boats and 10-foot waves. I’m not really sure what happened. I was pulling the spinnaker into the bag with the light feeling in my stomach like freefall and just hoping not to hear a crunch as the traffic was intense. Looking up I saw two upside down boats, two marks, and had no clue what to do. We made a sharp turn, I kept my hands (only) on the boat and stayed clear of the gybing boom. Pulling myself back in I surmised we had rounded one of the marks and were feebly attempting to race upwind but were swamped and I needed to get on the wire quickly and did.” On the local sailing scene, Michael has been sailing as tactician on Steve Kopf ’s Charleston-based Melges 24 Blur, competing in the Melges 24 Southeast Inland Championships on Lake Lanier, Charleston Race Week, and the Charleston Ocean Racing Association Summer Series. Miller, Kopf, and co-owner Tom Hall competed in the E Scow Nationals in Charleston in June. And if that weren’t enough, he says, “Once a year, I go back to racing a Laser, which I grew up sailing, so I can coach myself and win or lose by myself as skipper. Besides, the Laser is a physical boat and it helps me take out any frustrations remaining from being the tactician for other skippers.” Michael Miller points out that being on the US Sailing Team isn’t all glamour and international travel. “There’s also the logistical side,” he says. “We all have to be able to maintain a life. But we have to have work that is flexible enough to allow us to be gone a week here, two weeks there, sometimes an entire month. So I work, teach sailing lessons, and coach sailing. We have to be able to pay the rent somehow.” Walter Cooper/Courtesy US Sailing

By Will Haynie

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Neuse River Basin Marina Growth Number of Area Boat Slips Projected to Double within the Next Few Years

By Rob Lucey

RIENTAL, N.C. - Between new mega marinas linked to housing developments and expansions of existing marinas, one of the most popular boating areas of the Carolinas could see the number of boat slips on the market double within the next five years. The wide lower Neuse River and adjoining Bay River basins connect the historic city of New Bern with Oriental, known as the Sailing Capital of North Carolina. With plentiful gunkholes and small town destinations from Ocracoke to Beaufort an easy daysail away via the rivers, sounds and intersecting Intracoastal Waterway, these waters provide ample diversions for boaters. Developers have discovered these charms and are parsing up remaining waterfront property into new subdivisions marketed to boaters. And when there isn’t enough waterfront, the larger developers are digging out upland basins to meet the demand for boat slips.

Double the Boat Slips There are approximately 2,326 slips in the existing marinas on the Neuse and Bay Rivers and their tributaries. If all of their permits are granted and funding comes through, in the next five years developers hope to add another 2,672 wet slips - plus more than 1,000 drystack slips (see table and chart). Four projects alone, all associated with large-scale housing developments, will account for more than half of the new slips: • River Dunes on the outskirts of

Estimated Growth in Neuse River Marina Wet Slips by Decade 4998

5000

4000 3558 3000 Existing 2326 2037

2000 1484 1000 479 40 0 1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Oriental with 90 slips already built and 310 more permitted. • Arlington Place with initial plans for 250 wet slips, 350 dry slips and room for possible future expansion. • Cutter Bay with plans for 10 day slips on Trent Creek and a 120-slip marina on a 52-acre manmade lake with additional dry boat storage. • A fourth development between Oriental and New Bern seeks permission to build a 600-slip upland marina, but declined to comment on the record until their permits are granted. Developers are betting that the demand from retirees and others flocking to the mid-coast will soak up the new supply of boat slips, and many existing marina

moguls agree. “I think boat slips are like gold,” says Allen Propst, owner of Mariner Realty Inc., who is marketing Whittaker Harbor, a 66-acre development with community docks on the last large tract of Oriental’s long-popular Whittaker Creek. Landon Winstead, manager of Sea Harbour Yacht Club on Pierce Creek in Oriental, agrees. “The market for slips here has seen significant appreciation in the past few years,” he says, noting that some large slips have sold for $150,000 recently.

Boom Spans the Neuse The sheltered Trent River waters at New Bern were developed with Bridge Pointe Marina and the Sheraton Hotel’s Skysail Yacht Club, both of which have plans to sell off boat slips as part of new condominium projects. One developer who asked to remain unnamed hopes to squeeze a 150-slip public marina into a recently acquired piece of property, pending permits. Meanwhile, a couple of developers are adding marinas directly on the exposed shoreline of the wide Neuse: River Station is pre-selling docks up to 60 feet in length at $2,000 a foot in a 46-slip marina to go with a 17-home development; and Galley Stores convenience and grocery store located just north of Union Park already has 400 feet of day docks around a new waterfront restaurant building with plans to add 32 boat slips inside a breakwater. Half will be leased and the other half will be reserved for transients.

Port Vandemere Yacht Club www.portvandemere.com

252-249-3030

Take advantage of pre-development pricing 50 foot boat slip and 1/2 acre lot $159,900 The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 9

Neuse River Basin Marina Growth Current and Planned Neuse Area Marina Slips

Marina Name

Phone

Current Slips Wet

Dry

Yr. Blt.

1. Arlington Place Marina

(800)967-7639

2. Blackbeard Sailing Club Mar.

(252)633-3990

159

1990

3. Bridge Pointe Marina

(252)637-7372

125

1997

4. Bridgeton Harbor

(252)670-4662

Proposed Slips Wet

250

5. Cutter Bay

(704)622-9899

6. Deaton Yacht Servce

(252)249-1180

1980

7. Duck Creek Small Boat Hbr.

(252)638-1702

1979

8. Ensign Harbor/WYTC

(252)249-0823

1988

1968

9. Galley Stores

(252)633-4648 (252)249-1304

2006

11. Hancock Marina

(252)466-3620

12. Hurricane Harbor Marina

(252)745-5483

2002

13. Matthews Point Marina

(252)638-3585

106

1987

14. Neuse Harbor Marine

(252)636-2377

15. Northwest Creek Marina

(252)638-4133

268

1980s

16. Oriental Harbor Marina

(252)249-3783

110

2003

17. Oriental Plantation

(910)233-2699

30 1998

Unknown 2008

2008

250

2008

100

Appl. Prmt.

(252)249-2532

119 32

20. Port Vandemere Yacht Club

(252)249-3030

21. River Bend

(252)636-5701

102

22. River Dunes

(252)249-4908

23. Rivershore Marina

(239)541-1372

200

24. River Station

(877)638-5063

25. Sailcraft Marina

(252)249-2959

1977

26. Sea Harbour Yacht Club

(252)249-0808

1972

27. Skysail Yacht Club (Sheraton)

(252)638-3585

250

(252)876-1117 (252)637-3347

30. Wayfarers Cove

(252)249-0200

120

1980s

31. Whittaker Creek Yacht Hbr.

(252)249-0666

160

1970s

32. Whittaker Pointe and Marina

(252)249-1750

2005

Small marinas (20 or fewer slips)

Various

179

Off the Record Plans

Various

TOTALS COLOR KEY:

310

200

Add As Req. 400

Unknown

200

Late 2008

2008

25 30 785

2326 Current Marina

2010

(252)249-2670

28. Sunset Yacht Harbor

120

18. Pecan Grove

29. Tidewater Marine Co.

2008

19. Point Marina

2007

350

Status

160 130

10. Green Bay Marina

Dry

Current Marina, Plans to Expand

2672

1070 New/Future Marina

With little waterfront left to develop, eyes are being cast across the Highway 17 bridge where the sleepy town of Bridgeton has received a wakeup call. “If I had 50 more slips I think I could fill them up,” says Raymond Benton, longtime owner of the 52-slip Duck Creek Small Boat Harbor, currently the only marina in Bridgeton. Benton, 87, says he’s had offers to buy his business, but he plans to hold onto it and has no room to expand. Just down the creek, however, a decades-old empty boat basin was recently sold to Realmark Development in Florida. Developer Frank Efird Sr. who sold the property with 500 adjoining acres of property, says the basin named Rivershore Marina is permitted for 200 wet slips and another 400 dry slips. Realmark is owned by Will Stout, a former condo king from Georgia who retired to Florida and ended up purchasing a few Sunshine State marinas. Some of those projects include high-rise housing projects. Two other projects are in the works for Bridgeton, and a third property on the market is described as having “feasibility of a marina with 254 slips.” Developers of one seven-acre site upstream of the railroad bridge, Sunset Yacht Harbor and Yacht Club, had begun advertising pre-sales in May for their 200 wet and 200 dry slips with prices ranging from $60,000 to $151,250. But in August the partners, John Roberts of New Bern and Jeff Newton of Raleigh, said a financing snag jeopardized the project. Meanwhile David Moffat, owner of Neuse Harbour Marine boatyard just down the river, is developing big plans for the former home of San Jan 21 trailer sailers. He currently has no docks, but has applied

ORIENTAL’S POINT OF REFERENCE Slip Sales and Rentals

Whittaker Pointe and Marina

Call Henry Frazer 252-249-1750 10 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

COLOR KEY:

Current Marina, No Change........... Current Marina, Plans to Expand.. New/Future Marina...........................

2 2 2

Note: Marina numbers shown are taken from table opposite

Vandemere

12 28 4 Bridgeton 24 14 New Bern 9 7 27 23 3 29

5 Whortonsville

15 2

19 22 W IC

26 17 Oriental 31 6 10 1625 32 18

1 30 21 11 13

for permits to build a breakwater and 250 slips in the next year, if all goes to plan. “If I had 200 slips right now, I could rent them all,” he predicts.

NOAA Charts 11552 and 11548 showing the Neuse River from New Bern to the Pamlico Sound. DO NOT USE FOR NAVIGATION.

Big Projects in Small Towns The popularity of the New Bern and Oriental waterfronts is spilling over into other small towns. Port Vandemere Yacht Club with a planned 64-slip public marina,

sit i V “Historic City on the Neuse”

New Bern

Clearing the CAMA Permit Hurdle

Before a new marina is built in the 20 coastal counties of North Carolina, developers must attain a Coastal Area Management Act permit from the N.C. Division of Coastal Management. This step alone can be a deal-breaker for projects. Passed in 1974 by the North Carolina General Assembly, the CAMA legislation defined Areas of Environmental Concern and set regulations for their development. With the Neuse basin ranked at No. 8 on the American Rivers organization’s list of most endangered rivers this year, ensuring that development remains in harmony with nature is essential to prevent further degradation. Henry Frazer, owner of Sailcraft and Whittaker Pointe marinas in Oriental, said properly managed marinas aren’t the environmental threat that activists once thought. “The docks actually provide structure for oysters and habitat for fish,” Frazer says. “I’ve never seen as many fish in Whittaker Creek as there are now.” Smaller housing projects that include marinas with 10 slips or less are called “community docks” and require less review than larger projects. Developers build them as an amenity for people buying interior lots of waterfront developments. Larger marinas require what the CAMA calls “major permits.” They must be reviewed by 10 state and four federal agencies before a decision is made. The entire process involves a minimum 90-day review period and often takes years before issues are resolved and a permit is issued. “I filed more than 9,000 pages of plans and specs last year and still don’t know if I’ll get the The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

permit,” says Lee Cox, who hopes to add 100 more slips to the 119-slip Pecan Grove marina he built just across the bridge from Oriental in 1998. As an alternative to building on the dwindling and fragile natural waterfront, regulators encourage construction of upland basins dug off of existing creeks or channels. Examples include River Dunes, Arlington Place, Rivershore Marina and Pecan Grove. Cox asserts that marinas like his are actually a plus for the environment, creating new wetland habitats. To expedite their project, developers of the 577-acre Cutter Bay community in the tiny town of Stonewall are taking a different approach to the permit challenge. Rather than an upland marina they are digging a 52-acre lake in which to build their 120-slip floating marina for boats up to 40 feet. When residents want to explore other waters, a forklift will carry them over a thin stretch of land and lower them into Trent Creek at the edge of the development. Since the manmade lake won’t connect to the creek, it doesn’t have to meet the same regulations as upland marinas for flushing and channel depths. “This lets us provide a usable marina,” says Graham Allen, Waterfront Communities creative director. “It requires a different permit that takes much less time to get approved.” The lake will be dug just off of Highway 55 with the marina and accompanying clubhouse facilities easily visible to passing traffic. “It should be a showcase from the road,” says Allen, adding that the marina should be open by 2010.

