Friday, June 7, 2013

Southport to Snead's Ferry

 
Heading north from Southport, the landscape is peppered with numerous marinas and large homes.  No wonder since the flow of the Atlantic Ocean into the ICW via numerous inlets produces some of the most stunning aqua water since leaving Florida.


Interesting home to the starboard. In layman's terms that means to look "to the right".
 
 
One inviting marina after another......

 
and their pint sized boats, please....................
 

An abundance of river traffic due to the Memorial holiday weekend!
 
 
Who knew?  A palm tree and a parking meter in the middle of the channel?

 
More beautiful homes on the waterway.


And more marinas!  See the unusual shaped home on the right?  Funky.....


Now this pink palace is much more pleasing to the eye.  Gorgeous home, lighthouse and all!


Bridges.  It is the responsibility of the boat owner to make an effort to clear the bridge and hence not request an opening.  Our boat with the bimini top up can clear bridges that are 15 feet high.  With the top down we can clear 12 feet.  Some bridges operate on a time schedule.  All others open "on demand".  This was one of the later so we radioed the bridge tender on channel 13 and requested a bridge opening.  Now mind you, we were one of several boats requesting a bridge opening and it wasn't until a local boater (you can hear the twang in their voice) that the tender responded and swung her open.  Once you pass under the bridge you radio the bridge tender again and thank them.  That's bridge etiquette don't cha know!
 

Further up the ICW we entered the "Military Zone".  Camp LeJeune is a marine base in NC and conducts military exercises over the ICW for all forms of military training.  The only reason we know this is because of the "DANGER" signs.  They are warning us of the "unexploded ordnance" in the area.  This could include bombs, shells, grenades, etc. that did not explode when they were fired.  Nice....... 

 
Looks like part of a tank.  


As we continue heading north and LEAVING the area littered with DANGER signs I look back and see this one - LIVE FIRING IN PROGRESS WHEN FLASHING.  Never saw this sign prior to entering the southern part of the ICW.  Does that mean we would have been target practice?  Things that make you go "hmmmm".


Saw another old refurbished beauty - Freedom.  This is a motor yacht like the Fitz Honey but without the historic history.  She was a beauty none the less.
 

A gorgeous ICW home with incredible views due to the abundance of windows!


Nice house but the most interesting parts were the Adirondack chairs out front.  The top of the chair backs were shaped like shark mouths - how clever!  Could see it but not capture it via the cell phone - darn!














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