The Adventures of SaSea Sally!: Wilmington, NC to Wrightsville Beach, NC July 9-14, 2014

July 9-14, 2014

Waterfront in downtown Wilmington, NC

We endured a captain-created tizzy Wednesday, July 9, in Wilmington when a necessary Wal-Mart run collided with an Enterprise rental car return and a SaSea Sally relocation, all mandatory before noon. We figured the dock master would be the most forgiving of our tardy departure (aka, least penalty), so we itemized our relocation third priority and departed the marina shortly before 1:00 p.m., bound for Cape Fear Marina/Bennett Bros Yachts (boat yard) about 3/4 mile north of out Wilmington Hilton Dock.

Shoulda stayed put! As we arrived at Cape Fear Marina, excited to see our friends' boat, the Aerin E, Captain Clay was not fully aware of the extremely swift cross current, more pronounced due to the tides. Close Encounter became too close an encounter when Clay uncharacteristically made final approach at "ramming" speed (his motive was to avoid damage to the pulpit/anchor). My, but I don't believe the dock hand realized he could jump that high nor move that fast to get out of the way. (Damage was easily buffed out, but the memory was firmly implanted in the captain's memory bank...and mine, too!). We calmed my nerves (I don't think Clay has them) by performing normal tasks which took me to the marina laundry room and Clay to the dock for detail work buffing. Later eve we joined Pat and Chip (Aerin E) for dinner at the Dock Street Oyster Bar downtown Wilmington.

Note: Clay tells me now that he was aware of the swift cross current, but Plan A wasn't working for him!

Terry and Barb Perkins

Terry, Barb, Sally and Clay

Our early morning walk Thursday was aborted due to rain which imposed a dreariness to the day. I was able to squeeze in a solo walk mid-morning when the rains tempered; I wound my way through the side roads of this largely-industrial area, marveling at the marked contrast with yesterday's walk along the historic downtown boardwalk, so near yet so far. We spent much of the day with cleaning chores, replacing the water filter, repairing the blown-out hose and the shore water hose entry. At my insistence, Clay cleaned the air conditioner strainer, then washed the boat deck in prep for the later afternoon arrival of our friends Barb and Terry Perkins (Barb, my Theta sorority sister and roomie from Mizzou days). Upon their arrival, we four were joined again by Pat and Chip for dinner at The Basics in Wilmington's Cotton Exchange in the downtown historic district. A good choice, we all enjoyed fine dining at very reasonable prices in a bistro atmosphere. A terrific restaurant recommendation by Pat's current hairdresser. Kudos to good food, good prices and fun times with friends!

Freighter on Cape Fear River

I was dreading Friday's departure from Cape Fear Marina, knowing we'd be facing the same cross current conditions, so our morning walk was an attempt at jitters-purging for me. Not sure it worked so well, but we four did get a bit of exercise. The dock master coached Clay on the best technique for combating the current, but darn it, we still had trouble. No damage, though.

Our 2.5 hour cruise Friday took us from Wilmington, NC to Southport as we retraced our path from the previous weekend to give Barb and Terry a taste of Looping. It was a wet, drizzly day, but as we docked and checked in to receive our bathhouse keys, the skies began clearing, promising a dry, unencumbered walk to Mr. P's for dinner. Barb and I had such a good time picking up right where we left off a few (hmmm..) years ago; speaks highly of a strong friendship. And, we had fun getting acquainted with spouses.

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Path over the dunes on Bald Head Isl.

In Barb's work, she had arranged numerous conferences at a private community across the Cape Fear River from Southport reachable only by boat or ferry, Bald Head Island, but had never been there. Her desire to take a peek, coupled with all we'd heard about the island, had us setting our Saturday destination for Bald Head Island. We encountered many passenger ferries during the half-hour cruising time which indicated the island's popularity. Island travel is solely by bicycle, by foot and by golf cart. At check-in, we were surprised that docking fees were reasonable, unlike the condo rental Barb had arranged for many of her clients.

Barb Perkins and Sally under Old Baldy

Approaching Bald Head Island on the SaSea Sally

Desiring to see the features of the island, Terry rented a golf cart for a two-hour self-guided tour. Barb sat in the passenger seat with island map in hand; Clay and I had the pleasure of riding backwards. The Perkins saw the sights coming; Logans, going. We laughed as Barb described much of what we were gonna soon see. Stops included Old Baldy, the famous island lighthouse; the adjacent church and chapel; a small shopping complex; golf course; and of course, a multitude of rental condos as well as residences beachside nestled among the dunes and vegitation and throughout the bowels of the wooded interior. Such a marked contrast in scenery we saw here on the island. Barb was constantly snapping photo after photo and commenting, "We have to bring Molli here. She would love this." A superb tour, even backwards. With a few suggestions for dinner, we showered and chose Delphina Cantina where I selected a veggie quesadilla while the others opted for the wahoo special.

Big home on Bald Head Island

Marker on Bald Head Island

Transportation is by cart, bike, and foot

Typical homes on Bald Head Island

Sunday morning's walk toured us past Old Baldy and the adjacent church where 8:30 a.m. service attendees were gathering. I was amazed that both island landmarks were so near to the marina; I guess traveling backwards gave me a distorted impression of proximity. We circled back to the boat for breakfast then soon departed for Wrightsville Beach, a four-hour trip at Clay's cruising speed. We had to time our departure from the sheltered harbor in accordance with arriving and departing ferries. And, as we encountered scheduled ferries from various ports in the area, we endured the rollers of these big vessels. Too, so near the ocean, we were impacted by stronger-than-normal winds and rough waters.

Ship in the Cape Fear River

Arrival at Wrightsville Beach, Seapath Marina, set into motion dinner prep for me as the three others coordinated a courtesy car trip to retrieve Perkins' car in Wilmington. We enjoyed grilled burgers, asparagus, baked potatoes and salad for our last evening together as we reminisced old times, new times, and times in between.

Luggage claim at Bald Head ferry terminal

Passenger wagons at ferry terminal

Ferry baggage rules

As we bid Barb and Terry an early fond farewell Monday morning, Captain Clay and I shifted into high gear when we realized the nearby bridge, 'under' which we had to pass, was on a schedule which pressed us into moving quickly to make the opening deadline. T minus sixteen minutes and counting at departure, we made the 9:00 a.m. for the Figure Eight Island bridge opening then fell behind a fellow boater Don Panguino, traveling tandem to coordinate the next bridge openings.

Livery service for ferry arrivals

Unfortunately, we knew more than he (was it 'unfortunate' or just unfortunate that we didn't assert our knowledge?) and were held up at the Surf City bridge which opened only on the hour, unbeknownst to him, but knownst to us! This area's bridges and opening schedules determine departure time and travel speed, so research (and a knowledge base) is imperative. We had it; he didn't. Kudos to Captain Clay!