Topsail Sound to Motts Channel Anchorage (Wrightsville)

Peace and Quiet left Topsail Sound about an hour before we did. They were headed to Wilmington which is about 12 miles up the Cape Fear River from the ICW. Departing Topsail Sound was easy as we had an extra 5 feet of water at high tide and a track on our chart to follow getting out. The channel from the ICW to the anchorage is narrow and can be a bit challenging at low tide. This was our third visit to Topsail Sound and we'll probably stop again on our way north as it is a very convenient, quiet anchorage once you get into the sound's deeper water. We anchor in about 10 feet MLLW.

Coast Guard Barge Resetting Aids to Navigation on the ICW - Pile Driving Barge

Hurricane Matthew has rearranged some of the channels and created numerous hazards to boaters who follow their charts expecting deep water. We passed a Coast Guard barge which was resetting day markers and placing drop aids just south of Wrightsville. Our original plan was to anchor out at Carolina Beach; however, we were running at low tide and couldn't find a way to pass day marker R150. We briefly ran aground twice and decided to reverse our route to find a place to spend the night. We back-tracked 6 miles and used Shinn Creek to access Motts Channel where we anchored with two other sailboats just off the Coast Guard station. We had over 20 feet of water at low tide and plenty of swing room. We laid out 175 feet of chain due to the depth and current in the channel.

This is the beginning of the most challenging stretch of the ICW. Hurricane Matthew has made this even more interesting as our charts no longer reflect reality in some of the more difficult spots on the ICW. We have been calling BoatUS for local knowledge if we feel Active Captain and communication with other boaters does not give us a reasonable degree of confidence in what to expect and how to negotiate a particular area. We'll just take it slow and go with the rising tide as much as we can. We have plenty of time to get to Georgetown before Thanksgiving.