2 1

Yachtsman Canvas & Sail Fine Custom Canvas, Ne w Sails & Repair

225B South Front St. New Bern rear entrance

252-633-0754

www.yachtsmansail.com

2 Downtown New Bern

252 Middle St 636-3285

September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 11

Neuse River Basin Marina Growth is being marketed on a tributary of the Bay River. “Vandemere was forgotten,” admits developer Bret Doman. “Nobody was paying any attention to it. It’s definitely been found now.” Doman and his partners are pre-selling 40-foot slips along with half-acre lots for $123,000, but will retain some slips for transient boaters. “I really feel there’s a pent up demand. It used to all be going to Florida,” says Doman, who picked the location because it was well-protected. “We have promoted ourselves to the sailing community because we have the water depth and we’re sailors ourselves. This is just a great place to sail with easy access to Pamlico Sound, the ICW, the Neuse River and the Outer Banks.”

Squeezing Out the Little Guys But even while new docks flood the market, some boaters are getting squeezed out as public facilities are converted to dockominiums and sold off at ever increasing prices. Docks that sold for $20,000 five years ago are fetching $80,000 and more in

some marinas. With taxes increasing and income from slip rentals limited, owners have a strong incentive to sell out. Existing marinas are tempted to join a trend that began in the 1980s and convert to dockominiums, selling slips off to private individuals, often with deeds tied to adjoining lots or condominiums. “For the developer, it’s much better to get $100,000 in hand than to sit around collecting rent,” says Nick Santoro, owner of Ensign Harbor marina in Whortonsville, who is resisting the trend. “I get calls all the time from displaced boaters whose marinas are being condo-ized. It’s tight. I’ve never had such a long waiting list.” For those who can’t afford to buy a slip, inexpensive rental slips are becoming scarce, although the new mega marinas will prove a boon for passing cruisers who enjoy waking up to the sound of construction. Most will offer transient dockage to lure in potential home buyers. “The number of transient slips has not been determined, but with over 19 acres of marina area, we will have plenty of room for transients to visit and use the Arlington

Place Marina,” confirms Ben Jenkins, sales director for the development. River Dunes will even offer oneyear leases on slips beginning in January, although their long-term goal is to sell the slips as an amenity for future homeowners in the 1,300-acre community. “There’s a need for small marinas for smaller boats,” says Billy Creech, owner of the 18-slip Ray’s Creekside Marina, one of several micro marinas on Oriental’s Smith Creek. “People with older boats can’t afford big marinas. They probably couldn’t afford to have a boat if they had to pay $250 a month.” Creech and his neighboring marinas won’t be able to take up the slack for long. One, River Winds, is building condominiums and selling off the slips with them, and another 10-slip marina built in the 1960s is on the market for $695,000. Price includes half an acre of property with a trailer home. Editor’s Note: We’d like to hear what you think about the growth on the coast. Is it good, bad or merely inevitable? Tell us about the trend on your part of the coast. E-mail your views to letters@CarolinaCurrents.com.

INNERBANKS

MARINE CONSTRUCTION, INC. ORIENTAL, NC NC LIC# 55828/INSURED

• Docks / Piers • Bulkheads / Sea Walls • BoatLift US Boatlifts • Pile Driving • Dredging • Additions • Repairs • Permits www.innerbanks.biz

Email: info@innerbanks.biz Fax: 252.249.2429

FREE ESTIMATES

252.249.1429

PO Box 190 • Oriental, NC 28571

• US US Sailing SailingCourses Courses • US US Power PowerBoating Boating • Bareboat BareboatCharters Charters • Instruction Instruction your boat onon your boat • Captained CaptainedCruises Cruises

www.SailingSchoolOriental.com 12 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

MOTHER NATURE STARTED IT. NOW YOU CAN COMPLETE THE PICTURE. The newest waterfront neighborhood within the quaint village of Oriental, NC is waiting for you. Whittaker Harbor is complete and includes deep water, shallow water and water-access homesites from $ 69,500 to $ 399,500. Sixty-six gorgeous acres feature breathtaking water views of Whittaker Creek, the Neuse River and the ICW. Majestic oaks and evergreen palmettos, elegantly landscaped flowering trees and shrubs, and prevailing southwest breezes complement the casual WHITTAKER HARBOR lifestyle that is Oriental.

For your information package call us at 800-347-8246 or e-mail: mariner@pamlico.net ■ www.whittakerharbor.net www.CarolinaCurrents.com

2 (252)249-1818 MM 182 ICW VHF 16

• One two & three bedroom suites • New deepwater slips $1.50 per foot • Marine fuel - diesel and gas • Tiki bar - on the pool deck, open daily

PADDLE PAMLICO

112 Straight Road

Casually elegant clothing, accessories and gifts

Your Kayak & Activewear Headquarters On The Harbor - Oriental, NC NEW Beaufort, NC location - 109 Pollock St.

On the Harbor • 204 Wall St. 1-252-249-0334

252-249-1850 www. paddlepamlico.com

Av e.

idy et M

St .

Rd.

St.

6 93 24

d e

(252) 249-2000

Open 7 days a week for your dining pleasure Sunday breakfast buffet 8-1

To ICW MM 180

Other Businesses also in town: Boat Brokers/Charters/Learn to Sail Cape Lookout Y.S. b Triton Yacht Sales Oriental School of Sailing Boatyards (See back page) Sailcraft Service Realtors/Developments Whittaker Harbor f Whittaker Pointe

The Shops at Croakertown

Bill & Beverly Schwartz (252) 249-1004

Dave Sargent

To Minnesott ferry

a c

807 Broad Street,Oriental, NC 28571 (252)675-2526

d St.

Mildre

a 14

Blackwell Loop Rd.

10 7

St.

rth

YOUR LOCAL FOOD STORE

Sea Vista

301 Broad Street, Oriental, NC 28571

Gourmet Foods Healthy Foods Yummy Snacks Herbs & Spices Organic & Gluten-Free Aromatherapy Supplies Bumper Stickers & Tees And Much More…

Grocery

Post Office

“Fine Quality Marine Canvas” Dodgers • Biminis • Awnings Enclosures • Cockpit Cushions & Interiors

The Hungry Dragon

1 Windward Dr.

Hwy. 55 To New Bern

“Sailing Capital of N.C.”

Rag

(252)249-0002 www.thecaptainsquarters.us 701 Broad Street, Oriental N.C.

ORIENTAL

Br oa

14 Relax in a gracious Victorian landmark in the center of Oriental within walking distance of the harbor and shops. Enjoy watching village activities from our wraparound porch

si Vi

te St .

k Bed & Breakfast k

Unusual Gifts and Accessories for 10 Home & Garden Southern Belle Gardens A Floral Gallery

205 S. Water Street • Oriental, NC 28571

804 Broad Street • Oriental

252-249-1211

Check out the low prices on our recently expanded chain, cordage and other boat supplies www.Village-Hardware.com 8

Flowers for All Occasions Fresh Flowers, Custom Silks, Tropicals, Gourmet Gift Baskets

Flowers Wired Anywhere Free Delivery to Funeral Homes

Full Service Boatyard Travel Lift 35 Ton, Mechanical & Electrical Repairs Carpentry, Painting, Varnishing, Fiberglassing, Rigging Air Conditioning & Refrigeration 1306 NEUSE DRIVE ORIENTAL, NC 28571

(252) 249-1180

www.deatonyachts.com

The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

** Custom Design Services **

Oriental Wine & Cheese Shop

Domestic and Imported Wines and Cheeses Monthly Wine Tastings

807 Broad St. Oriental, N.C. Next to the 252-249-3990 Post Office

Beer & Wine Fri. & Sat. Night Sun.-Thurs. 7am-8pm Hours subject to change

304 Hodges St.

Coffee, Ice Cream & More

Fri. & Sat. 7am-’til Bike Rentals

252-249-4918

September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 13

THE BALD HEAD ISLAND

APRIL 18-20, 2008 The Bald Head Island Regatta is perfectly positioned in both time and place to attract boats traveling from Key West and Charleston Race Weeks to the NC Offshore Championships and on to the Chesapeake. A premiere vacation destination, Bald Head Island (www.bhisland.com) offers offshore and protected inland racing less than 20 minutes from the marina while the Bald Head Island Staff will provide a first class experience at the new Bald Head Island Sailing harborside clubhouse compound. Visit www.bhiregatta.com and plan to sail Bald Head Island in the spring.

www.bhiregatta.com T H E

14 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

B A L D

H E A D

I S L A N D

R E G AT TA

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Current Destination Exploring Haunts of

Cape Fear

By Phillip Reid

ven for those who live near it, “Cape Fear” sounds vague and mysterious. What and where exactly is it? It’s an evocative place in the imagination. Clubs, businesses, real estate developers - anyone looking for a good name for something around here will probably consider “Cape Fear (something-or-other).” The origins of the name are lost in the murk of pre-colonial European exploration of the Atlantic coast by Spain, England and France. It may actually be a corruption of “Cape Faire” as in “Cape Nice,” or perhaps more mariners found it frightening than appealing, and the name evolved accordingly. It doesn’t have the reputation for weather of Cape Hatteras - no similar clash of major ocean currents - but its offlying shoals are certainly formidable. As a real place, Cape Fear is the southeastern corner of Bald Head Island, which is only accessible by boat. It’s the southernmost of the three North Carolina capes that comprise the turn of the Atlantic Coast. One side faces east and the other south. Like any cape, it’s a significant inconvenience to passing boats. Frying Pan Shoals, projecting from its tip, stretch several miles out, forcing seagoing vessels well out of their way to avoid them. Unknown numbers of ships have wrecked upon these shoals drowning countless sailors. Today, with our Intracoastal Waterway and the well-marked entrance to the deep Cape Fear River just to the west, Cape Fear as a real place is something most sailors understandably bypass. The name has come to refer generally to the surrounding area, particularly Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Pleasure Island (Carolina and Kure Beaches), Oak Island, Southport and Bald Head Island. The ICW takes southbound East Coast cruisers from Wrightsville Beach down to Carolina Beach, through Snows Cut into the Cape Fear River, then on to Southport, where the Ditch turns west past Oak Island and heads for the South Carolina border. Tall, bright, exposed Oak Island Light, the most powerful lighthouse in the United

The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

States, has kept mariners away from Cape Fear since 1955, succeeding two other lighthouses dating back to 1817. The first of those, “Old Baldy,” is the best clue to the actual location of the real Cape Fear. It still stands, away to the east as you’re coming into Southport from sea or the ICW.

