NC Marinas

[BandB]

Well, Heck. I'm retiring in 11 months, shopping trawlers now. Had it all planned out, Florida bound. Now you people got me thinking of hanging in my old home state now! Originally from Cary, but haven't been there in a long time, good time to explore my old, very old, stomping grounds. Once I retire, I will be a live aboard, so exploring and recreation are essential.

Wifey B: Love NC, but like Paradise better. Just these brief words for your thoughts.

Average temps in January:

Fort Lauderdale, high 76, low 58 (cold cold....but can deal with it).

New Bern, high 55, low 34.

I really love NC, just love FL more. Guess I'm polystateamorous.

 

[ironhorsedriver]

Florida is still very much in the picture, but a little exploring up North would be good.
I like Florida, heat and all. Man, I never thought I'd wish for being older, but bring on 11 months from now.

 

[BandB]

Florida is still very much in the picture, but a little exploring up North would be good.
I like Florida, heat and all. Man, I never thought I'd wish for being older, but bring on 11 months from now.

Wifey B: Cooler in FLL today than in New Bern or Raleigh or Charlotte.

In looking at Florida you need to be aware there are many different areas and climates. Jacksonville, FL it closer to Wilmington, NC than it is to Key West, FL. Pensacola, FL is further west than any part of NC and NC's a very wide state. In just looking at coastal areas of NC, you have five very distinctively different areas.

1. SE FL or what is normally referred to as South Florida and includes West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and the Keys.
2. NE FL which includes Canaveral, Daytona, St. Augustine, Jacksonville.
3. SW FL which includes Naples, Venice, Sarasota, Fort Myers.
4. W FL which is the Tampa Bay area.
5. The Panhandle which includes Pensacola, Destin, Panama City.



That's without even going inland to Orlando and North Central FL.

 

[Eddie]

I am loving all the comments on this thread.

We have decided to put off Ocrakoke until we have more than a long weekend which may be a while. So, we are now thinking about saying good bye to New Bern in a couple of weeks. We may cruise south for a day or two but would need to leave the boat somewhere for 2-4 weeks.

It looks like Swansboro is about a 1-2 day journey from NB. Is that a good place to visit? Any better options in that area?

Also, we are renting a slip here monthly for around $350 and have been paying around $90 per day for over nights we have been doing. How does it work to stay somewhere a couple of weeks in terms of the cost? We don't want to pay $90 per day for that long.

 

[Bigsfish]

Eddie

That's either a big discount for a slip by the month or very expensive by the day. It seems to me you cou,d rent the slip by the month and after five or so days leave and save money.

 

[Heron]

Prices here at the Washington Waterfront are:

1.25/ft + $5 for electricity Day rate

$7.00/ft per month + $30 elec.

We have room!

 

[BandB]

Prices here at the Washington Waterfront are:

1.25/ft + $5 for electricity Day rate

$7.00/ft per month + $30 elec.

We have room!

Wow....six days pay for a month. Typically a week is 4 or 5 days and a month is two to three weeks.

 

[rwidman]

............... Also, we are renting a slip here monthly for around $350 and have been paying around $90 per day for over nights we have been doing. How does it work to stay somewhere a couple of weeks in terms of the cost? We don't want to pay $90 per day for that long.

Marinas set their rates as the owners see fit. Some marinas give a discount for a stay of a week, some give a free day after three or for at the daily rate, others do whatever suits them. Sometimes the rates can be found on Active Captain, sometimes on the marina's website and sometimes you just have to call them on the phone. Sometimes you can negotiate, sometimes you cannot.

 

[Tom.B]

Swansboro is a terrible place to leave a boat. It just isnt a boating town. Much like Belhaven, Swansboro is just a stopover place. If you want to go south, get to Southport. There are three good marinas there.

 

[rwidman]

Swansboro is a terrible place to leave a boat. It just isnt a boating town. Much like Belhaven, Swansboro is just a stopover place. If you want to go south, get to Southport. There are three good marinas there.

One of the great things about owning a boat is that you can visit towns and marinas yourself, stay a few days and then decide for yourself if you want to stay longer.

In my opinion, both Belhaven and Swansboro are cute small towns to visit. Not "boating towns" perhaps, but they both have their charm.

 

[Besslb]

And technically it is a boating town, but little boats, center consoles and some sport fish. It's okay for a lunch stop over, but not somewhere that I would leave my boat for any length of time. We broke down there on our last boat. Friendly enough for sure! But not somewhere we would stay for long or leave the boat.

 

[Tom.B]

One of the great things about owning a boat is that you can visit towns and marinas yourself, stay a few days and then decide for yourself if you want to stay longer.

In my opinion, both Belhaven and Swansboro are cute small towns to visit. Not "boating towns" perhaps, but they both have their charm.

That's fair. "Not a boating town" was too broad of a brush, but like Bess said, great place to visit (or break down), however, they aren't the best choice of a town to stay long-term for cruising boats.

 

[Eddie]

We are going back to Beaufort on Saturday. Recommendations have been to get there at slack tide. Slack tide Saturday will be around 10AM and 4PM. We prefer to not leave New Bern at 5AM nor as late as 11AM. Suggestions? Can we get there at low tide at 1PM? Is that better than between low or high and slack?

 

[Tom.B]

Low tide Saturday is at 1:36, so you will be fine to get there anytime between 1:00 & 2:00... but shoot for 1:30 [emoji41]

 

[Eddie]

Low tide Saturday is at 1:36, so you will be fine to get there anytime between 1:00 & 2:00... but shoot for 1:30 [emoji41]

Thanks again Tom!

So, is slack tide half way between high and low? I want to make sure I understand what slack tide means.

Also, is it ok to go in around slack, high and low or just slack?

