Boat ride along Intracoastal offers hidden treasures

By Judy Royal
Breakingnews@StarNewsOnline.com

Published: Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 2:18 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 2:18 a.m.

The Intracoastal Waterway is a recreational boater's dream. You can travel its length along Southeastern North Carolina without many of the hazards of maneuvering your craft on the open sea. So come on and take a journey with me. (Click on a map featuring points of interest under "Key Documents" at left below.)

Topsail Island

A good place to start your trip is in North Topsail Beach/Sneads Ferry, just north of the high-rise bridge around Alligator Bay. One of the most interesting sights you'll spot is a flamboyantly pink house, reminiscent of something in Miami, that sits on its own small island. 

As you navigate south along Topsail Island, you'll notice commercial development increases. Stop for a drink and some grub at Sears Landing Grill & Boat Docks at the Surf City swing bridge. The eatery has a full bar – and a full menu.

Rich Inlet

 

After you reach the end of Topsail Island, you'll hit a 4-mile stretch to the east that's protected from development, Lea-Hutaff Island. Its southern tip is separated from Figure Eight Island by Rich Inlet, which opens up westward into a great spot for tubing as well as access to the unspoiled Lea-Hutaff Island beach. In this area you'll typically find many other boaters docked, especially on weekends.

Look west during the trip from Topsail to Wrightsville Beach, and you'll see some really interesting yard adornments, including a large giraffe statue. The architecture of the homes and the expansive lawns along the route are a great mix of older, more modest brick ranches up on bluffs and sprawling new pastel beach homes built on flat land right on the water. 

Wrightsville Beach

Once at Wrightsville Beach, turn east just past the drawbridge, Bluewater restaurant on your port side and Dockside restaurant on your starboard, to Banks Channel. If you haven't had lunch yet, join other boaters at either restaurant before you head east. 

Wynn Plaza, located across from Wings on the channel, has a municipal dock, providing access to the beach and the business district. Dockage is free, but boats cannot be left overnight and there is no water or electricity. Within a few steps, you'll find plenty of restaurants, including Tower 7 with its addictive chips and salsa as well as South Beach Grill with its popular crab nachos. 

Masonboro Island

The 8-mile undeveloped stretch of land between Wrightsville and Carolina beaches is Masonboro Island. On the north end, near Masonboro Inlet, you'll see lots of boats docked in a scene straight out of a rowdy spring break party, especially on summer holiday weekends. But most of the revelers stay in their boats (often tying off to each other to create a cul-de-sac of water vessels) and the oceanside beach remains quite desolate for those who want to get out of the crowds. 

At the south end, you'll see a large hill of dirt that workers piled up when they used dynamite to blast the way for the Carolina Beach Inlet in 1952. Depending on the ride, this area includes a wide beach and would be worth your time for spreading out a picnic and watching the crowd across the way at the North End of Carolina Beach, also known as Freeman Park, a four-wheel-drive beach.

Carolina Beach

To continue along the Intracoastal Waterway, you'll have to navigate west through Snow's Cut, but if you continue south you'll enter the no-wake-zone canal that dead-ends at the Carolina Beach Municipal Marina. Dock here free for up to three hours, which is plenty of time to explore the Carolina Beach Boardwalk and other popular spots in the heart of town, including Britt's Donut Shop.

Southport

Once you get back to Snow's Cut, head south to connect to the Cape Fear River, a much wider stretch of water that's a little confusing to navigate within the channel. Just be wary of the Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point to your west, which has a restricted area in the waterway. A patrol boat will drop out of nowhere to warn you should you accidentally enter it.

The quaint fishing village of Southport is the next opportunity for a break. The Yacht Basin Provision Company is a popular hangout for a casual meal or drink overlooking the waterway, especially during sunset. You'll see the red roof with the restaurant's name on top. 

Brunswick Islands

After you leave the Cape Fear River at Southport, the waterway begins a narrow, east-west route along the region's few south-facing beaches. If you head west, you'll pass Oak Island, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach. And just as the name implies, you can actually watch the sun set over the water at Sunset Beach. 

Several boat-accessible restaurants will tempt you along the islands of Holden Beach and Ocean Isle Beach. Just under the bridge at Holden Beach, you'll find Captain Pete's Seafood, and just beyond it on the land side is another Provision Company restaurant. Hold out, if you can, because on the south end of Holden, where the Shallotte River joins the waterway, you'll see Inlet View Bar & Grill. This bar and restaurant sits high above the water and offers a spectacular view of the waterway, river and inlet to the Atlantic.

Another popular spot for boaters bent on giving their sea legs a rest is still farther south, just before Causeway Drive and the Ocean Isle bridge. Do a little shopping at the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, then enjoy drinks or dinner at Sharky's next-door.

Bird Island

Once you cross under the Ocean Isle bridge, the landscape opens up again, and depending on the size of your vessel, you may find yourself meandering off the path into creeks like Cooker and Jinks, Gold Mine and Blane. The views are breathtaking and you'll imagine you're gliding through the Florida Keys. 

West of Sunset Beach is the undeveloped Bird Island, which holds mysteries beyond the birds. A local treasure known as the Kindred Spirit Mailbox is nestled amid the dunes and holds notebooks full of written thoughts from visitors. 

Also along the stretch not far from Little River Inlet you may be treated to glimpses of the spoil islands' bearded goats, which often can be found peering out from the tall grasses along the water's edge. 

Calabash

To enter Calabash from the water, you'll have to dip into South Carolina just a bit and meander through the Little River Inlet and Milliken Cove. The town of Calabash is so close to the docks, plan to stay awhile for shopping at the mega store Calabash Nautical Gifts and dinner at one of the famous dockside restaurants – Capt. Nance's, Colemans, Dockside, Capt. John's or Ella's, just a few steps beyond the water and closer to your shopping mecca.