Reaching Cape Fear You can’t get to Cape Fear directly from the ocean by boat. You have to go the back way: Bald Head Island (formerly known as Smith Island), two miles down the river from Southport, and the first inhabited landfall after entering the river from sea. I studied charts, Reed’s Almanac, online weather and cruising guides, having learned that the daymark-hopping we do on the ICW won’t cut it on the wider Cape Fear River with markers spaced farther apart in places. The tides and the currents they set up govern maritime activity here, especially for standard-draft sailboats. Tides dictate when we can get where in some cases, and tidal currents can increase our speed over the ground by 50 percent or cut it in half, so getting timing right is the most important pre-planning factor in expediting a trip. Entering the river on the ebb tide, we made hull speed or better during our trip, even with little help from

Old Baldy, North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse

our sails. We’d intended to anchor at Southport for the night and go over to the island in the morning, but realized we had plenty of time to make it all the way. I radioed the marina to see if our slip would be available a day early, and if we could get in, given the dropping tide (our Pearson 28 draws 5 feet). The dockmaster assured us it would be no problem, and he was right. Thirty minutes past Southport, we were opposite the entrance. After complying with the dockmaster’s request to stand off until the ferry came out, we made a straight shot into the basin. Arriving a couple of hours before low tide, the lowest depth we recorded was over 10 feet. Because Bald Head Island isn’t on the ICW, it’s not nearly as heavily visited by cruisers as Southport. There are no anchorages, but a perfectly rectangular basin containing a perfect little marina was dredged on the west end of the island and lined with a concrete seawall. The entrance looks like a small canal between two dark walls. It’s straightforward, although some crabbing may occur from strong tidal flows in the river. Once inside the jetties and out of the current, don’t forget to readjust the helm. The entrance is well-lit at night. The marina was our first indication that a serious effort to civilize Cape Fear had been undertaken. We would soon discover how extensive that effort is. We were guided to our slip by a dock attendant who finished our dock lines in Flemish coils. We decided a tip was in order. The bathhouse is small (three bathrooms with showers), but nice. There’s one washer and dryer. Power is an extra daily charge. Slips have 30 and 50 amp power and water and some have cable. The fuel dock has gas and diesel at what seemed to be fair prices. Propane is available, but butane, we discovered to our chagrin when our stove ran out, is not. There is no pumpout service. (Southport Marina has a pump-out station less than two and a half miles away, (910)457-9900.) September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 15

Current Destination Cape Fear Basic provisions are available at the marina store, and there’s a nice grocery store on the island. The BHI Marina dockmaster will answer VHF 16 or you can call (910)457-7380. The marina, with 155 slips from 30 to 100 feet and transient dockage for boats up to 115 feet, is restrictive in a yacht-club sort of way. You can’t use your stern broiler, even if it’s hanging over the water; all cooking must be inside the boat or on land. You can’t hang laundry from your lifelines and you can’t work on your boat in the marina at all. Pets, though, are allowed.

One of the main ‘roads’ on Bald Head Island

NOAA Chart 11537 showing the Cape Fear/ Bald Head Island region. NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION.

After an hour’s brisk walk, we came out of the forest. There were a few buildings here, some of which were obviously old, and the large concrete footings of the second lighthouse, a steel tower used from 1903 until 1958 when it was dismantled. The 1903 lighthouse keeper’s quarters, a set of three houses and a storage building, are still in use as beach rentals. That’s pretty old for beach houses in the hurricane zone. We walked up the dune to the old lighthouse keeper’s house (“Captain Charlie’s Station”) and down onto South Beach, which faces the Cape Fear River. We turned left and within a few yards we could see the point ahead where the beach turned from south to east. Then we were there.

NC Tourism

If you don’t come on your own boat, the private passenger ferry runs from a sister development called Indigo Plantation just outside the small town of Southport. It starts early in the morning and runs until fairly late at night. Check the schedule at www.baldheadisland.com for exact times. Roundtrip tolls are $15/person ($8 12 and under) and $15 per bicycle (the same price as renting one on the island). The ferry landing on the island end shares the marina basin.

Maritime Forest Resort Most resort destinations hire someone to take selective pictures, maybe touch them up a bit, and put them into a nice brochure. This place was the brochure. Bald Head Island is a striking example of a completely pre-planned development gone right. Good taste is strictly enforced. The buildings are all what is called “Cape Cod” architecture, although, having never been to Cape Cod, I call it Wrightsville Beach architecture since that’s where I first saw it - with some Charleston thrown in. Clapboard siding, lots of shake, wide verandahs. What’s most noteworthy about the island isn’t the man-made part, but the natural part and the lengths developers have gone to keep it intact. There are the big beach houses, the requisite golf course and clubhouse, restaurants and shops. But there aren’t as many of any of them as there could be, and what’s there is spaced out and nestled among the pre-existing trees, marshes, wetlands and dunes, as if it had always been that way. Much of the island’s land (as opposed to marsh) surface is covered by old-growth maritime forest, consisting primarily of big, twisted live oaks and sabal palmetto. Bald Head Island is the northernmost limit of the sabal palmetto’s natural range, and they are prolific here. In that sense, it marks the end of the subtropics and the beginning of the mid-Atlantic coast. Houses built along the narrow paved roads that stretches from the western to the eastern ends of the island are tucked away in the trees, some facing the salt marshes with their winding creeks to the north and some facing more forest to the south, beyond which are the golf course fairways and beyond them, the beach.

Looking out to Cape Fear and Frying Pan Shoals 16 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

Backwaters and Old Baldy

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

I looked out at the turbulence of ocean meeting river stretching out in front of me. A few hundred yards offshore I could see what looked like the protruding black ribs of an old wreck. We sat down on driftwood logs and ate lunch. It struck me simultaneously how peaceful and pleasant it was, sitting on this beach, gazing at the water and the beautiful houses, and how I sure wouldn’t want to be anywhere near the place in the boat - tied up safely in her slip on the other side of the island.

What to do on BHI The sailing event of the year for the island is the Bald Head Island Regatta, www.bhiregatta.com, drawing boats migrating from Charleston Race Week to regattas to the north. Next year’s race will be April 18-20. If you aren’t visiting on your own boat but still want some sail time, check in with the BHI Sailing Club for an annual or weeklong membership (910)457-SAIL including access to a fleet of small keelboats. Sailing lessons are also offered. Climbing up to the top of Old Baldy is the best way to get your bearings; you can see the whole island and beyond. The foundation that takes care of the lighthouse asks for a $3 donation per person to climb and enjoy the small Smith Island Museum. The foundation also gives Historic Island Tours (910)457-5003. Bicycles and golf carts are available for rent. By all means bring your own bike on your boat if you can - the place is a cyclist’s paradise, and they won’t charge you to bring your own bike on your own boat. We like to walk, so we strolled the shady, sun-dappled roads past the houses with their cute little golf cart garages. There are a few boardwalk nature trails with printed guides to help learn about native flora and fauna. There are several high-end shops on the island. The Bald Head Island Conservancy, a not-for-profit group, runs Turtle Central, What something is depends on where you’re standing. Cape Faire? Maybe, if you’re having sushi on the beach after a nice hike. But out there at night on your boat? Cape Fear. Definitely.

a nice little gift shop next to their education center on the beach (910)457-0089. Check their schedule of regular nature talks and walks and other programs. (The shop’s sea turtle theme highlights the nearby beach nesting sites.) Beachcombing is better than average with public beach access points all along the beach road. The island is home to several top-notch restaurants, including River Pilot Café, Eb & Flo’s Steambar and the deli at the Maritime Market. Some may be closed during the winter off-season. The creeks and marshes on the inland side of the island are great to explore by kayak. Visit Island Passage Paddlers for rental information (910)457-4944. If you’ve ever wanted to hit balls around an exclusive, private golf club designed by George Cobb, this is your chance. The 6,844-yard course is open for public play (910)457-7300. The Shoals Club Recreation Department offers weekly programs from sand sculpture contests and bike races to fishing events and ice cream socials. Many are open to non-members (910)457-3701. If you’re smitten by the BHI lifestyle, consider spending a week in one of the many rental homes, (800)432-RENT, or talk to the real estate office (910)457-7400 for information about island homes, homesites and condominiums.

Caution: This information is not intended to be used for navigation and while we strive for accuracy we cannot accept responsibility for errors. Consult the latest charts and other navigational aids and use sound seamanship if you intend to visit a destination by boat.

Spare Time on Your Hands?

Sell Ads for Us!

Do you like boating? Help us grow. Ad Sales Agents needed in several areas.

Bald Head Island Marina The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

Let us know where you’re based and details of your boating and sales experience by e-mail to info@carolinacurrents.com - put “Ad Sales” in Subject line. Commission based. You’ll need phone, Internet, and at least a few hours a week. Potential to earn $$$$’s September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 17

Current

Organizers: Submit Calendar listings of interest to Carolina boaters online at www.CarolinaCurrents.com/calendar.php

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

If you plan on attending an event, contact the organizer ahead of time since details can change. Underlined regattas are featured in our roundup on page 21.

See our website for complete listings including regattas and other events around the Carolinas SEPTEMBER 2007

1 Kayaking the Roosevelt Natural Area*** 1 Picnic Paddle*** 1,2 Oar Regatta, FHYC◊◊ 1,2 Labor Day Regatta LNYC◊◊◊ 3 SAYRA Youth Challenge LNYC◊◊◊ 3 Sea Island One Design Worlds JIYC◊◊◊ 3 River Cruise*** 5 Marine Life Collecting Cruise, Beaufort NC* 7 Georgetown Challenge◊ 8 Ocean Race II◊ 8,9 Cat Fest (Catamarans), LNYC◊◊◊ 8,9 Old Goat (Thistles), LLSC◊◊◊ 8,15,22,29 Sunset Kayak Trip, $20, 5 – 7pm***

9,16,23,30 Early Bird Canoe Trip, 7 – 9 am $20*** 13 Learn to Kayak in Beaufort, NC. Reservations$40, $10 own kayak. 9 am-1:30 pm*

14-16 Virginia In-Water Boat Expo/Sailfest Norfolk, VA www.virginiaboatexpo.com

14-16 J-24 District 8 Championship, ODC◊◊ 15 19th Annual Moth Boat Regatta Elizabeth City www.museumofthealbemarle.com**

15 In-The-Water Meet Traditional Small Craft

Association, Gallants Channel. Public welcome*

15 Annual Roanoke Canal Festival Games and demonstrations www.roanokecanal.com

15 Day at the Docks Celebration of Hatteras Island Watermen. Displays of boats, skills, products and

gear plus chowder cook-off, www.dayatthedocks.org

15,16 Oar Making* 15, 29 Fall Harbor Race◊ 15,16 Blackbeard Regatta, BSC◊◊ 15,16 Leukemia Cup/Wassaw Cup, SYC◊◊◊ 15,16 Battle of Atlanta (Snipe), LLSC◊◊◊ 18 Kayak Trip to Rachel Carson Reserve* 18 Dolphins Slides and Display* 19,20 D12 Lasers, Columbia, CSC-SC◊◊◊ 20 Simple Rigging Class** 21-23 C-Dory Gathering Oriental, (252)745-5615 21-23 Second Annual Super Boat Grand Prix,

Morehead City www.crystalcoastnc.org

21-23 Southeast MC Scow Team Championship,

Beaufort SC BYSC

22 11th Annual Charleston Leukemia Cup◊ 22 NYRA Women’s Regatta ◊◊ Club Abbreviations: ASC Augusta Sailing Club BSC Blackbeard Sailing Club (New Bern) BYSC Beaufort Yacht & Sailing Club (SC) ChYC Charleston Yacht Club

22,23 Boatbuilding Carpentry (Flat-bottom) 22,23 Board Bash (Opti/Sunfish/Laser), LNYC◊◊◊ 22,23 Outback Regatta, CSC-SC◊◊◊ 22,23 Gone With the Wind (C-22), LLSC◊◊◊ 27 Wilmington Shipyard: Welding a Fleet for

20,21 Hospice of the Upstate PHRF, WCSC◊◊◊ 20-28 Boatbuilding (one week)* 21 Fourth-Annual Sustainable Seafood Festival

27 Build a Boat in a Day** 28-30 Melges 24 Gold Cup, ChYC◊◊◊ 29 Build a Boat in a Day*

Bern ncgam.com

OCTOBER 2007

27 Witches Brew◊ 27 NYRA Halloween/Winter Race 1◊◊ 27,28 Carolina Ocean Challenge (PHRF, J105,

Victory in World War II lecture & book signing*

Plymouth, NC. www.visitwashingtoncountync.com

Includes fourth annual Southern Outer Banks Boat Show, blessing of the fleet. ncseafoodfestival.org

5-7 Wilmington Riverfest, see page 27 6 Neuse Solo Race, ODC◊◊ 6 Around Parris Island (Sunfish), BYSC◊◊◊ 6,7 SAISA 420 Regatta, LNYC◊◊◊ 6,7 Atlanta Cup (Lightnings), LLSC◊◊◊ 6,7 Spar Making* 11,12 Diesel Maintenance* 13 First Annual Spirit Ball Charleston, SC

