Cape Fear River

Departed Wrightsville Beach at the crack of noon... gorgeous day with temperatures near 80. This part of the ICW has numerous ocean inlets along the way. When the tide is dropping and the water is getting sucked out, we get an added boost north of the inlets and get sucked along with the tide. However, immediately south of the inlet, that water is also flowing out to the ocean but coming straight at us. It was not uncommon to see a 4 kt drop in speed instantaneously. We would be cruising along at 9 kts and suddenly be at 5 kts.

But the real ride came when we entered the Cape Fear River south of Wilmington, NC. We hit the outgoing tide and surfed down the river at 10-11 kts (see the photo for 'proof'). My 7 kt brain was getting a little taxed with the blinding speed. That is all the Cape Fear River has going for it. No scenary along either coast.

We then rounded the town of Southport, NC and headed back into the narrow ICW at normal speed. The water was now at low tide and the waterway had substantially schrunk in width. Great expanses of sand and marshes were visible. The tide here is in the 5-6 foot range. Quite a difference from the Chesapeake Bay.