Boating with Sunset Delight: 2023: Carolina Beach to Beaufort NC

16 April 2023

Depart: Masonboro Inlet anchorage 8:55

Arrive: Beaufort, NC Sugarloaf anchorage 5:30

Distance: ~ 65 nm ~ 8 hours

Conditions: Cool on the ocean with threat of thunderstorms, ~ 2 foot waves

We positioned ourselves at the Masonboro Inlet anchorage last night for quick and easy departure this morning. Normally I would serve Clark breakfast underway, but with the possibility of 2 to 4' waves on the ocean, I decided he better eat before we left. That turned out to be a good decision; otherwise, I would have been chasing the fry pan around the stove in the waves as we made our way out into the ocean.

I took a few pictures of the area before we pulled up anchor and got underway. I am not sure what these women were digging up with their paddles, but they were real busy on the beach.

In the morning the only other boats anchored near us were this sailboat, and

this commercial vessel "Ocearch".

We passed by a sandy beach as we entered the inlet.

Then we worked our way out into the ocean to position ourselves for the approximately 8 hours we would be traveling on the ocean. Clark knew we had a possibility of thunderstorms underway, so we kept one eye on the radar app and the other on the clouds in the sky around us.

Storm coming our way

The clouds got more interesting as the storm approached.

As the storm passed by, we got only a very few sprinkles. The worst of the weather system passed by us on the east. We saw and heard no signs of the predicted thunderstorms. I thought perhaps the waves would kick up as the storm approached / passed, but we had 2 foot rollers the whole trip. No issues thank goodness!

We were about 10 nm off the coast and in the distance we could see two large ships. AIS said that one of them was US Warship 19. They were heading across our track and went in front of us, and then they turned and ran parallel to our track coming in our direction but way off on our port side.

As we got closer, the ship on the starboard side appeared to be an aircraft carrier, but it did not show up on our AIS. At this time, we were passing through the danger range off Camp Lejeune. There was no live firing today. As we were passing between the ships off each side, a helicopter, perhaps from the carrier, flew overhead and made two wide circles around our boat before heading off to Morehead City. Clark got his binoculars out and was checking them out while they were checking us out. He could see that they had the door open on the helicopter as they passed by.

Clark said that at least twice there were pairs of dolphins that came flying towards the boat at high speed and periodically jumped high into the air. He grabbed the camera but couldn't get a picture before they got too close to the boat to be seen.

While we traveled, Clark had the radio on to pass the time. I laid down on the seat behind the captain's chair and passed in and out of consciousness as I too listened to the stories on NPR. Poor Clark said he fought to keep his eyes open after lunch as the boat gently rocked in the waves. Tongue in cheek, I said I had no problem with that as I was mostly asleep for the trip.

Right on schedule the plotter beeped to announce our arrival at our waypoint at the entrance to the inlet at Beaufort, NC. The anchorage Clark chose was close to the inlet, so in short order we had the anchor down and could "chill" until dinner time.

I captured some pictures of the area surrounding the anchorage at Beaufort ....