Fundraiser for education. www.scmaritime.org

13,14 Halloween Regatta, ASC◊◊◊ 13,14 Highlander Pipe Regatta, LNYC◊◊◊ 13,14 Georgia State Lasers, LLSC◊◊◊ 13,14 Lift Half Model Making* 13,14 Alice Cup◊ 13,14 Jackass Regatta, MCBC◊◊ 16 Ports & Pilots Video and tour of NC State Port, Morehead City. Reservations $5. 10 am-12 noon*

17 Reservations for Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Opening on Nov. 3; call from 9 am 252-728-5766

18 Excursion to Shackleford Banks’ west end* 20 18th Annual Wooden Boat Show Georgetown SC see page 23

20 Pamlico Paddle $30 fee includes lunch, T-shirt, guide and trails maps. www.pamlicopaddle.com

20 Greens Creek Regatta, ODC◊◊ 20,21 Calibogee Cup, YCHH◊◊◊ 20,21 SC State Laser Championship, BYSC◊◊◊ 20,21 Nothing Finer (MC Scows), Pipers

CYC-NC Carolina Yacht Club CSC-SC Columbia Sailing Club FHYC Fairfield Harbor Yacht Club JIYC James Island Yacht Club

KSC Keowee Sailing Club LLSC Lake Lanier Sailing Club LNYC Lake Norman Yacht Club MCBC Morehead City Boat Club

22 Walking Tour of Historic Beaufort* 24-27 Southbound Cruiser’s Rendezvous New

25 Build a Boat in a Day** 27 Annual Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Show,

2 Kayak Trip to Newport River marshes & islands* 5,6 Beaufort Shrimp Festival, www.beaufortsc.org 5-7 21st Annual North Carolina Seafood Festival

(Highlanders), LNYC◊◊◊

Charleston Maritime Center www.scaquarium.org

Harbor 20), SCYC◊◊◊

27,28 Turkey Shoot, KSC◊◊◊ 27,28 Halloween Open, LLSC◊◊◊ 30 Halloween Night at the Museum with spooky activities for families, kids costume contest*

30 Fish or Treat! SC Aquarium games, dance party and costume contest. www.scaquarium.org NOVEMBER 2007

1 Historic Beaufort A Guide to North Carolina’s Historic Beaufort book signing*

2 Sustainable Seafood Lecture for consumers to make informed seafood choices*

2-4 Etchell’s Mid-Atlantic Champ’ships, ODC◊◊ 3 Boat Shop Bash,Watercraft Center. Evening party. Non-members are encouraged to attend*

3,4 Midlands MC Scow Regatta, CSC-SC◊◊◊ 3,4 Fall 48, LNYC◊◊◊ 3,4 Miss Piggy Regatta, LLSC◊◊◊ 3,4 Chapel Thrill ( Jet-14), CSC-NC◊◊◊ Symbol Key/ for Further Details * N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort. (252)728-7317 www.ncmaritime.org ** N.C. Maritime Museum, Roanoke Island. (252)475-1750 www.obxmaritime.org *** N.C. Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores (252)247-4003 www.ncaquariums.com ◊ Charleston Ocean Racing Assoc. (CORA) www.charlestonoceanracing.org ◊◊ Neuse Yacht Racing Assoc. www.nyra.org ◊◊◊ South Atlantic Yacht Racing Assoc. (SAYRA) www.sayra-sailing.com

ODC Oriental Dinghy Club PSC Pamlico Sailing Club SCYC South Carolina Yacht Club SYC Savannah Yacht Club

WBORA Wrightsville Bch. Offshore Racing Assoc. WSC Waccamaw Sailing Club WCSC Western Carolina Sailing Club YCHH Yacht Club of Hilton Head

A Cruising

Currently Aweigh

We invite Carolina boaters who travel outside of our home waters to share their adventures with us via e-mail to Info@CarolinaCurrents.com.

Adventure Ends… for Now O

n July 18 of this year, my husband, Brian, and I found ourselves motorsailing our Bayfield 32, Puff, up the Intracoastal Waterway toward a boatyard in Hampstead, N.C. where we decided to haul her for at least a year. This was traumatic for us as we have spent the last six years living aboard Puff and cruising from North Carolina to Florida, the Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean. The cruising lifestyle has altered forever the way we view the world. Our perspective has changed from selfcentered, image conscious and materialistic to globally aware, environmentally responsible and open-minded. We tend not to judge people, things and situations the way we did before. We make a conscious effort now to accept things and people as they are. You learn this when you are in a small boat in the middle of the ocean at the mercy of a storm that you cannot possibly outrun. You learn that staying calm is as important as wearing your life vest and attaching yourself to jacklines. The ocean became our playground and we spent countless hours fishing, diving and spearfishing. We saw mountains, waterfalls, rainforests and uninhabited islands and got to know them intimately. Time seemed as liquid as the sea and our whole purpose in life was to fully enjoy every second of it. You can even catch most of your own food if you’re good at fishing. We learned to climb coconut trees and fresh coconuts were a staple in our diet. You can be completely energy self-sufPuff breezes along in turquoise waters

ficient as we were by using wind, water and solar power. You are faced with the consequences for every piece of garbage you dispose of. We are now all too aware of the everlasting and deadly qualities of plastic. You must become conscious of your water usage, and not a drop of fresh water is wasted. You catch rain when you can and use saltwater for washing. The natural beauty of our surroundings on any given day took our breath away. In our favorite anchorages our only neighbors were dolphins, seabirds and the brilliantly colored coral reef communities. Jeannette and Brian have cruised aboard for six years

We met interesting people; some of them will be our friends for life. We walked a lot. It wasn’t in our budget to rent a car, but that was half the fun. Figuring out how to get across an island to see the windward side often meant walking down pretty dirt roads, hitchhiking or riding a bus with the locals. There is a lot of hard work involved in cruising, to be sure, but there is a satisfaction in working to live and not living to

By Jeannette Pucella

work. We return to stateside life with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Nothing could be better than the simple, free and healthy way of life we experienced cruising, but land life has a lot to offer, not the least of which is a steady paycheck. We’ve experienced the culture shock of being inside a Super Wal-Mart for the first time in the better part of a year, and all around us people seem to be in such a hurry. I’m sure we cause a fair amount of frustration ourselves as we amble along the aisles of the grocery store, completely overwhelmed by all the choices, or when we actually drive 35 mph when the speed limit is posted at 45 mph. There is a quote by George Day that goes like this: “As the miles bubble under the keel, sailors seem to shed skins one after the other until the scales so necessary for living in crowded cities and towns drop away, leaving just the human creature all but naked under the stars. For most, once those scales are gone, they never grow back quite as thick and hard as they once were.” I believe this is true and I am grateful for the new outlook on life that cruising has given to us. I live now with a perpetual attitude of gratitude for all the beauty the natural world has to offer. Cruising is a fantastic lifestyle of exploring, learning and truly living in the real world. There is always an adventure waiting around the corner, and I for one can’t wait to experience it again from the deck of a boat.

SAVING YOUR BOAT The Ultimate Hurricane Protection

• Marine Grade stainless • Keeps boat away from pilings • Portable - use in any slip • Self adjusts to surge, waves, rolls and hobbyhorsing • Innovative Security - works when you evacuate Sizes to fit boats from 20 feet to 70 plus feet Custom applications available

The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

www.HurricaneHoops.com • 866-471-HOOP

727-345-7779

September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 19

Cruising Through

Dancing Across the Waters with Saeta I

f you hear the distinctive strum of flamenco guitar accompanied by the clickety clack rhythm of castanets while strolling down a dock, you probably just passed Richard and Andrea Black practicing aboard their Sceptre 41 Saeta. The Blacks left Santa Cruz, Calif., a year ago and joined the 165-boat Baja Ha-Ha Cruiser’s Rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, claiming second place in the 11-boat Iguana Division. “It’s a fun way to meet other cruisers who you then see along the way,” Andrea says. They hoped to be anchored off the coast of Spain by now performing their flamenco music for friends and fans. Instead, the real estate market conspired to keep them stateside and they found themselves docked in Oriental, N.C., in August. No matter - the cruising life shouldn’t be rushed. Had they been able to foresee their delay, the couple says they would have lingered longer in Central America and Mexico. Andrea’s favorite stop so far was Drake’s Bay, Costa Rica, where they took a dinghy trip up a river one day and a fourhour horseback ride through a rain forest to visit a waterfall the next day. After transiting the Panama Canal in April, they made a passage to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, then another to Key West, Fla., which Richard admitted was his favorite stop so far. They arrived just in time for the annual Conch Republic Independence Day celebration. “Everybody was having a lot of fun and there’s lots of music,” Richard says. For now, they’re happy to explore the

20 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

East Coast until they can make their cross- his love of boats. Richard was sailing a 36-foot cat ketch of his own design at the ing to visit the Mediterranean. Along the time, but they eventually began shopping way they look for places to perform. For Richard, cruising means a chance to for a boat with a pilot house so they could keep warm and dry while sailing along the combine his life-long love of music and a West Coast. The Sceptre 41 fit the bill. 35-year affair with boating. He worked his “These are ‘going places’ types of boats,” way through college in the 1960s playing Richard declares. “This is the sleekest pilot folk music and gradually transitioned into house design there is. It was a breakan obsession with flamenco, which he calls through: a pilot house boat that didn’t look “the blues of Spain.” or sail like one. We also like it to keep out An acquaintanceof the sun. We’ve come 7,000 miles and ship with the son of didn’t get a sunburn.” Hollywood director Their boat was built in 1986 for former John Ford gained Apollo astronaut Bill Anders (he took the him an invite to visit famous photo of the Earth rising over the his yacht. “I showed moon) who named it Apogee, and sailed up with my wife and Richard it off Rhode Island. A second owner kept kids in tow,” Richard rehearses with the moon theme naming it Luna recalls. “It was this aboard Sea - too flippant for the Blacks. After a beautiful wooden Saeta re-naming ceremony, it emerged as Saeta, schooner and I was a Spanish word meaning the needle of a smitten.” He shifted from studying law compass as well as the name for a type of books to devouring every book on boating in the L.A. library. The young family ended religious flamenco song. It was Andrea who suggested that, since up living aboard a Cal 40 and Richard they had the boat, they should go cruising. eventually applied his self-taught boating “We went through the boat and did knowledge to design work. everything new so we Specializing in cat S/V Saeta - 1986 Sceptre 41 wouldn’t have to fight with ketches, his first boat was gear breaking along the a one-off 28-foot wooden Builder - Sceptre Marine, B.C., Canada boat that earned a center- LOA - 41’ LWL - 36’ Weight - 21,500 lbs. way,” Richard says. After more than a year updatfold in Wooden Boat Mag- Beam - 12’8” Draft - 6’1” ing electronics, adding a azine. He went on to work Rig - Cutter Mast height - 59’” watermaker and gen-set, for Cat Ketch Corporation Engine - Yanmar 55 turbo diesel and replacing the sails and of California, incorporating Tankage - 135 gal. fuel, 180 gal. water Construction - fiberglass rigging, they cast off just innovations - such as the five days after he retired. first carbon fiber mast and Now, like the Gypsies who first develfully computerized design - into a series oped flamenco music in Southern Spain, of production boats. “I wanted to come up the Blacks are happy to wander the waves, with high-performance cruising boats,” he seeing new places and meeting new and says. “Anything that was illegal in racing I old friends along the way. would try.” Editor’s Note: Stop by www.sailingflamenco.com to When his first wife died leaving him read more about the Blacks and to find a link to their rudderless, he dropped out of boat buildcruising blog. ing. Then Cat Ketch Corporation fell victim to the 1980s luxury tax. Richard ended up working in civil engineering design work. His life took a new tack 12 years ago when he attended a music camp and met Andrea, a professional dancer and teacher. Their mutual love of flamenco brought them together, and Andrea - already an adventurous world traveler - soon adopted www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Regatta Roundup By Geoff Bowlin

he annual South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association Youth Challenge will be held Labor Day on Lake Norman. The event culminates the SAYRA Junior Championship Series with Optis, Sunfish, Lasers and 420s vying for the top slots. The 19th annual Classic Moth Boat Regatta takes place Sept. 15 in Elizabeth City, N.C. Other small boats are welcome to participate. The event is sponsored by the Pasquotank River Yacht Club and the Classic Moth Boat Association. Registration forms are available at the Museum of the Albemarle, 501 S. Water St., or call (252)335-1453. The District 8 J/24 Championship, open to all J/24s, will be hosted by the Oriental Dinghy Club Sept. 14-16. E-mail Ron Medlin for details: bash_1829@yahoo. com. Just up the Neuse River, the Blackbeard Sailing Club will host their annual Blackbeard Regatta the same weekend. In the last ten years, the Charleston sailing community has generated more than $875,000 to support research and patient service programs of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The 11th annual Leukemia Cup Regatta will be held in Charleston Harbor Sept. 21-22. E-mail