 

[Tom.B]

I can say that I have never really understood (or looked up) the definition of the term slack. What I know is that at full high and full low (and I have rightly or wrongly always called that slack) the water is not moving. That has always been our target time to get there.

 

[Eddie]

I can say that I have never really understood (or looked up) the definition of the term slack. What I know is that at full high and full low (and I have rightly or wrongly always called that slack) the water is not moving. That has always been our target time to get there.

Perfect. If it's worked for you, that's what I will do. Thanks again!

 

[bilge53]

You have Flood, High, Slack, Ebb, Low and Slack (in our part of the world). Slack is the period when things are changing.

 

[dimer2]

The flooding or ebbing of a tide must stop before it can go in the opposite direction, we call this "slack" water. In other words the tide has stopped moving and is slack with no movement up or down. However this period or window of time can vary from day to day and particularly on full or new moons. While the slack period of a tide may be 35 minutes off the moon, the window of slack tide on a moon may only be a few minutes before the turnaround of the tide.

 

[ranger58sb]

Thanks again Tom!

So, is slack tide half way between high and low? I want to make sure I understand what slack tide means.

Also, is it ok to go in around slack, high and low or just slack?

Here's a link to NOAA current predictions. Happens to be set on the station we use for local stuff, but you can navigate from there to your best local stations...

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/Predictions?id=ACT4966_1

-Chris

 

[Eddie]

Here's a link to NOAA current predictions. Happens to be set on the station we use for local stuff, but you can navigate from there to your best local stations...



https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/Predictions?id=ACT4966_1



-Chris

Thanks Chris.

 

[BandB]

We are going back to Beaufort on Saturday. Recommendations have been to get there at slack tide. Slack tide Saturday will be around 10AM and 4PM. We prefer to not leave New Bern at 5AM nor as late as 11AM. Suggestions? Can we get there at low tide at 1PM? Is that better than between low or high and slack?

I have a question. You're going on an inland route in very benign conditions. Why so worried about the tide for this trip? Currents showing minimal levels, waves and wind mild. I can't see why it would really matter much to you what tide period. Just asking to understand your concerns better.

 

[Eddie]

I have a question. You're going on an inland route in very benign conditions. Why so worried about the tide for this trip? Currents showing minimal levels, waves and wind mild. I can't see why it would really matter much to you what tide period. Just asking to understand your concerns better.

Good question. As a recent new boater, I was told that Beaufort can be difficult and that it was important to watch the arrival time.

 

[BandB]

Good question. As a recent new boater, I was told that Beaufort can be difficult and that it was important to watch the arrival time.

The inlet can be, but you're not going through the inlet. If there was a strong shift and strong current, accompanied by winds then perhaps inside would be a little difficult for a new boater but it looks to me like tomorrow should be a very easy trip for you. We're outside coming up the coast now from Myrtle Beach and approaching Bald Head/Smith Island and close to making the turn up the NC coast and what a beautiful day. 2-3' at 6 seconds all the way. Tomorrow not much worse. Perhaps others who have boated a lot in the area can comment, as I'm not sure what whoever has told you has experienced.

 

[Besslb]

The current in Taylor's Creek (which is the waterfront in Beaufort) runs pretty hard with the tide....it can make docking quite a challenge.

 

[dhays]

I can say that I have never really understood (or looked up) the definition of the term slack. What I know is that at full high and full low (and I have rightly or wrongly always called that slack) the water is not moving. That has always been our target time to get there.

At best, that is an approximation. While it is an approximation that may work well in many of the areas where TF members cruise, it can be a dangerous assumption in some areas. Slack is the time at the which the current caused by tide changes is no longer moving. While this is usually near the time of high or low tide, it isn't necessarily coincident with it.

Likewise, max ebb or flow current isn't necessarily at the mid-point between high and low tide.

You can usually find max ebb, flow, and slack times where you would find tide times.

 

[rwidman]

High and low tide are not as important as slack current when it comes to docking a boat. There can be a significant time difference between the high or low tide and slack current (the period when there is no tidal current).


It is certainly easier to dock in some marinas (like the ones in Beaufort) at slack current than when there is a 2 knot current running through the marina. If you get put on a face dock, it's not much of an issue, just dock into the current. An inside slip can be much more difficult because you have to account for the current when docking.

 

[Besslb]

It is certainly easier to dock in some marinas (like the ones in Beaufort) at slack current than when there is a 2 knot current running through the marina. If you get put on a face dock, it's not much of an issue, just dock into the current. An inside slip can be much more difficult because you have to account for the current when docking.

Exactly! Add in the ever present wind (breeze) at the coast with the 2kt current, turning into the fairways for an inside slip can be tricky. We've seen boats go sideways there and take out other's bow pulpits. Just need to be cautious!

 

[BandB]

High and low tide are not as important as slack current when it comes to docking a boat. There can be a significant time difference between the high or low tide and slack current (the period when there is no tidal current).


It is certainly easier to dock in some marinas (like the ones in Beaufort) at slack current than when there is a 2 knot current running through the marina. If you get put on a face dock, it's not much of an issue, just dock into the current. An inside slip can be much more difficult because you have to account for the current when docking.

I'll yield to you others as I've never had an issue there but perhaps that's experience and a 2 knot current with a 13 knot wind just didn't seem an issue to me. However, I'd advise him to follow your advice.

 

[psneeld]

For those with twins and thrusters, a 2 knot current and 13 knot winds isnt much of a challenge.

For a single no thruster, even I would have second thoughts depending on the slip and surroundings.

Then again 2 knots for some, is in tbeir minds, 5 knots.

Sometimes, in close to the bulkhead, the current is much weaker. Sometimes not. It is trickier to get there, but if less current, sometimes worth it.