Monday, May 15, 2017

We left Southport at 9:00 AM heading up the Waterway with a planned stop for the night at Swan Point Boat Yard and Marina in Sneeds Ferry, NC, Fortunately we were able to ride the incoming tide up the Cape Fear River. My speed was 7.6 kts, but my speed over ground was 10.2. They are still dredging in the Cape Fear for the large ships coming into the Port of Wilmington.

Here are a couple of Shrimpers tied up along the Waterway. And one shrimper that I assume didn't survive the last Hurricane. It looks like it has been in this state for some time and abandoned.

We arrived at the Wrightsville Beach Bridge several minutes late of their 12 O'clock Opening. I was in contact with the bridge tender on the radio, and he held the bridge open for us. Ahead of the bridge was a long no wake zone, however I was leaving a small wake in an effort to make the opening. I slowed down after hearing a whistle. Don't know who it was, but I kept going.

However we were not so lucky with the New Topsail Swing Bridge; we arrived with 20 minutes to wait and tread water with three other boats. While we were waiting, I drifted slightly off the channel and hit an oyster bed under the water. I had a difficult time powering off the bed, and did some damage to my prop. We continued on without too much vibration. I called ahead to the Swan Point Marina who were very helpful in contacting a diver to check out the prop. The prop was damaged, and he dove down under the boat and removed it and took it to a prop repair service. So we stayed an extra day to wait for the prop repair. I was very impressed with the diver. His name is Chris Wilshire, 910-352-8115 and his business is named ELITE MARINE Diving and Underwater Services. Being a Marine Corp Vet, his business is very appropriately named.

 

Here is a picture of the repaired and balanced prop ready for the diver to install. The prop is 25 inches in diameter. Also pictures of the Line Cutter that is installed on the shaft, and the shaft nuts. The line cutter will help if I get tangled in a crab pot line. This did happen one time back in 2015 when I brought the boat down from the St Lawrence River. The cutter severed the line and we were freed up.