Send your race notices and race results via e-mail to Info@CarolinaCurrents.com for inclusion in future issues and/or our web edition

darlene.benton@lls.org for details. The race comes one week after the Sept. 15-16 Leukemia Cup/Wassaw Cup hosted by the Savannah Yacht Club in Georgia. The fairer sex takes the helm as the Neuse Yacht Racing Association hosts the annual Women’s Regatta in Oriental on Sept. 22. Melges 24 racers from around the country are expected in Charleston Sept. 28-30 for the Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Charleston Yacht Club. A race clinic and weigh-in are Friday with seven races planned Saturday and Sunday. E-mail regatta chair ReggieFairchild@gmail.com for details. Dust off your Sunfish and head to Beaufort, S.C., Oct. 6 for the annual Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club Around Parris Island Regatta. The long-distance race passes under a bridge and around the island. E-mail fleetcaptain@byscnet.com. The Jackass Rendezvous the next weekend is a regatta with camping available on the 33-acre family farm of Morehead City Boating Club member Mike McNiff. It is named for Duane Brown, a resident jackass. Competitors in the smallboat fleet rub Duane’s posterior for luck

before the race. Call (252)728-4668. A week later, Greens Creek Regatta brings out a varied fleet of craft, all under 20 feet, to race into the Neuse River and down two creeks with a chance to incorporate a treasure hunt along the way. Check www.towndock.net/odc/ for notice. The big race of the year for the Yacht Club of Hilton Head is the annual Calibogue Cup, slated for Oct. 20-21 this year. Call (843)785-9244. The S.C. State Laser Championship will take to the river around the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club Oct. 20-21. E-mail fleetcaptain@byscnet.com. Western Carolina Sailing Club hosts the annual Hospice of the Upstate Regatta Oct. 20-21. The event has raised $125,000 over the past seven years. Call (864)224-3358 for details. Several clubs are hosting Halloween regattas, including the first race in the Neuse Yacht Racing Association Winter Series and Charleston Offshore Racing Association’s Witches Brew on Oct. 27. The Lake Lanier Sailing Club’s Halloween Regatta runs Oct. 27-28 this year with costume and pumpkin carving contests after the races.

New Dismal Swamp Park Opening

oaters transiting the historic Dismal Swamp Canal will soon have a lot more to do if they spend the night at the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center’s popular free docks. A new 14,344-acre Dismal Swamp State Natural Area is expected to open in mid-October with the completion of a 5,600-square-foot park visitor’s center containing a reception area, exhibits, auditorium, offices and classrooms for school groups. Boardwalks around the building will lead to a canal overlook and hiking trails. For landlubbers, a 40-space parking area is located adjacent to the Welcome Center on US 17. The park facilities on the opposite shore of the canal from the Welcome Center are accessible via an 80-foot floating footbridge. The bridge, identified by the Coast Guard as Great Dismal Swamp Visitor Center Bridge, will remain open when not in use. Boaters have the right of way going The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

through the canal. “We will do our absolute best to not hold up any boaters,” says Park Superintendent Joy Greenwood. “They can contact us on Marine 13.” Greenwood, a park ranger since 1998, will be chief of operations and administration. When completed, the park will provide an interactive experience with the swamp ecology, picnicking, canoeing/kayaking, primitive camping, bird watching and other activities. The new Great Dismal Swamp Visitor Center Bridge

The state of North Carolina purchased the park site, which extends along the canal to the Virginia border, from The Nature Conservancy for $2.2 million in 1974 to protect its biological, geological, scenic and recreational value. Park hours are tentatively scheduled to be seven days a week, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. There is no charge for entering the park, visitor center, or for any of educational programs. Presently the park has about 20 miles of old logging roads that can be used for hiking, birding, wildlife observation and potentially mountain biking. Greenwood said primitive camping may be added in the future. Call the park at (252)771-6593. In related news, the East Coast Greenway Association has adopted three miles of trails along the canal as part of the Greenway, a trail system that will eventually stretch 3,000 miles from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Fla. September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 21

S.C. Team Clobbers Maine Boatbuilders

By Earl Beard

ELFAST, Maine - A Georgetown duo ran away from the competition at the National Boat Building Challenge held July 29 in Belfast, Maine, the home of wooden boat building on the East Coast. From the start, Willie French and Alex Poole of Georgetown, S.C., set a pace that none of the other eight teams came close to matching. Their teamwork was evident as they worked together with almost no conversation, each doing what had to be done in sequence and with coordination. French, 56, and Poole, 21, have also been frequent victors in a similar contest held at the annual Georgetown Wooden Boat Show (see accompanying preview). The National Boat Building Challenge, first held in 1982, pits teams of two builders against each other to determine who can build the same design in the least time. Until this year, the building times have steadily decreased to the point where the boats were built in about an hour. In 2002 French built a Teal, designed by Phil Bolger, in just over an hour. This year a new design, the Monhegan

Skiff, was introduced to provide a new twist for veteran contestants. All team members had woodworking skills even though some had never built a boat. Maine - which fielded seven of the teams - is a state well known for its many wooden boat-building yards as well as wooden boat building schools. “When the starting gun went off the teams grabbed the plans, started measuring and marking the wood and after about five minutes the din started with the saws screaming, the planers planing, and the teams shouting orders to their teammates,” observed Thrum Cap, a Maine mariner who winters in North Carolina. “Except for those two cabinet makers from Georgetown. French and Poole, never said a word to each other. Mental telepathy most likely.” French and Poole completed their 12-foot Monhegan Skiff in just less than three hours - almost an hour and a half before two local teams of professional boat builders. In the end, French and Poole tied for second after factoring in quality of con-

struction and a rowing race in the newly built boats. In addition to the Challenge, there was a Classic Small Boat Show. Even here the Carolinas were present with a Core Sound 17 designed by Graham Byrnes of B&B Yacht Design, and built by Great Falls Boat Works of Lewiston, Maine. The Georgetown team completed this 12-foot Monhegan Skiff in just under three hours

Courtesy VillageSoup Citizen

• • • •

Georgetown, SC

BoatU.S. Discount Dockage Clean Restrooms Free Wi-fi Walk to Downtown

• Tel 843-546-1776 • VHF 16 • E-mail glmarina@sc.rr.com • www.georgetownlandingmarina.com

French (right) and Poole in action

We do custom embroidery and logos in-house.

“Nautical but Nice”

Claudette Massey/ Courtesy Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce

HOME OF OLD FASHIONED SERVICE AND SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY FOR 25 YEARS

• The Tilley Hat • Monogrammable Coolers and Boat Bags • Tervis Tumblers • Sperry and Dubarry Deck Shoes

127 Middle Lane • Beaufort, N.C.

(252) 838-0059

• Chelsea Clocks and Barometers • Hook & Tackle Shorts & Shirts • Adams Caps • Boat Models

Coming Next Issue!

Hard Aground

Eddie Jones with

(877) 369-4999

www.harborspecialties.com

22 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Wooden it be Nice to Visit Georgetown?

results for seaworthiness in a rowing relay across the Sampit River. The teams will be judged on speed of construction, quality of work and rowing ability with first, second and third place winners taking home cash prizes and a chance to compete in the 2008 National Boat Building Competition sponsored by Wooden Boat Magazine. Georgetown provides the perfect setting for the festival with its rich maritime heritage. It is home to Brown’s Ferry, the earliest known example of colonial ship building. The skeletal vessel remains pulled from a nearby river are on display in The Rice Museum, 633 Front St. It has been dated to the 1730s and was probably used to ferry rice from area plantations to seaports for export. For visiting boats the anchorage area is in the thick of the festival. There are also several marinas in town. (See our March/ April 2007 issue.) For additional information visit www. woodenboatshow.com or call toll-free at (877)285-3888 or locally at (843)545-0015.

B Y

C H O I C E

Quality Inn & Suites 210 Church Street Georgetown, SC 29440

H O T E® L S Courtesy VillageSoup Citizen

EORGETOWN, S.C. - Thousands of maritime tradition buffs will flock to the 18th Annual Georgetown Wooden Boat Show on Oct. 20. Hosted by the Harbor Historical Association of Georgetown, the free event features the finest wooden boat exhibit in the Carolinas with an estimated 100 classic vessels displayed both in the water and on shore. There is also a wooden boat building competition, children’s model boat building, a boat raffle, maritime arts and crafts, knot tying demonstrations and competitions, rowing with the Charleston Mosquito Fleet, and the usual festival food and music along the historic downtown’s boardwalk and spilling out onto Broad and Front Streets from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festivities are all for a great cause with funds raised through sales and donations going toward the development of the Harbor Historical Association’s maritime museum. Exhibited boats range from kayaks to yachts entered in eight categories: row and paddle, sail, inboard power, outboard power, classic sail (pre-1960), classic power (pre-1960), owner designed and built, and century class (100 years or older). Visitors will be able to meet and talk to the region’s best wooden boat craftsmen and manufacturers as well as proud owners. Prizes will be presented to the winners in each of eight categories along with a “People’s Choice Award.” The ever-popular Wooden Boat Challenge begins at noon under the big tent on Broad Street. Two-man teams race to build a rowing skiff within a four-hour time limit. At 5 p.m. the competitors test their

Georgetown Wooden Boat Show

By Elizabeth D. Knotts

Phone (843) 546-5656 Fax (843) 546-6116

www.georgetownquality.com

We Are Located Across The Street From The Georgetown Landing Marina And We Have Boat Hookups!!

Transient Dockage • Cable TV • Wi-Fi • Clean Restrooms • Pumpouts • Fuel Dock (843)546-4415

18 South St. James Street • Georgetown SC 29440

NEED HELP ON THE WATER?

