Help Needed - Carolina Sailors

[connsailor]

Transferring from Connecticut to Charlotte, NC. Don't want to put boat (Hunter 356) on a lake. Looking for advice on great marinas on the coast with good hurricane protection but not too far to open water. We are considering Southport, NC or Charleston, SC. Any thoughts?

Also are there Hunter dealers on the coast we could possibly truck boat to and launch from there? Don't mind if it's not taken directly to our marina destination but want good Hunter dealer or similar who can step the mast, tune the rig, etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KD3PC]

Don't rule out Oriental and Beaufort, NC...both are wonderful destinations as well as great places to keep the boat.

 

[kjretlaw]

Cooper River Marina a mile upriver past the Ravenel Bridge, great staff, County facility.
City Marina on the Ashley River, the biggest. City owned, fuel, good staff.
Ashley River Marina, private, slips can be purchased or leased, great facilities
Patriots Point Marina, just at the mouth of the harbor next to the Maritime Museum, great facilities and staff , fuel.

There are also many more marinias around town, these are just the biggest in the harbor.
I wouldn't say any of these are protected from hurricanes. If something were comming it's either haul out or run upriver, to the lakes if you want.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

As a fomer sailboat dealer located in North Carolina and very familiar with your boat as I sold them, there are a few things to consider.

Travel is the first thing. Charleston would be a shorter drive but with hurricanes as one mentioned, the boat would need to be hauled or taken upriver. In addition the current is very fast; thus, making docking tricky depending on the marina and expect to pay more for dockage. However, there is alot to do in the charleston, sc area.

In North Carolina, the best sailing is from New Bern going north although Wilmington is closer, the Albermarle and Pamlico Sound has alot more to offer in way of sailing. If you do consider this area, the cost of marinas is not as expensive. However, you have the problem with hurricanes as well. There are some marinas that will taike care of the boat in the event of a hurricane but it would be your responsibility to take all sails and canvas off but you can always pay someone to do that vs. driving down. The first marina which I like the most is Northwest Creek Marina just across the river from New Bern,NC and the contact is Dawn. She is good to work with. Sea Path just up the river and Pecan Grove in Oriental, NC are tow other choices. There are two yards who repair sailboats in Oriental and they are both good to work with on the Pamlico Sound.

However, it will take you longer to drive to the coast of North Carolina but I tend to think sailing is more adventourous in the Pamlico Sound anyway. FYI, the bridges on the ICW have a clearance at standard mean tide of 65 feet except for Core Creek Bridge but that should not make a difference with the 356. There is one bridge with a 45 foot clearence in Oriental but not many marinas past that bridge to accomodate your boat there anyway. There are many other marinas in Oriental and vicinity as well and is considered the capital of sailing for NC

Just remember we have mosiquitoes and no see ums.

crazy dave condon

 

[amcmahon]

Moved to Wilmington, NC from NJ 9 years ago. Wilmington is great place to live, but sailing is limited. Tide/current in Cape Fear can run over 3 knots. Strongest approaching Southport. Some good and well protected marinas in Southport (newest is Deep Water off Cape Fear), but except for ocean or ICW, sailing is limited. Cape Fear inlet is deep and wide, but often very rough - thats why I say limited sailing.
A lot depends on your sailing style. I'm more of an adventure/cruiser - that is I only go to a marina every 3rd or 4th day out. If that's your cup of tea, I strongly recommend the Oriental area. A ton of marinas, many with lifts. Last year I kept my h27 at Sea Gate, a small, protected marina halfway between Oriental and Morehead City. I only paid $140/mo + elect for full service. 1 hr from Oriental/Pamlico(best sailing in NC) and 1 hr from Beaufort, Cape Lookout (Caribbean of NC) and the Atlantic. Although lots of marinas in this area, there are literally hundreds of anchorages. I've been going to this area 4-6 times a yr for 9 yrs and still have spots I have not gotten to.
If your not into anchoring out but like to stay at marinas, Charleston might be good. As previously mentioned, strong currents and very expensive - limited sailing.
One great NC resource is the free Boating Guide at www.ncdot.org or 877-368-4968. (QUICK UPDATE - PRINTED VERSION OF GUIDE NO LONGER AVAIL - STUPID BUDGET ISSUE) Welcome to NC.