Tuesday, November 8th

Today's short leg of 26 miles prompts us to linger into the late morning at Wrightsville Beach.  Our first stop ashore is the Daily Grind coffee shop owned by a couple who moved here from Canton, OH four years ago.  Next, we meet fellow Island Packet sailors Jeff and Sandy aboard Xperience for breakfast at the Causeway Cafe.  Like us, they are headed south for the winter, albeit at a faster pace.

Under sunny skies, the anchor is up at 11:30 AM in Wrightsville Beach.  Soon, the narrow confines of the dredged waterway give way to the broad, deep waters of the Cape Fear River.  This river is a deep water port with a wide, well-marked channel to the Atlantic Ocean. 

[caption id="attachment_1832" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Cutter Loose at anchor in Dutchman Creek"][/caption]

Just before reaching the inlet, the ICW turns abruptly west near the town of Southport.  At 3:30 PM, we are anchored in Dutchman Creek, just a few miles west of Southport.  We are surrounded by marsh grasses in this tiny anchorage that is just wide enough to accommodate Cutter Loose.  After sunset, the recurring flash of the Cape Fear lighthouse is visible on the southern horizon.

[caption id="attachment_1833" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Sunset on Dutchman Creek"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1834" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Silhoutte of Cutter Loose at dusk"][/caption]