CALL

Georgetown

Captain Ronnie Campbell Marine Towing & Salvage For assistance contact:

843-833-1951 • VHF 16

BoatU.S. 24 hour dispatch (800) 391-4869 BoatUS towing service plans (800) 888-4869 The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

GEORGETOWN MARINA

420 Marina Drive, Georgetown, SC 29440

(843) 545-5000 email: gtnsc_hampton@hilton.com

Adjacent to Georgetown Landing Marina September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 23

Club Corner America’s Cup Skipper Recalls Carolina Ties

FHYC Spring Dinghy Series Draws ‘Real’ Dinghies

By Ed Sherman

By Thrum Cap

Th. Martinez/Alinghi

ARTWELL LAKE, S.C. - Ed Baird, of St Peterburg, Fla., joined an elite club of world-class sailors as the helmsman of Alinghi for the Swedish Société Nautique de Genève. The team successfully defended the 32nd Americas Cup with a thrilling one-second win in Race Seven over Emirates Team New Zealand off the coast of Spain in March. The feat places him in the company of such sailing notables as Harold Vanderbuilt, Ted Turner and Dennis Conner. But Jim Hudson, a past commodore at Western Carolina Sailing Club and Furman University administrator, recently recalled Baird’s humbler beginnings as a student at Furman in Greenville, S.C., in the 1970s. Hudson said Baird often sailed out of WCSC on Hartwell Lake crewing for club member Dan Cover on a Ranger 26. “It seems a long time ago,” Baird said in an exclusive interview. “I did some weekend stints at the WCSC. I remember it as being a quiet, serene setting and even have a few photos of the boats and club one foggy, dead-still morning.” Ed Beard at the helm for team Alinghi

BIG WATER MARINA • Slips • Gas • Ships Store • Pontoon Rentals • Ramp & Pump Out • ASA Sailing Lessons

and really started pushing that li’l boat and before long over he goes again. I thought this must be a record - swamped twice and towed ashore twice before the first race was over. Well those dinghies had two more races that day and must have impressed some of the Sunfish guys and bystanders a lot. When I showed up for the next race I saw five real dinghies. Ted, the winner of the first day wasn’t there, but Earl was and would you believe that Bob was there in a 8-foot dinghy along with John in a cute 9-foot lap strake dinghy with a sliding gunter rig, and Dean was in a twin to Earl’s dinghy. Let me tell you that those fellows out there had some fun! They Nobody in his or her right mind talked, joked and helped each other. As much fun would call a Sunfish a dinghy... as those five guys had sailing real dinghies, They don’t even have oarlocks! the people lining the docks along the racecourse had twice as Before the first race what do I see but two much. They encouraged those little boats real dinghies: just under 8 feet with oarand cheered when they finally passed the locks and just the right size to tow behind windward mark and hooted when each of your boat or swing up on the davits! A fellow by the name of Ted was in one them crossed the finish line. Earl didn’t and Earl in the other. As they milled about even swamp! So there were two great days of dinghy racing (Sunfish ain’t dinghies) to for the start, Earl seemed to be having trouble deciding where to put his feet when finish the Spring Dinghy Series. As for me, this was the greatest dinghy over he goes and just swamps the li’l boat. series I have seen at Fairfield Harbour I wasn’t surprised because Earl had some and I have seen a few. I’ve heard that the weight on him - he never missed a meal I bet. Well, quick as a wink there was a chase ground has hardened up in Maine, so it is about time that I head home. Tell you what boat out and towed him to shore where though, come the fall I will be up here some helping hands bailed him out. It again to see the Fall Dinghy series - as long seemed as though Ted would have victory as they continue to race those real dinghies. assured. Editor’s Note: FHYC’s Fall Dinghy Series starts Sept. But before you know it, there was Earl 24 and continues Oct. 1, 8, 15 and 22. back in the race and gaining on Ted. Boy did the crowd go wild hollering and cheering him on. He took the crowd support EW BERN, N.C. - April in Maine means the snow is melting and Mud Season begins. I never was happy with April until I discovered this little place in North Carolina called Fairfield Harbor. They had this small sailing regatta there called the Spring Dinghy Series. Now why they called it dinghy when all they sailed were these skimming boards called Sunfish, I will never understand. Nobody in his or her right mind would call a Sunfish a dinghy! No place for even a bag of groceries let alone a dog or spare can of fuel. They don’t even have oarlocks! Well this year, as in the past, I took myself to Fairfield Harbour in April to enjoy the weather and watch the sailing.

“

”

320 Big Water Road Starr, SC 29634

864-226-3339

www.bigwatermarina.com 24 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Cool Products

and Book Reviews

EcoBoating

By Gadget Girl

This tool was designed for washing and polishing cars, but it’s handy for boats too if your gelcoat needs a buff and waxing. It includes a vacuum, a high-speed buffing and waxing attachment, and a lower speed brush with a soap reservoir. You can even attach your hose directly to it and adjust the water flor. Best of all, it’s cordless with a long-lasting rechargeable battery pack, so you could clean your decks while hanging out on the hook. We’ll be using it in the boatyard. It’s a bit too bulky to devote valuable locker space for it, but it would be handy to keep in a dock box or the garage. $99, www.powersidekick.com.

One-Minute Rules of the Road The International and U.S. Inland rules might not sound like they’d make an interesting read. But if your boat is 12 meters (39.4 feet) long or more, you’re legally bound to have a copy on board. And even if your boat is smaller, you still have to obey the rules, and a knowledge of the correct course of action to take in an emergency situation could just save your life. Poring through rules can make the eyes glaze over, and that’s where this guide comes into it’s own. It has a “one minute” decision tree to help guide your course of action. Inside, the full text of the rules and a plain-English translation (“what it means”) are given for when you’ve more time to read the fine print. There are also lots of color illustrations to help clarify those wordy rules. $18.95. ISBN-13: 978-007147923-3 The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

If you recall Carolina Currents’ predecessor, Carolina Cruising, you might remember a young writer who got his start with them writing humor pieces about his sailing affliction. Well Eddie Jones is now 20 years older, perhaps wiser and still funny. His latest book, subtitled “Inspiration for the Navigationally Challenged and Spiritually Stuck,” explores boating from his unique perspective in 32 anecdotes, each concluding with the lessons learned and a spiritual reflection. If you’re not a Christian, you might lean more toward his first book, Hard Aground. $14.95. ISBN-13: 978-09755910-9-3. www.hardaground.com.

By Elizabeth D. Knotts

ou can help clean up our waterways by participating in upcoming annual cleanup initiatives across the Carolinas. North Carolina’s Big Sweep aims to rid our watersheds of litter. It’s officially on Oct. 6, although individual counties are holding their clean-ups from Sept. 15 to Nov.10. In 2006, almost 14,000 volunteers picked up 254 tons of debris from North Carolina’s watersheds. To check your local clean-up date or to register online, go to www.ncbigsweep.org or call the Big Sweep Hotline at 1-800-27-SWEEP. South Carolina’s 18th Annual Beach Sweep/River Sweep is the morning of

Editor’s Note: If you’ve been missing your regular dose of Hard Aground, you’ll look forward to our November/ December issue when we bring Eddie aboard Carolina Currents.

SCDNR

Power Sidekick

Hard Aground Again

Carolinas Sweep Up

The Boatbuilder’s Apprentice If you think you’d like to tackle building a wooden boat, then this is a great resource to review beforehand. The author explores the evolution of various building techniques and materials, pluses and minuses of different designs, which method works best for various boat styles, needed tools, and even that frightening topic: lofting. You can’t build a boat using this book alone, but it will help you make crucial decisions before getting started and provide helpful hints along the way. $39.95. ISBN-13: 978-0-07-146405-5.

Sept. 16. Last year nearly 5,000 people volunteered, removing 59 tons of litter and aquatic debris from the state’s rivers, swamps, beaches, lakes, marshes and creeks. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and S.C. Department of Natural Resources organize the event, which is held in conjunction with The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Anyone can participate and all necessary supplies are provided. To volunteer on the coast, contact Sue Schweikart at (843)727-2078 or e-mail bsrs@scseagrant.org. A list of cleanup locations on the coast is available at www. scseagrant.org/education.htm. For inland Sweeps, contact Bill Marshall at (803)734-9096 or e-mail bsrs@ dnr.sc.gov. A list of cleanup locations is available at www.dnr.sc.gov/water/envaff/ river/BeachSweep/event.html.

September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 25

to the Past

Is Diamond Shoals

By Dave Corbett

H au nted?

nd there she is, rising from the sea fog, her halyards waving to turned into some ghostly specter to haunt the Outer Banks. An an invisible breeze, limp tattered sails flutter, the helm forever alien abduction, Davy Jones’ revenge, or a mind-altering disease were all brought forward and put on the investigator’s table. undulating port to starboard, and amidst it all, a general air of If it wasn’t the “unnatural,” then what did happen aboard the desolation as she pushes onward, ever onward. To the ever-superCarroll A. Deering for her to become a ghost ship? Was it pirates? stitious sailor, forbidding to the point of being spooky. Captain O.W. Parker of the United States Shipping Board Today, the term “ghost ship” applies to a vessel found sailing without crew, a ship plying ocean waters known to have sunk years believed so. Though no real or tangible evidence ever was found to indicate pirates to be the cause, they nonetheless still did sail these before, or an apparition that appears to drift upon the sea. Many a waters in the early- and mid-1900s. Actually, pirates still exist in seaman claim to have seen ghostly hulls sailing to nowhere. many places in the world. So, maybe pirates. What of the Octavius, an English trader making her way back Then too, during a raid on the United Russian Workers Party to England from China through the Northeast Passage? It was in New York City, agents found papers that called for all good 1775 when she was found drifting off of Greenland, 13 years after Communist Party members to seize American ships and sail them declared lost. Sailing this ghoulish vessel, a crew of frozen men. Or, just a few short months ago, what became of the three men to Russia. But there’s no proof this policy was ever carried out. Prohibition was in full swing, and rum runners working out of aboard the 9.8-meter catamaran, Kaz II, found off the Great Barthe Bahamas were known to misappropriate ships at sea for their rier Reef with engine running and a meal ready to eat? illegal shipments. The Deering was large enough to haul more North Carolina’s Diamond Shoals not only has taken many than $1 million worth of liquor in her hold. Plenty of incentive to a vessel, it too has its own ghost ship. The Carroll A. Deering, a steal a ship, but nothing could ever be proved. five-masted cargo schooner making passage from Rio de Janeiro But mutiny must also be considered. The to her homeport of Newport News, Del., The crew of the Carroll A. Deering sailed with a replacement captain. mysteriously appeared crewless and hard Deering were never heard The assigned captain, William H. Merritt, aground on the shoals. Word of the strange from again became ill just prior to ship’s departing from circumstances spread, as the ship, though Norfolk, Va. This was, as seamen know, a bad on the hard sand, remained under full sail omen. Ill portent or not, the ship set sail for with the ship’s cargo undisturbed. Rio with W.B. Wormell in command. Reports of piracy filled the press as the Capt. Wormell did not like or trust his only plausible cause. Many believed the crew, with the exception of one man. We Bermuda Triangle had struck, leaving only know this from a conversation he had with the ship to sail on while devouring the another captain and friend in Rio. At one crew. Ghostly... even Halloweenish. point, the first mate, Charles B. McLellan It was Jan. 31, 1921, that the Deering threatened Merritt’s life during an argument. was found. Rescue attempts were imposMutiny could have followed on the voyage sible at the time due to weather too rotten home, with the crew possibly killing the even for the sea-going population of the captain, and then boarding the two missing Outer Banks. Finally, on Feb. 4 the ship lifeboats for the trip to shore. But neither was boarded and, to the shock of the would crew nor lifeboats were ever found. Mutiny? be saviors, none of the 10 mostly Danish Certainly it is plausible when you considcrew roamed the tossed deck; the ship’s log er the statement of the Cape Lookout light and navigation equipment were nowhere to keeper. As the ship passed a man hailed the light keeper and told be found. The crew’s personal gear was gone, and the two lifeboats him they had lost their anchors. During this encounter, the keeper were no longer hanging from their davits. thought the man he spoke with was not the captain (he didn’t look Five federal agencies - Commerce, Treasury, Justice, Navy and the part) and that the crew was milling forward on the prow, not State - began poking into the mystery of the Deering, along with where they normally should have been. nine other vessels lost during the same time period and in the Was it a malcontent crew taking command of the ship and same general area. Most notably, the sulfur freighter Hewitt with a crew of 43 disappeared six days prior to the finding of the Deering. then leaving it to drift onto the shoals? The Carroll A. Deering mystery may never be solved. She will remain a ghostly reminder The Commissioner of Navigation at the time said: “I have heard of the strangeness of the sea, and that no matter what precautions many tall yarns of the sea but in this case the facts are there. The we sailors take, the unknown forever lurks above and below the Carroll A. Deering and the Hewitt met some strange fate beyond waves. Maybe it waits for you or me on this 2007 Halloween. that of ordinary vessels come to grief.” By the by, has anyone seen the Black Pearl or Captain Jack Sailors, being what they are and always have been, fabricated Sparrow? I heard he’d returned to his skeletal old self. Arrrh!!! any number of reasons why so many ships had either been lost or

26 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Emily Coast

Riverfest Brings Wilmington

Waterfront Alive Submit Letters to Emily by e-mail to EmilyCoast@CarolinaCurrents.com.

