Timing is still everything

We had a really great start to the day.  We got off the dock at Coinjock around 6:50 am and started our crossing of the Albemarle Sound around 7:30.  It was a little nasty out there today.  Steep, short choppy 3 footers that sent the spray all over the flybridge.  The wind was blowing about 20 kts, which is unusual for that early in the morning.  It was tough dodging the crab pots as the spray kept our visibility limited.  We avoided all the pots and continued on the ICW without issue.  We decided right there that running outside from Beaufort down to Wrightsville Beach was probably not a good idea as the wind and waves were supposed to pick up.

We also surmised that once we got onto the Neuse River that it would be nasty there as well.  We were pleasantly surprised by the Neuse River today.  It was actually pretty good.  Choppy, but not enough to throw spray up on the flybridge.  As a result, we were making great time with no other boat traffic on the ICW to contend with so we were cruising right along.

We cleared the Morehead City Turning Basin right at 12:30 pm so we were on schedule to make all the bridges in succession starting with the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge at 2:00 pm.  Well, that didn't work out so well.  As you recall from yesterday, timing worked very well in our favor.  Today, not so much.

Today, wrong place, wrong time.  We were set to arrive at the Onslow Bridge at 1:50 for their 2:00 pm opening.  We were only 5 miles from the bridge when our nations finest Marines decided that today was a great day to close the ICW so that they could lob live bombs onto Camp Lejeune from a war ship 10 miles off the coast.  This has happened to me before, but it still sucks!

The sign reads: "STOP DO NOT PROCEED, Live Firing in Progress When Flashing, Tune to AM530".  The lights, were in fact, flashing.

Nothing we could do as there was a security boat blocking the waterway... and they were carrying side arms.  We were out gunned...So we threw out the anchor in the middle of the ICW, put on some tunes and listened as the cannons fired.  At 4:00 (after a 2 hour delay), the guns finally stopped and they opened the waterway up again to traffic.

The security boat blocking the ICW

We pulled up the anchor and continued our voyage on to Wrightsville Beach.  Right after we cleared the Onslow Beach Bridge, we saw the craziest crafts in the water.  I don't how these things floated.

We got to the Wrightsville Beach Draw bridge at 6:00 pm and tied up just a little after that.  So we spent a good 11 hours on the water today.  The boat ran great for the entire trip and the Cummins engines and Zeus pods were flawless. 

The Wrightsville Beach draw bridge looking South

I hate that the trip is over, but there will be more. There is nothing like the smell of diesel fuel when you crank up the engines.  Thanks to all who followed along and for the kind words of encouragement.  I hope to see you on the water soon.