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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Sun Nov 23 2003 - 21:14:45 EST
In a message dated 11/20/2003 12:42:35 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:
> Since the
> anchorages and docks can get pretty crowded in the summer with cruisers,
> apparently there are plenty of others who disagree. But, of course, that
> may have been the source of your disappointment.
>
> With a large boat the size and draft of Bandership, however, I can
> understand how it might have been difficult to find a convenient anchorage
> during the heavy season.
The only place we ever found to anchor without being aground in Beaufort was
off Radio Island in a very strong current. I felt very uncomfortable with the
boat there.
There may have been other places to anchor but we searched with the dinghy
(equipped with depth finder) all around the Beaufort area for hours and found no
place that would accommodate my boat safely.
The only place we could find to anchor safely in Moorhead City provoked a
Coast Guard attack, at the request, I believe, of the nearby marina owner.
There is an area at the west end of Moorhead City basin that has room but it
is exposed from the south and west.
Except for the incident with the marina owner/USCG, we were treated
reasonably well. The biggest problem is simply nowhere to anchor safely. But there
were others. There are many docks in the heart of Beaufort for those rich
cruisers that are willing to pay big bucks to tie their boats up there. But the
dinghy dock is by the post office, blocks away from the places of interest. Just
this single factor shows us how unwelcome we are. We have visited many
welcoming ports in 25 thousand miles of cruising, Beaufort is not one of them.
As for hauling out, we saw only two yards. Bock Marine said they could haul
us when we called them from Florida. When we got there it took them two days
to figure out that their Travellift well had silted in and it was impossible
to get the straps under us.
The only other place (and we called every one that Mr. Bock could think of,
and every one in the phone book and cruising guide) was the megaboat facility
just south of Bock's who wanted well over a thousand dollars just to haul us
out. They said they had to charge that much because they had so much invested
in their equipment. (We eventually hauled out at Rose's in Gloucester for a
bit over $400.)
These have been my experiences, but I recommend that everyone reading this
visit the Beaufort/Moorhead City area and decide for themselves.
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying St Augustine
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