Marina Manner Mandates Ahoy Emily, We’ve had a trailer sailer for a while and recently bought a bigger boat. Since we’re new to the marina scene, I wanted to ask if there are any etiquette concerns to be aware of. Thanks for your advice. Signed, New Kids on the Dock

G entle Reader,

A marina is a communal living situation. In addition to space availability, suitability for your type of boat and cost, the feel of a marina is a major consideration when choosing yours. Marinas can be large and crowded or small and quiet. If there are several in your locale, stroll the docks to see what boats are there and if the natives are friendly. Once you find a marina, even the choice of docks can make a difference. Being on A dock vs. B dock can be like living on separate streets. You are far more likely to get to know the new neighbors on your dock than on the next one over. All that said, once you’ve found the perfect home for your boat, there are a few guidelines to bear in mind. First, treat the dock like your front lawn. A partially deflated dinghy on a pier is the equivalent of a junked car in front of your house. It is in very poor taste to leave unsightly items sitting on the dock where they may be a tripping hazard. Keep hoses coiled and power cables out of the way. In a storm unattended items may end up littering the water and banging against your neighbors’ hulls. If you have too much to fit aboard your boat, either put it in the trunk of your car, take it home or invest in a dock box. Second, be neighborly. One of the ways in which marinas are like friendly neighborhoods is that people stop to assist one another. This is particularly true of docking. In the absence of a harbormaster of dockhands, it is considered polite to offer to catch somebody’s lines when they are coming into the dock or offer to cast them off when they are leaving. If your offer to help is accepted, pay attention to the captain and crew aboard the boat and follow their instructions rather than automatically doing things your own way. Likewise, if somebody is helping you, clearly state what you require. Third, remember the golden rule when it comes to communal amenities. When finished with dock carts or other equipment intended for common use, be sure to put it back where it belongs so others have access. And treat marina restrooms like you would treat the bathroom when visiting a dear friend’s home. A final area of the marina where manners are crucial is the fuel dock. Be aware that others may require access to the pumps. Secure your boat, follow proper fueling procedures, pay your bill and move to another dock area if you have other business ashore. Follow these common sense guidelines and I’m sure you’ll be well received in your new marina home. ~Emily The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

By Geoff Bowlin

ILMINGTON, N.C. - North Carolina’s largest coastal city owes its early prosperity to waterborne commerce on the Cape Fear River. To commemorate that heritage, Wilmington will hold its 29th annual Riverfest Celebration Oct. 5-7. Begun as an effort to draw people to what had become a nearly deserted downtown in the late 70s, Riverfest now celebrates the historic downtown’s successful revitalization. More than 200,000 locals and tourists join the fun each year. Activities begin with a battle of the bands on Friday night in Battleship Park, located just across the river from the downtown. The festival runs 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday followed by an “Invasion of the Pirates” boat flotilla launching from the Hilton Hotel dock at 7:15 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m., and a new Street Dance from 9-11 p.m. Events continue 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, including a Waiters Wine Race and an 8-kilometer Run the River Race. On both days, little sailors can enjoy fingerprinting, rides, live entertainment, wandering characters and more at the KidZone in

NC Tourism

Ship-shape Advice from the Etiquette Queen

the Cotton Exchange parking lot. Slightly older salts can bungee jump, climb rock walls and watch karate and gymnastics demos in the Adventure Zone in the Cape Fear College parking lot. Arts, craft and food vendors will line Water Street, and classic cars will queue up on Market Street. Other activities include a treasure hunt, wakeboard and skateboard competitions, a film festival, garden tours and four stages of entertainment. For boaters, the city rents convenient transient slips along the waterfront, right in the heart of the festivities - if you’re lucky enough to find room on the usually vacant docks. The city starts taking reservations two months prior to festivals with a two-night minimum stay. Call (910)520-6875 to make your reservation or to add your name to the waiting list. Best of all, the event supports a nautical cause. To date, Riverfest has donated close to $100,000 toward student aid, including the Cape Fear Community College Marine Technology Scholarship Program. To learn more about Riverfest call (910)452-6862 or visit www.wilmingtonriverfest.com. September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 27

Casting About

Reeling in the

Mahis

hey say fish is brain food. I try to eat it every chance I get, but I don’t think it is doing any good. The older I get the less I know, but I do know that good fresh fish is about $6 a pound, so when I am sailing I always troll a couple of lines off the stern. I carry about 600 feet of 100-pound test line, hooks, leaders and a few lures and

Fishing from a sailing vessel is ideal as there’s no prop wash or disturbance in the water, so you can run your bait closer to the boat, and a good trolling speed is 3-8 knots. You don’t have to worry about the speed. Deepwater fish don’t eat with a knife and fork. They come in at 40 miles an hour.

fish on board at 10:30, lunch “ Two at 12:00, six charterers and the captain ate 12 pounds of fish fillets ” a piece of shock cord rigged into the hand line so it won’t be a such a jolt when the fish hits. I make a gaff hook out of an old broom handle, using two hose clamps to hold an extra large hook on the end. A pair of cotton gloves comes in handy for pulling in the line. I use a squirt bottle full of rubbing alcohol to shoot down the fishes’ throats so they die instantly - I hope with a buzz on. This keeps us from bloodying up the deck and lets you get the hook out and back into the water as soon as possible, especially when in a school of fish. I have gotten as many as a dozen mahi mahi in 30 minutes. Usually we eat some, put some on ice, and have been known to swap eight nice fish for two nights of dockage, eating and drinking at a local restaurant. But most of the time, after the first night, I’m limited to just eating at the restaurant, if you get my drift.

In my years of delivery work I have developed the reputation that, if you sail for Papy, you will always have fresh fish. It helps nowadays with good crew hard to find. Sometimes on a big ketch I will run a small block and line up to the top of the mizzen so I can haul a clothes pin up. I

A Downtown Waterfront Hotel • Adjacent to The Harborage at Ashley Marina & The Charleston City Marina • Private boat dock available for hotel guests to reserve for a fee • Hotel shuttle to Waterfront Park in Historic District (fee) • Regatta Bar and Terrace open daily 4-11pm (closed Sundays) • Call 843-722-7229 to make boat dock reservations.

Courtyard by Marriott

35 Lockwood Drive, Charleston, SC 29401 28 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

843-722-7229

www.marriott.com/chscy

By Capt. Frank Papy

put the line from the rod into the clothes pin, run it up to the top of the mast so that when the fish hits it pops out. The advantage is that when the boat rolls it makes the bait move from side to side. The fish seem to love it. I figure it increases your odds of catching a fish about 20 percent. When fishing from my Morgan 41 charter boat (which goes 11 knots: 7 forward and 4 sideways) I always troll a couple of lines off the stern to pick up some mackerel or dolphin. It breaks the routine for charterers when we get a strike. I love to pull in a couple of 3-foot mahi mahis to my charters’ amazement. I gaff them, give them the alcohol treatment, lay them out on the aft deck and have my picture taken skinning them out and filleting these beauties while having a rum and coke on a sunny day with some Jimmy Buffet music on. I cook them up for lunch with some butter, lime and pepper sauce - all done by me on a rocking boat, unless I have the luxury of a cook onboard. The log book usually reads “two fish on board at 10:30, lunch at 12:00, six charterers and the captain ate 12 pounds of fish fillets and 12 more pounds are in the cooler.”

Editor’s Note: Capt. Frank Papy lives near Hilton Head Island during the summer and spends winters in Islamorada, Fla., aboard his 1967 Morgan 34 Sky Bird. He has lived aboard and chartered sailboats for more than 35 years. He is the author of “Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys” and “Sailing: Impressions, Ideas, Deeds,” among other books.

Selected Area Fishing Events September 2007

6-8 29th Annual Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament, one of the largest all-cash tournaments on the East Coast, proceeds go to Atlantic Beach Volunteer Fire Department and Carteret County Sportfishing Association www.abkmt.com 8 Starter Team Bass Tournament, two-person teams on the New River, average prize $2,500 based on 50 boats, guaranteed $1,000 cash prize. Open to public. Gottschalk Marina, Camp Lejeune. (910)451-8307

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Selected Area Fishing Events/ Contd. September 2007/ Contd.

October 2007

8 Flounder Fishing Tournament

4-6 U.S. Open King Mackerel

and Seminar, Emerald Isle, NC.

Tournament Southport. One of

one of the area’s most renowned

prestigious fishing tournaments.

Learn about flounder fishing from experts. (252)354-6350

12-15 Inaugural Sailfish Slam

Charleston, SC. Catch and release

billfish competition, points for blue

and white marlin, and sailfish. www. megadocktournament.com

North Carolina’s oldest and most Entertainment, fish fry www. usopenkmt.com

12-14 King Mackerel Tournament, Offshore Fishing Club, Topsail

Beach, NC (910)327-3953, tofc.com

18-20 Calcutta Wahoo Challenge

28-30 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish

Non-profit with proceeds

NC. Entry fee $1,500

Hospice of Carteret County.

Tour Championship Atlantic Beach, www.crystalcoastnc.org

29 Neuse River Backwater Open, New Bern, NC. Tournament

for speckled trout, puppy drum, stripers, benefits Neuse River Foundation. (252)526-7988,

neuseriverbackwateropen.com

benefitting Take A Kid Fishing, www.calcuttawahoo.com

18-20 Wrightsville Beach King Mackerel Tournament. Prizes

in excess of $100,000; proceeds

benefit UNCW Seahawks Club, Wrightsville Beach Lyons Club. wbkmt.com

Marketplace Brokerage, Business Directory & Classifieds Dealers for:

Opti

1991 Island Packet 35 $125,000

1990 Tartan 372 $149,500 Excellent Cond., A/C, AP, RF, Shoal Draft, Must See

1979 Shannon 28 $49,900 Well cared for. Recent Beta Marine diesel.

Hatteras Double Cabin Blackfin Combi Prairie Sea Ray Sundancer Sea Ray Bayliner 2452 Boston Whaler

‘79 ‘88 ‘81 ‘97 ‘94 ‘02 ‘99

$139,000 $119,000 $99,500 $89,900 $39,500 $31,950 $16,900

SAIL 42’ 42’ 41’ 41’ 41’ 41’ 40’ 40’ 38’ 38’ 37’

Cabo Rico Westsail Columbia Motorsailer Morgan Aft Cockpit Morgan Out Island Swede Passport Cutter Shucker MS Cabo Rico Hans Christian 38T Pacific Seacraft

‘03 ‘76 ‘72 ‘68 ‘76 ‘79 ‘82 ‘80 ‘81 ‘81 ‘85

$440,000 $115,000 $26,500 $43,500 $49,500 $18,000 $135,000 $88,000 Sold $129,000 $120,000

A fine example of these world cruisers and liveaboard vessels. This boat has always been maintained and consistently upgraded. She is mechanically sound, has all the comforts of home, and is ready to go cruising. The boat is in good condition, and just needs to be provisioned before untying the lines.

SAIL/ Contd.

POWER & TRAWLERS 43’ 36’ 36’ 33’ 30’ 24’ 18

Say you saw it in Carolina Currents!

37’ 36’ 35’ 34’ 34’ 34’ 34’ 32’ 32’ 31’ 30’ 30’ 30’ 30’ 30’ 28’ 26’ 25’ 25’ 25’

Tartan 372 Endeavour Catamaran Fuji Alden Ketch Bristol Pacific Seacraft Crealoch Pearson Rival Pearson Vanguard Westsail Cutter Catalina 310 Catalina Catalina C30 Tall Rig Catalina MK III Hunter 306 Pearson Shannon C&C Cal Mk II Catalina Swing Keel Catalina Swing Keel

Website: www.tritonyachts.com Tel: 252-249-2210 E-mail: sales@tritonyachts.com

‘90 ‘00 ‘74 ‘76 ‘87 ‘86 ‘76 ‘64 ‘77 ‘04 ‘89 ‘86 ‘80 ‘04 ‘72 ‘79 ‘77 ‘82 ‘86 ‘78

$149,500 $164,900 Sold $35,000 $104,900 $41,500 $32,000 $25,000 $39,500 $98,500 Sold $22,500 $17,000 $65,000 $9,900 $49,900 $6,500 Sold $9,500 $6,500

Located at Sailcraft Marina, Oriental, N.C.

