Southport, North Carolina
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Ran aground today twice... First we were up by Barefoot landing waiting for a small boat, called All Hands to catch up to us. There were 3 boats including us waiting and trying to go in circles while the Bridge Tender was waiting for All Hands a morgan 30 out of Long Island Sound to catch up so he only had to lift the bridge once... Two other boats were doing a circle and one, Coyote bumped twice... we were trying to stay out of their way when bump... we were hard aground... The bridge opened and we didn't go through it...All Hands came by with his arms up in the air saying he was sorry... (but nothing he could do... the bridge tender should have opend for us and then again for him 1/2 hour later...) After some great work and movement to the bow and stern, we got off and the bridge tender opened up for us... Off we went again through the Rock Pile as it's called and passed Little River Inlet where we saw Coyote and the other boat anchored and waited again for another bridge. This one is a Swing Pontoon Bridge
. The only one left on the ICW. (Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge) It works by a cable... they are in the process of building a high bridge. This is where we ran aground again... the depth sounder said 14 ft but we bumped. Dad put her into reverse and ahead and off we went again.... Through the Pontoon bridge we went... and North again... very low tides... About an hour later we heard that the Pontoon bridge would be closed due to further notice due to the low tides... That meant Coyote and the other boat and All Hands wouldn't be getting through until the next day, unless All Hands got through behind us before they closed..... We went through another swing bridge with an old River boat The Belle of the Topsail and there high and dry was the motorboat Gwens Way... she would be there for alteast another 8 hours until high tide.... TowBoat US wasn't getting her off.... We finally got to Mile Hammock Bay which is a Marine Training Base. Sometimes they close the waterway down if they are doing live practices... more about this tomorrow and stay tuned for more about All Hands too...
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