We have spent the last two days on the Intercoastal Waterway waiting to find an outlet that isn't silted over and for favourable winds to make an outside passage. Yesterday was glorious and we were roasting in our bathing suits as we meandered along the ICW in North Carolina.
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| The waterway is lined with large homes and some are very colourful |
There was constant chatter on the radio as many people were getting stuck due to low water and shoaling. We grounded out a couple of times but luckily didn't get seriously stuck. Yesterday evening we pulled over to the side and dropped anchor in over 10' of water but woke up after midnight listing 45 degrees. Apparently we were right on top of a pile - there was nothing we could do but wait for the tide to come back in and float us off. The listing made sleeping impossible as we jumped at every creak and shift and had to lay horizontally on the bed with feet against the closet so we wouldn't roll off.
Dolphin playing in our bow wake
Crane wading alongside the ICW
Beach art at Wrightsville, NC
Today was overcast and rainy, so we made a short motor and anchored in the seaside town of Wrightsville Beach. The radio continued to crackle with more boats calling in to be towed off shoals. The next section of the waterway doesn't look any better which makes navigation a real chore as water levels change so rapidly you can't take your eyes off the instruments for a minute.