Boat storage, service & transportation at our boatyard on Midyette St., Oriental, N.C. Tel: 252-249-2001

The North and South Carolina Boater’s Magazine

1988 Catalina 34 $49,900

“Sandlapper” is a well maintained and almost completely upgraded example of this very popular model. Upgrades include interior, exterior, and systems so she is in ready to go condition.

1998 Gozzard 36. $245,000

A beautifully constructed one owner boat, she has no deficiencies and is in “as-new” condition. TRANSFERABLE HULL WARRANTY!!!!

1994 Grady White Chase 263 $49,900

An excellent example of a truly well built center console offshore fishing machine. She has been repowered with twin Evinrude E Tech 200’s that still have 6 years on a 7 year transferable warranty. She is loaded with factory options and ready to fish or play in safety and comfort. The seller has purchased a larger vessel and is looking for serious offers.

2001 Mainship 43 $319,900

Well equipped, numerous upgrades and exceptionally maintained. A meticulous and knowledgeable owner; all systems are in perfect running order. Clean, ready to-go condition. An exceptional vessel.

1998 J 105 $99,000.00

Only the second owner, this boat spent her first year in fresh water, and has been meticulously maintained ever since. PRICE JUST REDUCED!

Glen Appelbaum • 843 813 3711 • glen@tidelineyachtsales.com 17 Lockwood Drive, Charleston, SC 29401 • www.tidelineyachtsales.com September/October 2007 Carolina Currents 29

Marketplace

Contd.

Say you saw it in Carolina Currents!

www.capelookoutyachts.com

Powerboats

Featuring New & Used Boats Office 252-249-2111 Mobile 252-342-0040 711 Broad St. • Oriental NC 28571

1984 Dickerson Ketch 37’ $64,900

1993 Great Harbour Mirage 37’ $399,000 POWER/ Contd.

SAIL 37’ 36’ 36’ 34’ 25’ 24’

Dickerson Ketch C&C 36 PDQ MKIII LRC Cat. Sabre Centerbd. Sloop Hinterholler Sloop Morgan Sloop

40’ 38’ 37’ 36’ 33’ 31’ 30’ 29’ 28’ 27’

Mariner Yachts Int. Sed. Fountain Fever Great Harbour Mirage Hatteras Convertible Cris Craft Cavalier Cabo Express Trojan Express Flybr. Cobalt 293 Chris Craft Express Cab. Maxum 2700 SCR Expr.

Dolphin Dreamer - a 2004 Four Winns 268. 180 hr Volvo gas with A/C, Sirius, DVD, Refrigerator, Hot & Cold Water. View at www.deatonyachts.com. Asking $59,900. Deaton Yacht Sales in Oriental, NC. 800-401-1195

1984 1978 1996 1987 1970 1969

$ 64,900 $ 58,500 $ 149,900 $ 66,900 $ 6,000 $ 4,900

POWER 2006 $ 289,000 1993 $ 79,900 1999 $ 399,000 1985 $ 89,900 1967 $ 17,900 1999 $ 209,000 1976 $ 16,900 2000 $84,500 1979 $ 24,900 1997 $ 35,900

27’ 26’ 26’ 26’ 25’ 25’ 25’ 25’ 24’ 24’ 23’ 23’ 22’ 20’ 19’ 18’ 17’ 17’ 16’

Wellcraft Scarab Grover DownEast Picnic Pursuit 2650 Express Pursuit 2650 Expr. Cud Rosborough 246 Sedan Rosborough Cust. Wlhse. Sea Ray 250 Expr. Cr. Steiger Craft Block Is.25 Baja DVX 235 Bentley Pontoon Deck Hydra-Sports 23 W/A Parker Center Console Sea Pro 220 Walk Arnd. Seacraft Cent. Console Triumph 191DC Cobia 184 McKee Craft Marath. 172 Pioneer 175 Bay Sport Tiffany Skiffany 16

1985 1981 1992 1990 2007 2006 1994 1989 1990 2005 2004 1995 2003 1975 2004 2000 2005 2005 1999

$ 72,500 $ 18,500 $ 24,900 $ 17,900 $ 19,900 $ 31,900 $ 20,900 $ 29,900 $ 6,500 $ 16,900 $ 17,900 $ 16,900 $ 21,900 $ 22,900

Classifieds

Lady G - a 2005 Searay 260. 100 hr Mercruiser loaded including Chart Plotter & A/C. View at www.deatonyachts.com. Asking $65,900. Deaton Yacht Sales in Oriental, NC. 800-401-1195

Let advertisers know you saw their ad here!

The Links at Wayfarers Cove Luxury Waterfront townhomes on the Neuse River close to Oriental, New Bern, and the ICW. Country Club membership included. Fullservice marina nearby. Only four left! Virtual tour available: www.TopAMS.com/?t=154 Contact Clare Pedersen at Coldwell Banker Willis-Smith, Oriental, N.C., 252-675-9586 www.coldwellbankerorientalnc.com

PRINT CLASSIFIEDS ORDERING

Sailboats

26 Pearson Racer and Cruiser 1975. Sleeps four. Lady Ace is comfortable, reliable, fun and forgiving. $8,500. (910)324-6006.

Real Estate

$ 5,500 $ 33,500 $ 39,900 $ 28,900

Yacht Sales and Charters

Morgan 382 1979. Sea Spell has cruised the U.S. coast and Caribbean extensively; now she is ready for your adventure. Refitted 20022004, including new batteries, wind, solar and shore power charging systems, high-output alternator and professional engine rebuild. A/C, propane stove, SSB receiver, windlass. $58,900. Located in Oriental, N.C. (252)671-2654.

Reel Mean - a 2004 Triton 2895 with all options. 50 hrs on twin Mercury 225 hp 4-cycle outboards. A trophy winner. Asking $84,900. View at www.deatonyachts.com. Deaton Yacht Sales in Oriental, NC. 800-401-1195

Morgan Out Island 33’. Classic Charlie Morgan design. 1975 fiberglass sloop with 3’11” shoal draft. Well-kept and outfitted. Propane stove, hot and cold water, Adler-Barbour refrigeration, microwave, marine stereo, VHF, GPS chart plotter, autopilot, 1,000-watt inverter, Volvo diesel, roller furl headsail new in 2004, spare mainsail, and more. $29,900. Located in Oriental, N.C. Call 877-267-6219, www.whittakercreek.com.

• Print ads are $1 per word ($20 minimum) per issue. Add images for $15. • E-mail print ad listings to Advertising@CarolinaCurrents.com with words and JPEG photos; include ‘classified’ in the subject line. • Payment is required before processing. Add a $3 typing fee for ads sent by mail or phoned in. • Pay by check/money order to Carolina Currents, or securely online to our Paypal account Rob@carolinacurrents.com (remember to let us know which ad the payment is for). • Carolina Currents is published bi-monthly. Print classifieds ad deadline is the 25th of second month preceding cover date (e.g. Sept. 25 for Nov/Dec). Payment is due by ad deadline. • Cancellations cannot be accepted once ad is processed. Send check or money order to: PO Box 1090, Oriental NC 28571

Visit our website to view our new online Classifieds. Free ads for items under $100

Business Directory Atlas Boats New ‘07 Acadia 25

1990 Pacific Seacraft 31 equipped for cruising for $99,900. Cutter rigged, solar panels, Monitor wind vane steering and much more. Berthed in Oriental, N.C. Call Deaton Yacht Sales at (800)401-1195.

30 Carolina Currents September/October 2007

Traditional good looks teamed with a 200hp Yanmar diesel. Optional 250hp. Cruises at 21 knots while burning a miserly 4.6 gals per hour. Tops out at 25 knots. Central AC/Heat. Aluminum trailer. Full head with shower. Full galley with refrigeration. List price w/trailer is $108,400. Call for special introductory pricing. We service what we sell! Full specs online.

Deaton Yacht Sales • Oriental, NC 800 401 1195 • www.deatonyachts.com www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Business Directory/Contd.

Say you saw it in Carolina Currents!

THE SAILBOAT COMPANY Dealer for Com-Pac Yachts

Beta Marine US Ltd PO Box 5 Arapahoe, NC 28510

www.ipass.net/sailboat

877-227-2473 252-249-2473

Johnnie Scott • Keith Scott

info@betamarinenc.com www.betamarinenc.com

Model shown BD1005 - 28HP Dealer Inquiries Welcome

SUPERB PROPULSION ENGINES including our famous Atomic 4 replacements. 10 to 90hp all KUBOTA powered.

• New Boats • Used Boats • Trailer Sales

• Sailing School • Sailing Software • Computer Racing

P.O. Box 575 Richlands NC 28574

(910) 324-4005 Mon.-Sat.

CUSTOM SAILS BUILT IN BEAUFORT NC

CALL FOR A QUOTE 800 533 3082

www.omarsail.com

KEVIN HENNESSEY 5003 O’quinn Blvd. • Suite G • Southport, NC 28461 o. 910.279.2355 • f. 910.401.1419 • email khennessey@sailtime.com

Whiteville, North Carolina

(910) 642-6491

brettsblankets.com It’s like having a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign for your whole body!!!!

MARINE TECH MOBILE MARINE MECHANICAL

*Custom Hardtops *Systems Installations *Deck Recores *Welding Services Available *Awl Grip Application *Mold & Plug Fabrication *Absolutely Anything Fiberglass

Dave Simeon, Owner & Operator

(252) 249-0075

dcboatworks@pamlico.net

Emergency Services, Maintenance, General Repairs Diesel, Gas, Electrical, Plumbing, Pumps, Diagnostics, Fabrication

RONN PERRIN

Phone (252)675-1244 • www.marinetechmobile.com Mobile Service at Your Dock Serving Eastern N.C.

• Certified Master Technician Since 1988 • ABYC & NMMA Standards • Competent/Reliable/Insured • Quality Parts and Service Guaranteed • Authorized Dealer

Ramona Brinson Owner/Broker

Located on S. Main St., Historic Bath

252-923-9310

Specializing in Waterfront Property in Eastern NC www.lowtiderealty.com

We May Have Just the Place You’ve Been Looking For Come Visit … You Just Might Want to Stay!

www.lighthousencrealty.com ramona@lighthousencrealty.com

Office: 252-249-2525 Mobile: 252-670-5152

SAILCRAFT SERVICE A Full Service Boatyard - DIY Also Welcome New 55,000 lb Travelift Located 1.75 miles from ICW marker 180 in Oriental, NC

FULL SERVICE FROM OUR FRIENDLY STAFF: • Hauling • Mechanical Installation & Repair • Engine, Transmission & Generator Overhaul & Repower • Complete Rigging & Repair • Crane Service • 70-ft Bucket Crane • Custom tanks - fabrication in metal, plastic and fiberglass

• • • • • • • •

Custom Carpentry & Refinishing Peeling & Blister Repair Enclosed Spray Booth Beneteau Service Center Bow Thruster Installation Wet & Dry Storage Metal Fabrication Welding

CERTIFIED DEALERS/ INSTALLERS FOR: • • • • • •

• • • • •

Inflatables

( 2 5 2) 249-0522

• VHF Channel 16 s ailcraftservice@coastalnet.com www.sailcraftservice.com Alan Arnfast • PO Box 99 • Oriental, NC 28571 • Est. 1978

FULL FACILITIES FOR DIY CRUISERS: • Wireless Internet • Showers & Laundry • Picnic Area

SPECIAL OFFER: FREE Rigging Inspection when you mention this coupon from Carolina Currents