Dodging Bullets and Broken Bridges

Date:                                  April 24, 2013

Days on the Cruise:             30

From:                                Harbour Village Marina, Hampstead, NC

To:                                    Casper's Marina, Swansboro, NC

Statute Miles:                    38.3

Time:                               5.8 Hours

Cumulative Miles:             992.8

On Board:                         Chuck, Susan, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

We are in Swansboro, NC tonight, having come from the purple push pin

Historic Swansboro

It was a beautiful sunny morning - crystal blue skies - when we left Harbour Village Marina at about 8:10 today. The winds were calm and it was cool on the flybridge. We had to open the Isenglass flaps on the front because they were fogged up from the dew.

Beautiful Morning to Cruise

Dead calm in the Harbour Village Marina

White boats abound in the early morning

Looking into the sun 

It took us about 30 minutes to get to the Surf City Bridge that only opens on the hour. We idled around and made the 9:00 opening.

Surf City Swing Bridge with a clearance of 12' opening for us

This is one of the more photographed houses on the ICW. Seems like it appears in every Looper Blog I have read.

A view out of our front door this morning on the ICW

Next we passed the Topsail Island Island Bridge, which has a 65' clearance.

Topsail Island Bridge-no opening needed for this big boy!

As we were approaching Camp LeJeune, I heard the Onslow Beach Bridge that crosses the ICW in the middle of the Marine Base, announce to the world that he had a broken bridge and it would be 3 hours before he could get it fixed. Fine! We would just slow way down and take our time to get to the bridge. We were about 7 miles from the bridge when the bridge tender made his announcement. 

We entered the Camp LeJeune area and saw a big barracks complex near the waterway. I started thinking of Richard, Susan's brother-in-law who was with us earlier in the trip. He spent some time at this Marine Base. I was also wondering where the big sign was that gave instructions about stopping on the ICW if there was a live fire exercise going on.

Barracks complex at Camp LeJeune

Great view of the Ocean from Camp LeJeune

Thirty minutes into the bridge problem, the bridge tender announced that the Marine Corps mechanics had gotten the bridge to work again. After a test, it was good to go, and this happened to be at 11:00, which was on the hour and a scheduled time for the bridge to open. This particular bridge also opens on the half hour. Of course when "Blue Moon" slowed down, we were too far away to get to the 11:00 opening. So, we took the 11:30 opening, along with our buddy boat "Blue Heron who had caught up to us this morning.

More views of the Ocean from Camp LeJeune

Looking North at the Onslow Beach Bridge

Approaching Onslow Beach Bridge for the 11:30 opening

"Blue Heron" in front of us at Onslow Beach Bridge

After going through the 12' swing bridge, I was really wondering where this Live Fire section of the waterway might be. We had dodged a bullet on the Onslow Bridge situation, and I didn't want to be dodging bullets from Marines.

Our curiosity was satisfied a mile or so North of the bridge when we found the SIGN, and THE LIGHTS WERE NOT FLASHING! This meant that we could continue Northbound unimpeded by any Marines firing live ammo at targets along the ICW. We had dodged this bullet big time, because if we had been made to stop, we would have been there for several hours. We did hear Marine aircraft working West of the waterway and big guns thundering in the distance, so the Marines were firing somewhere, just not along the ICW!

The famous Live Fire SIGN and NO FLASHING LIGHTS!!!

Old Marine assets that are used for Live Fire exercises

An old Marine asset used for Live Fire exercises along the ICW with the Ocean in the background

The Live Fire Sign that you see heading South and the range tower

Arrival at Swansboro and docking at Casper's Marina was uneventful. We took on diesel fuel at a super low price that was around a $1.20/gallon LESS that what we paid in Jacksonville before we left. Fuel is getting cheaper as we head North.

After getting settled - it was early for us to be docked at a marina for the night, we rode bikes with backpacks to Piggly Wiggly which was about a mile from the marina. I was surprised at the hills in this town, but we made it there and back without any problem. We mainly bought bottled water and a few other supplies. We biked back with 2 gallons of water in jugs and a 24 bottle case that we split up between backpacks and bike baskets.

"Blue Moon" at Casper's early this afternoon

Tonight the gang is all here...many more boats than this afternoon

Our friends John and Katie on "Lightfoot" are at the marina with us tonight

Tonight we walked the town and ate dinner at a restaurant called The Icehouse. It was good, and we had a table right along the water. Swansboro is another North Carolina town that dates from the 1700's. One of the houses in the town is the oldest house in Onslow County. Swansboro is a small seaport town on the coast. We saw many older homes that date from the start of the 20th century when lumber was a big business in the town. Swansboro is not as scenic as other towns we have stopped at. There are no huge old trees that we could see in the historic area, and the houses are very plain.

Main street in Swansboro

We saw this duck drinking from a bowl in front of a store...and a cat was inside watching him

This is an old building on the main street in Swansboro

This is the oldest house in Onslow County, NC dating back to the late 1700's

One of the streets in the historical section. Note absence of big old trees

One of the streets in the historical section with a cat sitting in the road

Azaleas in front of an old house in the historical section

Tomorrow we go 25 miles up the ICW to Morehead City, NC. Check back for our post of the trip up tomorrow. We heard today that it looks like our son and daughter-in-law's baby girl may come as early as Monday of next week. This is a very exciting time for the family! 

Thanks for Reading!