12-8-09
Last night we anchored in a small bay just off the ICW with six other boats. We were the first to leave the anchorage, but it was only a short time before two of them passed us. It’s a continual game of tag and catch-me-if -you-can as we all wait for the bridges to open. We are learning how to pace ourselves so we time it right to get to the next bridge as it’s ready to open; as they only open on the half hour and some of them only on the hour. What seemed intimidating at first, is now an exciting challenge now that we are “seasoned” bridge navigators…
Last night was the first night we did not need to have heat in the boat to stay decently warm. Nor were we in a hurry this morning to start the boat and turn the heat on. We think we are far enough south now to where this will be the norm. Yeah!!!
Today we saw a dolphin for the first time this trip. Gary saw it right at the bow of the boat and then it went down into the water under the boat. After he told me what he saw, I went to the back of the boat and it finally came up quite a ways away from us, but I got to see it too.
We made it to Carolina Beach which is where Deborah Levin lives. This is a milestone for us as we feel like we’ve really accomplished something to have actually gotten this far and arrived at one of our destinations. Deborah used to work with us at the office, and when she moved here almost four years ago, we told her when we came down the ICW we would stop and see her. She was surprised that we were true to our word. She and her friend. Bill, showed us around the island which is seven miles long. This time of year, the island is known as “the island of lights”. There is a fabulous display of Christmas lights down the main street. Different than what is seen in the Midwest, with huge lights on all the lamp posts of a nautical theme: seahorses, conch shells, anchors, swordfish, dolphins, sailboats, etc. There was an assortment of lights around a fresh water lake (the closest fresh water lake to the sea anywhere in the world); and the reflections of the lights in the water were spectacular.
There are three beaches on this island, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach (pronounced “Qurrie”), and Fort Fisher Beach. The locals speak of the beaches as though they are really three different towns. Deborah lives in a cottage facing the ocean on Kure Beach, which is phenomenal. Kure Beach has the longest public pier going into the Atlantic Ocean (in the nation), and it is not far from where she lives. Also, a lot of movies are filmed on this island, so it’s not unusual for them to see movie stars.
She and Bill found a really nice marina for us to stay while we are here. It’s the nicest marina we’ve stayed at this whole trip. (The laundry was very nice, clean, and inexpensive to use the machines. Yeah!!! I got to do laundry!)
12-9-09
We spent most of the day with Deborah Levin today. She picked us up and took us on a daylight tour of the island, and then to the North Carolina Aquarium. The main attraction at the aquarium was an albino alligator; (see Photo Gallery) but, the whole aquarium was very nice. The islanders are quite proud to have it on their island, and they should be.
After the aquarium, Deborah drove us to Wilmington, which is 18 miles from the island. Like all the other larger coastal towns we’ve been to, there is a historical part of town- quite picturesque, with the Spanish moss hanging from trees, and huge homes with interesting architecture.
On the way back, she took us to a seafood market where we got fresh flounder and red snapper. Then, she insisted we use her car to go to the grocery, etc., which was a gift to these “cruisers”.
We met Deborah and Bill at the restaurant that he manages and had a wonderful dinner with them. The food was fantastic and we had a great time visiting with them. It was a fun day.
The wind has been gusting up to 50 miles an hour today, with some rain. However, the temperature was in the 70’s. The wind is suppose to be more manageable tomorrow and we plan on leaving Carolina Beach in the morning to resume our trip south.
Deborah Levin and the Glenns at the North Carolina Aquarium 12-9-09
Hi Dr. Glenn and Jean! I’m glad to hear you had fun with Mom. The picture is great. Happy Sailing!